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 :(
So, which life pro tip disappointed you?
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.
You’re usually fine using a cheap item. If you use it enough to break it, then you need a quality item.
Ah the old Harbor Freight rule
Obligatory I’ve been using the same $20 impact socket set professionally for 20 years and its fine
Hmm. Kinda rhymes with “garbage crate”. Horrible store. I’m never going back.
I’ve always been partial to “hazard fraught”
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.
I concur with that general rule!
You also get diminishing returns.
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.
Very true for bikes in my experience. Guitars as well.
£500 - £1000 is the sweet spot for electric guitars. Anything much higher than that is the exact same guitar, just with extra bling.
Acoustic/classical guitars are a bit different and even though they still suffer diminishing returns, a higher price can be more easily justified.
“Happy Wife, Happy Life”
Some women will never be happy with you because you weren’t her first pick, just what she settled for.
You can’t make someone happy, who is unwilling to try making themselves happy. Relationships have to be equal partnerships.
Life is so much better living alone with my dog the last 10 years.
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.
Yikes dude. You need some counselling.
That’s my pro tip that is disappointing lmao
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.
I can understand. Be honest and sincere to yourself. This is the only pro tip I keep forever.
Buddy I think it’s time to talk to your wife.
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. :(
Does the chillpad work? I’ve heard mixed reviews.
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…
people like me, living near or in poverty
Hope things improve for you, mate.
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)
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Too many people insist they know what’s best for you simply because it worked for them.
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…
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Especially annoying if you’re neurodivergent, and they evidently know nothing about it.
I want to follow your advice but I don’t know if it’s the best fit for me.
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
you absolutely need a pillow that fits your sleeping style
I got a square one
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.
Yep, high tech fancy pillows are bullshit. I stick to 100% down, and Egyptian cotton sheets and I sleep like a naked baby.
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.
That’s why I have two.
I’ve never had a mind-blowingly amazing pillow, but I have had some really bad ones.
this right here.
if it’s doing it’s job right you won’t even notice.
Get a latex pillow. They last forever and stay cool.
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’m inordinately interested in your solution here. For all of our sakes, make a post about it.
I need to see a photo or shitty MS paint drawing STAT.
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…
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.
Would you mind sharing pictures? I’ve been getting massages because of my back and neck issues from side sleeping
I like how this turned into a pillow post.
Pillow fight?
only the grills and femboys
I’m always down for a femboy bbq
chill, dahmer
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.
Making lists is an organizational tool not a motivational one.
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)
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I have a phone with my 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.
You could write this stuff into your calendar app so that you get reminders. I’m sure there are ‘daily planning’ apps too but who’s got time for that?
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.
My problem has been that the notes just blend into the background. They might as well be wallpaper.
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 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 :(
Hate both
nice job quitting bro 😎
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.
I never got the point of leaf blowers. If your garden is small enough to make it worthwile, a rake is far less messier and therefore quicker.
If you garden is too large, it is best to let the leaves cover things for winter and decompose for some fertilization.
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.
Where I live, I’ve had to shovel snow precisely once in the past four years. Last year, we had almost none at all.
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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.
Car did you get?
I sold my 1985 Mercedes 500 SEL AMG and bought a 2007 Toyota Yaris Hatchback.
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My wife and I have taken to naming our pillows. There’s Flat Agnes, Lumpy Rutherford and The Rock, off the top of my head. I would have to consult my wife for the others.
Please do.
