Personal recommendations: kindle, rice cooker.
Edit: It's so obvious to me now (and to most people I guess) that I forgot about my washer dryer. To other young adults reading this, if you can afford it and have the space in your apartment, just get a washer dryer ASAP. Even if you live 5 minutes away from a self-service laundry. It'll actually change your life.
Dexcom CGM - This is the best way to constantly measure your blood glucose, though it is a bit expensive.
Rileylink - This is an open source hardware device which intercepts BLE packets from my continuous glucose monitor and sends reverse engineered 433mhz communications to my insulin pump. This has a companion app (Loop) which tells me projected blood glucose on my Apple Watch and automatically administers insulin accordingly.
To a lesser extent, AirPods - it’s pretty cool to be able to say “hey Siri, what’s my blood sugar?” while I’m riding my bike.
When I first got the Apple Watch + plus rileylink setup it was like Xmas every morning ; I got to wake up and look at how my blood sugar had been successfully controlled by the system through the night. Taken together, this open source loop/rileylink system was probably the first legit artificial pancreas used by diabetics in real life. All the other data like insulin on board and active carbohydrates was so exciting to have directly modeled and displayed on my watch since I had spent years trying to estimate those variables in my head throughout the day.
Books - some of them were free, some of them bought, about mathematics, physics, chemistry, programming that got me hooked on these subjects.
Computers. Sinclair ZX Spectrum clone when I was in secondary school and my own PC that I assembled myself in university.
Contact lenses. I am myopic and used glasses. Contact lenses required some time to get used to, but ultimately gave me the great feeling of freedom.
Anything to support shared experience with people I love. It could be a ticket to the movies or a museum, meals in restaurant or for a picnic etc. The exact expenditure is not really important and it may be a good movie or not, but what matters is time spent together.
One day one of my friends told me what it actually does and taught me how to use it.
Mind. Blown.
2) Higher quality kitchenware. knifes and frying pans. I actually had to go over few iterations cause even though I got more expensive ones they still didn't work well. Now, though, it significantly improved the quality/cooking of my food
3) High quality headphones/ear buds. Something about great quality sound makes it so much better to work out. I can run longer with proper soundtrack.
4) Car that I really wanted. I get behind the wheel and literally enjoy holding it my hand. comfortable/fast/smooth. looks sexy. It is an esthetic pleasure.
5) Very good laptop and widescreen curved screen. using them for work everyday - makes total sense to go with top of the line.
I think it would very cool to have washer/dryer in unit. I don't have that. carrying a bag of underwear to another building in 2020 seems unnecessary.
P.S coffee maker. ~$700... I feel like it payed for itself in first month. I love coffee - it makes it itself. no standing around holding a cup of milk.
At the time (10 years ago) I was 240lbs (been working stupid hours for nearly 2 years and pizza was easier on the way home) and the doc had just found I had stage 2 hypertension which he wanted to medicate, I asked him to give me a couple of months and if no improvement I'd take his advice, stopped in Halford's (bike chain in the UK) and bought their cheapest road bike for 400 quid, I resolved to go out every other day and fix my diet which I did gradually increasing distance/pace, at the end of the two months I was down over 10lbs and blood pressure was heading the right way and I'd got addicted to cycling, I signed up for a 200km overnight charity ride at the end of the summer (this was late spring time) and set about training for it properly working up to 80 then 100 then 120 mile rides until I was confident I could do it.
By the charity ride came around I was 190lbs and decided to treat myself to a nicer bike (I was too fat for the nice bike at the start, I mean literally too fat, it had a 100kg max weight limit recommended...).
In terms of return on investment that 400 quid bike was the based deal I ever made.
I have extra lights I can turn on in the early morning to simulate daylight. This is far and away the most powerful tool for manipulating my sleep/wake cycles.
Even without seasonal affective disorder, an early morning dose of extremely bright light improves my energy and mood throughout the day. It also makes it easier to fall asleep at night because my circadian rhythms are further entrained.
