What other purchases might be worth considering?
These allow me a good four days of absence from the house - for camping or whatever else. Doesn't happen often that both the wife and I are MIA, but when it does, these things are indespensable.
[0]: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WGLYV22/
[1]: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VIXRB6O/
I use them for music, movies/TV, watching videos on YouTube including technical ones, and even occasionally video conferencing.
Wearing headphones for more than 30 minutes is fatiguing and uncomfortable for me. Listening to people's voices on tiny laptop or iPad speakers is even more annoying.
Hearing the bass and midrange in people's voices makes them more intelligible, particularly if they have an accent. It's just 100% more pleasant all around.
And this is purely an aesthetic thing, but it's crazy to me that people seem to listen to music through their phone speaker, let alone their laptop speaker... to me it's unrecognizable.
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Most people seem to be using the bluetooth speakers these days, which ~10 years ago were extremely bad IMO. Admittedly I found one that is pretty good recently.
But I still think it's very much worth it to have real speakers with drivers, speaker wire, and an amplifier in your home. (Or a powered speaker, although your options are more limited there, and it's more expensive.)
For traveling the right bluetooth speaker can be alright (there are many bad ones), but after a week of traveling my ears are "relieved" when I get to hear real audio again.
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Also: a single kettlebell for ~$45, which I almost think of as a stretching/circulation device, and a bicycle used for 10+ years.
- Surprisingly, my iPhone Xs battery lasts longer because I'm checking it less.
- Counter-intuitively, I'm spending less time on my phone because I'm less likely to get sucked into my Watch than my phone. Now I just read non-urgent messages and Dismiss them.
- I use the compass all the time now that I'm travelling[^1] in the UK and I use the compass all the time to learn the city layout. Apple Maps is still crappy on the Watch compared to Google Maps on iPhone, but because my Watch vibrates before every important turn, I have less navigation anxiety.
- I feel safer walking in the city because I don't have to hold my phone in my hand.
2. Macbook Pro 16":
It was f*cking expensive, but:
- Rust compile times have come down 10x compared to my mid-2015 MBP15.
- Screen is 200% better.
- Sound is 500% better.
- Keyboard is 200% better.
- Track Pad is way better.
...hate the Touch Bar, though :).
- [^1] If you are a professional dev in London, hit me up for a beer, esp. if you write Clojure for a living.
(PS. @dang please can we have list formatting support?)
Youtube Premium - I realized I was spending a ton of time on Youtube, both for education, entertainment and podcasts. Removing the annoyance of ads and not being able to just listen to a video while out walking is worth it to me.
I've said this here before I think, but the Segway inventor was claiming cities would be designed around it and everyone was laughing, but with an electric scooter I can totally see this happening.
I also "purchased" a 4-day work week, which has had a substantial impact on my own quality of life.
2020 is my first year with a BC100, so due to Corona I couldn't use it that much yet, but it's kind of mind-blowing to go to a train station and just be able to hop on any train [2] whenever I feel like it, no questions asked. When Corona has blown over, I will definitely make a habit of just exploring Germany every other weekend.
[1] https://www.bahn.com/en/view/offers/bahncard/bahncard_100-co...
[2] There are some rare exceptions, e.g. night trains require a reservation.
The tool I use the most at home: bench-mounted vise. I’ve owned a home for 15 years and try to fix everything I can myself, so I had lots of other tools (cordless everything) but never a vise until getting one as a gift. Now I clamp (almost) everything for cutting, drilling, sanding, whatever, and I don’t know how I managed before (I remember straining to hold things and getting upset when they slipped—or even injured).
In-line water filter. Reduce the barrier-of-entry to drinking water however you can. Started with one of those gravity filters but having to refill it all the time was a barrier. One that's tied into mains pressure just works.
Ceiling fans. We have an evaporative cooling system which is good, but adding ceiling fans in the bedrooms and office really allow good air circulation on those hot days.
12mm flashing red LED and a magnetic switch. Stuck the magnetic switch on the garage door and the LED in the ceiling by the front door. Can now easily see if the garage door was left open.
I wasn't even looking for a 4K monitor when I bought it, and didn't think it would make a big difference, but I was very wrong. It's made a huge difference in my day-to-day computing experience.
Reading ebooks and papers on screen is actually bearable now; previously I'd prefer to print documents out or purchase/borrow physical books for reading.
