8 Things I Bought to Make My Life Lower Maintenance

Seve shares eight low-maintenance purchases, from alpaca wool socks and washable rugs to a lasting safety razor, explaining how each reduces daily chores and mental load.

Key Takeaways

Choose fewer, durable, standardized items to reduce ongoing maintenance
Material choice (wool, machine-washable fabrics) strongly affects upkeep
Paying more upfront can lower total cost and mental load over time
Pay attention to hidden tasks around purchases, including setup and disposal
Simplicity in everyday routines frees time and mental space

What the video covers

Many products promise convenience but add ongoing cleaning, replacing, recharging, and remembering tasks
Goal: choose items that handle real use, are easy to care for, and remove repeating worries
A small rotation of a few good sock models simplifies pairing and replacement
Alpaca wool socks need less washing, stay fresh longer, and offer low cost per wear
Machine-washable rugs replace rigid ones that were costly and stressful to clean, especially with a baby at home
A long-lasting metal safety razor uses one standard, widely available blade instead of proprietary cartridges
Paying for services (delivery, installation, removal) can eliminate hidden work tied to large purchases
Health trackers can add tracking burden without clear benefit unless addressing a specific condition
Blackout curtains help with Nordic light conditions and can protect plants from temperature swings
A reflective vest/safety gear for stroller use improves visibility in dark Finnish winters without changing clothing

Chapters

Why does the creator prefer alpaca wool socks?

They are comfortable, need less frequent washing because airing them is often enough, stay fresh longer, and regulate temperature well in both cold Finnish winters and warmer weather. Although they cost more initially, the cost per wear becomes low with regular use.

What is the advantage of the metal safety razor mentioned?

It uses a single standard replaceable blade available from many brands, avoiding proprietary cartridge systems. The metal body is built to last for years, and the creator argues that multiple blades in cartridges add little benefit and can increase irritation.

Why did the creator replace their old rugs?

The old rigid rugs could not be washed in a machine and were expensive and difficult to clean, so they required constant protection. Machine-washable rugs can be cleaned easily at a laundromat, which is especially practical now that they have a baby at home.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

A lot of things are sold to us as ways to make life easier, and at first they often do. But after living with them for a while, you begin to notice all the extra work that came with them. There's always something to clean, replace, recharge, protect, or remember, and the thing you bought to solve one problem has somehow created several smaller ones.

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always something to clean, replace, recharge, protect, or remember, and the thing you bought to solve one problem has somehow created several smaller ones. I want things that can handle being used, are [music] easy to take care of, and remove repeating tasks and

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I want things that can handle being used, are easy to take care of, and remove repeating tasks and worries from my life. Because when your things ask less from you, you have more time and mental space for your actual life.

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simple everyday items. Some solve problems in ways I didn't expect. And actually, one of them isn't a really like a physical product at all. So, let's get into it. A small [music] thing that has made my life easier is having a

Speaker A

So, in this video, I want to share eight purchases that have made my life lower maintenance. Some of these are simple everyday items. Some solve problems in ways I didn't expect. And actually, one of them isn't really a physical product at all. So, let's get into it.

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become useless, even though it is still perfectly fine. So, what I've started doing is keeping only a few models that I know I like with a few pairs of each.

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A small thing that has made my life easier is having a small rotation of really good socks. Because when every pair is different, I need to find the exact two that belong together. And if one disappears, gets a hole, or is eaten by the washing machine, the other one can become useless, even though it is still perfectly fine.

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I'm just moving toward it slowly and using everything I already have for as long as they are still good. When I eventually need replacements, I return to this model that already works instead of comparing all the materials, fits,

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So, what I've started doing is keeping only a few models that I know I like, with a few pairs of each. I have long green ones, medium black ones, and shorter ones that are black or two-colored. And no, I didn't throw away all my older socks to make this happen. I'm just moving toward it slowly and using everything I already have for as long as they are still good. When I eventually need replacements, I return to this model that already works instead of comparing all the materials, fits, and prices again.

