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People are wired differently from each other. Therefore, we all have a unique approach to daily activities, whether doing house chores, organizing emails, or opening a bag of potato chips.
So when someone online asked people what their “I can’t believe other people don’t do this hack” is, commenters didn’t disappoint with their responses. Here, you’ll find tips on learning keyboard shortcuts, making a significant other happy, and cooking the perfect burgers – many of which likely aren’t in your top-of-mind choices.
Scroll through this list and take some notes. You may learn a new thing or two that you can incorporate into your own life.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Buy her "just because" flowers. Seriously, apology gifts always have the stank of the original mistake all over them. "Just because" gifts actually make her smile every time she looks at them and not think of the dumb thing I did.
Edit because apparently you can't talk about a nice thing you do without people attempting to make you feel like s**t for no good reason : This post is not f*****g gender exclusive or exclusive to just your partner. I can't believe I'm typing this.
General Anaesthesia 1 year ago (edited)
Upvote for the edit. There's at least one professional "but..., but..., but..." and downvoter in every crowd.
RELATED:
#3
Do favors for tomorrow you.
Car getting low on gas? Do tomorrow you a favor and get it on the way home.
It's almost bedtime but there are dishes in the sink? Do them as a favor to your future self.
While you're at it, get tomorrow's clothes together and get your lunch packed when you're not rushed. Tomorrow you will love you for it!
And, when today you is enjoying all the things that yesterday you did to make your life easier, remember to thank yourself for doing it.
I know it sounds silly, but this really helped motivate me in getting stuff done promptly instead of at the last moment.
#4
I see people doing wild mental math trying to figure out tips. If you move the decimal one place to the left you have 10% double that for 20%, divide it by 2 and add it to the original number for 15%. You can get 1% by moving the decimal 2 to the left and multiply that by any number to get that percentage.
Edit: Damn people, no need to get so aggressive, it's a math tip that helps me, I'm not telling you how to tip, or even commenting on tipping in society, just math....
TribbleThinking 1 year ago (edited)
Upvote purely for the edit. Thank you for the laugh and sending lots of sympathy your way! 😄😄
#5
Keep a camping chair in your trunk. You never know when an opportunity for a good sit might arise.
Jeff White 1 year ago
This sounds like an older person idea. I am an older person and I do this and highly recommend this idea for all.
#6
I hate cleaning but whenever I leave a room I try to take something with me. It might be a piece of garbage, a dish or an item that needs to be put away. It goes a long way to keeping things tidy without any real effort.
#8
When handing someone their change, give them the coins before the bills. This allows them to hold the coins in their palm while using their fingers for the bills. Otherwise, they have to do this careful balancing act before they pocket the money.
#9
I take a quick photo of where I park my car in large parking lots. Saves so much time wandering around looking lost!
#10
Learn all the keyboard shortcuts you can use regularly.
#11
Clean out your fridge before grocery shopping! Eliminates mystery Tupperware and always reminds you of something you need to pick up.
featherytoad 1 year ago
I keep a pad and pen in my kitchen, so when I think of something I need, or use something up, I right it down through out the time leading up to my next shopping trip.
#12
Do I need or do I want. If I need it, I get it. If I want it, I wait for a few weeks, do some research, see if I can fit it in and if I still want it a month or two later then I might go get it. Turns out my wants are not always there after a while waiting. It’s new for me but has changed my mindset drastically.
#13
Set nightly "do not disturb" hours on your phone (mine is 11P - 7A). You can allow notifications from favorite contacts like spouse, children, et al.
#14
I am shocked at the number of people that don’t put their sheet sets in the matching pillow case for storage until use. It keeps it all together!
TMTMTMTM 1 year ago
The way I find all the sheets in a set: They're the same color, and they're stacked on each other on the same shelf in the cabinet, and I wash a set at a time (ergo, never separated at any point). It's as trouble-free as collecting 4 knives in the flatware drawer, when they're always in that one compartment in the flatware organizer. Or getting two matching shoes from the line of my 4 pairs of shoes by the back door.
