So, I’ve been getting rid of tons of my possessions as part of my goal to minimalize. Clothes, a foosball table, shoes, old postcards, you name it. It’s a super satisfying, liberating feeling. The things I keep are things that I love and use.

This mindset has got me thinking about my web browsing. There are some usual suspects out there that just waste my time, leaving me with little satisfaction (Facebook, Reddit, Google News). I’m not planning to stop using them (yet), but I thought it’d be cool to list out about my favorite websites from pure “bang for my buck” enjoyment perspective. Quality over quantity.

So while I might not spend a ton of time on each of these websites, they are consistently a great experience every time I go. Enjoy!

The Onion

Reading the daily headlines from The Onion is definitely the most efficient way to add some laughs to my day. Seriously, I’ve been reading this this thing for so long I even considered getting a print subscription back when they offered it. It’s consistently funny, whether it’s their off the wall photoshops of politicians or well produced video news casts. The cherry on top is how often they bring humor to terrible situations. Just take a look at their post 9/11 issue. Satire at it’s finest.

(Rap) Genius

If you’re like me, when you find a song you love you want to know everything about it. Who produced it, what does it mean, what was that word? And if you’re like me you spent tons of time reading incorrect lyrics and interpreted meanings authored by random strangers on the internet. That is, until Rap Genius arrived.

There is simply no better place to get lyrics, song meanings, or metaphors about a song. Their upvote/downvote annotation system is basically the perfect way to do this stuff, and is often a platform for the actual artist to explain their lyrics. I’ve even seen their annotation system used for journalism and publications… it’s just that good. Also, make sure you check out Rap Stats for some serious fun.

The Wirecutter

If you’ve found yourself on obscure internet forums researching the best type of toilet paper, The Wirecutter (and it’s sister site The Sweethome) is for you. You see, I can barely buy anything without a shining endorsement from internet people. The Wirecutter soothes my analysis paralysis with crazy in depth research. The stuff they recommend is typically expensive, but everything I’ve purchased from there has worked out for me. I really wish there was something like this for baby stuff.

Hacker News

Ah yes, my portal into the startup/tech world: Hacker News. If you’re interested in software, tech, startups, design, or anything similar, this is for you. Super basic in design, but very deep in community and content, it’s my best resource for staying tuned in to whats happening in the grander scheme. I make a point of reading this daily, and I think everyone entrepreneur and software dev should as well.

Urban Dictionary

You might be thinking, “seriously?” But this is 100% on my list. Everyone time I go to this site, I end up laughing so hard I’m holding tears back. You know that weird word/acronym that you see on Buzzfeed/Instagram/Snapface that makes you feel old because you have no idea what it means? Go look it up on Urban Dictionary, satisfaction guaranteed.

XKCD

XKCD is no doubt my favorite webcomic of all time, and probably the first one I ever read regularly. I think there are a lot of other nerds out that feel the same way. Drawings are just stick figures, but the themes of science, technology, and infographics create a unique read. If you’re at all interested in webcomics, give it a shot. I think I started reading it in college and have been an RSS subscriber ever since.

Cheers and thanks for reading!