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Just airing them can [music] be enough. They stay fresh for longer, keep my feet warm during Finnish winters [music] and cool when it is warmer here. And they cost more in the beginning, but if you wear them often, the cost per wear

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The second thing that makes this a bit lower maintenance for me is the material. Mine are alpaca wool socks, which are really comfortable and don't need washing after every wear. Just airing them can be enough. They stay fresh for longer, keep my feet warm during Finnish winters, and cool when it is warmer here. They cost more in the beginning, but if you wear them often, the cost per wear actually becomes quite low.

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in some intensive farming conditions. I will link their company below if you want to have a look. This is not sponsored or anything, but I do know the owner just as a disclaimer. The second thing is having rugs that can handle

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I also prefer the ethical side of this particular material compared with a lot of conventional sheep wool, with the company I use. The alpacas roam freely in their natural environment in Peru rather than living and being exploited in some intensive farming conditions. I will link their company below if you want to have a look. This is not sponsored or anything, but I do know the owner, just as a disclaimer.

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thought of yet. I can try to prevent some of that, of course, but I don't want normal everyday mess to feel like a huge problem. We used to have these huge rigid rugs that couldn't realistically go in a washing machine. And because

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The second thing is having rugs that can handle real life. I mean, rugs live on the floor. Getting dirty is almost part of their job. And now that we have a baby in the house, there will obviously be spills, food, muddy shoes, and all kinds of things that I probably haven't even thought of yet. I can try to prevent some of that, of course, but I don't want normal everyday mess to feel like a huge problem.

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So eventually we donated those rugs and replaced them with machine washable ones. Now, when they get dirty, I can just take them to the laundromat, put them in one of the larger machines, and go grocery shopping while they are

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We used to have these huge rigid rugs that couldn't realistically go in a washing machine. And because cleaning them was so expensive and difficult, I also felt like we had to protect them all the time, which was wasting a lot of our mental energy on something that is on the floor and people are supposed to walk on anyway. So eventually we donated those rugs and replaced them with machine-washable ones.

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important part of keeping like a lower maintenance home. Number three, a razor designed to last. Shaving is already one of those tasks that comes back to me every few days, [music] so I prefer everything around it to stay as simple

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Now, when they get dirty, I can just take them to the laundromat, put them in one of the larger machines, and go grocery shopping while they are washing. And by the time I am finished, the rugs are clean as well. It doesn't cost that much, and I don't need to dedicate a whole day to cleaning or arrange some complicated professional cleaning service. For me, that is a very important part of keeping a lower-maintenance home.

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you use it. And of course, every razor needs a fresh blade eventually. For me, it just makes way more sense to keep that replaceable replaceable part as small as simple as possible. I want to be able to use one standard blade that

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Number three, a razor designed to last. Shaving is already one of those tasks that comes back to me every few days, so I prefer everything around it to stay as simple as possible. What I don't like about the regular plastic cartridge razors is that the handle usually only works with one type of cartridge system. Buying the razor also means committing to that exact replacement system for as long as you use it. And of course, every razor needs a fresh blade eventually.

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more blades are usually presented as an upgrade, but if you think about it, the first blade cuts the hair. the others are just passing over the same skin area again and again which can just lead to more irritation. I much prefer the

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For me, it just makes way more sense to keep the replaceable part as small and simple as possible. I want to be able to use one standard blade that is available from many different brands and places, inside a well-made metal safety razor that can last for decades instead of just some weeks or months like some plastic ones.

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something that you can basically keep using for a lifetime. It uses one blade that is easy to replace and held firmly, which helps it cut smoothly and consistently. It is easily the best razor that I have ever used. And

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And anyway, why do we need so many blades in one cartridge? More blades are usually presented as an upgrade, but if you think about it, the first blade cuts the hair. The others are just passing over the same skin area again and again, which can just lead to more irritation. I much prefer the simpler idea of using one blade that does its job well.