I can also now use antialiased vector fonts for programming, though I still use Terminus in the terminal emulator.
I don't think about headphones anymore, they just work the way they're supposed to.
There are other supplements¹ in my stack but these three stand out as the effects are near immediate, measured in mere minutes/hours.
¹zinc methionine, L-taurine, Ashwagandha, Boswellia serrata, fish oil, cod liver oil, vitamins B1, B2, B6, B9, B12, C , D, K, calcium, resveratrol.
Soil around here is very hard. For years I struggled to dig even the shallowest of holes for planting things, laying pipes, etc. Holes that would take me months to dig, one painful weekend at a time, I can now get done in 10 minutes. Weirdest tool I've bought, but it has saved me literally years of effort at this point.
I guess the generalized message is just buy the best and most specific tool up front. The time saved by proper tools is totally worth it.
A power tower. Simple, doesn't take up much space, but lets me do a variety of upper body exercises on-demand without having to set anything up. A great way to fit exercise into the day without friction.
A good rice cooker. Makes the rice perfectly every time without me having to think about timing.
A good wardrobe. Started getting compliments on how I dress all the time. I never cared about this very much, and that made me unaware that other people did care.
Compared to a mouse, the change in my daily ergonomics was astounding, because using a mouse would hurt my entire arm. When I switching to a tablet (using a custom mouse mode), the mouse click was replaced by tapping the tablet which saved my entire career. Although, fast-forward 10 years, now I do full-stack programming, so I don't use it anymore.
The last one was to Madrid. But really every time I go on a journey, I am surprised how much it improves my life quality.
Not only while I am traveling. But also afterwards, when I am back. The effect holds for quite a while.
Long USB-C and Lightning charging cables (get braided ones for longevity).
Fastest charger in your car. 15 minute drive and your phone is ready for rest of the day.
Merino (Icebreaker) underwear and hoodies. You'll never want to wear anything else.
Double-walled cups/glasses/containers. I really like Bodum's double walled glasses and so does my partner. They really transform the way you drink things - allowing you to go much slower. I also use double-walled cups that have a top to them like those 30oz RTIC Tumblers and with a straw. This allows for carbonated beverages to last way longer than in an open container and they stay cool for a really long time. It's not uncommon for me to come back after 8+ hours and there still be a lot of ice in the cup. We also have other double-walled containers like Hydroflasks and what not too.
High performance cordless drills/impacts. I know it seems a bit obvious but get the best set you can and it'll do you wonders for speed. I use powered ratchets and everything and jobs just go so much quicker now. I used to only use hand tools for everything and now everything is a joke. Rusted old exhaust bolts don't need penetrating oil or anything - everything just flies off. It's just incredible. They're not a full replacement for hand tools but a great supplement.
High(er) quality headphones. I started with Sennheiser HD555s some years back and they were great. In fact, I'd say that level of jump is all you really need. Everything after has incredible diminishing returns. Comfort is really key - as I had headphones that physically would hurt after 30 minutes to an hour. So, get ones that fit you well or you can put different earpads on that will help. Whatever you need.
Better fitting and looking clothes. I used a resource like Ashley Weston for guidance. You'll have to figure out who has guidance that best fits your own taste but she worked for me a bit.
A set amount of time before the alarm is to go off, the alarm simulates a sunrise and can play FM radio, a repeating sound (ocean waves, Nepal bells, etc.) and at the alarm time can do your typical loud alarm. I have this set for 20 minutes before I wake up to start the sunrise. By the time I am ready to wake up, its full brightness and I am ready to get up.
There is also a sunset feature for going to bed.
I also never thought that having an alarm being controlled by my smartphone would be such a great convenience feature but with this type of device it's a perfect match. I don't know how someone could use this device to it's full potential without the app.
This model is the most expensive but I have seen baser models with the core features. I do see a model now at Costco. I would recommend trying it out if you're struggling with bringing consistency to your sleep.
I used to feel these types of devices were a gimmick but for me it's been worthwhile.
[1] https://www.philips.ca/c-p/HF3670_60/smartsleep-connected-sl...
1. A condensing dryer (used to hang washed clothes on a line and have to take them down again when dry)
2. An extra car, old station-wagon with trailer hook + trailer. It's nice that it's old and crappy so I don't care when it's getting dirty, scratched or dented, it will be decommissioned when it breaks down (used to borrow car every time we needed to transport something larger than fit in the small main car, or when we had to use trailer.)
