I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here?
Uncategorized
139
Posts
78
Posters
159
Views
-
I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
@mhoye replaced all the buttons on my nice thrifted coat with decorative metal ones ✨
-
@mhoye I hung a 3-by-30 inch strip of fabric over the row of holes in my office window blind to keep the sun from shining in my eyes for three minutes every morning
There are a lot of things I'm prouder of, and a lot of things that improved my life more than this or that are more interesting, but you asked for the simplest, cheapest one, and this is it.
-
@mhoye It took me embarrassingly long to realize that a stopwatch lap timer is much better than a human attention span at predicting the next smoke alarm low-battery chirp, even if the inter-chirp timing is a little irregular.
(My other opinions: this task is much easier with more technology—stepstool, chunky over-ear headphones, and bisect search for the location. Oh, and don't buy Kidde. Kidde sucks because it's screamier and more prone to false alarms.)
-
multiple sets of measuring spoons / measuring cups so that you (almost) always have one the size you need
a back scratcher
a bottle brush to clean the inside of jars and bottles instead of faffing around trying to squeeze your hand in
a good garden knife
a cheap LED flashlight for your grab bag of tools
a seam ripper
plunger caps for bottles of vinegar and olive oil to slow/control the pouring speed
@mhoye @gvwilson (for the cheap LED flashlight, consider an Emisar D2 single-channel with an Eneloop or IKEA LADDA AA cell in it: it's a right angle flashlight with a magnet in the tailcap which makes it very convenient to point at work in a dark, tight space. https://mastodon.social/@gnomon/115761837676418073 / https://mastodon.social/@gnomon/115827794883007741 )
-
I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
@mhoye When I started using the elastic loops on my big gloves - wintertime life got easier. I can just drop the gloves 🤪 any time I want more dexterity, without worrying about remembering where I put it down.
-
@mhoye When I started using the elastic loops on my big gloves - wintertime life got easier. I can just drop the gloves 🤪 any time I want more dexterity, without worrying about remembering where I put it down.
@mhoye Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe I can add elastic wrist loops and strings to my nice gloves too
-
@mhoye Heated mirror in the bathroom, no more wiping while shaving.
I take stain removing wipes (Shout brand) when travelling, as inevitably I spill something on my trousers/jumper.
Proraso gel stops bleeding within seconds, ideal if you cut your face when shaving.
@drmikepj an Alum block or styptic pencil works wonders. I shave with a double edge safety razor and just run an alum block over my whole face after shaving. It reduces razor burn too.
-
I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
@mhoye
Replace gel handsoap dispensers with foaming dispensers. Then refill them with 4 parts water and 1 part castile soap. -
I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
@mhoye 1) a pill bottle cap that counts how long since it was last opened. Cheap (got mine as $12 for a pack of 3, I'm sure there are better/worse deals out there).
No longer do I struggle to remember if my memory of taking meds was today or yesterday, I just check.
2) Building the habit of setting alarms rather than trying to remember appts/dates. Turns out I was spending a lot of effort on trying to remember (and to remember to remember, etc) and any mistake was a self-guilt trip.
-
I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
a bidet
a bidet
a bidet
a bidet
a bidet -
@mhoye eating some food with a spoon, an I'm not talking about soups, but more like stews and small pasta. If it's already bite sized, spoon.
@mhoye I could go as far as eating sushi with a spoon. Sue me :-P
-
@mhoye I replaced a split-ring keyring with a cable keyring. It is much easier to add and remove keys, and the non-rigid nature makes it more comfortable in a pocket.
@edebill @mhoye
I got one of those: https://troika.de/en/products/patent-kyr60-mc
Got one bunch for work, one bunch for home, one for my mother's. I take the work key bunch off when the weekend starts, so I don't have to lug it around when it's not needed -
Simple syrup.
The base for coffee syrups and many other flavoured things. It is a 1:1 mix of sugar and water, brought to a boil and simmered for 5-10 minutes to sterilize, store in a glass storage container [with pouring spout].
Use to sweeten beverages (coffee/tea/cocoa/tart fruit juices/etc.) Stirring optional, no undissolved sugar. Drizzle over oatmeal, sweeten plain yogurt.
Easily flavoured - e.g. add vanilla to cooled syrup, or some cinnamon sticks while boiling it.
-
Get many, many boxes of tissues and then any time you find yourself getting up to find a tissue, leave a box there for next time.
Leave a full (6-roll) pack of toilet paper in the bathroom and replenish when it gets to 2 or less.
Maintain a pool of good rechargeable batteries, a charger, 'charged' and 'empty' bins, and put them in a high-traffic area so that you'll notice when the charger is done and put in the next batch.
@suetanvil @mhoye Extending the "many rolls of toilet paper", I counter my procrastination + easily distractedness by buying most products in sets of 2+ (vitamins, shampoo, deodorant, foods, etc). Switching to the backup starts the clock early enough that I will ACTUALLY buy replacements just before the second runs out. Easier than me noticing/remembering "when I'm low"
More storage space, but also more peace of mind and fewer frustrated moments, ultimately the same(ish) price.
-
@mhoye Keeping a sharpie and a roll of painter’s tape in the kitchen. Label anything that goes in the freezer (optionally put weights and dates where sensical) or in the fridge after repackaging
-
I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
Hiding a car key on the car.
(Hidden so well that mud and possibly a little blood are involved in retrieval.)
-
Cuisinart Quick Kettle QK-5C
This is a 0.5 l / 2 cup / pint electric kettle I purchased 10+ years ago. It the current production is the same, it works well and handles minor abuse.
For a single-person-sized teapot, it is fine. If my partner wakes up in time, I use the stovetop kettle and the 1.5 l teapot.
-
I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
@mhoye reading glasses at every place where I read
-
I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
Keeping a pen and small paper notepad always nearby to scribble down anything that pops to mind, so I can trust my notes and keep my mind clear.
On a more digital note, making my downloads folder self-destruct did wonders to keeping my files clean and organized:
-
I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
@mhoye pumping up my bike tyres.
Gli ultimi otto messaggi ricevuti dalla Federazione
-
How long should a check-in be in a monthly meeting of a cooperative?
-
@benbrown well, I stand corrected. The field is wide open! Although this Ben Brown (blogger) fellow sounds interesting... 🤔
-
-
@benbrown so, there *has* to be some kind of shoe or tap dance step or bowler hat called a "Ben Brown" already?
-
-
"ADD ANTI-CHEATING MECHANIC. Player 3 attempted to rig the dice roll and end game early. Give cheaters hives? Turn them into an ugly wolf-person with stupid-looking tail? Fungal rashes? Dysentery? Needs to be both humiliating and jungle-themed."
https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/board-game-developers-notes-during-the-first-playtest-of-jumanji
-
@james I would buy that cereal
-
@evan
A castle siege themed cereal with cereal shapes like little battle figures so you can stage a battle and then eat it afterwards.
