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There's something satisfying about outsmarting life by accident. You didn't Google, you didn't ask... You just figured out something totally by chance. It's almost like being rewarded for curiosity, or maybe even clumsiness.
It turns out some of the most brilliant and useful life hacks don't come from skilled inventors or in-depth "how to" tutorials, but rather from ordinary people who somehow stumbled upon something unexpectedly, and made it part of their adulting arsenal. Call it accidental genius.
Someone recently asked, "What’s the best “life hack” you’ve learned completely by accident?" and some really surprising answers came pouring in. Like the person who swears by standing on their heels while brushing their teeth. Or another who learned how to cheat the system, and save money, by requesting to cancel subscriptions.
Bored Panda has put together a list of the best tips and tricks that could change the way you do everyday things. Some are so simple that you might wonder why you never thought of them before...
We also reveal some surprising inventions that came about purely by accident. You'll find that info between the images.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I feel much better about my life when I avoid social media.
Roni Stone 1 month ago
Social media *shouldn't be" the rage making, happiness sucking, soul crushing society destroying entity that it is. But it *is*. Almost a complete black hole. And saints preserve us, we are a world addicted.
Geoffrey Scott 1 month ago
Far from its original design, that of a forum to collaborate and respectfully interact.
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Accidental genius is nothing new. Just like people stumbled upon super useful life hacks unexpectedly, so too have others invented things that changed the world... purely by chance.
Take Viagra, for example. It was never meant to be a magic pill for men. It was actually originally developed to help treat angina, a heart condition that constricts the vessels that supply the heart with blood.
During trials, the pill failed to prevent anginas, however, it did yield another unexpected and surprising result: an increased number of "bulges" in the pants of male participants.
"While at the time this may have been a disappointment to those who developed it, their accidental invention resulted in a gold mine for Pfizer," notes the How Stuff Works site.
RELATED:
#2
Treat your house like a desire path. If you find yourself always dumping your shoes in a certain place, put the shoe rack there, not where you think it makes sense. Let your environment mirror what you do naturally and it'll be way easier to keep it cleen.
WindySwede 1 month ago (edited)
TV?edit, not a spelling note, but a question since I see no tv.
Load More Replies... Roni Stone 1 month ago
This is something I learned from my work as a server. We drilled into each server to be aware and save yourself extra work, to create a "path of service". Rather than going back simply for one extra serving of bread for one table, scan and notice that three other tables may be in need of coffee as well. Bring the coffee pot with you as well as a serving of bread for one table. We simply have to teach ourselves common sense behavior. It really isn't common at all.
Angela C 1 month ago
It's like if there's a sidewalk leading up to a building but everyone always cuts through the grass to get to the entrance instead and it wears a path into the grass. It's the path that's most natural for people to use
Load More Replies... #3
Walk around any neighborhood at night gently saying "here kitty, kitty, kitty"...they appear out of the shadows.
WindySwede 1 month ago
Could also play the "mommy cat call kittens" on yt. But loud as hell and could get angry neighbours..
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glowworm2 1 month ago
Or a vampire. Not kidding. There was an old comic book story where that was the punchline. A vampire kept showing up because her name was Kitty.
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Tea Drinker 1 month ago
This made me feel bad. Kitties come out hoping for some sort of love or food and...nothing?
Super glue is another example of an accidental but useful invention. It was first encountered way before its true purpose was determined. A researcher named Harry Coover, who worked for Eastman Kodak, was messing around during World War II trying to make a type of clear plastic that soldiers could use. Frustrated by the ultra stickiness of the substance he was working with, Coover binned the idea and moved on...
Six years later, in 1951, Coover was researching heat-resistant polymers for jet airplane canopies. He thought back to the sticky substance and had a lightbulb moment.
"Coover realized these sticky adhesives had unique properties in that they required no heat or pressure to bond. He and his team tried the substance on various items in the lab, and each time, the items became permanently bonded together," explains the Lemelson MIT site.
Through the experiments, Coover and his team realized that the glue didn’t require any heat or pressure to bond two items together permanently, and thus, super glue - as we know it today - was born.
#4
If you need to get something away from a toddler, just hold your hand out and say thank you. I think it tricks them into thinking they’re being helpful?
