• Piers@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Bed. That is the “luxury” you should prioritise above anything else.

    I’ve slept in all kinds of qualities of bed (and discussed it with others who have done the same.)

    The quality of the bed you sleep in at night is a huge factor in the quality of the you that you are when you’re awake. The best sleep I’ve had on bad beds is still no better than the worst I’ve had on good ones and when you repeat that day after day, into week after week, into year after year, the cumulative effect on both your quality of life and physical health is immense. You should never make sleeping on a bad bed your long-term plan if you can possibly avoid it.

    Every single day of your life is influenced by the quality of sleep you got before you started and therefore the quality and type of bed.

    It is a huge gap in privilege between people who have lifestyles that make a good bed a standard expectation that is easily achieved and those who have to make do with what’s cheap. The former group will always just be healthier, happier, better rested and more prepared for the challenges in front of them than the other.

    I’d recommend a good quality pocket-sprung mattress (you can’t really find cheap bad ones) over a sturdy wooden slatted frame although the modern foam mattresses are also very popular now and can be a good choice if you can’t easily realistically get a massive heavy inflexible mattress where it needs to go.

    • aacid@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      honestly only thing preventing me to buy bidet is that vision that after every other toilet visit will be disgusting.

      long time ago I spent some time in japan and having integrated bidet in every toilet was amazing, but for me it is all or nothing, either want to live in the world of bidet or in the world of toilet paper, not in the middle.

      • abc@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        lmao i dont have that luxury i have no idea wtf you’re talking about

  • greenskye@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    A nice keyboard, mouse and monitor. It’s the way you interact with your computer the most and yet many people seem content with bargain versions, even when they spend 8-10 hours a day using them.

  • 1000knives@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    getting an extra-long phone charging cable is such a silly purchase but it’s sooo useful. like i can’t live without one at this point. phone almost dead but the outlet is too far away? not anymore it’s not!

    • mint@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      blackout curtains are the difference between 67 and 80 degrees F in the summer for me

  • TheGiantKorean@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Good underwear. I like Saxx boxer briefs. Breathable, doesn’t ride up, and they support my junk with choking it.

    • gabereal451@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      support my junk with choking it

      If my underwear choked my chicken for me, it would free up so much time in my day!

      /s

    • CDN@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      I never used to think about the quality of my underwear until I got some from Saxx & Pair of Thieves. Now I can’t imagine going back.

      • mitch@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        Be sure to try MeUndies once, too. They have this special cotton-like material that feels like silk but breathes like cotton. 🤌

  • tangentism@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    One of my luxuries is that I shave using straight and safety razors (it’s actually more economical & less of an environmental impact that using shitty gillette style razors) is to splurge a bit on the shaving soap and brush

    Nothing like a nice, frothy lather!

    • Thalestr@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      This. Most retail teabags are made with “fannings” which is basically the dust left after they’ve made the actual proper tea. It’s cheap and brews very fast so it has mass market appeal but it tastes accordingly. Quality loose leaf tea is amazing and the flavour difference is huge. It doesn’t immediately get that burnt tannin flavour like fannings do.

  • Storksforlegs@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Good coffee. It’s always worth it for me. There’s still an upper limit of super-expensiveness I won’t go past, but neither do I cheap out.

    • Cynar@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      I’m the same with tea. Cheap tea is awful, good tea is amazing. Unfortunately expensive ≠ good. Thankfully I’ve found a good supplier, for a reasonable price (for the quality).

    • TheForkOfDamocles@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      It took me a while, but eventually realized that the price of the good stuff was still maybe a tenth the cost of getting coffee from a kiosk.

    • Gork@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      And a good coffee grinder. The difference in freshness is quite noticable when grinding whole beans right before brewing a pot.

    • Piers@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      Similarly, £1’s worth of really great chocolate is usually more satisfying than £1’s worth of cheap rubbish even though the actual quantities are vastly different.

    • Refefer@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      Roasting coffee is a great hobby and has an incredibly fast ROI if you start with the popcorn maker method. I get best in class beans for less than half their roasted cost.

