For me it was “buy high quality pillow” because you sleep for one thrid of a day etc. I needed a new pillow anyway so I came to the store and bought the best they had. And it was … ok. Like it’s a fine pillow but my sleeping haven’t improved really, it’s basically the same. So I was disapointed :(
I think when people say to but high quality items, they mean to spend what they’re worth. Getting the most expensive thing doesn’t really guarantee a quality item, but cheaping out makes it much more likely that you’ll end up with something lackluster. Plus, something like sleep can be fairly complicated and is connected to your habits, what you’ve eaten, or schedule, etc., so expecting a single change (pillow) to make a huge difference may not be realistic.
I disagree with it being garbage though. It’s true, most of their merchandise isn’t the highest quality, but when you need a tool for just one project that you don’t already own and can’t seem to borrow from anyone it’s a great place to get that tool on the cheap, and for some oddball tools there’s may be no convenient place to track them down.
I was recently working on a small project I needed a router for. In this case I was able to borrow a router from a friend but he only had one bit for it and it wasn’t one I needed. If you haven’t priced out router bits recently, they tend to go for like $20-30 a piece from the usual big retailers.
I was able to get a set of 15 bits from harbor freight for about $30-40 and they did exactly what I needed them to.
I’m sure they probably won’t last as long as the good bits, but for how often I need a router these will probably last me the rest of my life.
Needed a rivnut tool for a different project a few months ago, and nowhere else around me carries them, beat waiting a couple days for one from Amazon.
Also have a bike rack from them that’s doing the job just fine, and a handful of little weird tools for various hobbies.
I wouldn’t trust them for anything my life or livelihood depends on, but for little incidental things I can’t borrow or find anywhere else they do just fine.
Both of the tools I tried from there failed hard and fast. The first was a rotary tool. I ended up keeping the plastic and using a motor from a printer instead until I bought my Foredom.
The second was a vibratory tumbler. After running it for a few hours, I walked into my garage to find it filled with smoke and the acrid smell of burning electrical equipment.
I took it back to the store for a refund and the manager threatened me, saying that he wouldn't let me make any more returns after bringing back an obviously defective piece of garbage.
Glad you had a better experience, but that place is definitely not for me.
Hand tools are fine 99%. Cutting tools–the part that actually does the cutting–are usually fine. Power tools are very hit or miss. Like, I would definitely not buy any cordless or corded tools there. Air tools are generally okay, but don’t work as well as other, more expensive air tool brands. OTOH, I’ve used a Harbor Freight flooring stapler that failed in under a day of use, while the Husky branded stapler did just fine for a few years. Impact sockets are good, although they’re limited on sizes (I don’t think that they have anything bigger than 22mm). I’ve been using a Harbor Freight floor jack and jack stands for a few years now without issue.
If you spend £400 on a bike instead of £200, it might actually be nearly twice as good, but spending £2000 doesn’t mean it will be ten times as good, when you’re in to bikes that cost £10k+ you’re talking about fractions of a percent better than the one that costs many percent less.
The top of the range items are good for enthusiasts, but almost always not worth it for casual consumers.
For a $200 bike, it’s never going to work the way it’s intended to work. ANY bike you buy at a department store–and many that you buy at general sporting goods stores–will be garbage. In 1995, the rule of thumb was to spend at least $500 on a bike to get something that you could realistically ride every single day; that’s about $1000 today.
I’m saying this as someone that worked at bike stores as a mechanic off and one over about 15 years; the cheap dept. store bikes someply can’t be fixed and adjusted to work the way that their owners expect.
(PS - yes, fixies are cheap and light. No, you should not under any circumstances ride them on public streets or trails. If you do, sooner or later you will have a serious accident that will involve stitches, broken bones, possibly surgery, and probably rehab.)
I concur with you, but I’d phrase it in a different way: if your budget is $200 for a bike, you should be shopping for a used bike-shop/reputable-brand bike on Craigslist or whatever.
Also, agreed about fixies, except that switching the flip-flop hub to single-speed mode and adding brakes makes it fine.
Well, that’s why I specified fixie rather than single speed. 🙂 I’m not a fan of single speeds since they’re inefficient, but they’re not inherently unsafe, and I’m not going to tell people that they’re suicidally stupid if they ride one.
