BIFL Index

BIFL: Buy It for Life #

Below is a collection of the “best tools for the job” that I have researched so far.

I live by the philosophy of buying well, not often. Growing up, my family would re-buy the same shitty space heater and it would break every year. This not only creates waste on our precious planet, but it’s also more expensive in the long run!

Of course, living this philosophy requires some money, as the better quality item isn’t as cheap. But, if you save up and prioritize your funds, you can do it. You can also look into buying items used (e.g. eBay, FB marketplace/Craigslist, yard/estate sales). Often used items are in great condition, you can get a better deal, and keep an item out of the landfill.

I try to buy the thing that is not outrageously expensive, but I don’t expect to need to replace it, ever. I also value great warranties (many high-quality companies offer lifetime or multi-year manufacturer’s warranties) and most importantly replacement parts.

An item is buy-it-for-life not because it never needs care, but because it can last your lifetime or longer given maintenance and replacing parts as they break or wear out.

However, don’t throw away items you already have to replace them with something “nicer”. The best thing is the thing you already own, that already works. I only replace things once they break and I try to fix them if possible.

Note: I’ve also included some “best-picks-but-please-replace-these” items. They are denoted by a (*) in front of the entry. For example, I will list my favorite brand of underwear or favorite DIY lotion recipe, but these items are not BIFL, simply high quality and consumable.

B #

  • bidet: RinseWorks Aquaus 360
    • RinseWorks is awesome because they sell replacement parts!! I’ve replaced both the Valve Cartridge and the lever. What’s even better is that the original lever was plastic (hence why it broke) and the replacement is brass! They noticed the part sucked and broke and made it better.
  • bike, bicycle: (1) 1980s Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo (2) 2010s Surly Midnight Special

C #

  • car: Toyota Prius, mine is a 5th Generation Prius Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV)

F #

H #

L #

  • luggage: northface base camp rolling thunder 28L
  • (*) lotion: 1:1 ratio of “butter” to oil (e.g. shea butter, cocoa butter & castor, jajoba, and avocado oil), mixed until it has the texture of whipped cream cheese.

M #

  • multitool: leatherman wave+
    • when i lost my first wave+ i reordered an excellent condition used wave+ on eBay

P #

R #

S #

U #