Just when you think you've got this whole "adulting" thing figured out, someone comes along and shows you a better way to do, well, everything! From dealing with those pesky spam emails (finally!) to solving the eternal "what's for dinner" debate, these genius life hacks are the kind that make you wonder how you lived without them for so long.
We've collected 30 surprisingly simple but ridiculously effective tips that'll have you saying, "Why didn't anyone tell me this sooner?" Whether you're wrestling with a stubborn jar lid or trying to squeeze more quality time with your fur baby into your busy schedule, these clever shortcuts and solutions are about to make your life a whole lot easier. No fancy gadgets required - just pure, practical wisdom!
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If you have a spare minute or are just playing video games or on a computer at home, take a few minutes to just pet your dog/ cat and really appreciate them. A phrase I heard somewhere just really stuck with me: Pets are only a part of your life but you are your pet’s entire life.
This should be the easiest life hack to do, because it should just be a natural thing to a pet parent—-or they shouldn’t have pets in the first place. If my dog or one of my cats—-or all three—-are within reach, even without realizing it I will pet them. It’s as automatic to me as breathing.
If you're trying to learn a new language try watching children's shows dubbed in that language. Children's shows tend to go over things like shapes, colors, animals, etc. and can help you learn basic words and sentences.
As a medic, whenever I was loading a patient in the ambulance, a family member would inevitably run up to me, keys in hand saying “I’ll follow you to the ER”. No. People in an emotional state following another vehicle will develop tunnel vision and forget all traffic laws. You will blow stop signs. You will follow me right through an intersection even if the light has already turned red for you. And you will slam into the back of the ambulance if we need to make a sudden stop. Remember, the patient faces backwards and can see out the back window as you blow a red light and get t-boned by an overloaded ice cream truck. After we leave, wait ten minutes, take a deep breath and slowly make your way to the hospital.
Right after my dad's accident, my mom tried to do this. She was in near-hysterics because she'd just seen the immediate aftermath of my dad falling 15 feet off of a ladder directly onto concrete. I wasn't home at the time of the accident itself, but I arrived home right as the ambulance was driving off, taking my dad to the ER. I saw one of the EMTs washing my father's blood off of the driveway with the garden hose, trying to make the scene less gruesome for us. I remember entering this weird detached state upon seeing the blood and running into the garage just in time to grab my mom's car keys out of her hands. She was making these little screaming/groan breathing-noises and I don't think she was even aware of the sounds she was making. I was still feeling weirdly calm, so I drove her and my sister to the hospital. I think if I'd let her drive, she would have probably failed to even put the car in reverse and would have gunned the car directly into the house.
If you don't like having simple decorative items but want to buy something on a trip as a souvenir, you can buy a practical item. I realised after I went to Spain and bought a pair of nail clippers there. Now every time I clip my nails I look back on my trip to Spain and it's such a nice feeling.
When you sign up for anything online, put the websites name as your middle name. That way when you receive spam/advert emails, you will know who sold your info.
I own my domain, all addresses go to me. So their domain @my domain. Been doing this for decades. Added bonus is that my username is different at most sites, making me harder for AI based hacking tools to build a profile on.
If you put something down temporarily, say out loud "I've put the screwdriver by the microwave" or whatever. This engages many more areas of the brain (particularly the language centres) which creates a richer memory making it less likely you'll forget where you put it.
Never give an animal to someone as a gift, especially if they do not ask for one. Thrusting an animal on someone forces them to take care of another life but not everyone can afford to give it the life it deserves.
Especially if they’re a child, because there’s no guarantee they’re going to consistently take care of the animal and their parents (you, if they’re your kids) will end up with the job. Yes, I know there are kids out there who embrace full responsibility for their pets, and that’s a beautiful thing g to behold, but it’s also rare. Children are still learning about responsibility, and making the total care of an animal 100% their responsibility is a lot to dump on them all at once.
Nose all raw and painful after blowing your nose from a cold? Get diaper rash cream and apply generously!! :) Been using this since I was a child, still have the lil container too. It smells a little weird but leave it on overnight and your nose will feel SO much better, it’s the zinc!
If you have trouble choosing, flip a coin. While you're waiting to get the result, your mind automatically starts to wish for what it wants. Then you can choose easily
When moving house, always set up your bedroom/ make the bed first so when your exhausted and just had enough you can fall into bed. Nothing worse than being exhausted and having to make the bed before getting into it.
Also: wrap a few plates + glasses in your sheets, blankets, towels, washcloths, dish towels, etc. Throw in silverware, 1 or 2 rolls of tp + some all-purpose soap so you're set for the 1st night.
If you're taking care of a sick person, a cheap whiteboard from the Dollar Tree hung on the doorknob will let you leave notes about the person such as temperature, any meds given, any changes in the way person has been doing etc. That way anyone who is taking care of the person can snap a quick photo with their phone if they need to save the information for the person's doctor.
5 minutes of daily exercise is infinitely better than 0 minutes and will make a big difference.
If you want to wear something white/ light in color, wear underwear that matches the color of your skin, not white.
Or pale colors like light grey, light green or light blue if you have fair skin.
Have your elderly parent with Alzheimer's or dementia wear a hi-vis vest in public for 2 reasons. Firstly, they will be more visible to traffic and also to you should they wander off. Secondly, and less obviously, people will realize there is something off about the person that otherwise appears normal. They will be more likely to be patient or forgiving if your parent has an outburst or gets touchy
Tell your wife or girlfriend to guess where you’re taking her for dinner. Then take her to the first place she says. Instant indecisiveness breaker.