#15
I keep one of those dish cleaning wands you fill with soap in my shower. It’s filled with Dawn soap and vinegar. I scrub my shower walls and tub basically every other shower, just while I’m in there. It takes less than 2 minutes and I never have to clean my tub/shower otherwise. About 2x/yr I’ll do a Comet tub clean scrub, but I can’t even see/tell a difference, it’s mostly just for peace of mind.
#16
I can't motivate myself to clean long periods, so I've recently started playing turn-based, or periodic games. At the end of every turn I'll get up and do 5 minutes of cleaning.
Then I can spend a day off playing games, but the house gets tidier instead of worse.
Amelia Jade 1 year ago
I do this too. I'll set at timer so I play games and then clean. Or sometimes I'll spend the day reading a book but get up and clean between chapters.
#17
Well this is probably dumb and maybe just for older people.
I have an unreasonable amount of prescription meds. The bottles of course essentially all look alike. And since I’m 68, my eyesight is c**p.
SO. I write an abbreviation on the TOP of the med cap (Sharpie or plastic marker). Y’know, like A for Antibiotic. So I don’t have to pick up every damn bottle every damn time to squint at the 4 point font on the label….
Adam Belaire 1 year ago
I do something similar, but it's a I or a II. I have to take meds before a meal (I) and after (II) and it's once a day. Don't have to read, just take one from each bottle depending on if it's before or after a meal.
#18
Play music when doing chores.
My partner and her family just do chores in silence. I'm like wtf. This is way more boring than it has to be?
#19
Rinsing your dishes and tableware immediately after use when the food gunk is still wet and washes away easily,
rather than waiting for it to become cement.
Michael P (Perthaussieguy) 1 year ago
I live on my own. I don't wash up immediately after use but I do put dishes etc... in a water filled sink to soak. I wash all dishes etc...once a day.
#20
When tech stops working and you need to “turn it off and back on again”, turn it off, and ALWAYS wait 10-15 seconds or more before turning it back on. This allows the capacitors inside holding the memory bits to fully discharge, and it allows the device to fully reset fresh.
#21
Put salt and pepper on their burger patties. I swear I have the same conversation every time I host a cookout.
Your burgers always taste so good!
Salt and pepper.
How did you learn to make them?
I put a little salt and pepper on them before cooking
I could never get my burgers to taste right
Have you tried salt and pepper?
*Edit* Okay, this resonated with Redditors more than I expected. Thanks for all your tips. Rest assured that I have tried all of them. Garlic powder, onion powder, various premade spice mixes, olive oil, Worcheseverquestashire sauce. I even put an egg in a batch once because someone said it would hold them together better.
I like salt and pepper on fresh beef. Obviously it comes down to personal preference, but I find simple recipes are often the best.
#22
I struggle with cleaning, but what I tend to do so I don't get overwhelmed is write out a list numbered 1 to 20 of tasks I need to complete. I break it up in to small pieces. And then I roll a D20 die to pick tasks off the list. It removes the overwhelm of deciding where to start and it keeps me on task so I'm not bouncing between 5 different tasks at once.
I also usually add things like "drink water" or "check laundry" if I don't have a full 20 things to complete.
Sarah Suelzle 1 year ago
I think this is an awesome idea! I also get overwhelmed with too many tasks plus I am easily distracted. Then my brain gets clogged up on top of that trying to remember everything LOL. Making lists and little reminders are great tools to help stay on track, making it easier to accomplish all the things that need doing 😎😊❤
#23
Storing things in airtight containers. I spent a lot of money on mine, so I get why people can’t do it, but I’ve moved a lot and some of the places had bugs, which I’ve been able to prevent carrying along with me. Honestly I was pretty poor when I started doing this. Bought stuff bit by bit.