Mark Serbian, PK&RG,W 1 month ago
Wonder if that works for 45 year old accounting people? "Thank you for the 2025 utilization spreadsheet"
Timbob 1 month ago
If you have a young finicky eater. “Do you want a lot of cabbage, or just a little bit of?”
eMp Tee 1 month ago
For the finicky eater I used to serve only myself the item, telling my kids they could not have any because it was too good to share. They would soon ask to try some and after saying no a few times I would let them try a small portion. Worked 9 times out of 10!
Load More Replies... #5
Using an opened pistachio shell as a key for the tough to open pistachios.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 month ago
I'm one of those psychopaths who uses her teeth for everything, including crunching open pistachios on the rare occasions that I eat them XD I've also been known to use my teeth to open recalcitrant water bottles, I'm surprised I haven't chipped a tooth yet. ::knocks on wood:: (I know. It's bad. I'm weird.)
#6
Repeating the same gibberish word over and over in your head will help you fall asleep.
This is transcendental meditation. You're not meant to fall asleep, but I found that I certainly do. I now use it not to meditate, but to quickly get to sleep.
Mook The Mediocre 1 month ago
There is ancient wisdom about counting sheep to help you sleep. But try it. Ignore the sheep. Count to 100. Then, if you're still awake, count backwards back to zero. Whatever ideas/memories/plans that were filling your thoughts get crowded out by the dull mental activity needed to count. After a few attempts, even just starting to count automatically starts my drowsiness. But please, avoid sleeping pills. They *will* get you to sleep, but after a while you will never get to sleep again without them.
LillieMean 1 month ago
It wouldn't work for me because next I would think about the inflections and then the plural inflections. How certain words can be inflected differently to the plural and still be correct. The next word and the next and suddenly it's three in the morning. Time to switch to the future tense because it seems so hard to stay in the present. Let's change the language. Had been. Hadn't been...I can do this aaall night, baby.
Roni Stone 1 month ago
So will cuing up a podcaster with a bit of a boring voice. Doesn't matter much what they are talking about, just a droning, soothing voice on low volume. I do this with one of my favorite story-teller podcasters because I find his voice slow and measured. Works for me, 90% of the time.
You might be surprised to know that Play-Doh was initially invented as a cleaning product. Yes, we are talking about the children's toy putty stuff.
According to How Stuff Works, most homes were heated using coal before World War II. It left layers of soot deposits all over the house, including on wallpaper, which was a very in-thing back then. Enter Play-Doh: an effective way to remove the black marks.
However, after the war, more and more people started using natural gas as a heat source, rendering Play-Doh pretty useless, and almost bankrupting the Kutol’s Products company.
#7
My wellies got rainwater in them, but I really needed to wear them again. So I used plastic bags to line them. The plastic also made the wellies easier to slip on and off + added bonus, gave an extra layer of insulation. So if your wellies are a bit tough to get on and off, slip a plastic bag over your feet. Also, warm + cosy toesies:) .
dean tirmizi 1 month ago
as the son of a farmer this is standard procedure regardless if they are wet
DC 1 month ago
I used plastic bags as socks when riding a motorcycle in unexpected heavy rain with improper shoes or boots. Works sort of great, but only is a makeshift method with what's on hand. Waterproof footwear is superior, of course, but as I don't have a store in the garage, these weren't a serious option.
#8
If you pour your creamer into your mug first, and then pour your coffee, you don’t need to stir it with a spoon.
Anonymouse 1 month ago
Been doing this for years, always wondered why more people don't do it.
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
This only partially works because it doesn't mix evenly. The bottom 1/3 or so is still much more heavily creamy.
#9
My maintenance guy took the front off my washer/dryer. At the bottom were about 20 mismatched socks. Apparently there is a small crack between the top of the washer and the tub area, where if you are just throwing in clothes, etc- socks can go through that crack. They end up in the bottom internally that you don’t see.
Not noticeable unless you knew about it. Solved my missing sock problem. Use a bag now or watch for the crack.
Ace 1 month ago (edited)
That''s just an incorrectly-fitted door seal. There should be no gap. Edit: I discovered that mine had worked the inner seal loose when the machine completely stopped filling or draining. Turned out that one sock had managed to get itself stuck between the drum and the outer seal and eventually blocked the outlet. Had to do it myself, as the guy I'd called took one look at it and said "sorry, we don't do Hoover".
