Asklemmy

A projector. Watching movies and playing games is now a cinematic experience.

An hdmi to composite converter. It allows me to connect my pc to my old crt, I can play games, watch YouTube, stream everything, it made me realize I don't really need a new TV

Sunglasses and UV-blocking clothes.

With the first I discovered that I have a high sensitivity to light, now I can see much more during the day.

And the second is very useful, protecting me from sun without the need to worry about sunscreen (except for the face)

Blackout curtains, they are the only reason I'm surviving working nightshift

A house. My mortgage is cheaper than rent, and now I get to actually address annoyances with my living conditions.

It's almost 100 years old, and a bit of an fixer upper, but the important stuff is solid. Last summer I invested in proper drainage around the foundation so that I can start making the basement livable. This year I invested in a proper bathroom. Next year it's a new kitchen. And if time allows I'll start rebuilding the basement mainly for one extra bed room and an office.

My PC, now I can stay 24/7 at home, so now I don't even need to leave home, I remote work, I remotely socialize, and this helps me to get out of this physical world.

I would like to say some other item, but I don't leave my PC.

I have always hated bath mats. Especially being in a fairly large family, by early afternoon it seems like the bath mat is always saturated and useless; slipping around the floor if you're trying to use it to dry your feet, or soaking your socks if you happen to step on it in the course of other bathroom business.

I recently got a bath stone made of diatomaceous earth and it has erased all of the annoyance. It pulls the water right off you so I always feel safe stepping onto my tile floor after just a few steps on the bath stone, and it dries freakishly fast, like basically in front of your eyes.

I've only had it a month so I don't know how durable it is over the long term, but so far it has been $40 well spent.

A Linux USB (Linux was not included but it's the key thing)

I don't really know for sure. Best bet is probably a bell pen when I was like 11. I've used only fountain pens until then.
It just doesn't leak and I don't have to wait for ink to dry up.

Blundstones. I live in a coastal city that's wet (but rarely snowy) the vast majority of the year. Having rain-resistant shoes that are comfortable AND durable has been a game changer.

And if I can mention a second: A proper, long raincoat. Combined with good shoes, I'm able to tolerate the weather here much better than when I'd first moved to this city and relied on sneakers + regular jackets.

An E-reader. There's no more space in my house for book shelves. I've a ton of books stored inappropriately in a bunch of cabinets and on top of furniture, that I hope to find new homes for before irreparable damage is done to their spine.

Having an e-reader also helped me in the gym. Instead of doomscrolling on lemmy or tiktok, I read between sets. Helped me regain my reading habit and kick my social media habit. Also, helped my social anxiety of having to rest longer than half a minute when other people might want to use the iron I'm using.

Interesting thread from !frugal@lemmy.world on this topic: https://lemmy.world/post/6778039

gifted a dry-soon https://www.lakeland.co.uk/21736/dry-soon-3-tier-heated-airer - fancy thing that I wouldn't consider buying myself in an hundred years, but actually a drying rack with a built in heating element is an amazing thing to own. way cheaper than a dryer (not that any of the rented places I've stayed in have had one) but can still reliably dry laundry way better than even sticking it on radiators or whatever

If we're talking about obvious things, getting a washing machine and kitchen with all that comes with it is a tremendous improvement in a new apartment.

If I had to pick something less obvious, I'd say for me it was an e-book. It's hard to measure the effect, but I mostly read non-fiction and knowledge creates a lot opportunities over time in private and work life.

A private jet, it's amazing being able to just show up at the airport whenever you feel like it, not have to go through any security, step on the plane and just take off and be wherever you want a few hours later.

Towels.

Nah just kidding. It was cutlery.

Wireless JBL earbuds. I mainly use them while doing housework or listening to something in a way that won't bother other folks in the house.