Guess Undheit 1 year ago (edited)
Not just food. Put your first aid in a snap top watertight box so you can open it one handed (if your hand is injured). Also use a snap top watertight box for computer parts (e.g. USB cables) to prevent rust. If you live where it's constantly humid, it prevents problems.
#24
I cancel my streaming subscriptions immediately after starting them so they run out after a month. If I'm still using them in a month, I renew. If not, I don't pay for something I'm not using.
Jeff White 1 year ago
Like this. Sort of similar to the decide if "need" or "want" concept but with more ability to decide after you know some more.
#25
I started walking 20,000 steps a day about three months ago now and I feel f*****g amazing.
I’ve missed roughly 2-4 days a month since starting but I’ve also had some days as high as 30K steps so it all equals out.
Movement, in any form, seems to wildly improve my life. I hope others find the same.
#26
Plan for your death. It puts extra stress on your family if there is no plan.
#27
OK it's weird and lazy but follow me.
I only take showers, but I plug the drain for the first majority of the time. I put Epson salts and scented stuff in the bottom. As I'm showering I soak my feet, when I rinse I remove the plug and wash my feet as it all goes down the drain.
featherytoad 1 year ago
That's a good idea. I have sensory issues on my one foot because of MS, so using a washrag or one of those shower poofs makes it unbearable.
#29
How do people not put their phone on silent before a nap. like wake up to silence not a notification party.
Michael P (Perthaussieguy) 1 year ago
I'm a self employed contractor. With good regular clients, kids and grandkids, my mobile is on 24/7. I don't want to miss an important client or family call/message
#30
I use zip lock bags in my “Junk drawer”
It’s not organized, it’s just a hand full junk filled bags.
It makes looking through the junk easier. Instead of shifting through a bunch of junk and loose items I’ll pick up a bag and inspect it for something I’m looking for.
junk bags inside a junk drawer.
Pencil McGovern 1 year ago (edited)
Get a roll of masking tape. It's cheap and can be written on so you can label the junk. Especially things like adapters or keys you don't use often. I just tossed a cable for my Nook which died last year. If it hadn't been labeled, I wouldn't have been sure what it was and probably would have kept it for the rest of my life. [Edited for typos.]
#31
For household essentials, buy more than you need right away.
Example: I have two packs of toilet paper rolls. One is "Now," and I store it in the bathroom. The other is "Later," and I store it in a closet. When Now is empty, I get out Later. Later becomes the new Now, and next time I go shopping, I buy a replacement Later.
That way, I very rarely run out of anything.
Michael P (Perthaussieguy) 1 year ago
There was a time I couldn't afford to do that. Now I can afford to do that... I do too :)
#32
Keyboard shortcuts. I’m baffled by people who work with a keyboard day in and day out and I never see them using the ingenious shortcuts. Here are some shortcuts besides cutting and pasting.
Tab moves you to the next input box or selectable link. Shift + Tab to for the previous box.
Home and End keys move your cursor to the end of line/ sentence. Use this in combination with Shift, Shift + home and Shift + End, you can highlight entire lines of text.
And this one is my favorite:
Ctrl + shift + Left/ Right, you can highlight word by word. You can also avoid using Shift to jump the cursor word by word. Ctrl + Left/ Right
To add on to that last one, you use Ctrl + Backspace or delete, to delete word by word.
Save yourself time and the Arthritis, learn the keyboard.
If on windows and have shortcuts on your Task bar, you can press Super [windows key] + 1-9 and you will open the first, second, third, etc application you have on your task bar, which ever is first, second and so on respectively.
#33
Using the leftmost lane as a passing lane, then getting back to the right when i am not going faster than anyone.
Thomas Urban 1 year ago
You are one of the few that does this. Thank you! Can't stand people camping in the left lane.
#34
Open bags of chips upside down! All the seasoning settles on the bottom👌.
Michael P (Perthaussieguy) 1 year ago
If you open them upside down, they will all fall out. Turn the bag upside down, then open it. Lol ;)
#35
Getting a cleaning lady once a month has saved my sanity. When my house is a mess, my mind is a mess. Best 100 bucks a month I’ve ever spent.