3. A toaster (used to toast my bread in the oven which is both slow and energy efficient)
4. An electric kettle (used to boil water in a pot when we lived a place where gas was practically free)
5. A standalone freezer (used to have only a small one builtin to the fridge, with room for maybe 5 frozen pizzas)
6. Good powered studio monitors along with a XLR usb dac, I use them for general-purpose listening, love them. (Used to use headphones)
7. Coffee maker (used to either boil water and do slow pour-over or use instant which is expensive and not as yummy as an espresso)
9. USB Switch, for switching between the computers under my table, along with a monitor with multiple inputs, (used to switch cables around)
10. The long IKEA USB-C charging cables + 3 outlet chargers. (used to move smaller chargers+cables around the house, now there's charging spots in bedroom and in the livingroom, and the cables are long enough that we can sit comfortably and use our phones while charging).
Happiest Baby SNOO - because you only sleep when they sleep. Measured as, "no longer too sleep-deprived to conceptualize measuring this."
Arlo Baby connected monitor - I get a push notification when my baby cries, so I don't have to stay within earshot. Measure in allowable distance from sleeping child, allowable headphone volume.
Thule Chariot Lite double jogging stroller - The fitness advantage is obvious. Less obvious is the advantage for wrangling two young kids in airports, giving one at a time an enclosed, dark place to nap on layovers. Even better, we did a weeklong hiking trip (Sitka, AK) just renting bikes and towing the kids around to hiking trails. We left the carseats (which they detest) at home.
And, take with a grain of salt because I work in this industry, but: transferrable point credit cards (Chase, Amex) have saved me more than once. Last Christmas, circumstances forced us to book late. Ticket prices to get the family home were in the $700+ per seat range, just for a little domestic hop. Measured benefit: my Amex points were worth about 5 cents each for that one. You have to learn a bit about how to use them, but you can see the world... or just see your family.
Wireless chargers, and favor devices that support it. Being able to simply set down headphones, earbuds, phones, and have them charge without looking for the right cable is great.
Robot vacuum.
Electric screwdriver, makes repairs and furniture setup much quicker.
An incredible amount of similar content is available now in video and text form for free, but I think that the same ideas non-book form wouldn't have had the same impact on me.
Wet stones to sharpen my knives. Although I probably don't sharpen them often enough, I do enjoy the process and having razor sharp blades afterwards is very pleasing.
They're all 24" @ 1929x1200.
It's magical, I can keep so many things open at the same time with a reasonable window size.
The integrated intel graphics can drive all three of them, but I wasn't able to also drive the laptop display, that would have been perfect.
- A queen size bed and memory foam mattress along with two (small) memory foam pillows
- Memory foam work chair back/lumbar support
- The large wide wooden desk I bought at the start of lockdown
- Osprey Farpoint 40
- A very small and light daypack bag from Decathlon (~10-15L)
- (More of a lifestyle change) Fitting boxers (not the very loose/flailing ones) instead of boxer-briefs
- UV + Anti glare/reflective + Blue light coating photo-chromatic glasses.
- Asics Nimbus for running
- Buying a smaller phone (older SE)
- A small easily clippable book light
- Buying an analog alarm clock (I do not feel like interacting with my phone when going to sleep or waking up)
- Moving to my own domain and paid email host - I really get less spam, I have better ways to control spam (though I am still looking for one that provides even better control) and I do not live in the fear of getting blocked out of Google a/c (happened once I didn't even bother to find a Googler in my network; I used it only for forums etc)
- A VPS that works as my seedbox and VPN
- Tarsnap, backblaze b2, rsync.net, Dropbox (with Cryptomator). I am relieved about my personal data and I also feel in control of it.
https://www.amazon.com/Utopia-Towels-Absorbent-Multi-Purpose...
I use a different color as hand towels and for cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. Using paper towels seems so wasteful now. I can clean anything by scrubbing it lightly with a soapy brush wand, wiping away the soap with a towel, and tossing the towel in the laundry. This even works for the bathroom mirror. I no longer spray glass cleaner which releases toxic VOCs (ammonia) into my home. I no longer use sponges, which are unhygienic and wasteful. Every home needs a tall stack of towels and a couple of brush wands.
https://www.amazon.com/OXO-3203200-SteeL-Bottle-Brush/dp/B00...
