20 computers. I can’t stop getting more computers I need help there’s so many computers they’re in every room and they’re computing aaaaaaaa

Does a bicycle count? Changed my life.

There's actually a pretty cool community sort of tangentially related to this! !buyitforlife@slrpnk.net

Anyway, my pick is definitely just a GOOD mp3 player. Whether that be an open hardware one you can crack open and repair, a proprietary one that can at least be Rockboxed, or bare minimum a proprietary one with a good iFixit rating.

a magic wand vibrator. truly next level stuff

• Warm white christmas lights. Diffuse lighting is so much better.
• Induction cooktops. Because gas cooktops are toxic both inside and outside the home.

A bidet. Hands down the best $35 I've ever spent

Thermal printer. I play a lot of tabletop rpgs and wargames and it helps having the ability to print out handouts without worrying about how much ink I have left!

Electronic countertop scale for the kitchen. Start cooking by mass rather than trying to decide if that's a half a cup packed or unpacked.

If you regularly store things in jars, a canning funnel. So much easier to pour sauces into jars without spillage.

Bone conduction headphones. Listen to music or talk on the phone hands-free while still leaving your ears open to what's going on around you.

If you've got sore muscles, a percussive massage gun. It looks like a horse vibrator, but it does wonders on a sore back.

A warhammer. Don't get a sword unless you are actually trained and know how to use and maintain it. A warhammer isn't going to get bent, chipped, or rusty, and even if it does, it's still a warhammer and will still smash things just fine. Don't smash melons or coconuts unless you're prepared for the biological mess that will get left behind; smash blocks of ice frozen inside of old yogurt tubs instead. Wear goggles.

Pressure Cooker. I have one from Fissler and it’s my go to for so many dishes that normally would take ages to cook.

It’s also so convenient to throw dried lentils in there and have them ready in half the time lol.

If you're in car land, a good solid jump pack.

I recommend Napa .

Instant read digital thermometer.

Game changing.

No more over-cooked meats and ending up with tough chicken and rubbery fish. No guesswork if something has reached safe internal temperature. A must have in the kitchen.

Not cheap, but a robotic vacuum. It's a life saver with a shedding dog.

Cordless drill. I was a die hard corded guy but then I tried a friend's one during a big move. Went out and bought one the next day.

A dedicated portable audio player with support for high-res files (that's NOT running Android).

You can't just doom scroll all day, no one can call you, you won't get any spam texts or emails on it. It's just you and your music.

A smartwatch or band. You'll never have to hear notification or ring tones on your phone anymore. In addition, sleep, heart rate monitoring, sports tracking etc. are a big bonus. Cheapest bands are very affordable and obviously there's no upper limit if you're a wealthy pig.

Even though I love my old square G-Shock, the pros of wearing my Garmin Vivoactive over it just outweigh the cons.

Jar opener

If you like pickles

Air fryer

For frying meat without using oil

Slowcooker / Multicooker with a basket.

Throw rice & pulses in it, throw water in it, throw vegetables and fish in the basket.
Turn it on. Do something else. Ding! Meal.
You don't even have to be on time. This thing will keep it warm.
I'm extremely lazy.

Zojirushi rice cooker. 110% worth the hype. Makes perfect rice everytime.

Venta LW45 humidifier. easy to clean, uses like 8W/hour (compared to ~40 for ultrasonic or 300 for electric heating ones), quiet, goes through a 9l tank per day easily. And has almost no part that could break i.e. i could replace whatever could break easily.

but the price is insane for what amounts to a bucket with a fan

I needed a Bluetooth speaker for my work PC (I work from home). I got one with a radio tuner as well. I’m fortunate that I have several radio stations in my area that play music I like. I prefer having some music on in the background while I work, but I was getting tired of having to actually think about what I wanted to listen to next. So I’ve been listening to OTA radio quite a bit, and it’s a nice change of pace from streaming music. And it’s not like the radio bits added much to the cost of the speaker.

Edit: also eyeglasses (sure, I’ll count that as a “gadget”). I hadn’t been to the eye doctor in probably 20 years. Hadn’t really noticed any problems but wanted to get my eyes checked since I had just gotten insurance. Doc recommended a prescription and now it’s like seeing the world in HD instead of standard def. If you’re in your late 30s/early 40s and haven’t gotten your eyes checked, it’s possible your vision has slowly degraded over time and eyeglasses will help more than you realize.

Digital bath thermometer. I love my baths and I can get to my exact desired temperature of 43.5 degrees c every time. Great 5 quid purchase.

A Vitamix blender. Most reliable blender I've ever used and so many things you can make in it. Smoothies, nut butters, you can even cook soups in them.

They are on the expensive side, but the worst model refurbished is still well worth having and goes on sale from time to time.

Bought a tribit Bluetooth speaker. Now I have music all around the house and it doesn't give a fuck what I do to it. Dropped it in mud? Ok I'll throw it in the sink, it's fine. Shower music is fantastic.

A tens unit. Literally the best $30 spent ever.

LAN tester.

I thought of it as fancy electrician / network equipment. Not anymore. Now it's basic troubleshooting / procedure.

On a particularly frustrating switch installation, I picked one up for like $20 on Amazon, and it's made me much less annoyed by network changes.

For context, I'm one of those people who hoards any electronic bits that might prove useful on a hobby project later, so lots of old patch cables and cable reels with unknown breaks, so maybe a LAN tester is really only worth it for others like that, but I'd recommend it to any level of tech enthusiast at least.

Vitamix.