Get into a routine of stretching your hip flexors and chest if you sit for long periods. Absolute game changer for people who suffer with chronic lower back pain as a result of being hunched over a desk.
If going to a business lunch or dinner, always check the menu online before going and figure out what you want to order. Figuring out what to order early takes the stress off so you can focus on the meeting. It's also helpful to browse the wine list if it's available so you can suggest a good wine if called to do so.
If your roommate's phone alarm is going off and they’re not in the room, call the phone. It will disable the alarm.
Until their second alarm goes off, because they set a series of them, knowing they wouldn't respond to the first.
If you’re asking yourself questions like “Should I find a job that treats me better” or “When should I leave my relationship”, you already know the answer. Chances are your gut instinct is right, and theres a reason these ideas and questions enter your head. Always try thinking about what advice you'd give to other people in the same situation. Often you should be taking the leap
I used to work at a commercial photography studio where I learned a few tips to photographing children and babies. When you tell kids to “say cheese” they almost always make this face 😬 and generally give an unnatural smile. Instead say something silly or make a joke. They will laugh naturally and you’ll get a great pic with a beautiful smile that doesn’t look forced.
For my primary school photo the photographer put my class up, then pointed at the camera and said "Here comes the bird" (that might be a specifically German thing, but it used to be something we said in regards to photo cameras). Of course we old, cynical, world-worn 7 year olds knew better than to fall for that! And then he had a puppet bird spring up from the side of the camera. The photo of 30+ partially toothless smiles is just amazing!
If there's a jar or container you can't open, run the lid under hot water for a 30sec. Dry it so you can get a good grip, then open. Never had this not work.
There have been times I have tried this, used grippy mats, tapped the lid on the bench and tried the spoon under the lid thing and still not get it off. The spoon trick has never worked for me actually.
Honey does not go bad, if it has gone solid it has just crystallized and can become liquid again with just a little heat.
If you’re ever buying blackout curtains, get panels that are more than a little wider than the window. If you purchase blackout curtains that are just as wide as the window, or only a little bit wider, you’ll either have light bleed around the sides, or you’ll have to fiddle with the edges every time you close the curtains. Both of those options are annoying. Instead, buy curtains that are a good bit wider than the window so that light doesn’t bleed around the sides.
Turn your bed mattress when you renew your blanket. Through time your mattress will deform and that can make you sleep worse
Rotate and/or flip your mattress over on a regular basis, whether you’re replacing a blanket or not. If you can’t remember when you did it last, it’s time to do it again. It’s kind of like rotating your tires on your car so they wear as evenly as possible. Also, replace your mattress every 7 to 10 years, because they all eventually wear out, no matter how expensive they were when they were new.
To confirm which circuit breaker is associated to an outlet, plug in an old radio and turn the volume up before you flip the circuit breaker.
If I were building a house new, it would be in the contract that there would be a label on every outlet and every switch and that label would match the breaker, and then the breaker panel would also have labels. The label on the outlets and switches can be on the inside of the plate so you have to unscrew the plate to get to it, that way it doesn't look ugly. As someone who inherited a house, I really want to find the time one day to go through and do this work, but the house is full of furniture that blocks most of the outlets so we're talking at least a full day job, and it's needed so infrequently.
Read the three and four star reviews for the most reliable information on Amazon items.
When putting a plastic lid on a paper cup, place the mouth opening on the opposite side of the seam in the paper cup. This prevents coffee from accumulating in the little gaps caused by the unevenness in the seam and dripping on you when you go to take a sip.
If, like me, you find that a can of soup or chili doesn't have macros that are that great (high in saturated fat, low in fiber, etc), or more importantly, just doesn't feel completely satisfying, mix in a can or two of your favorite canned veg; I like peas for chili, which adds sweetness, or pretty much anything. It nearly doubles the size of the meal and feels like it triples the satisfaction i get from the meal, while not adding hardly any calories and no saturated fat. Win!
Try a Simple Daily Shutdown Routine to End Your Workday. Ever feel like work just won’t end, and you can't relax? I used to be the same way until I created a simple shutdown routine. At the end of my day, I close all work apps, put my work devices away, and set an auto-reply on my email so people know I'm offline until the next day. I then spend a few minutes thinking about what went well and jotting down a couple of things to do tomorrow. This routine helps me clear my mind and truly disconnect from work, making my free time more enjoyable.
I also used to make an actual list of things that needed to be done the next day, including the stuff I started but had no time to finish before leaving, which went to the top of the list. As the day wore on, I would cross of what I got done, and make notes of what I was told needed to be done and when it was due, so I could compile my list for the next day(s). Beats the hell out of getting in dutch with the boss because you relied on just your memory, and ended up forgetting something.
when preparing for job interviews, find the investor/corporate materials on the company website. It outlines the company’s background, financials and future plans
Researching a company you’re interested in applying to work for can also help you avoid going to work for yet ANOTHER s****y place. Don’t just look at the company’s own PR-approved cover-up b******t that only blows their own horn, look on employer review websites that allow people to post anonymous reviews, allowing present or ex-employees to tell the truth without getting found out. Some of them are eye-opening about companies that are supposedly great places to work. You find out things are awesome for those who have the background to secure an executive position, but absolute toxic s****y hell on earth in the entry level/lower level job you’re applying for. Also, while you’re waiting for the interview, finding a moment to speak with present employees without management in earshot can yield some truths about the company that could shape your decision whether to work there or not. Just make sure it’s all in confidence, keep it strictly to yourself, FFS do NOT name names which can get people in deep s**t and lose them their jobs, and simply inform the interviewer(s) that you have decided to decline the interview, WITHOUT explanation—-because you do not have to give them a reason for declining.