I don’t think anyone below the age of 50 has seriously believed in “happy wife, happy life”. It’s very much a boomer mentality of “pick someone you don’t love and suffer through the relationship forever”
I did for a bit but the years went by and sure she’s happy, but am I?
It’s been 5 years and we’re still together.
I think we both know it’s time.
It’s rough, man. Kids.
My dreams are screaming at me.
Am I supposed to ‘follow my dreams’? Is it literal?
I’m not sure what I want anymore, whether I’d be happier single. My subconscious yawps but I ignore it.
Last night I was cheating with 3 of my ex’s, at once, in my sleep. She said I was sleep screaming again, but I only remember the spice I felt for life. It’s been so long.
It looks worse than it is because I tried to make it poetic. Though, therapy only works if you’re actually honest with your therapist about everything (and you can truthfully say you aren’t comfortable discussing something at that time, remaining honest and expressing boundaries) but I’m not even being honest with myself. When I can get to that point and get the courage to make the choices I know deep down are right for me, then maybe I’ll try therapy again.
“Never buy a new car” - the argument being they depreciate quickly, and newer used models are “just as good”.
Nope, got burned twice in a row and wasted more money than if I’d bought a new one immediately.
Every car I’ve owned has been used. Some are better than others. In general, I’ve had really good luck and have bought some great cars, but some have been money pits. You get better at spotting a good buy, but it’s still possible to get a bad one, it does come down do luck.
I’ve never understood the people who insist on only buying used, particularly when they have the money for new. Why spend $5-15k on a used beater if you could get a new car for $30k that won’t have mystery problems, and if they do then it’s covered by warranty? I’ve only ever had real problems in my used cars. I don’t think I ever had a used that made it more than like 4 years before dying on me. Meanwhile, I’ve had my 2016 RAV4 since January 2016, and I’ve only had to deal with a few things that just wear out naturally over time like tires and brake pads. Nearly 8 years with this car so far, and it’s been a fucking dream. My used 2002 Hyundai XG350L however was a fucking nightmare to the point that I’ve sworn off Kia-Hyundai entirely. Which is a shame because the Ioniq whatever EV seems like a pretty solid product, but I feel the need to do extensive research before getting too excited because of how badly Hyundai burned me.
In my country if you buy used from a dealer you get 1 year warranty by law. Makes it pretty safe, especially if you have the car checked by s trustworthy mechanic (finding one is the hard part!)
I can’t get a car I would like for just £24K. The cars I buy 2nd hand for £5K would have cost north of £40K when they were new. Sure I could get some shitty half litre shoebox on wheels for £24K that needs three weeks’ written notice for acceleration to 60mph but I’d absolutely hate it. Plus when the engine goes boom replacing the whole car is a lot easier to stomach when it only cost 5K as opposed to 40K.
You can definitely take a Toyota to like 250k miles w/o changing transmission fluid. I think they call it a lifetime fluid, as in it’s meant to last the whole designed-for lifespan of the car.
But if you want it running it’s best, for as long as possible, then of course, change those fluids too.
They’ve had to roll back that “lifetime fluid” claim for some cars before due to early transmission failures. It’s not a lot of money to change it out.
Any transmission will take damage from not changing out the fluid, you’re just reducing the lifespan of it, and that’s exactly what they want.
Nor is it particularly difficult, ended up doing my own a few years back when I was still in school and penny pinching.
Found a place that rented out a lift and use of their tools for like $25 for an hour. Bought some fluid, watched some videos ahead of time, and got it done in like ~30 minutes.
You def should change transmission fluid, I was just saying that these vehicles are engineered well enough to hold up for quite a while with little to no care.
Fair enough, but my thing is for anyone else reading this that doesn’t know about cars, the takeaway shouldn’t be “you can probably take a Toyota to 250k without changing the fluid so don’t sweat it and save your pennies”
it should be “change that fluid when you are able to (search for the right intervals for your car on forums and such, but the right answer isn’t “forever”, even if that’s what the manufacturer says). It’s possible it might last until 250k if it’s a Toyota and you’re lucky; but you never really know, and if you don’t you’re only guaranteeing you won’t be able to rely on that car much sooner than if you did”
Ironically that’s exactly what I did.
