What to Buy
The adult-child shopping reflex is strong: a problem appears, a product appears, money appears. These guides exist to slow that loop down. Every recommendation page answers who it's for, who should skip it, what evidence supports it, the tradeoffs, and whether buying nothing is the right answer.
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The decision guides
Simple TV remotes
For the 47-button remote that's been taped over. What big-button remotes actually solve, what they don't, and when the fix is a label maker instead.
Read the guide →Call-blocking devices and services
For the landline that rings all day with "your car's warranty." Which devices work, which are subscription traps, and the free settings to try first.
Read the guide →Motion & night lighting
The cheapest safety upgrade in the house — if you buy the right kind. What to look for, what to skip, and how to make the 2 a.m. bathroom trip safer.
Read the guide →Video doorbells
Benefits and privacy tradeoffs for an aging parent: who's at the door, package theft, subscription costs, and the conversation you should have before installing one.
Read the guide →How these guides are written
Every guide follows the same template: who it's for, who should skip it, the problem it solves, the evidence, the tradeoffs, setup burden, privacy and safety issues, price context, alternatives, and a straight answer about buying nothing. We have not claimed hands-on testing of any product — we haven't done it, and the editorial policy doesn't let us pretend otherwise. These are researched recommendations based on documented specifications, manufacturer materials, and user reports, with prices treated as time-sensitive and dated.
Products change constantly. Each guide carries a last-checked date, and we review them on the schedule the freshness policy sets (see editorial policy).