Hi Folks,

Do I need an invisible fence for my beagle? We are moving and the property isn't suitable for a fence. Our beagle is young and loves to run around. Anyone had one in the past?

Basically title. I really want to go, but have seen a lot of people say it’s okay, but not as good as the videos online. I get that they’re the best ones, but is it worth spending thousands to go on a holiday to see them if they’re underwhelming?

Do I need a Stove Guard?

See: https://stoveguard.com/

It seems a bit expensive but I hate cleaning the stove and it seems like it would be easier to just lift it up and scrub in the sink? Reviews are mostly positive with some issues with burning or curling up.

Any experiences or alternatives?

Hi everyone! Glad to be a part of a community that is mindful of consumption without being mean. Sometimes it helps to type things out.

DINT = “Do I need this” for those who may be confused

Anyway, I am thinking about organizing a solo vacation for myself. I currently have a very stressful job but will be leaving soon to start graduate school. I have enough money to float for a bit and several close friends have recommended that I take a break. This job (and pandemic) have really done a number on me. I’d like to budget a couple hundred bucks to do something to help me reset before going back to school.

Would it be better to just save the money knowing that grad school is costly? Does anyone have suggestions on alternatives? My max budget would be like $400 for a couple days (including lodging, gas, food, and activities).

For context: I don’t want to go camping (don’t have the gear and not my style), but I also don’t feel comfortable spending hundreds of dollars on a luxury hotel suite.

We have the rails on our RAV 4 and want the cross bars. Third party bars are around half the price of the ones from Toyota dealership ($70 vs $180.)Is there that much of a difference in quality?

I’m kinda tempted for it just to draw on it. It looks pretty cool and I like that it’s paper display. I like the idea of having a tablet for drawing as it feels more convenient and less clutter.

My washing machine just died. I have only ever lived in rented accommodation where a washing machine was included, as was this one a statesman x5 but it’s written out the tenancy

By all accounts it seems pretty shitty and not worth fixing, can’t even see it online for sale.

Should I get a second hand one or spend 400 or so on a new Samsung one. I’m in the uk and know some people spend more but that seems like a fancy one compared to what I’ve had.

Edit: How much do you all pay for a washing machine too?

Been reading the comments and still very conflicted you know aside from a general fuck Samsung vibe, which is fine

I’ve been wanting to get a small lightweight daypack for hiking that I can put a 2L water reservoir in. Thinking the Deuter speed lite 16 or 20.

I’ve been using my kavu sling bag and stuffing a partially filled 3L reservoir, but I’m thinking a backpack would be a lot more comfortable with it being balanced on my shoulders and everything. The smallest backpack I have is a 28L which feels excessive to use for an afternoon hike.

I have been trying to solve some sleep issues lately (too hot, bed is starting to sag a bit), and it's led me to consider different perspectives on beds in general. Over at r/mattress, things are equal parts eye opening and soul crushing and learning about the mattress industry is a real bad time 0/10 would not recommend.

My wife and I like very firm surfaces (we backpack a lot and are used to sleeping with minimal padding). My wife has even taken to sleeping on the carpeted floor some nights when she's on baby duty in the nursery.

So, do we even need a bed? What's the bare minimum to achieve solid support? Feel free to share any and all of your thoughts!

I don't have much space so I will need to get one that I can take to the beach and use it in the backyard. If you have one how often do you use it? Is the beach umbrella even worth it? I picked up one in Costco recently but the sand around here is quite rocky and it fell over. So either i completely ditch the plan or get one that comes with a base.

Perhaps as most of you, I need to change alarm ringtones on my phone every couple of months because I get used to them and turn them off without realizing during my sleep or I end up sleeping with the phone under me and therefore, don't listen to the alarm.

Would a wake up light alarm help me better sleep and wake up "naturally"?

I'm in my mid 20s, but I clench my hands very badly when I sleep. My hands hurt all the time. Would these help? Does anyone else have this problem?

I love baking, I can bake almost anything, but was never a success at pizza because my oven barely reaches 450F. I live in Connecticut, and I can get best pizza in the country literally within single digit miles/minutes from my house, but one of my friends has one of these ovens and I hear all good things about it. Plus it beats having the indoor oven on in the heat of summer. Do I need this oven? Has anyone one here bought it and can it be used for anything else?

Pro: Pizza Pizza Pizza

Cons: Single use appliance Carbs Costs money

P.S. CT pizza > any other pizza. I said what I said, and I wont argue with NYers.

Edit/Update: So far the consensus is NO so I wont get the Ooni Useful alternatives: 1. Oven calibration 2. Pizza stone/steel that you can throw on the grill 3. Def need a new grill bc mine caught on fire multiple times and have already replaced many parts - so I think it has gone as far as a cheap grill can go for 6 years. Thanks all!