Dealership inspection was crap didn’t catch obvious issues, and 2. I live in a country where Subaru is only a minor player so not a large service network
I raised the possibility of buying a Subaru with my local mechanic and he described me as “brave”. He mentioned that the ridiculously high prices for fixing up my Merc (like £600 for a hosepipe) would be peanuts compared to Subaru repairs, and that’s assuming he could even get the parts. So I got another Volvo.
weird. i love my subie and it's had basically no problems in 4 years, even though it was already 8 or so when i got it. i made sure to get the year where they'd fixed the gaskets, though.
Having watched so many subarus break down (belonged to neighbours and friends, and I was the person called to rescue them) some of which were brand new, buy any vehicle other than the rubbish sold with a subaru logo on it. Subaru breaks down on dirt roads constantly. Those things can only cope with flat perfect tarmac without hills in a city where public transport is available for emergencies.
A few days ago my brother saw a car on the side of the road at an odd angle, and thought it was for sale. It was not, it was yet another subaru broken down waiting for the flatbed. They just can’t hack it.
You've been sold a bill of goods, or whoever tried to tell you this doesn't understand leasing.
ex-lease cars are just as good as new, come with a new car warranty, and don't come with the absurd depreciation.
look at cars that where released 3 years ago, that's the used cars we're talking about not a 1990s civic or whatever.
Poor people buy new cars, rich people lease them, smart people buy ex-lease cars.
This is great advice for anyone looking to buy used and not new. Don’t buy someone else’s problems from Craigslist. If you can, buy something from a reputable source that includes a warranty.
They literally aren’t. If the car is going to last 200k miles then getting a car with 36k miles on it already means you’re that much closer to it failing.
It’s also going to be that much closer to needing more expensive maintenance to be done.
A three year old car will often have a lesser feature set than the current year’s models. Stepping up to the higher trim that had those features 3 years ago can negate the cost savings of buying used in the first place.
Ex-lease cars are frequently well-maintained and driven responsibly, but that doesn’t mean they’re “as good as new.”
come with a new car warranty
Do you mean “comes with what’s left of the original warranty?” Because that’s generally true but doesn’t mean you benefit from it the same amount. If it has a 5 year, 60k mile warranty (Mitsubishi) and you only get the warranty for 2 years and 24k miles, that’s not the same.
With CPO cars you also get the CPO warranty but that doesn’t usually make the total warranty you get as good or better than what you would have gotten new.
Kia and Lexus both have very competitive CPO warranty programs. Kia has a 1 year / 12k miles bumper-to-bumper warranty. Lexus extends their 4 year/50k miles new car warranty by 2 years/unlimited miles after your purchase date or after the original warranty expired, whichever happens first. If you buy a CPO Lexus at the 2 year mark then you’ll get a full warranty out of it, but that’s not true for most other manufacturers.
And I don’t know of a single manufacturer that completely refreshes their warranty term for CPO cars.
and don’t come with the absurd depreciation.
The cars that make the most sense to buy used have the least depreciation, though. For example, looking at CPO Toyota RAV4s, for the ones that aren’t former rentals/didn’t have accidents/multiple owners, the 3+ year old models are very comparable in price, like 26k for a RAV4 with nearly 50k miles vs 30k new, or 27-28k for one with under 30k miles.
If the lifespan of the car for you is 10 years then a 3 year old car is 30% less valuable - so a 13% discount is hardly a bargain. You’d need to keep it for 20 years - until it was 23 years old - for your 13% savings to be more valuable than the extra lifespan of the car.
You also frequently get a worse interest rate on CPO cars than on new.
There are many times when it makes sense to buy a CPO vehicle but also many where it makes more sense to buy new. Do the math in your specific case rather than acting like there’s a one size fits all solution.
They literally aren’t. If the car is going to last 200k miles then getting a car with 36k miles on it already means you’re that much closer to it failing.
It’s also going to be that much closer to needing more expensive maintenance to be done.
A three year old car will often have a lesser feature set than the current year’s models. Stepping up to the higher trim that had those features 3 years ago can negate the cost savings of buying used in the first place.
