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Shoes. If your feet aint happy, aint nobody happy.
aint nobody happy
Well, Nike & Adidas CEOs prob are
A good power supply. It can save your whole system.
The classic is anything that separates you from the ground.
I’d add anything related to plumbing, electricity and roofing.
Basically any core elements of a home. Finishes can be redone, but things like a good water heater or reliable HVAC system are niceties you’ll always thank yourself for
Shopping houses right now. I’m really focusing on the HVAC, roof, and plumbing. Oh and water. I saw one house where it didn’t have gutters on a short eave and the door below was mostly rotted out in the bottom 2 feet from water slashing on to it. It boggles the mind that no one had thought to put a gutter there. Literally a 8 foot section of gutter would save that door and frame.
Good work. Those are the things that will cost you tens of thousands. New floors? Bah, nothing compared to having to replumb or rewire. Water damage too is terrifying, we had our water heater burst and it took weeks to clean up and repair
Car brakes
Knifes. You maybe don’t need the ultra deluxe Japanese kitchen knives from the future. But a set of good, sharp knives will be a godsend if you plan to cook a lot.
Hiking gear. Especially the boots have to be of good quality. But breathable clothing (including socks) will also make a big difference when you go on a long trip.
Might be a no-brainer for some, but: meat. If you plan to make some steak, choosing a properly marbled piece of meat is as important as how you cook it. Will be exorbitantly more expensive than the discount meat, tho. But trust me, it will make a huge difference.
As a knife guy, choose the right knife. A lot of knives now are looking to sell on glitz and glamour whilst being fairly mediocre and criminally overpriced (see Dalstrong).
A lot of knives are overbuilt too. To give the impression of sturdyness, they are made far too thick, or have excessively large bolsters that just bog it down. You don’t use a machete for daily prep, you want something thin that won’t get wedged in the cut. Fun fact, in Japan a light knife is a sign of quality, it means it’s very thin, which is difficult to forge and requires a master.
The best knives for ordinary people I think are Victorianox fibrox and Tojiro DP series knives. The Victorianox has decent steel but is importantly very thin and sharp, with a comfortable handle. The Tojiro is more expensive but has better steel that will remain sharp much longer. Of course it is also thin and sharp.
On the topic of knives, it’s more important to have a way to keep them sharp. No knife will stay sharp for long with consistent use.
And cheap knives will cause lots of frustration when you try to get and keep them sharp.
Penis extension surgery
This is a niche one but quality sharpening stones. A complete blindspot for sharpeners in the western hemisphere.
People assume that the edge is great if it’s sharp. There are even people that will sharpen on a brick, strop on green goop, shave hair, and claim you don’t need fancy sharpening stones.
Truth is, the sharpening stone dictates edge retention as much as the blade’s quality can. Can you get hair shaving sharp on a brick? Yes. Will it stay sharp? No.
This is why the Japanese go crazy for special and expensive stones. The quality of stones are so important that in medieval times, the best stone quarries were classified military secrets.
I recently attended a seminar and the speaker spoke how the 30,000 grit stones DOUBLED his edge retention over his 16,000 grit stone.
What you use to sharpen MATTERS, and that’s why they get so damn expensive.
I have never heard of stones this High. Japanese rates to 8000 grit at highest. Explain?
If you write or sign things a lot, get a couple decent pens. Not expensive ones you’d be upset if you lost them, but not sad, free office pens.
I’ve gotten numerous compliments on my Pilot Precise V5. It’s bold, but easy to read, and if anyone borrows it, they’ll notice it’s smooth and feels nice to use.
The Precise is a rollerball. If you need a ballpoint, Uni Jetstream is great. Pentel Energel or Bic Inkjoys for gel. Grab a pair of each and you can write on near anything.
Zebra Sarasa Grand is a nice metal body with binder clip type clip if you want an upgrade. The above pens all use the same size refill, so if you like one body but a different ink, you can swap them.
The Grand is around $10, the rest you can find for around $5 for a pair.
If you’re using a pen all day, it’s an upgrade you’ll notice whenever you grab a freebie pen and it’s scratchy, the ink skips, and it smudges. It’s a nice upgrade that will feel more luxurious than the price would imply.
