People should never trust Amazon or the “% off deal” that Amazon is advertising. Always verify against camelcamelcamel.com to ensure that the price is actually a deal and not artificially inflated due to some demand spike or their algorithm thinking that you really need it right now.

I have no suggestions for a hub that does what you want. However, Homeassistant does all of what you want and more.

If you have a box that HA can run on, just try it. You can integrate things you would not even expect. You can get the official Zigbee usb dongle from Nabu Casa or from anywhere you choose. Then just start pulling over one device at a time getting comfortable with HA. You can add a Z-Wave dongle, a Thread dongle, and more.

With Home Assistant the best place to start is to just get it running on your network and see all the stuff it finds on its own. Then get a Zigbee dongle and start moving things over as slow as you like. This is by far the best path rather than relying on some other hub that will eventually EOL and leave you hanging again.

Automations in HA are very easy, and coming from HomeKit, they are an absolute dream to work with.

Don’t wait to order something to get started with HA, just install it on whatever you have lying around or install it in a VM with VirtualBox if you have nothing else. Get used to it and then plan out how you want to go forward. If you find that you hate HA, it would be nice to know before you drop any $$$ on it.

I want to add that in many places in the US it is not just the distance, but the danger and outright discouragement of walking somewhere. For example, I contemplated using a train to get to Lego Land in California from Oceanside, California. After getting off of the train I would have to walk 1.3 miles, which is only a minor inconvenience. However, after reviewing the walking route google has this qualifier: “Use caution - may involve errors or sections not suited for walking”. This prompted me to review the walk using street view and I came to the conclusion that there was not a safe route.

This is just one example of something that I think should specifically be available. There are many places where walking is encouraged and convenient, but it is by no means universal.

I just want basic running shoes that are $30/pair and will not change in any way for the next 40 years. Basically, I just want a pair of New Balance shoes on sale from joesnewbalanceoutlet.com for the good old price they used to offer 3 years ago. The only problem with them at the moment is they have raised the price floor to $40 and the style rotates too much. I just want the same stupid thing every time.

Some key features:

1. a little rubber around the toe to keep the puddles out
2. breathable top
3. cushy bottom
4. dont change

I hear a lot of this BIFL for shoes stuff. I have no intention of keeping my shoes longer than 6-9 months. At $30/pair, they are disposable. When I accidentally step in dog crap, they become disposable immediately.

I also have no interest in leather. Might last a long time, but for me it is like putting a ziplock bag on my feet and it turns into a swamp real fast.

Absolutely nothing other than voting. Any individual “reducing their plastic use” is just a drop in the ocean. The only meaningful change is through legislation or some economic situation. The only positive outcome of reducing your own plastic use is that warm and fuzzy feeling that you get from believing that you are doing something good.

However, I do not want to discredit that warm and fuzzy feeling. It brings people joy, and I think that is great.