Ex-lease cars are frequently well-maintained and driven responsibly, but that doesn’t mean they’re “as good as new.”
come with a new car warranty
Do you mean “comes with what’s left of the original warranty?” Because that’s generally true but doesn’t mean you benefit from it the same amount. If it has a 5 year, 60k mile warranty (Mitsubishi) and you only get the warranty for 2 years and 24k miles, that’s not the same.
With CPO cars you also get the CPO warranty but that doesn’t usually make the total warranty you get as good or better than what you would have gotten new.
Kia and Lexus both have very competitive CPO warranty programs. Kia has a 1 year / 12k miles bumper-to-bumper warranty. Lexus extends their 4 year/50k miles new car warranty by 2 years/unlimited miles after your purchase date or after the original warranty expired, whichever happens first. If you buy a CPO Lexus at the 2 year mark then you’ll get a full warranty out of it, but that’s not true for most other manufacturers.
And I don’t know of a single manufacturer that completely refreshes their warranty term for CPO cars.
and don’t come with the absurd depreciation.
The cars that make the most sense to buy used have the least depreciation, though. For example, looking at CPO Toyota RAV4s, for the ones that aren’t former rentals/didn’t have accidents/multiple owners, the 3+ year old models are very comparable in price, like 26k for a RAV4 with nearly 50k miles vs 30k new, or 27-28k for one with under 30k miles.
If the lifespan of the car for you is 10 years then a 3 year old car is 30% less valuable - so a 13% discount is hardly a bargain. You’d need to keep it for 20 years - until it was 23 years old - for your 13% savings to be more valuable than the extra lifespan of the car.
You also frequently get a worse interest rate on CPO cars than on new.
There are many times when it makes sense to buy a CPO vehicle but also many where it makes more sense to buy new. Do the math in your specific case rather than acting like there’s a one size fits all solution.
Totally agree. It’s always a risk buying used. You have to be savvy on what to look for, research if there are common catastrophic problems, and hope the vehicle was maintained properly (any car needs more than just oil changes, including Toyota and Honda) and was not abused.
Generally you’re taking less of a risk buying new because of a good warranty and known history, but be sure to get a reliable car not something that will give lots of problems over its life. Plenty of data on which cars are best in that regard. Some makers are better than others on average but reliability can vary by model and model year, even.
Yes, cars depreciate in terms of resale value. That’s why we keep ours for 10-15 years. By then it doesn’t matter.
I agree. I’ve also gotten shafted by used cars (7th generation Honda Civics are all utter pieces of garbage). I don’t take depreciation into account on a new car because I plan on driving it until it’s uneconomical to repair, which means it’ll be worthless when I sell it regardless.
My parents have only purchased one used car, and it was a nearly new car from someone they knew and trusted. The other 4 cars they’ve bought in the past 40 years have been new. They keep them until they’re old and basically worthless.
Yes, in light of keeping the new vehicle for its entire “life” the depreciation argument falls fairly flat. It is more meant for the “average” person who keeps a car for three years or thereabouts. I cannot imagine investing that much money flippantly. I take the time to research what I want and mean to keep my auto for a long time. That said, I prefer a solid used car over new because it has depreciated to a more fair value. I’ve done both and not been displeased with either choice. Except for one BMW…
That’s why I take it to the next step and never buy a car altogether. Miss me woth that shit I’ll just live in a cool city, and either bike or walk wherever I want.
I made the mistake of moving to Kansas City with a Hyundai Elantra. Thankfully I live near downtown, so it wasn’t difficult to adjust to living without a car after it was stolen.
Yeah, my girlfriend recently needed a new car since her ancient Ford Fiesta finally kicked the bucket. She decided to limit her budget solidly to shitbox territory because she’d just had some major expenses and didn’t want to owe someone money.
I offered to lend her some money to help her get better offers. She refused – and ended up buying a car that immediately needed a transmission rebuild that cost as much as the car itself. For which I lent her some of the money.
A 2007 Opel Agila that might’ve been a decent car four owners ago. But seriously, her price limit was 2500 € and she got the car for a bit over 2000; it’s hardly a surprise that she didn’t exactly get premium quality.
Well, once all repairs are factored in the total cost is closer to 4500, which could’ve bought her a much nicer car. Or at least a much healthier one.