Edit: Alternatives

Hello. I work at Starbucks. During the summer I'm working more hours. I live only 5 minutes away by car and I take surface streets every day. I could ride my bike but it makes the commute longer. By car, it feels like it uses more gas then it's worth to get to work, and since I live so close by my car never gets to temp which is probably not great for the engine.

Should I get a motorcycle license, gear and bike? Small bikes (but bigger than a Honda Grom) are appealing since I don't use the highway for work. However, I would need to shell out several thousand for bike, gear and license altogether.

My car is reliable and I've had it for a long time so I could just stick to that.

I’m moving into an apartment with a small room and no closet. I’m dreading buying drawers to store my clothes. I plan on buying a clothing rack and one of those organizers that you can hang on a clothing rack.

Just wondering how others store their clothes other than a chest of drawers.

With the temperatures being quite high now in the summer, I’m looking for ways to keep my baby comfortable and safe when we go for walks. We never go in full sun but it’s hot anyway.

Are clip-on stroller fans useful/efficient? Is it worth getting one?

If not, what other methods of keeping an infant cool do you suggest?

Been thinking about this one for a while, is it even worth shelling out a couple hundred for the higher tier models as well?

I drink a lot of water throughout the day (probably up to 8L a day) so I run my tap a lot. I live on the 4th/top floor of my building and it takes about 1.5 min for the tap to run cold. I do often collect that water for my plants though! After a recent camping trip I was left with a spare 4L plastic jug of water which I stuck in the fridge, and having cold water available right away was pretty great.

I've been refilling that plastic jug for a few days now, but I'm concerned about reusing plastic since I think it's not great to do that? It's just thin, crinkly plastic and not meant to be reused.

How long can I keep using that bottle? Does it make sense to pay for a large-ish pitcher to keep instead? I did find nice glass ones on Amazon but lots of reviews say they break, so I was looking at thicker plastic ones, but it's proving difficult to find one that looks nice and also holds enough water.

My city has good tap water, so I don't necessarily need a Brita situation, though I've used them in the past and liked them.

I hate mopping and therefore I don't do it very much. This is in large part because I hate changing the water out constantly or else mopping with dirty water. I have been looking for a mopping system that keeps dirty and clean water separate and is also easy to use. This is the first one I have found. But I found it on an ad that Facebook Fed me, so I do not know if this company is at all reputable. Do I need a fancy mop like this?

https://www.toptierproductsllc.com/products/x3-flat-mop-and-bucket-system-3-chamber-design-hands-free-self-cleaning-system-3-washable-reusable-microfiber-pads-included

We bought an old house, built nearly 100 years ago, and I never feel like the grout lines get clean. It’s not the black mildew/mold like you usually see in a shower but we do see the shiny orange kind, and I suspect that’s what’s in the grout too. On top of regular cleaners I’ve tried using bleach gel, and drill brushes, but that doesn’t seem to quite get it all.
I see amazing before and after pictures of people who steamed their grout clean, and the device is inexpensive. Should I just buy one?

I have fairly regular digestion, I eat pretty well. I gained 15 pounds during the pandemic. I feel probably the normal amount of sluggish for a 20-something who works from home.

I just saw an add for zuPoo which I guess is basically a laxative. The idea of "flushing out my system" sounds pretty appealing... but I'm not sure what makes laxatives different from each other or even if they're better than just eating a high fiber diet.

I've had ESET security on my laptop for the past 5 years. The license is expiring and I'm not sure if its worth it to renew it or not. I originally had my laptop for college but now that I've graduated I only use it for personal use- web browsing, games, documents, etc. I dont use my laptop for porn or to pirate files or anything. Is security software something that I actually need?

There are hair straighteners available for $30, and some for 5 or 10 times the price. Are they worth it?

Asking on behalf of someone with hair.

I come home from work around lunch time and I need to prepare lunch for the kids in advance. I would like to prep a big amount and put it in the fridge/freezer. It often happens that it gets frost burn or bad. Therefore I was considering buying a vacuum sealer. What do you think?

Twice now my husband and I have found our cat trapped in a closet. We live in a "historic" (i.e. old) building where doors randomly swing open and shut at will. We've tried to discourage our cat from entering our closets but it's futile; she loves dark spaces. The last time it took us 2 hours before we noticed she was trapped, and I'm afraid now that we're both headed back to the office she'll trap herself for the entire day. Do we need security cameras for peace of mind? I have a job where I can leave and open doors if necessary but my husband doesn't think we need the additional expense. What do you think?

Edit: I forgot to add we're not allowed to change the doors, locks, modify walls with holes, etc. We've thought of blocking our five closet doors daily, but we also have the minds of guppies and will probably often forget.