Lady Eowyn 1 month ago
That doesn't explain how properly functioning dryers always managed to snag a single sock of a pair. I think the dryers are in cahoots with sock manufacturers.
Thankfully, in the early 1950s, one of the Play-Doh inventors found out that his sister (a school teacher) had been giving the stuff to her students to use as modeling dough.
He went on to test the product in other nurseries and schools, and later established Rainbow Crafts as the company under which the product would be sold. It was originally only offered in off-white. But much to the delight of kids (and some adults) around the world, Play-Doh now comes in a wide range of colors.
#10
If you are intending to read a storybook to a child or a group of children and you want them to focus on the book, begin by holding the book upside down and they will correct you, but turn the book 90% degrees clockwise and they’ll find it hilarious. Keep making this mistake a few more times before eventually getting it right. Then say if I make this mistake the children should shout “insert funny phrase”. They’ll pay attention to the story in order to catch you out later.
(Of course some children it won’t work with but it does with a majority).
highwaycrossingfrog 1 month ago (edited)
My friend is great with kids. One of her tricks with the younger ones was to get things wrong on purpose (oh yes, a cow goes "quack", right?) They think her lack of knowledge is hilarious and get a big kick out of knowing something the adult doesn't. She's since become a primary (AKA elementary) school teacher and has hilarious stories about her interactions with her pupils.
#11
If you have something you're putting off (like doing dishes or writing a report), just promise yourself you'll only do it for five minutes. Most of the time, once those five minutes are up, you've already broken the inertia and you end up finishing the whole thing or making serious progress**.**.
meeeeeeeeeeee 1 month ago
but then how you gona trust yourself next time you promise yourself it will be 5 mins
#12
Being LIKED at work is more valuable than being RIGHT at work.
Boris Long-Johnson 1 month ago
What like a doctor, a nuclear technician or many other jobs? Yeah don’t worry your coworker is walking out the door with a nuclear fuel rod attached to his shirt on the way some to his wife and three kids - he won’t like me if I point it out. Nothing quite so absolute!
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kkrq2vk4tm 1 month ago
I am a nurse, and trust me on this, you would much prefer it if I was right rather than likeable and that goes for a lot of professions
David Paterson 1 month ago
"An ounce of image is worth a pound of performance", this is known as Parkinson's placebo. To be avoided.
Scott Rackley 1 month ago
Depends on the job. Me not being right at work starts at 10 grand and works its way up and people could get injured.
Roni Stone 1 month ago
I agree that, in the long run, this is true. But not at the risk of my work product or my paycheck.
If you've ever enjoyed a popsicle on a hot Summer's day, you might be intrigued to know that they, too, came about completely by chance. Thanks to an 11-year-old boy called Frank Epperson in 1905.
The little boy accidently forgot a powder-flavored soda water mixture on the porch one evening with a stir stick in it. The icy cold weather caused the mixture to freeze onto the stick. No one thought too much about it, until 1922...
#13
Putting a wet paper towel around warm beer and sticking it in the freezer, it will be cold in like 10-15 minutes.
amy lee 1 month ago
First step to cleaning the freezer you said you'd get round to doing 4 years ago
Load More Replies... Geoffrey Scott 1 month ago
Likewise put water in a cooler along with ice. Chills stuff almost immediately.
#14
Maxing out 401k early....your future self will thank you!
K Barnes 1 month ago
Great to do if you have a healthy income. Not so easy when you're not highly paid and your essentials eat up 75-100% of your income. My SIL who lives in a house that her parents bought her and gets as much as my income in monthly child support (plus her income) is always SHOCKED that I can't max out my retirement savings every year.
#15
Check the card reader of the ATM. If someone's installed a skimmer, it would usually come off in your hand when moved.
DeShotz 1 month ago
Look for anything that seems out of place such as mismatched colors on the card reader and its housing. Grab and try to wiggle the reader itself to make sure it is firmly secured to the machine. Skimmers are often placed on top of the actual hardware and will seem loose compared to the real thing.
Load More Replies... Lady Eowyn 1 month ago
Don't skimmers...a simple correction, no sarcasm or implied intelligence estimate.
Load More Replies... Epperson decided on a whim to serve the special icy treat to the public. He took a few to the local Fireman’s ball, and they were a massive hit. Realizing he was onto something, Epperson applied for a “frozen confectionary” patent in 1924 under the name “Epsicle Ice Pop.”
