Since the Middle Ages, human beings have purchased various goods—ranging from bare necessities to unimaginable luxuries—using money acquired from wage labor. We routinely report on how the past and present iterations of this system, commonly known as market capitalism, depend on the subjugation of the planet’s most powerless populations and the destruction of the earth’s most fragile ecosystems. We much less routinely acknowledge the fact that we buy stuff ourselves, and that we like a lot of the stuff we buy. Pursuant to our goal of editorial transparency, here’s the best thing each member of Gawker’s staff bought in 2015. If you have your own suggestions, hop in the comments below.This thing is terrific, it’s like a handheld Roomba. Now that I live alone I put it directly on my face to suck tiny hairs off my cheeks after I shave so that they don’t fall on the floor.I bought this bad boy off Kinja deals and I’ve never had a boring shower since. Did have to learn the hard way not to dance along though.
I never thought I’d spend $160 on a trash can, but a while back my old shitty one broke and I had a gift card so I bought this one. Now I love my trash can.This was technically a gift that I received in 2014, but insofar as the Kindle requires me to buy proprietary Kindle content in order to be useful, I would say the Kindle is the best thing I bought in 2015. it keeps old New Yorkers from piling up; it lets you search through the text when you’re reading a novel by Pynchon and forget who a character is; it encourages you to take chances on books you’re not sure will be worth keeping on your shelf. The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero, the last thing I finished, was a perfect Kindle purchase. As a fan of The Room, I enjoyed this firsthand account of its completely bonkers production a lot. But I’m not sure I need it in my apartment forever.The ‘best’ thing I bought this year, by my own definition of the word, is this skull-shaped hideaway for my brother’s snake, Jafar. Jafar “is not used to it,” according to my brother, and has not yet slithered out of its eye, but we have high hopes for 2016.I used to have to set approximately 15 alarms on my phone.
I still do out of anxiety and fear but they’re no longer functionally necessary because this thing is fucking incredible.I use this literally every day, and it is fun each time.This jump rope makes me want to throw up (and I’ve accidentally whipped myself with it several times, leaving welts) and I love it.When asked why Skyrim was the favorite thing he bought in 2015, Brendan O’Connor texted his colleague Keenan Trotter:When asked why the Queen-sized Casper mattress was the favorite thing he bought in 2015, Alex Pareene provided his answer via Slack, from which the (lightly-edited) transcript below was taken:Keenan Trotter: what’s the best thing you bought in 2015Alex Pareene: honestly it was probably my casper mattressAlex: very little made my life demonstrably better than thatKeenan: the free one... [Ed. note: For reasons that remain unclear, Casper recently delivered a free twin-sized Casper mattress—retail cost: $500—to Alex Pareene at Gawker’s New York City office.]Alex: no i bought one this summer....
Keenan: you actually have oneAlex: before they sent me a free one....Keenan: which size - queen?Alex: part of it was just that my prior mattress was a full-size and also a cheap piece of shitAlex: so almost any nicer queen would have been an upgradeAlex: but the casper is good and comfortableI was always too lazy to buy dandruff shampoo and then one day I did and my dandruff disappeared. At least I think it did. Nobody tell me otherwise.I don’t know what “Z Gel” is, nor do I possess the vocabulary to describe how this pillow affects my neck or spine. But I do know is that this is a very firm, comfortable pillow, and that my sleep has greatly improved since I started using it. If you have trouble sleeping but haven’t tried a firmer pillow, you could do a lot worse than this one.Photo credits: Amazon, Bazzinni, and Casper2017 Black Friday Deals are coming! Black Friday has become the official day to find the best holiday shopping sales. Online and traditional stores are famous for having hot deals after Thanksgiving to showcase the lowest prices on this year's most popular gift items.
Holiday shoppers traditionally camp in front of shopping malls with coupons and ads trying to find the best deal. ’s Black Friday online deals for 2017 are your chance to find the season's best sales while avoiding searching Black Friday ads all day and the crazy doorbuster deal crowds. We even have many holiday discounts with free shipping! Why spend Black Friday shopping at the mall when you can find the best Black Friday deals online? Smart shoppers like you don’t waste time fighting crowds when you can find the best Black Friday sales featuring 2017’s hottest gift items — without leaving your home.The best part is you can buy and save with these discounts from the comforts of your home. Get ready for savings galore. holiday sale, you can save on designer gifts, furniture and all the other Christmas presents you want to give this year. Check out all the promotional ads, then bring your shopping list here and get ready to find the hot gifts you’re looking for. We already have low prices all year long, so when we have Black Friday and Cyber Monday specials, you know we’ll have amazing deals on the best holiday gifts.
10 Tips to Get the Best Black Friday Deals Black Friday is not only one of the most competitive days of the year for retailers, but it's also the best time for bargain hunters to get great deals on gifts for the upcoming holiday season. As doorbuster deals and sales flood your inbox and ad circulars and coupons pile up, being a savvy shopper can help you find the best bargains. Keep these tips in mind before hitting the Black Friday sales. What is Black Friday? For millions of shoppers, Black Friday is the most important shopping day of the year. Retailers from nearly every category compete for the best sales, so shoppers benefit from huge deals and exclusive savings on a range of products. Now signifying the kickoff of the holiday season, Black Friday didn't always carry the same meaning it does today. Read on for a look into the history of this unique consumer holiday.You spend approximately one thirds of your life sleeping, so your mattress is one of the most important (and expensive) purchases you will make for your first apartment.