The Pilot Precice (V7 because I’m not a heathen) literally got me my first date with my current fiancée. I barely handwrite anymore since I graduated a few years ago but still make a note to grab a pack of those pens whenever I notice my home supply is getting a little thin. They’re really lovely things
That’s awesome! I have fancier pens, but the Precise is always the attention grabber when people write with it.
My gf is a 0.7 user and hates all my 0.5, but I write smaller than she does and the ink lasts longer as a bonus. She writes bigger to enjoy the bold lines.
Pentex EnerGels are AWESOME for inexpensive pens.
Those were my gateway
drugpen!I like the soft touch body of the Inkjoys more, and I feel Energels don’t last as long, but they’re still one of the top budget pens and I like they come in a number of body styles and colors.
Imma try like EVERYTHING you’ve recommended! My partner got me on the energels.
Careful, it’s addictive!
oh no
My writing is TERRIBLE and I’m scared I will get pens that will make it worse
It may sound silly, but don’t be afraid to practice your writing.
I tried fountain pens for a bit (too fussy for me) and to get practice at it and get my cursive skills back up, I would copy the Duolingo I was doing at the time. That way I got to practice writing and language at the same time. You can always just copy articles or books or whatever.
You could practice copying font styles too if you want something special. If your writing stinks, steal someone else’s! 😁
You’re sweet! I would love to try the pens that part while you press harder, but regular pens make my shaky-ass hand look terrible. Maybe I could get better with practice!
The jet streams feel smoother than any others I’ve tried.
I love the Parker Jotter. It’s a classic and looks so sleek.
Jotter is a classic!
Check out the OHTO Rays for something similar. It’s a plastic body so it cuts down on both weight and price.
Condoms
The rule is, if it goes between you and the ground buy quality shit.
Running shoes because when you wear ill-fitting shoes, you will hurt yourself eventually.
Shoes in general. Youll have so much more stamina at festivals and other places if you have sturdy shoes that fit well.
I switcthed to barefoot shoes for hiking and everyday. They are the opposite of sturdy, but well worth the investment. As a guy in his late forties, I have fewer little nagging pains.
I second this. I have huge feet (US men’s 15 extra wide) and after a lifetime of cramming my feet into shoes that fit “good enough” I’m developing bunions along with other aches and issues. After a particularly painful weekend on my feet I decided to see if the Internet had any suggestions and I fell down the barefoot shoe rabbit hole. I initially balked at the price and styling of most brands I saw but the cheaper options simply didn’t come in my size. I decided to go for it and got a pair of Xero shoes since they make a men’s 15 that isn’t too hideous and I haven’t looked back. Best decision I have made in the last 2 years.
Never heard of Xero, thanks! I personally swear by my size 15 Red Wing steel toed boots. Foot pain is pretty bad, it screws up your entire posture. Having custom inserts made was really worth it for me.
Definitely bed. Not affiliated in any way but AmeriSleep makes the best bed and pillows I have ever slept on. Hands down no comparison. It’s the perfect combo of firmness and conformity.
Magniflex mattresses are very good Atwell. Recently got one - my first time ever choosing a mattress for myself. Worth every penny.
People spend far more on their cars where they spend far less time
Destigmatize the race car bedframe!
water filters, go whole house if able but get decent filters for kitchen and bathroom faucets, including the shower. You don’t want to breath city water steam, or soak in it. imo it’ll help improve your quality of life and be kinder to your skin. Many last for a good while so it’s not really that costly.
Anything involving safety.
As an example: Phone or laptop batteries.
Honestly, batteries of any kind. Only buy from the manufacturers of the product the batteries work with. If it’s underpriced on Amazon, it’s probably a fucked up battery that has a higher risk of starting an electrical fire. Portable tool batteries, ebike batteries, handheld system batteries.
I’m not fucking around with unsafe batteries.
Never buy branded batteries on Amazon either.
I always stick with Annsmann, they make incredible rechargeable AAs and AAAs
Ordered a set off Amashit and they were fake, and I’ve had the same problem with Anker
Fuck Amazon until they sort their MASSIVE counterfeiting problems out
A good mattress: you spend 1/3 of your life sleeping, it needs to be comfortable.
Footwear: the rest of the time your footwear is what separates you from the ground. Invest in practical, good quality, and repairable/hard-wearing footwear.
Damn, I wish I had that much sleep lol
Mattress, shoes, chair, tires. The things that are between you and the ground