In 1925, he sold his patent to the Popsicle Corporation after running into some financial troubles. Today, the Popsicle brand, as we know it, is owned by the Good Humor division of Unilever, and is enjoyed by kids and adults around the world.
#16
Put your single socks in the dirty laundry, no matter what. The other will turn up eventually. I haven’t lost a sock in years.
Roni Stone 1 month ago
My partner has two colors for socks - black and gray. Seldom have a lost sock. LOL
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TheElderNom 1 month ago
I have little boxes(?) in the drawer to keep my socks in order and i keep one for single socks. I do indeed often find the missing one later.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 month ago
The right-hand corner of my sock drawer is reserved for single, lost socks! XD I often find the missing mate later as well; but I know exactly where its mate will be this way.
Load More Replies... #17
When you're drilling holes in your walls to mount things but don't want to make a mess, grab a roll of the widest blue painter's tape you can find and rip off a decently long piece. Stick it to the wall, vertically, right under where you're drilling, but leave the top unstuck and hanging underneath like a little tongue/shelf.
Dust and shavings get stuck to the adhesive, and then you can just pull a little more off the wall and seal it by folding it. Then move onto the next hole until you run out of tape.
#18
You want to take a photo of a group of children all looking at the same time with nice, genuine smiles? Say “don’t look at my camera! Uh oh I think you’re going to look! Don’t do it!” etc. Kids all look at the camera while laughing, great photos achieved.
Uncle Panda 1 month ago
"Saaay shiit!" It gets a natural pleasant smile from everybody every time.
Earonn - 1 month ago
The guy who took my primary school photo said "Here's the birdie" (a frequent saying in Germany for taking photos) - and of course we "old and experienced" kids found that way too childish. But then an actual bird puppet jumped up from the camera and we laughed our tiny bums off at this play with cliches! Great photo!
Another cool and welcome accidental invention came in the form of anesthesia. In the 1800s, Crawford Long, William Morton, Charles Jackson and Horace Wells were taking part in “laughing parties.” As the name suggests, groups of people got together to laugh, with the help of nitrous oxide.
The men realized that when ether or nitrous oxide were inhaled for recreation and entertainment, they had an effect on people’s perceptions of pain. "Morton and Jackson adopted the use of anesthesia for dental purposes, while Long administered it for minor surgeries," reveals the How Things Work site.
#19
Am very light sensitive so I'm often squinting and shielding my eyes from regular light sources. But in darkness if you close your eyes and reopen them you'll force your eyes to refocus and will usually immediately have better night vision. Found this out when I used to read during sunset. I'd just keep closing my eyes and reopening them until my mum found me reading in the dark hours later.
Tbh not sure if this is a normal thing or I made myself this way by doing it as a kid.
Tobias Reaper 1 month ago (edited)
fun fact pirates used to wear an eye patch on one eye so that when going from the bright upper deck to below they switch it to the other eye and they have good night vision on one eye still
Becky Samuel 1 month ago
Urban myth. There's no evidence that this was ever a thing.
Load More Replies... Geoffrey Scott 1 month ago
USCG(sailor trick) do not look directly at the object you wish to see in the dark. Look just a little either side of it.
Uncle Panda 1 month ago
I get the same phenomenon if I close my eyes before switching off the light.
#20
Clean as you go. Always. No excuses.
#21
When you want to move in to a new home, stalk the neighborhood, try to make conversation with some people. A bad neighbour can ruin all peace and comfort.
martymcmatrix 1 month ago
We all want to live in an idiot-free neighborhood, even if it means that there are no neighbors around...🤔
David Paterson 1 month ago
I have heard the phrase "If you don't have a bad neighbour then you ARE the bad neighbour".
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 month ago
I spent my childhood thinking that most of the people in our neighborhood were horrible a-holes, because my mom always fought with them and would talk about them nastily in private and would call them a-holes. Now that I am an adult, I have realized my mother was the a-hole all along! I moved back home last year and I get along fine with all of the neighbors, including the few that are still living here from my childhood XD
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#22
Just hang wrinkly clothes in the bathroom while you shower so the steam will do the work.
Black Cat 1 month ago
Steam is also good with velvet that has been flattened. Also if you're having an asthma attack and dont have an inhaler handy, steam will make breathing easier.