  • BuxtonWater@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    For those who use cannabis like me, I gotta say a good vape is worth its weight in gold in the day to day experience.

    • bipmi@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      Can I ask, how often do you consume and what vape do you use? I consume mostly for recreation (I have a medical reason but Ill just honestly admit the recreational factor is bigger for me because my health issue isnt that serious) and Im a daily smoker at this point. Sometimes I worry about the toll its taking on my physical health and I know vaping is supposed to be less taxing. My wife also uses daily and she actually has medicinal reasons/has a medcard. Ive looked into handheld vapes and tried a few, but Im a bong guy and nothing as of yet has compared to the feeling of hitting a clean, fresh bong. All you really get if you look for advice online are a bunch of ads and adbait articles about vape # 2973 being the best for you

        • bipmi@beehaw.org
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          1 year ago

          Is your volcano portable or desktop? Im a little familar with volcano but Ive never used or seen one IRL. None of my smoker friends vape flower, they all smoke it, but I do want to switch one day to mostly just vaping since it seems better for your health

  • trashhalo@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Recurring house cleaning services.

    I’d probably be divorced by now if we hadn’t made the investment. It doesn’t cost as much you think and whatever it costs the mental health and couples benefits of a clean home is worth the investment.

    • dxcz@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      I’ve thought about this but always get turned off at the thought of strangers in my little messy 1 bedroom apartment.

      Any tips for finding a good one or additional points to help me make the plunge?

      • Cynar@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        They’ve likely seen a LOT worse. Just remember the difference between a maid and a cleaner. A maid clears up the mess, a cleaner cleans the place. If your getting a cleaner, you’ll need to make some effort to get the mess out of their way.

        I’ve also found that’s a useful effect. If you’ve someone coming in to clean every week or two, then you have a deadline and motivation to do your tidying. I don’t want to pay a cleaner to waste time shuffling around my clutter.

      • hoyland@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        The first time they come is really hard (so much shame), but it gets easier. I’m not going to pretend that I’m not sometimes up at 5am cleaning before the cleaner comes, though.

        Just ask around and google. Word of mouth is your best bet for finding someone running a one person business, though you can look at any noticeboards in shops near you–my local coffee shop generally has someone with a flyer up. Yelp and Google will turn up worker-owned cooperatives, which makes me feel better about the ethics of paying someone to clean.

    • Zapp@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      Amen. A good house cleaner only must charge slightly less than a divorce.

  • corecrank@leaf.dance
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    1 year ago

    Don’t go cheap if it separates you from the ground. Buying quality shoes, tires, sofa/ recliner, and bed will always be worth the investment.

    • Cylinsier@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      Definitely a bed. Do not cut costs on your mattress, you spend a third of your life laying on one and if it’s not good, it will fuck your back up.

  • OttoVonGoon@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Socks. I spent my life wearing cheapo Walmart socks but my partner bought me a few pairs of merino wool socks last christmas. Hoo boy are those things amazing, they keep your feet cool in the heat and warm in the cold, and it feels like you’re wearing silky little clouds.

    • Myrhial@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      Merino wool is the good stuff. My sock experience is the same. I also bought some fancy sneakers that are merino, treated to be water repellent. I wear them to the office all year and I’ve not had any smell issues. I used to always buy cheap shoes and cheap socks but here it seems that your choice of material really makes a difference. I’ll pay the price for that.

  • lagomorphlecture@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Idk if this counts as a luxury or not but sometimes spending extra to get some fresh fruits or vegetables that are locally grown is so worth it.

    As for the bed, amen. Hip problems run in my family and I replaced my old worn out bed with a hybrid bed and my hip pain became so much more manageable within 2 weeks.

  • friendbot@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    My rule is anything I use almost every day is worth splurging on. I will also splurge on specialized tools, like nail clippers.

    For example, I got an expensive trash can for the kitchen and it’s just a nice object that adds a subtle bit of niceness to the day. The lid drops at the perfect speed, and the bag never slips off the opening.