Navigating buying a mattress, however, can be confusing and frustrating as there are so many styles and sizes. So we put together a guide to help you find the mattress of your dreams! Generally, be prepared to spend $400 plus on a mattress. I wish it weren’t so, but most mattresses under $400 are pretty crappy—wobbly, soft, and often filled with recycled materials—so unless you really don’t have the funds, shell out the extra $50-100. Don’t be penny-wise and end up losing sleep you so badly need. Do you sleep on your side? Then you probably prefer a mattress that conforms to your body. That means either medium or soft firmness. But a firm mattress with a pillow top is also a good option. Do you sleep on your stomach? A medium to firm mattress is your friend. If the mattress is too soft, it might make you sleep with too much pressure on your spine. Do you sleep on your back? A pillow top is a good option. If the mattress is too firm, it won’t contour to your body resulting in back pain.
Couples: Does your significant other toss and turn? Look for memory foam or wrapped coils. These mattresses absorb movement better. Does your SO produce a lot of heat? Find a mattress with less foam density if you are looking at memory foam. Or look at spring mattresses with less padding — these are less likely to retain heat. First, measure where you will place your bed. You don’t want to order a mattress only to find out it doesn’t fit in your bedroom. So measure first, then order. Twin-39 in × 75 in Full-54 in × 75 in Queen-60 in × 80 in King-76 in × 80 in California King-72 in × 84 in Second, measure the stairwells, hallways and doorways your mattress must pass through on the way to your apartment. With mattress/box spring sets, bear in mind that while the mattress can bend a bit to go around tight corners, the box spring does not. If you order a queen or larger mattress, you can get a split box spring, i.e., it comes in two pieces, making it much easier to handle.
Pro tip: Box springs come in different heights. Standard box springs are 9 inches in height, whereas “low profile” box springs are between 4 and 5.5 inches. The mattress companies claim that difference is purely aesthetic and does not impact the support provided for the mattress. So, why does the height matter? If you put a pillow top mattress on top of standard box spring, your bed is high and overpowers a typical tiny first apartment bedroom or a studio. So visually, lower is better. Also consider that most first apartments need to maximize the under bed storage area, hence bed lifts. If you have a combo of pillow top/high box spring/lifts, you’ll need a ladder to climb to your bed. And don’t ever have a nightmare and fall off! Mattress specialty stores: This is an old school way to buy a mattress, but it has it’s benefits. You can actually test out the mattress before you buy. This is great because descriptions (firm, pillow top, plush, etc.) can differ from brand to brand.
Also you CAN negotiate. Look online first and use these prices to figure out if there is any wiggle room in the price. At the minimum, you can try to get them to include discarding your old mattress, including a bed frame and delivering the new one for free. While you can’t do this at department stores, if you go to a smaller chain with what you can spend, and are prepared to walk if you don’t get what you want, you’ll be surprised at how far the prices will fall. Sleepy’s is an example of mattress specialty stores. Department stores: Many major department stores (Macy’s, Sears, Bloomingdale’s, etc.) have mattress departments. If you are not in a rush to get your mattress, you can get a great deal when these stores run their seasonal sales. Also, you will be able to test out your mattress and talk to a knowledgeable (but usually high-pressure) salesperson. Warehouse clubs: These membership clubs, such as Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s, with gigantic warehouse-like stores, cost around $50 a year to join and they offer brand-name products at discounts.
(Before you sign up, check if your parents already belong!) You can pick up your mattress right at the warehouse or order online and have it delivered. You cannot test your mattress or find a salesperson to talk to, so do your research before you hit the store. Here you are only shopping for lowest price. Online mattress stores: 1800mattress started out pre-internet as a store where you could just call, order a mattress and have it delivered the next day at a time when next day delivery was rare. You can still order your mattress by phone and talk to knowledgeable sales people, but they have also moved online and their convenient and fast delivery continues to be their big selling point. The newest breed of mattress stores sells online, with a very limited selection, making the purchase decision really simple. One of the best know of these stores is Casper that sells only one type of mattress in different sizes. Casper has a lot of great buzz and reviews (Leo DiCaprio is an investor in the company).
Its mattresses have a layer of memory foam over a latex mattress and they don’t retain as much heat as other memory foam option. The prices start at $500 for a twin and they have a 100 night return policy and 10-year guarantee. Casper also has showrooms in NYC and LA where you can try before you buy. Another online seller is Tuft and Needle. Just like Casper, Tuft and Needle sells one mattress in different sizes. Their claim is that their mattress was developed for universal, cool and breathable comfort. Their prices start at $350 for a twin and they also have a 100 night return policy and 10-year guarantee. Leesa, still another online start-up, has a simple design with 2 inches of memory foam topper. They claim that the memory foam really contours to your body. They also offer a 100 night risk free return policy and a 10-year guarantee. These mattress are all delivered to you through the mail and they shipped to you in a large box! (When the box arrives, you’ll think that you ordered a small refrigerator by accident.)
This video shows how a Casper mattress gets unpacked. is a good place to look for cheaper mattress options. seems to have some good options. I saw a full mattress for $170. The corruption within this nation’s mattress industry stems largely from an imposed consumer ignorance. Each chain has mattress names that are chain specific, making it impossible to comparison shop. It will be a Sealy or Serta or Simmons or ___ but you will have to trust your gut and your own research, or your salesman, in terms of comparison pricing, and I’d highly encourage the former. Make sure that your mattress is returnable, if it is not what you expected, or does not fit through your doorway. Online sellers typically have good return policies, as have warehouse clubs. Department stores and mattress specialty stores often have more restrictive return policies.Those one year price guarantees that state that if within one year, you find your mattress anywhere else for less, you will get money back.