Lady Eowyn 1 month ago
My dad did this for me when I was little, before I was diagnosed with asthma.
Load More Replies... #23
Ear plugs for sleeping if you live somewhere noisy or near a main road.
I'd get tired with my noise canceling headphones on but taking them off let the noises wake me back up. Got some ear plugs from work and tried them out.
They even have different noise reduction levels available. I can still hear my alarm with them in.
SouthernGal 1 month ago
They can save a marriage with a snoring spouse! I’ve been wearing them for 30 years.
Anyone-for-tea? 1 month ago (edited)
Or if you have the space, separate rooms. Sleep is more important!
Load More Replies... #24
If you setup an account like Stash, Acorns or Onepay and set them to take a percentage automatically out of your paycheck every 2 weeks or whenever you won’t notice it and can build up savings faster.
David Paterson 1 month ago
Everyone can afford 3 to 5%. Nobody can afford 10%. Even 3% makes a big difference.
Load More Replies... #25
If a jar is too hard to open, take the edge of a key and lift the lid a tiny amount to release some of the air from the seal. Should pop right off.
highwaycrossingfrog 1 month ago
Bang the bottom edge of the lid on a hard surface like a worktop in a downward motion
Roni Stone 1 month ago
I use the bottle opener on my bartender's friend wine key. I have real problems wit pickle jars for some reason and it works.
Toothless Feline 1 month ago
I use a pick from an old nutcracker set (the kind with the metal squeeze cracker, not the collectible kind). Fits under pretty much every lid I’ve tried, and if the tool gets a little bent, it doesn’t matter.
David Paterson 1 month ago
Yeah nah. Doesn't work for me. The only way is to start opening and hold the tension for 10 full seconds. That gives any high viscosity goo stuck in the seal time to slip.
#26
Break down problems into smaller fractions to solve them and thus solve the total problem.
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
My 7yo has a sensory processing disorder, and one of his triggers is cleaning a big mess. This trick helps avoid a meltdown when it's time to clean up.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 month ago
I'm 43 and I'm going to try this XD I've been trying to sort through the detritus of my life for the past year (when I moved back home after living with ex for three years) and there is SO much of my stuff piled in boxes and on the floor that I haven't been able to really handle it nor make a dent in the actual sorting/cleaning.
Load More Replies... #27
If you stand on your heels while brushing your teeth/tongue it suppresses your gag reflex.
Korrie Broos 1 month ago
Humming also suppress the gag reflex, even with items much bigger than a toothbrush
Black Cat 1 month ago
Don't know why you got down voted, here's an upvote. Smiling also suppresses the gag reflex which is why you'll see contestants smiling in pie eating competitions etc.
Load More Replies... Toothless Feline 1 month ago
I’ve never had gagging issues with tooth brushing. My issue is that the vibrations from my dentist-recommended ultrasonic toothbrush tickle my mouth.
#28
If u try to go and cancel a subscription a lot of times they’ll offer you a discounted rate for the next few months.
firecrackershrimp 1 month ago
No but you can pause account and it extends your subscription
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murmelinpaiva 1 month ago
My cell provider was offering a deal to new customers. My contract had run out. They told me the deal was only for new customers. I told them that I could be a new customer. They gave me the deal.
Wang Zhuang 1 month ago
This works with some of the lower level streaming services. Paramount+, for example, offered me...I want to say three months for free after I canceled.
#29
If you ask someone to do something and they say no, just stand there silently. You wouldn’t believe the amount of times they change their mind.
David Paterson 1 month ago
Works with my wife. She ALWAYS says no. It requires a lot of patience to do this.
Lady Eowyn 1 month ago
This doesn't even make sense. I assume you're assuming they mean the number of times. If so, just say so and have done with it.
Load More Replies... #30
If you are dizzy drink a lot of water.
David Paterson 1 month ago (edited)
Not too much water, because then you'll vomit. Go somewhere cold, fast. Stand in a breeze out of the Sun if you're outdoors. Turn on a fan if you're indoors. Ideally, breathe cold air, the colder the better.
Reemerger 1 month ago
If you're dizzy, check if your mouth feels dry or your saliva is sparse or feels thick. Then you're surely in need of fluids. It's also a good way to avoid getting lighheaded or eventually loose consciousness later due to dehydration.