I’ve seen quite serviceable Toyotas and Hondas in that price range not too long before Covid. When did this all happen? I know post Covid used car prices have been absolutely insane much of the time
I used to stick to that rule and get a sensible mid sized Toyota Corolla or Honda Accord that’s a few years old as needed. But in 2013 (the last time I needed to get a new car) the cost savings were really low compared to new. I think the used market was particularly hot so you’d save less that 10% of the cost, so I ended up getting my 1st and only (so far) brand new car ever.
I’ve rented a few new cars and I’m just really not a fan of the all lack of physical buttons and controls. The smart settings like lane control, smart cruise control, the engine turning off when stopped, and notifying me with an alert when I’ve driven to many hours are extremely annoying.
Just to respond to your need for better sleep… For me, good sleep is far more about temperature, darkness, and a nice weight. So I use a weighted blanket, eye covers, and the expensive but awesome chilipad so I don’t try to sleep in a pool of sweat.
Same for me, minus the weight. I hate weight on me when I’m sleeping. Makes me feel trapped and claustrophobic. I use the thinnest blanket the temperature will allow, and I always have fans (and if possible an AC) going. Anything above 63f/17c and I sweat like a pig. :(
I’ve been using it for roughly 5 years so it’s probably an old version but it does exactly what it says it does. Ie. It’s a water regulated mattress pad with a thermostat so it stays at whatever temperature you set. I have to clean it out now and then with hydrogen peroxide and add water every month or so. The heater stopped working at some point a few years ago, but I never need heat anyway and the cooling system works fine. I also set the cooling system well above my bed and that helps the circulation. But it was like $600 or something. I usually set it somewhere in the 60s and I’m in my happy place.
ITT: people telling OP what kind of pillow to buy lol
I’m too old for most recent LPT to take hold, but in my youth I heard “simplify” your lifestyle. I didn’t understand the message was directed at those with more than they needed, not people like me, living near or in poverty. There’s no need for many things, provided you have what you need and it serves you well. I know this now, but then…
Yeah life’s better now, appreciate it tho. Not rich by any means, but not desperate or worried about how to pay bills week to week (some months are tight, but we’ve got savings now)
Especially frustrating if you are a healthcare professional. It is astonishing how many people give out bad medical advice here,on Reddit, Facebook,etc. with the notion of “well it worked for me”.
Often it didn’t even work.
I mean, yes, I know, it is a way for people to recover control after they “lost it” to their body. But at least don’t brag about it on the internet and even more don’t start a fight with someone who clearly has more knowledge due to professional training and years of experience.
I’ve seen people fight the world leading specialist team on Reddit before…
Maybe don’t encapsulate your options to a single store or even an irl store. A good pillow is a game changer, just because Walmart or whatever had shit selection doesn’t mean a quality pillow isn’t worth it
I was sleeping on a tiny rectangular memory foam couch pillow for months before I finally got my new awesome pillow, because the tiny pillow was much better than the shitty full size pillows
Just buying an expensive pillow won’t necessarily improve your sleep. You need to try out various pillows and find the type that works best for your body and how you sleep.
Agreed. I’ve bought various expensive pillows and was never comfy or satisfied. Memory foam hybrid cooling blah blah blah… never comfy. I bought two down feather pillows for $50. Best pillows ever for me. Only reason I had to buy more was my wife kept stealing mine.
100% down pillows never have enough rise to be able to stay level when I’m side sleeping. But I sleep on all sides so finding a pillow isn’t easy either.
I am a larger man with broad shoulders. I have trained myself to only sleep on my side due to breathing issues arising from my oversized uvula and the tendency for my tongue to join it at the back of my throat when on my back. Even when I’m awake, breathing on my back - much less speaking - is difficult due to my uvula in particular, as I can’t consciously control how it drapes back against my throat.
So I built my own pillow, so that my head doesn’t hang from my shoulders like an afterthought – no normal pillow is tall enough to support my head while I am on my side. It looks kinda like a particularly narrow and deep parking curb, vaguely saddle shaped, only it’s not made out of concrete. It’s literally a tiny showroom-demo mattress on top of a very stable wooden base, with an actual pillow secured on top of it and everything wrapped up in a custom pillow case.
Looks strange AF, but it keeps my spine straight and the crinks out of my neck.