I spent the last 7 years doing dishes by hand due to lack of space in my Appartments. Then recently I found out there are things called "countertop" dishwashers which are half the size of normal ones and fit neatly onto your washing machine.
No longer having to spend 3-4 hours every week on doing the dishes really makes a big difference for me.
The cost of safety-razor blades vs cartridge blades alone should makes it worth looking into.
A good Bluetooth collar, or earbuds. I did find the collar an upgrade, quality matters (battery, and how much ambient noise it picks up), and they're so much easier to not lose than wired earbuds. (haven't tried wireless earbuds)
2. A box of a 100 wax ear-plugs. Unwanted noise stresses me, and now I can reduce its intensity by 80%.
3. An electric moped. Allows me to zip between cars and avoid traffic, effectively cutting travel time by 1/3.
4. A collection of decent, second-hand suits. Most people underestimate the signaling value in dressing smartly. I've noticed that strangers are far more likely to strike up conversations with me when I dress like a gentleman - you seem much less threatening, more like a "civilian".
I used to have 3 base stations scattered around the house with different names and it was a hassle just connecting to the closest wifi point all the time and also switching between wifi points when I move around the house would result in a connection interruption.
My preference is stoneware, 12 oz, square-flared bottom, with abstract natural imagery. Pre-warmed before use.
I have sensitive skin. I used disposable razors for years and had got painful and disgusting blisters on my neck. I switched to a $40 Philips 3-head shaver and the blisters reduced. Then someone told me the secret to irritation-free shaving: shave dry, before washing. The oils on the skin protect it from damage by the shaver. I started to shave before my shower and my neck blisters mostly went away. Switching to a high quality foil shaver (Braun 7 Series) helped reduce the blisters even more.
The Braun 7 series is expensive, but the it lasts a long time. The heads last a long time and are inexpensive. I bought the shaver for $160 three years ago. I replace the shaver head once a year, for $35. So over three years, I've spent ($160 + 3 x $35)/3year = $230/3year = $77/year. Two gripes: 1) the battery is too big so it's a little heavy for travel, and 2) the charging port is not USB so I have to bring the charger when I travel. The base station with "cleaning cartridges" is a scam, just throw it in the recycling bin. When my Braun 7 series shaver breaks, I will buy another one immediately.
Robo vaccum. Many hours saved
Bose noise canceling. Especially useful on the plane or in a busy office
Dishwasher. Many hours saved
Adidas Bluetooth headset. Really got addicted to it. Has a joystick with 4 directions and great battery life and sound
Products that should have improved my life by barely did:
Nest thermostat. For the price, disappointing. Didn't seem to learned my preferences
I have the gustbuster classic [1]. It's tested in a wind tunnel and can withstand winds up to 55 mph. It's got good coverage and won't turn inside out even when it's windy. It's got a curved handle which makes it easy to use it as a walking stick when it's not raining.
It's pricey but worth it to me. Now if I feel like going on a spontaneous walk, I'm not deterred by the weather forecast or the sky being a little cloudy. I can even do silly things like riding a bike while holding an umbrella.
I also have some waterproof doc martens on the way. The most annoying thing about being out in the rain is your feet getting soaked through canvas shoes. Hopefully this will solve that issue.
[1] https://gustbuster.com/products/gustbuster-classic-48-inch-a...
Before buying it I would spend 45 minutes every night doing dishes.
Now I load the dishwasher in 10 minutes tops and go to bed half an hour earlier!
More sleep => better humor in the morning => happier family
- Premium (home) office chair
- Electric toothbrush
- Smart lighting with Apple Home support
It makes such a huge difference now that I am not allowed to commute to work and have to work from home.
Other than that:
- my house
- basic tooling (hammer, saw, a set of common bits/wrenches/etc, caliper tools for the car, battery drill) that I have bough over the last 13 years.
We went to a few shops and laid on probably 30 different ones before deciding on the best one.
It was "expensive" but feels like it was cheap and 100% worth it because of the pleasure of going to bed every night really comfortable and waking up well-rested.
When you factor in how much time you spend in bed and how important it is to get a good night's sleep, it's totally worth it to buy the perfect mattress.
Most of my family members and I tend to drink water all day long.
We have a reverse-osmosis water filter setup, which is great. For years we used it to fill up bottles that we stored in the refrigerator so we could have cold water through the day. But we had to constantly clean and refill the bottles, and it takes some time for them to get cold.