Ace 1 month ago
Drinking water will take some time to get into the system, so won't cure your dizziness straight away. TBH if you're dizzy through dehydration you're already in quite a bad way. Sit, drink, take salt, eat, recover. Take your time.
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#31
For a quick cold beer i'm adding salt to the ice bucket, it will take the water below freezing point.
Hugo 1 month ago
Salt water freezes at a lower temperature, but does that mean that putting salt on ice cubes will make them colder? I'd like to know the physics behind that.
David Paterson 1 month ago
The energy of solvation. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solvation
Load More Replies... Theora Fifty-five Johnson 1 month ago
Add salt, it will melt some ice. Cold, salty water can fill all the space next to your bottle of beer, and cool it fast.ice has lots of air pockets. The salty water can stay liquid and cold.
#32
If you need to take a nap during the day but have difficulty falling asleep, try listening to a podcast or an audiobook while lying in bed. Obviously choose something that you don't mind missing out on, due to falling asleep. My favourite is a scary stories podcast that is good enough to keep me actually listening rather than my thoughts running all over the place, but not so captivating that it keeps me awake. :).
Lousha 1 month ago
I'm sure it's good for some, but not a universal hack. I can't listen to anything if I want to sleep, because my brain will listen, even if it's something completely boring.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 month ago
Same. I have a lot of trouble sleeping (I've been professionally diagnosed with insomnia and narcolepsy) and my mom CONSTANTLY suggests "just turn on the TV and get into bed, you'll fall asleep!" because that's what SHE does. She refuses to accept that that doesn't work for me, because if there's ANY talking going on, even at low volume, my brain will want to listen to it XD
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Roni Stone 1 month ago
This! I didn't see this before adding it as one of my responses. I also use a mildly scary podcast.
#33
Forgot to salt pasta water. Realized adding salt after cooking and tossing works just as well.
Ace 1 month ago
There are pros and cons. Salting earlier means that the salt gets absorbed into the pasta for a better overall flavour, but some people, on the first mouthful, may think there is not enough and end up adding a lot more than they really need.
Tea Drinker 1 month ago
Anne Burrell said, "Salty like the sea". Has always worked for me. Salt the water, stir, taste. Repeat if necessary.
Load More Replies... #34
I suck at cracking eggs so I crack them against a paper towel (placed on the counter) right next to the trash can. I throw the shells straight into the trash and then can simply grab the paper towel to clean up the rest of the mess.
It's also right next to the sink so I can also wash all the goop off my hands once I'm done wiping the counter with my egg towel.
Auntriarch 1 month ago
Clean your counter top before dealing with a lot of eggs, then if you crack one and it escapes onto the surface you can just swipe it off into the bowl.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 month ago
I hope OP just called it that because they mean the paper towel they c*****d the eggs on XD and not specifically a towel they keep for eggs...
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#35
Windows + V for clipboard history.
Ace 1 month ago
On W11 it also allows you to peg a commonly used phrase so it saves it from one session to another.
Julia 1 month ago
You can pin several phrases on your clipboard.I use them every day.
Load More Replies... Theora Fifty-five Johnson 1 month ago
I know a lot of shortcuts, but this is new and helpful. Thanks!
#36
You can make perfectly good rice in a microwave. 3dl rice, 6dl water, splash of oil and a pinch of salt. Add sesame oil (optional). 20 minutes and done.
Bob Brooce 1 month ago
A deciliter, which is 1/10th of a liter, or just under 1/2 cup. Amazingly, you can use whatever measure you'd like as long as you stick with the same 1 part rice and 2 parts water ratio. Very handy if you don't have a deciliter measuring cup.
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Roni Stone 1 month ago
I love microwavable rice. I lived for years with only a microwave, electric skillet and a toaster oven. I learned work-arounds for almost everything!
Load More Replies... Toothless Feline 1 month ago
Microwaving regular rice (as opposed to instant of converted) works exactly like cooking it on the stovetop. Same ratios, same timings. Just use a microwave-safe container and cover it (NOT sealed). Rice cooks by steaming; what heats the water to steam doesn’t make much difference.
Hugo 1 month ago
20 minutes to boil off all that excess water. I use just enough water (boiled in the electric kettle) to cover the rice and cook for five or six minutes on a low setting so that the water is just simmering.