#36
If you don't know how to do something, google it. I'm a software engineer and the number of computer problems my friends and family bring to me that I literally just google for them is too damn high.
highwaycrossingfrog 1 year ago
As a former IT tech, I definitely googled at least 50% of issues. But first you have to understand what to Google and how to interpret and implement the results. That's what you pay the professionals for. The average layperson is not going to be able to Google a BSoD code and use the first result to fix their hardware issue. Often I would spend hours studying through results looking for the one answer
#37
5min rule. If it takes less than 5min, do it right when you think about it. Flip laundry, respond to an email you left in the inbox, load dishwasher, change that bulb in the vanity you've been looking at forever etc...
#38
If I finish a roll of toilet paper and there isn’t a replacement I put the empty roll on the closed toilet lid so the next person has to physically move it and recognize the roll is empty *before* they go. Did it at a small coffee shop where my friend had already told the employee they were running low and it blew people’s minds.
#41
Learning to pick up objects with your toes and transferring to your hands without bending over.
Amelia Jade 1 year ago
I've done this my whole life. It is especially helpful now that I'm nearly 50.
#42
Only ever buy on kind of socks that way I never have to match them after the wash, just throw them all in the drawer. And if one gets hole in it you dont need to throw out the pair, just throw it away and stock up on more of the same sock when running low. I really hate folding socks.
#43
It's not a big one by any means but anytime I listen to videos on my phone at home I put it in a cup to make it louder because the sound vibration bounces off of the cup, and it actually makes it louder. If you dont have a cup you can put it against the wall, it's the same concept.
#44
Tasting their food as they’re cooking it.
I thought everyone knew this but after spending several camps with a variety of different people, I was proven wrong.
Karmageddon 1 year ago
Following a recipe is NOT cooking, it's assembling. Tasting and adjusting is cooking.
#45
Rolling an orange before peeling. Roll it between your hands or on a table and it’s much easier to peel.
PunnyPanda 1 year ago
And to get more juice out of lemons and limes. The always cut in half, perpendicular to the ends.
#46
Using sturdy trash bags in camping and outdoor activities.
It's the most advanced cheap material there is.
You can use it as backpack liner, as rain cover , as poncho, as sitting pad, can transport water with it, use it as extra shopping bag it's so versatile, and so lightweight.
And more sturdy construction grade trash bags are not that loud and quiet sturdy.
OneHappyPuppy 1 year ago
Anyone else see a wedding dress standing in the middle of a field on that pic? No, just me? Welp, time to see an eye doctor...
#47
I freeze leftover coffee in ice cube trays. That way, when I make iced coffee, it doesn’t get watered down – just stays strong and delicious as it melts!
#48
Sex blanket and wet wipes by the bed. I can't fathom the people who complain about "sleeping in the wet spot". So gross!
Fleece is slightly water resistant, so sheets stay clean.
#49
Rub your bathroom mirror with shaving cream. Just rinse or dry off.
It will not fog up anymore.
#50
When you've eaten half a bag of chips, and you have to reach your arm in up to your elbow to get anything, cut the top of the bag off so you don't have to reach in as far.
meeeeeeeeeeee 1 year ago
I cannot think of any crisp bags I've seen in the UK where I'd need my entire forearm to get to the bottom. I'm assuming this is America because it's f*****g excessive
#51
2 colour matched £10 flower bouquets combined are normally more varied and bigger than a £20 bouquet.
#52
Spraying disposable razors with barber clipper spray before and after use
They last 5x longer and cause significantly fewer razor bumps.
#53
Set timer for washer and dishwasher to run in the middle of the night when a hard freeze is expected. Keeping the water moving help avoid frozen pipes.
Kelly Scott 1 year ago
I let the sink drip one night when we were going to have a freeze. The drips froze in a little frozen waterfall from the faucet to the sink.