With a good ice machine, we just get some ice in a cup or thermos mug and we can instantly have as much cold water as we want. The high-end machine makes nice clear ice that does not taste any different than normal water when it melts. It's just like store bought ice.
The fact that it is under the counter means it's super easy to open it up, scoop some ice, and then fill the cup up with water from the reverse osmosis spout right behind it.
You end up with really great tasting cold water, instantly, and as much as you want. The thing apparently makes 35 lbs of ice per day.
It's also nice for visitors, if they want pop or something and we didn't think to put it in the refrigerator beforehand.
Unlike refrigerator ice, it never has a smell or taste to it. It's just ice.
QC35 - I had cheaper 100$ noise cancelling headphones but Bose is another level. Way more noise cancelling and 10x more comfortable.
Kindle PW - I said this in another thread with QC35 and Kindle, I can find oasis anywhere.
Nest Thermostats - I resisted these but they really made life easier. So much easier to ask Alexa to make it cooler than waiting until I get one more thing done before I get up to change thermostat.
I use it to work with my company provided Amazon Workspaces windows virtual desktop. It has a client for chromebook. It is sitting next to my Core-i7 dell laptop and I only use the dell for video conferencing as the voice and video doesn't translate well over virtual desktops. It is the best computer investment I made, in the sense of bang for the buck. By the way, when work is slow, I can minimize the AWS client and do my daily surfing reading HN etc on the same computer.
Instant Pot
Noise Cancelling Headphones
Pi-Hole
Custom Bed
Air Purifiers
Walking Treadmill (that turns my automated desk into a treadmill desk)
2-in-1 Shower Splitter
Not any one thing in particular, but if I could save money by, say, picking up my food from a restaurant vs having it delivered, I would. Now I gladly pay the fee for saving me 20 min.
Good, sturdy luggage.
A nice printer. Color laser with duplexing.
Kinesis advantage keyboard, now feeling a lot more comfortable while typing whole day.
a zojurushi thermos or two. tea is always hot. i can brew it in the thermos & enjoy whenever. matcha & the bamboo kit for it.
ergonomic devices. split keyboard. an adjustable height laptop tray (sit laptop on it to raise screen & let bt keyboard go underneath). a gooseneck tablet arm. lenovo bluetooth trackpoint keyboard. gas spring monitor arms.
a Rode Go wireless mic & lavalier for discrete audio recording. a steel series arctis pro wireless for walking around on a call or zoom. good battery powered lights, for video, vidchat, as a work light, & an evening outdoor light. a gooseneck clamp to camera mount.
collapsible water bottles. a soda stream. shelving. good usb-pd battery packs. plants. a kobo e-reader. a moonman m2 fountain pen got me journaling on paper again. lots & lots of packing cubes, to organize my stuff (& sometimes pack it). a metcal soldering iron. chromecast audio devices aplenty. command hooks.
decent skin care products. electric tooth brush, does a better job. dental floss picks, much easier to use than floss, always tensioned. good battery trimmers, the blade kit, blade lube & cleaner. vibrating foam roller.
Example: grommets for the hanger wire on a bird feeder. The old ones were worn out, and it kept falling down and spilling the seed.
It was a very simple thing to CAD up and print, but meant that I didn't have to buy a whole new bird feeder.
It makes a huge difference, I wasn't aware what I was missing until I read on the kindle screen, It is very much like paper. I love it and sending articles and other stuff too to kindle and reading them there.
2. Replacing the TV with a projector
3. Adjustable weights (makes all the difference while sheltering in place in an apartment)
4. Better food storage tools (a vacuum sealer, weck jars, glass Tupperware etc). Makes all the difference when it comes to food wastage.
-Staples ARC system for taking meeting notes it lets me reorder pages and comes with some really nice templates.
-Pilot G2 pens
-Pentel Graphgear 1000 mechanical pencil
-Things3 app for doing GTD on the phone and keeping notes on personal projects
-Pocket Casts app for listening to podcasts
However:
Water filter (Amazon Basics) Dimmable remote controlled light bulbs Good 2.1 speaker set
I was especially surprised about the water filter. Living in Germany I am used to drinking tap and not having to clean the leftovers of lime from the kettle is a nice thing.
Other than that, proper rain apparel and a Fender Vintera 60’s Modified Stratocaster / Boss Katana 100 combination.
