15 Things People Bought That Made Life So Much Easier They Wish They Knew About Them A Lifetime Ago
"I'm looking for quality/durable 'buy-it-for-life' items that increased your productivity or quality of life so much that you wish you could gatekeep it all to yourself but feel generous enough to tell the world," they said. "Perhaps some sleep mask, amazing backpack, some kitchen item, desk item, a monitor. What changed your life forever??"
Here's everything people shared:
1."A cheap e-book reader. Even a 15-year-old Kindle is fine. They use very little battery, and the e-ink technology hasn't meaningfully evolved all that much for the given application. Essentially, all your favorite classics are free from the online repository Project Gutenberg; then, you can also get more stuff with little to no cash if you know your way around."
"It takes little space in a backpack or purse and is a piece of tech that actually helps you develop your brain, fight the problems of excess social media consumption, and saves you money in the long run."
—Training_Mud_8084
Similarly, "My e-reader and library card!! I love browsing online and having the book available (almost always) right away."
–sunsethoneybee
2."This will be silly, but a bowl/tray for keys. If there's no dedicated place for them, it's impressive how many 'where do you not expect keys' places I've put them."
—_Lividus
3."Rice cooker, 100% essential!"
—Euphoric_Barracuda_7
"I cannot recommend getting one enough; for the longest time, I was an 'I can boil water in a pot; it's fine' guy. Then, a few years ago, my sister was living with us, and when she left, she left her small rice cooker. I used it like three times, then went out and bought a large one, and have not looked back since."
—glynstlln
4."Not a product, but a service. Cleaning person. Once a month. $150. Saves so much time and stress in my life."
—PartyMark
5."Vitamix blender. I kept seeing people posting about it, and I wondered, 'What's so great about a fucking blender?' I have a blender. I bought one to try it out, and now I know what they meant! The smoothies are insane, along with the nut butters and the soup you can make without cooking because it heats up with just friction! And the best part is how well the self-clean works."
—thequickbrownbear
6."For me, it would be an electronic probe-type kitchen thermometer. It leveled up my cooking so much that it's not even close. I used to overcook my food so much ( even when actively trying not to), especially with pork. Then, I got two thermometers — one for the oven and one for instant-read when I need to check something on the pan. The food quality simply skyrocketed."
—airmind
7."Instant pot. You can cook damn near anything in it in very little time. I use it most for cooking frozen meat and rice, and my mom uses it for ribs."
"In addition, that swirly chicken shredder tool has been super helpful for shredding taco/burrito meat without a knife and fork."
–pierowmaniac
8."Big ol' second monitor at work. Game changer."
–SnooRevelations8417
9."A few years ago, my wife bought a Brabantia bin for our kitchen. I was not pleased; it cost nearly £150, and I struggled to see value when I 'could get a similar bin for £30.' However, since then, I have never had bin juice on my hand. I have never lost the top of the bin bag inside the bin. Taking the bin bag out is easy. I always hated taking bin bags out because it usually got grim. We'd over-fill it, which meant taking the bag out was hard and messy. It's made an unpleasant job easy."
"If I could go back and buy it as soon as I got my own place, I would. I take the rubbish out about twice a week, and every time, I think, 'Damn, I appreciate this bin.' Twice a week of not dreading a necessary task is worth way more than she paid. It's the little things."
—rw890
10."Custom molded earplugs. I got them from an audiologist, and they are not that expensive."
"Also, I so much enjoy cooking more with good and sharp kitchen knives. But I have to say my favorite kitchen item is my citrus squeezer."
—suitopseudo
11."A vertical mouse! This has helped my wrist pain so much! They're easy to adjust to, and mine even has extra buttons you can customize."
—Lace_Lilac
12."I bought a house two years ago so there is a theme:"
"1) Good sawhorses. I got whatever the top-rated was on Amazon (Bora workhorse, $80/pair). Everyone loves them. It makes me more likely to work on house projects because setting them up or taking them down is so easy.
2) Vintage silverware. Not actual silver, but stainless steel. Like old Oneida.
3) Buy the slightly nicer stud finder. WOW, it's life-changing. I did, and I knew it was great, but not quite how great it was until my brother showed me his. Same brand, and it was not so great. He went with the budget option.
4) TBD on how 'buy for life' this is, but a stainless steel water fountain for my cats. It doesn't get slimy like the plastic ones, and my cats love it. Bonus: mine is totally silent until the water starts to get a touch low, which helps my ADHD remember to refill it."
—haleighen
13."A couple of years ago, I bought my first pair of Birkenstock Bostons. Best casual/everyday shoe I've ever owned. I never knew the key to comfort is a rock-hard cork footbed."
—Wyrmdirt
14."Miele vacuum."
—Richyrich619
"I bought my Miele vacuum about 6 years ago, and it's the best thing ever. We even won a nice Samsung vacuum cleaner, but it was still nowhere near as nice as Miele. Gave it away."
—airmind
And finally:
15."1) Bosch 800 dishwasher. Certainly no dishwasher is 'BuyItForLife,' but this is my first one that actually legit works really well, and it's quiet. 2) APEC reverse osmosis system. Was $160 (normally $200). Installed it myself. So much better than refilling the stupid Brita I used for many years. 3) Bidet. Nothing fancy, like $40."
"4) Electric water kettle, $100. 5) SimpleHuman trash can. When it closes, the odors actually stay inside. Recently bought cheap charcoal filters, put one in it, and it legit helps odors even when opening it. 6) Duckfeet shoes. Expensive, but worth it."
—Sonarav
"Bosch 800 dishwasher is the best; do not go cheap on appliances. We use it every day, and our water bill has gone down."
—BrilliantDifferent01
What product saved you time and money, or instantly boosted your quality of life? Let's discuss in the comments.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.
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