#54
Rinsing dishes before you put them in the sink so it doesn't reek like rotten food
Loading dishwasher up as you use dishes to prevent pile ups in sink
(Im the only one who cleans in my household, its infuriating).
#55
Using a mask in the airplane. Keeps your throat humid and you don't have to smell the farts of other passengers, especially when you use some mint spray or something on your mask.
#56
Living by the rule “why put it down when you can put it away.”
It keeps my house so. Much. Cleaner.
#57
I’ve rented so many cars over my lifetime because I love to travel.
Don’t rent at the airport. They are the most expensive rates you’ll find in the city. Find the smallest rental location in the city. Reserve a sub-compact online for a cheap rate. When you show up at the location, they won’t have the car, and you’ll get a free upgrade.
If you need a specific car, rent at the airport. They have the highest selection.
Talk to your insurance agent, but if you currently have full coverage, it could extend to the rental. If it’s excluded, you can buy rental coverage on the cheap from your agent. The damage waiver and insurance from the rental agency is expensive, way more than you would spend from your agent.
The insurance benefit offered from Visa is worthless. You will spend the better part of a year trying to collect, all the while the Visa administrator will find ways they don’t have to pay.
Take a short 20 sec video of the car when you pick it up. Just walk around it. That way you can document any previous damage.
#58
It's not that impressive but as a kid living with parents we had a day dedicated to cleaning. Usually a Saturday or Sunday. And it meant I couldn't go out with friends or anything like that because I was cleaning. Now I'm an adult I know I can just do 10 mins every day and get on with my life lol. I'll never understand taking a whole day to clean, what a bore.
Kelly Scott 1 year ago
As an adult, I realized I didn't to have my floors so clean I could eat off them. My mom did spring and fall housecleaning. Wash down the walls, turn and vacuum the mattresses, wash the windows. Spent an entire week doing this in addition to all her other housework. Great if you have the time for it. Well, I'll admit that now I don't work, I have the time for it, but I just don't have the inclination for that kind of cleaning. And I found out life doesn't end if you don't fold your fitted sheets and iron the pillowcases.
#59
Cook rice in chicken stock, not water.
Karmageddon 1 year ago
Also known as pilaf. It's not the peas and carrots that make it pilaf, it's the cooking in stock.
#60
Sharpen their knives! Shiverrrrr!
EDIT to add. Another of my pet peeves. S h a r p scissors. Easy to hone. But you need a wet stone. No angles. Just blade flat along the stone n hone till the whole surface shows new metal.
Btw, in one of my trips abroad while visiting my friends family in India I learnt in that one afternoon (I saw it happen right in front of my eyes) a professional knife sharpener came to the door and sharpened all the iron knives on a belt sander attached to his bicycle. As a teen my mind was blown. What?! There are cultures that don’t use dull knives!!!
#61
I still can't believe how few people use the flaps on the side of the foil box to secure the roll.
Kelly Scott 1 year ago
I'll tell you why I don't use them on the plastic rolls. Because sometimes the f*****g plastic tears and you find yourself unrolling a half piece of plastic. Then you have to take the roll out of the box, unwind until you get it back to where it's supposed to be, tear off the offending plastic, put the whole mess back in the box, and try again. It's one of those "it's 2024 and I can't believe we still have to deal with this s**t" sort of thing.
#62
Are you in a state where plastic bags are banned or cost money at the grocery store? Screw bags altogether! I bring the cart to my car and unload the groceries into a laundry basket in the trunk, which I then bring inside and unload when I get home. Skips bagging and unbagging entirely, takes one trip to bring it all inside, uses no plastic, and costs $0.
Kelly Scott 1 year ago
That's a good idea but I couldn't lift a full laundry basket of groceries. I'd need about 15 of them (I shop once a month). Besides, I use my paper bags as garbage bags.
#63
Yield to faster traffic so that people *can't* tailgate you. Stop getting so mad that people are riding your a*s when you won't get over and allow them to pass! You don't get to b***h about something you have direct control over and just *choose* not to do.