I have sleep apnea and I have found a bumper belt works wonders. It’s a belt you attach to your back with several air bladders that keep you on your side, even if your body is included towards back sleeping. It travels very nicely. Just deflate the bladders and roll up the belt.
Luckily I don’t need anything like a bumper belt. I have trained myself to never end up on my back; to always turn a full 180° from one side to another no matter how deeply I am sleeping.
I’m able to do a number of nifty things like this in my sleep. Such as being able to wake up within 2-3 minutes of a set time, without an alarm or even a clock, so long as I get more than 4-5hrs of sleep. I’ve even been able to do it with less sleep, only with less than perfect reliability.
It’s a form of mental feedback that I do before falling asleep, and across enough days it ends up being trained in such that I don’t have to reinforce it every night.
Not quite the same, but I switched to buckwheat pillows. This way you can shape it to fit however you like no matter the position. Takes some getting used to but solved my issues with most pillows. Sadly it also means no more pillow fights…
Ok… I’m in the same boat, severe sleep apnea because of it. I sleep with 2 pillows, a dense down filled for the base and then a soft pillow on top for comfort. Keeps my head at the right height but also allows me to roll over.
I bought the best bamboo pillow I could find and haven’t looked back. All the pillow problems I ever had just disappeared. I hate going anywhere without it.
Quitting drinking was a bummer. But mainly because most of the people I’m drawn to are sociopathic alcoholics. I don’t know if I hate the game or the player anymore :(
Writing notes for myself to remind me to do something. The problem is that I don’t remember to look at the notes. What’s happening is that people are telling me advice that worked for them. That’s very nice of them to try, but when I’ve tried similar systems for decades and they always fail, it’s time to try something new.
I tried this. Same problem. If I need to remember to do something I put it in google calendar as a task I need to check off at a specific time. Highly effective… for me anyway.
I have a phone with me all the time and I have to be in a specific place to see notes, so notes don’t work for me. I do have a button on my phone I can talk to and say “Set a reminder to feed the animals at 6:30” or “set a weekly reminder to take out trash at 10pm every Friday” or “text her back in an hour” and then I get an alarm I can’t really ignore, I have to do something with it.
I use calendar events and put reminders depending on how important the task is. Like if it’s my mum’s birthday I put a reminder two weeks before (so I get her a gift) the day before and then the same day in the morning but if it’s something like remembering to call a company or something I just put one reminder at 3 pm on the day of the event.
You can then snooze the event for as long as you want until you have time to take care of it (at least on Samsung’s Android)
I sometimes use sticky notes in the bathroom. I stick one on the mirror right where my face appears. That way I will at least read it before removing it.
But once you get used to it you will stop paying attention. Now I only use it occassionally.
I had just sold a car and was flush with cash so before going to buy my new one I bought every single pillow I could find in every home goods store near me and several from online. I then spent the next month studiously comparing pillows to find the right one for me.
The final two came down to a $15 pillow and a $190 pillow.
After deciding all the other pillows got returned and then went and got my new car.
In things as subjective as a pillow high quality is rather Nebulous.
For something like a woodworking tool high quality often matters far more.
The worst life pro tip I’ve ever received? Listen to the experts, they have made it their job to know the best things and you can’t go wrong with what they say.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a good recommend in those “What sub-$100 purchase changed your life?” threads. No, I don’t need a garlic smasher or a water pick.
With the right deal a Snowcaster can go sub-100 dollars and is a life changer for sure. Granted, you need snow and only a certain amount - but when that happens this guy is fucking amazing.
You would have to live somewhere where it snowed a lot to be worth getting a special machine to clear it. Otherwise I just use a shovel or knowing me I just ignore it until it melted on its own.
What I need is a leaf blower, except I need a special leaf blower that dries all the wet leaves out first so it will actually work and no one seems to have invented one. They all seem to be designed for some weird market where leaves fall down off trees and then it occasionally stops raining for 2 minutes in a row. I don’t believe such a mythical place exists.
Leaf Blowers are fantastic at cleaning a Patio, or a Garage / Workshop.
Sawdust everywhere? Not in 30 seconds. Blow all that shit out the garage door. Just wear a respirator, and be smart about how you blow it. If you blow it into a wall - it’s gonna go straight up.
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