These glasses have dramatically reduced strain on my eyes and improved my sleep.
- THE CONTROL °FREAK® temperature controlled stove
These devices make home cooking faster and more predictable. No more burnt pots to to scrub. Much easier to try new recipes and repeat previous successes.
Lowering the effort of home cooking has enabled me to eat healthier and spend less on takeout.
Toaster/Air Fryer. An all in one that we can fry food without the mess of oil, or toast bread and bagels.
I used to regularly get cramps in my back when I slept, bought a futon, never had one since.
Had pretty bad RSI that was making it hard to work, and shoulder spacing that gave me shoulder aches.
I got a massage gun and that alleviated it enough to get me functional again.
Laundry with dryer included is the second thing which improved my quality of life
Been walking between an hour and three hours every day. Feel and sleep much better.
A siamese cat.
A Zojirushi water boiler.
A Nespresso machine (Not Keurig!).
A boat & a fishing rod.
More recently, a thermostat with a remote room sensor.
Dishwasher
Ice-cube machine
Cordless and bagless vacuum
FireTV stick
Power cage and weights
Good city bike
- Projector and 100 inch projector screen. Made watching TV an event and you really appreciate good cinematography on a big screen. With a Fire TV stick, we have a remote that can control the volume and turn the projector on and off, which is all you need, when the TV stick does the rest with apps.
- American-style fridge with integrated ice maker. Not typical in UK homes, but ice on demand is a great luxury during the summer.
- Air conditioner for the home office. Again, not typical in UK homes, but a lifesaver this summer in particular. Shared cost with my partner, who worked from home more often than I did.
- Dishwasher. Once we bought a house, we had enough space to buy one. We knew it would improve our lives, getting rid of the drudgery of washing up, but underestimated how much.
- Integrated filter for kitchen tap. Mains water has a noticeable taste - not deeply unpleasant, but noticeable - where I live. This filter means the cold tap lever that is normally fed directly from the mains in the kitchen goes in two different directions: forward for unfiltered mains, backward for filtered, which has a slower flow rate.
- Cat enclosure that our back door opens out onto. We have indoor pedigree cats, and being able to keep the door open again has been great, again in summer especially. And of course the two cats themselves. But the enclosure also has a waterproof tarpaulin that I added a bit of tenting to so that water runs off it, and now it adds privacy to our terraced house back garden, and keeps the direct sun off when you want to be outside.
- Alexa and Hue lighting. To a first approximation, the only thing Alexa is used for in our house is to turn the lights off, or turn them up or down. Customized voice commands to turn the lights down low to avoid waking up the baby too much when changing him in the middle of the night. Oh and a couple of wifi plugs for 50W LED lights that bounce off the ceiling, for indirect lighting in the office.
- BMW S1000R. The most capable motorcycle I've ever owned. Honourable mention to SH300, the best scooter I've ever ridden in London. Unfortunately I put mine out of commission due to being chased, twice (!), by thugs who wanted to steal it. The thugs are also aware of how good it is, alas.
- A house with a garage. If you're into bikes, then a garage is essential, if only to keep the weather off. It's a place to keep all my tools, and where I can work on my bikes away from the rain, and not have to pack everything up as the light fades. It's rare to have a house with a garage in London, those that do are often townhouses that have had the garage converted into an extra habitable room.
Room to roam, largely self-supporting due to our own forest for heating and building, own water well, own waste water facilities, no building permit needed for farm buildings, own land to grow whatever we please. My children get to grow up in the countryside, where city-dwellers have empty syringes and crack heads on their doorstep we have elk, deer and wolves. Where they hear police sirens at night we hear owls and foxes. Meanwhile we have a gigabit glassfiber connection feeding into a rack I built which houses enough cpu and storage to be mostly self-reliant on that front as well - no external cloudy services for me, thanks.
The more independent we get, the less money we need. I just built a new 230m² barn which will be used partly as a new stables, partly as a veterinary clinic (my wife is a horse vet). On top of that barn I'll put enough solar panels to make us mostly electricity-neutral through overproduction in summer (which will be fed into the grid) which will be another step towards self-reliance.
If you're mechanically-inclined, have two left hands (I'm left-handed, get it?), not afraid of some honest blood & sweat and able and willing to take up such a project you won't regret moving to the countryside and taking up farming, part-time or more.