> Just reading about air purifiers
I also bought multiple, large HEPA air purifiers for the house. I can't say I noticed any real differences. I keep them for peace of mind, though. I had better results with those adhesive strips that you put on your nose to open your breathing passages at night.
Even better, I paid for them using money I made from my first indie game release. Was a huge emotional win for me.
You don't need to have a "big problem" (like depression) to visit a therpist.
- Trash poker (Neighborhood/hiking trails are so much cleaner now, since I bring it with me wherever I hike and pickup trash)
The gut answer, though, is a pair of snowshoes. Much of the best of my life can be traced to that decision.
- blackout curtains, blackout rod, and white noise machine.
- latex hybrid mattress. I settled on Luma's version of this.
Exercise: Mini home gym settup
- Bowflex SelectTech dumbbells with stand. Power blocks would be equally good, these were just on sale at the time.
- Cheapo belt-drive indoor bike
- Pull-up bar
- Bench if you have extra space.
Work:
- Ergo mouse and keyboard (I use Freestyle 2 for keys and Evoluent vertical mouse).
Liesure:
- Kindle with buttons. Used the old keyboard one until it died, then switched to the Voyage.
Car:
- Honda Fit. Incredible value in this car. Parks anywhere.
- Roof rack w/cargo box. Turn your subcompact car into a station wagon.
Cooking:
- Instant-read thermometer
- Vintage cast iron pan. They cost about the same and have a much nicer surface. Best I've found is Griswold.
- Forged knives with decent steel. Best value here is probably something Japanese (e.g. Tojiro Gyuto)
- Japanese water stone for sharpening. It's a fun skill and doesn't take long to learn - or just pay for it regularly. Sharp knives are life changing.
- Tri-ply pots/pans. I went for All-Clad, but Cuisinart seems to do fine for much less $$.
- Panasonic IR toaster (FlashXpress). Compact, super-fast , bulletproof. (I'm on year 10 of consistent operation).
- Moccamaster or knockoff version - I use the "Motif Essential" which sporadically shows up for $50. 85% of the flavor of pour-over, 20% of the work.
House:
- Battery-op electric lawnmower/blower/trimmer. No more gas fumes, low maintenance, quiet.
- Cordless drill
- Basement dehumidifier. No more funky smell.
- Color tunable light-bulbs. Bright blue in the morning, orange-y in the evening. It's flux for your house.
Health:
- allergies: sublingual immuno therapy. Same benefits as allergy shots, no shots.
- IR thermometer. Especially if you have kids.
I had many years of old paper tax returns, and I wanted them in PDF format. Paid $400 for an Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1500 and absolutely love it. Put a stack of documents in the top, hit "scan", and a PDF appears on my computer. Zero hassle.
Anything that I get in paper form gets immediately scanned, backed up, and shredded.
[RIP Bragi. You could probably substitute any other good wireless earbuds, though.]
This means I can learn and discover during activities where this was previously not possible.
Podcasts and audiobooks are available during commutes, flights, runs, bike rides, misc chores and errands etc.
The fact that they're entirely wireless, have very good noise cancellation (in-ear seal), a powerful touch interface, and are sweat/water proof, makes them especially useful. (e.g. skip song with double-tap while biking)
(Of course, use your discretion; shutting out the world and being always on the receiving end of information without time to process your own thoughts and letting them wander I think comes with a cost.)
Edit:
I'll echo what others have said as well: bikes!
Probably tied for first place is my bike which I bought off CraigsList in queens back in 2014. The decision to bike somewhere rather than driving/taking the train/walking means: new forms of exercise, new ways to discover a city, and it's fun :)
* Apple Watch: yes, it’s quite easy to cheat and close the activity rings for standing, exercise and calories burned, but it still helps. Not having the phone around to see what a notification is about (and acting on it) is another plus. I can’t wait for sleep monitoring that’s coming in watchOS 7 (to be released in a few months).
Additional mentions: washing machine (for clothes), a powerful blender (like Vitamix), pressure cooker, and a stovetop with four burners.