Richard Ross 1 year ago
It’s the people tailgating when it’s a single carriageway when you’re already doing slightly over the speed limit 🤔
#64
Surprisingly many people don’t notice there’s a little arrow on your vehicles gas gauge that points to the side the tank is on.
Miliukov Oleksandr 1 year ago
How is that some designers not sure in people ability to remember the location of one cap but still trust them to drive cars?
#65
High yield savings account. 4.5-5% interest for your money to just sit there. And doesn't cost a dime.
#66
When you're cleaning up "goopy" stuff that can't be absorbed, use two flat stiff things like the edge of two pieces of cardboard and literally scoop it up.
I am stunned at how many people I see try to clean up something like egg yolks or spaghetti sauce with a mop or a broom.
Rosemary . 1 year ago
I save the post card advertisement junk mail I get and use them to clean up cat puke. Works great!
#67
Buy refurbished one year old phones from Amazon. Nearly the latest features, same warranty, no contract, about half the cost.
Pencil McGovern 1 year ago
I agree with buying refurbished electronics if/when feasible but don't use Amazon. For anything. It's a prime culprit in our ever-increasing wealth inequality; not to mention criminally anti-union.
#68
If you are going to use fresh herbs in a recipe.
Rosemary, thyme, oregano etc. bloom them first. Get the pan up to temp, add either your oil or some butter, once it’s hot or melted throw in the herbs. Once you can smell them, takes about 45 sec to a min, add the rest of your ingredients.
#69
Putting a rubber band around a jar lid to open it easily. It’s like a superpower!
Firstname Lastname 1 year ago
I personally prefer to jiggle a knife under the lip of the lid to break the suction.
#70
I hang up the outfit I’m planning on wearing the next day in my bathroom when I shower at night to steam it & get the wrinkles out!
#71
Eating finger foods with chopsticks to avoid getting my keyboard, mouse, phone, or game controllers dirty.
#72
Get a credit card with good rewards and use it for everyday purchases, then immediately pay down your credit card every week or so to avoid interest rates. My husband and I almost exclusively use our credit card and have been able to use the points to book flights, rental cars, hotels, spa services, lots of things we wouldn’t normally splurge on.
Pencil McGovern 1 year ago
My husband and I do that. And pay attention to (and activate) quarterly rewards categories. Every year, our total cumulative cash back is approximately one mortgage payment.
#73
Christmas shopping early in the year, to skip the lines and stress, and all the commercialism.
#74
Wash your dishes every night before going to bed. My husband taught me this and it’s life changing to wake up to a clean kitchen.
Bertha Madott 1 year ago
And I learned later in life to turn on the dishwasher after dinner. Every night. Not when it is 1000000% full. I used to obsess about this. But my kitchen is sooooooooo much better now.
#75
Rain-x on your automobile windows. You don't even need windshield wipers anymore.
#76
Add pasta water to your beaten egg, egg yolk and parmesan mix before adding to your carbonara.
Do it slowly and whisk the mix well each time then add to the hot pasta off heat and work it through.
Seems obvious to me but all my friends say their carbonara is always scrambled egg pasta with bacon bits in it.
#77
I have a keyboard shortcut on all my devices where @@ automatically enters my email address.
Edit: on an iPhone you set it up by going to settings, general , keyboard , text replacement.
#78
Contributing to the match to their 401k.
#79
Remove the fkin dealer plate cover or sticker from their car!
Lazy people advertising.
What do you think ?
Steve Hall 1 year ago
Yes, that one needs to turn around and head for home before they hit antartica.
Load More Replies...
BoredHouseKitty 1 year ago
I screenshot my shopping/errand list and use it as a lockscreen wallpaper
Steve Hall 1 year ago
Yes, that one needs to turn around and head for home before they hit antartica.
Load More Replies... BoredHouseKitty 1 year ago
I screenshot my shopping/errand list and use it as a lockscreen wallpaper
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