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you shave, that can cover around 2 or 3 years. So, you will not need to think about buying more blades for quite a while. The link is in the description, so go check it out.

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That is why Hensson, who have kindly sponsored this video, fits so well into this list. I have their AL13 razor, which is made from aluminum and designed to be something you can basically keep using for a lifetime. It uses one blade that is easy to replace and held firmly, which helps it cut smoothly and consistently. It is easily the best razor that I have ever used, and something I have recommended to my friends who have sensitive skin, too.

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still have to do by myself. Like I might need to arrange, transport, carry it [music] inside, assemble or install it, clean up all the packaging, and then figure out what to do with the old one.

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If you would like to get one, Hensson will add 100 free blades to your order when you buy a razor through my link in the description. Depending on how often you shave, that can cover around two or three years, so you will not need to think about buying more blades for quite a while. The link is in the description, so go check it out.

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while back. We could have ordered only the new machine and handled everything else ourselves. But instead, we decided to pay a little extra for the complete service. They delivered the new machine, [music] carried it inside, unpacked it, connected everything, and made sure that

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The fourth purchase is actually a service, which is paying for the whole problem to disappear. I've started thinking about this more when I buy something large or technical, because sometimes the cheapest option gives me only the item. All the work around it I still have to do by myself. I might need to arrange, transport, carry it inside, assemble or install it, clean up all the packaging, and then figure out what to do with the old one.

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right direction. The whole situation was was finished in like 15 or 20 minutes and I could stop thinking about it. And of course, I don't pay this extra for every small convenience because those fees [music] fees can add up really

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That lower price can look like a better deal, because my own time and effort are nowhere on the receipt, but they are still part of what the purchase actually costs me. We faced exactly this choice when our washing machine broke a while back. We could have ordered only the new machine and handled everything else ourselves. But instead, we decided to pay a little extra for the complete service.

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I have some financial margin, I would rather use part of that to buy back time and my mental space than something that isn't as valuable to me as those things.

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They delivered the new machine, carried it inside, unpacked it, connected everything, and made sure that it was working properly. Then they took the old washing machine away for recycling, and even all the packaging from the new one. The only thing I really had to do was be at home, open the door, and point them in the right direction. The whole thing was finished in about 15 or 20 minutes, and I could stop thinking about it.

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information can be useful and tracking this can actually be valuable if it helps with a certain health condition that you might have. But it can easily just give you more things to track and worry about without almost any benefit.

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Of course, I don't pay this extra for every small convenience, because those fees can add up really quickly. I find this most valuable when something is very urgent, heavy, technical, or expensive to get wrong. In those situations, I try to include all the parts when I compare prices, like my time, transportation, tools, risk, stress, and all the extra decisions. If I have some financial margin, I would rather use part of that to buy back time and mental space than something that isn't as valuable to me as those things.

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somehow used my day badly and [music] then try to optimize my life so that I can get that number up. At the same time here, running is a serious hobby and a big passion of mine and tracking a few

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The next one is a watch with one job. There are watches and wearable devices now that can track almost every part of life: your sleep, steps, stress, recovery, heart rate, and probably a hundred other things. And all that information can be useful, and tracking it can actually be valuable if it helps with a certain health condition

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when I run. I use it to track things like my pace, distance, and heart rate.

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And I actually wear a separate heart rate band for more accurate data. This helps me follow my workouts properly and notice when my body is working harder than usual. For example, when I'm getting sick, I can notice it very

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clearly in my heart rate. And when the workout ends, the tracking ends as well.

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I take off the watch and the heart rate band, and I don't wear them throughout the rest of the day. I enjoy trying to improve my running, but I don't want my whole life to become this huge optimization project. I was actually

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offered a pretty good sponsorship from a wearable company that provides much more continuous data. Financially, it would would have been a great opportunity. And the product is itself was really impressive. Many serious athletes use it. But the product and its message

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didn't quite fit how I want technology to exist in my life right now. So, I turn it down. So remember that a product can be super impressive and useful for many people and still have no clear place in your own life specifically.