The original ones were awesome, but these ones are even better. Absolute game changer.
- Crockpot (cook while you work)
- Good mattress (you spend 30%+ of your time there)
- Roomba (clean while you work)
- Ninja blender/food processor
- Noise Canceling air pods
- toaster oven (cheap and you can cook everything)
1 - the economist audio edition. I always found it incredibly exhausting and impossible to keep up on current events in a moderately objective way (nothing is perfect). The economist audio edition ate up all my podcast time but allowed me to feel well informed across various topics. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys following geo-politics, economics and other topics. They allow download to mp3 and stream via an app (I use musicolet on Android).
2 - RM Williams Chelsea boots. These are perfect chelsea boots for those who are in the market. I will buy many more pairs in my lifetime. Comfortable from day 1.
3 - a reusable water bottle that brings you Joy for the office or work setting. Drink water!!
- Magnesium L Threonate, Vitamin D, B12, Zinc and Krill Oil
- Headspace
- Electric toothbrush
- Deep Work by Cal Newport
- Minimalist home work area: MPB, airpod pro, magic keyboard touchpad and monitor
- Leetcode premium, educative.io and free guides on engineerseekingfire landed me 2 FAANG offers
Intelligent Investor - I read this book around 15 years back and I am at a better place financially, partly due to it.
Road Bike - Bought one around 5 years ago. Best way for me to exercise and feel-the-wind-in-my-face. Finally, wife agreed to get one as well. Now we are riding together. Best feeling.
A Home - It's a double edged sword. Spending tons of time working on lawn and garden. Great way to connect to the roots. On the flip side, it's easy to get sucked into projects and not have time to pursue side projects.
I spend at least 10 hours everyday in front of my computer and the investment was well worth it.
*acquired - not purchased.
I've been through many game changing OSes (I'll skip pre-Windows) NT, OS/2 and Windows 3.11, then Win95 and finally - arguably the last decent OS from MS - Windows 7.
Then I discovered Linux (debian and ubuntu flavours mainly) and it's been a game changer! I haven't had an anti-virus clogging up my system nor required running registry cleaners. I feel like I've regained control over my computer vs. it controlling me!
First benefit: tea is a beverage hobby with some stunning depth (think wine, beer, scotch, etc).
Second benefit: Lots of flavor diversity means you won't have to reach for sugary or alcoholic drinks as often to fight off boredom.
- Cordless drill/screwdriver.
Most useful small ticket item: a 12" x 18" erasable whiteboard lap desk. I like to do writing in an armchair and this is just perfect. Years ago I went into an educational supply store with my wife. While she was looking for something for the kids, I found the lap board.
Instant Pot. Similar to above, but for a different set of foods.
Hot air rework station. SO MANY electronics repairs become possible with one of these.
Pet birds. I love them. Definitely not for everyone.
Engagement ring. The ring itself is just a symbol, of course, and the relationship can't be purchased. But it symbolizes a significant moment.
More recently 3 pairs of $1 reading glasses from a dollar store. More expensive ones start at 1.25 strength and 1.00 suits me better for computer distance. Will be updating with blue-blocking ones--they feel so relaxing.
LG G6 (and later G8) phone + JVC HA-FXD80 earphones. I had lost interest in music until I got good enough quality to 'feel the vocals'.
Fitbit tracker Books, audiobooks services Cast iron pan
So... Exercise, mind and eating get a boost
A honyaki chef’s knife and a vinyl cutting board to go with it.
Good pair of shoes (reliable) HQ clothes HQ breathable underwears Weight scale
We have a Zojirushi water pot/boiler that I pretty much can't live without today. Also, a portable (battery powered) bidet.
It's such a revelation that I can't imagine raising a newborn without one.
Motorcycle
Good kitchen knives
Engagement ring
Not for the better.
Smartphone
Smart watch for step tracking
QC35 noise cancelling headphones
Kindle paper white
2. Netgear Nighthawk router ($150, always works)
Toto Washlet
House
I still love the air purifier though!