There’s 3 things that really stand out for me that I would say made a massive difference to my life:

  1. Cordless screw driver. Bought the day after building a flat pack bed with a crappy screw.driver that just shredded my hand. Thought it was frivolous at the time, but I’ve used it so much since. It’s light, small enough to fit in my pocket and good for 90% of DIY tasks.

  2. Tassimo coffee machine. Bought it 9 years ago, use it every day. Nice quick easy coffee. What’s not to like.

  3. My first DSLR camera. It was a Nikon D50 back in 2005/6 and it sparked my interest in photography to this day. It gave me a hobby I can take lots of places and do it alone or with others. I never loved the D50 camera itself, but I did get some really nice shots with it

  • Father_Redbeard@lemmy.ml
    6·
    8 months ago
    1. Whole house fan, and it’s not even close. We’ve saved tons of money by not running the AC as much as a result. Plus it just feels nicer to have fresh cool air come in from outside. I’ve even used it in the winter after the whole family got over being sick. Crack a couple of windows, turn the fan on, and the entirety of the house has fresh air in minutes. That got cold pretty quick, but worth having some stale air purged.
    2. Drill press I’m an amateur woodworker who is apparently incapable of drilling straight holes.
    3. Blackstone griddle A gift from a loved one who passed before they got to see me use it, but a nice reminder regardless. Works great for meal prepping something like breakfast burritos!
    • toastal@lemmy.ml
      2·
      8 months ago

      Look at you & your fresh air privilege over here not having the pollution of the city :P

      • Father_Redbeard@lemmy.ml
        1·
        8 months ago

        Lol, no question I’m privileged in that regard. We do have half the state burn during the hottest parts of the summer, so can’t use it then. And an overzealous neighbor who likes to burn yard waste on the nicest days of the spring/summer, if that makes you feel better. :)