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Number six, [music] curtains that give us night and our plants [music] summer. This one solves a very Nordic problem.

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During summer it barely gets properly dark here and for like half of the year it's bright outside when I'm trying to sleep. The clock says that the day is pretty much over while the light signals to my body that okay, now it's time to

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be awake. And I obviously cannot control when the sun goes up or down. So I need to control how much of that light comes into the bedroom. We actually already had curtis before, but they didn't block the light completely. So this summer we

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replaced them with ones that create much more complete darkness. And we also realized that getting ones that block the light for us but not for the plants is really a must because in Finland house plants need as much natural light

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as possible during both spring and [music] summer. With our old curtains, the plants could not stay like between the window and the curtains. But with the new setup, they can stay there basically all the time. We don't need to

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move the plants somewhere else every evening and then like return them there the next morning. And the next one is kind of the opposite of that, a safety upgrade for the darker months because Finnish winters are the exact opposite

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of Finnish summers. After months of light, it is months of darkness. During the middle of the winter, I don't need to be outside particularly late for it to be like as dark as it gets. Around 4 or 5:00 p.m. is usually enough. I might

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be going for a normal walk or heading out for a run and the sun may have already gone down hours earlier. In these moments, I want to be visible without needing to think too much about what I'm wearing every time I leave

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home. If that depends on the specific coat or running clothes I happen to choose, it becomes another thing I need to remember. And I also don't want to replace perfectly good clothes simply because they don't have enough reflective material. So I use this

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reflective vest that I can put over almost anything. It doesn't matter what color my coat or jacket is, whether it has reflective details or whether it was designed for running. I can use the same vest when I'm walking, running, going

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somewhere with a stroller and continue wearing all the winter clo clothes that I already own. And from the safety perspective, this also means that I'm not relying on the driver noticing one small reflector or tiny reflective logo somewhere on my jacket. The vest gives

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me a much larger reflective area. The next one is quality without the pressure. And this is something I think about quite a [music] lot with furniture. Many of us have things that still work perfectly well while somewhere in the back of our minds we

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have this idea that we could replace them with something newer and nicer. We have been thinking about this with our sofa, our couch. I would happily invest in a really comfortable, really high quality one because we use it every day.

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It just makes sense. Ideally, it would also open into a guest bed which would make it even more useful. And I'm happy to pay for these kind of things when it's really quality and comfort when they are actually making a real

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difference. But here, I've seen what keeps happening to our current sofa. It gets a lot of spills like water and coffee and stains appearing and it collects a lot of signs of life. [music] The new sofa would still live in the

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same home with the same people, most likely with the same habits. So, the same things [clears throat] would most likely happen to it eventually. The only difference might be that every spill suddenly feels much more expensive and stressful. I could spend a lot of money

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on an upgrade and then become the person watching every cup of coffee that enters the room. Like, I don't want to [music] become that person who is trying to control everything all the time. So sometimes keeping the furniture you

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already have is the lowest maintenance choice. If it still works, feels comfortable enough, and suits your life right now, keeping it saves you from researching, [music] replacing, and arranging delivery and figuring out what to do with the old one. And actually,

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when we do need something, when we buy something, we often prefer buying good quality like secondhand [music] furniture. Almost all the furniture in our home was bought secondhand. Some pieces cost probably more than [music] poor quality furniture bought new, but

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they were like really well-made pieces and have continued to last. So, I like things to be tidy. I like things to be organized, but I don't want to worry about everything all the time. If my possessions, if my things make normal

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life feel stressful, they are not really simplifying my life at all. Thank you so much for watching. Don't forget to check out Henssoners using the link in the description below. And remember to stay kind and meaningful in your own

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beautiful journey. See you in the next one.

Topics:low maintenanceminimalismsimple livingalpaca sockssafety razorwashable rugshome organizationFinnish winterlifestyleproduct review

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