Toothless Feline 1 month ago
That works for instant or converted rice, but not so well for regular rice, which needs more water and time than your suggestion. Try your method with brown rice and you’ll end up with crunchy rice (and not in a good way).
Load More Replies... #37
Typing “.new” in your browser (like doc.new) opens a fresh Google Doc instantly.
Roni Stone 1 month ago
Same as the .new, but the background is wrinkled and gray.
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#38
If you're nauseous to the point where everything disgusts you but you still need to drink, take a sip of water and chew it like a mouthful of solid food.
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
This trick works great for me if the nausea is simply because I'm hungry, but it didn't work for my morning sickness. The only thing that worked for that was ginger tea made with fresh ginger.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 month ago
Yes! I get nauseated during migraines, and I keep a stock of pure ginger chews and chewable tablets in the house for it. Works a miracle, every single time.
Load More Replies... Uncle Panda 1 month ago
Traditional Asian medicine referred to nauseousness as 'bad chi' and recommended a sip of cool water to ground it out. It does work.
#39
Use a screen reader for proofreading. (There's probably one built in to your software or app or browser or operating system, with name along the lines of Read Aloud or Speak)
This catches all the errors that your eyes and brain autocorrect, and also keeps you moving through the document at a steady pace so you don't have to do the labour of keeping yourself on task.
Lousha 1 month ago
While chatbots have limits and they are often used for things they shouldn't be, this is one thing they do very well. They can read a 500 page document in a second, and catch all typos. Much faster and more effective than you reading through it.
Jumping Jellyfishes 1 month ago
Listening to what you wrote also helps with adjusting the tone or to correct an ambiguous phrase that could be interpreted in the wrong way.
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#40
If you get paid every other week you usually get two paychecks a month. So I accidentally budgeted for only two paychecks a month. Well guess what? Some months have three paychecks. That third paycheck a month was a wonderful accounting error.
highwaycrossingfrog 1 month ago
Less a hack, more an inability to know how calendars work (jk, I have been in this situation)
Toothless Feline 1 month ago
At my spouse’s job, it’s an actual bonus. Pay is every two weeks, but insurance premiums are deducted twice a month. So the third paycheck in a month has less withheld.
Jan Rosier 1 month ago
on the other hand, if you live in a civilized country, you get paid every month, on the same date. Much easier.
Papa 1 month ago
Please explain what is uncivilized about getting paid every two weeks instead of monthly.
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Bananas work very well to help digestion. I was in a motorcycle accident and I was on a bunch of antibiotics. It really screwed up my insides. You can do stool softeners and probiotic yogurt and all kinds of stuff, but bananas do a great job and now I don't need any medication.
Roni Stone 1 month ago
I don't thing he was talking about the fiber effect. It's the probiotic effect of bananas that help with the gut biome rebuild after massive antibiotic wipes it out. Another biome rebuilder I use is sauerkraut. It is one of the best probiotics you can find. The juice is also very high in electrolytes and vitamins.
Load More Replies... #42
When you're changing a pillowcase, flip it inside out and put your hands inside it. Grab the bottom 2 corners, then grab the 2 on the short side of the pillow while still holding onto the pillowcase corners. Keep holding both while you grab the open ends of the pillowcase and pull them over the pillow. Guarantees a quick, easy process that doesn't involve shimmying it around to line up the seams evenly.
Hugo 1 month ago
Quite unnecessary for something as small as a pillow, but works well with a duvet.
Tea Drinker 1 month ago
I do what I've heard hotel housekeepers do: fold the pillow longwise, stuff it into the case, smooth the pillow out and/or grab the pillow corners from outside the case and shake.
#43
Using a chainsaw? Start it up and let it warm up a bit before hauling to the downed tree.
Hugo 1 month ago
My chainsaw, lawn mower, hedge clippers, and strimmer are electric. Cheaper to buy, I think cheaper to run, not so noisy, and no smelly exhaust. Not so practical if you have a large garden, admittedly.
Jan Rosier 1 month ago
Buy battery operated, and enough batteries to cover your needs.
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If you turn off the lights, flies will land, and they will not see you or react to you. It should only be so dark that you yourself can navigate and see details - like the fly on the wall.
Stacy Carroll 1 month ago
Nope. I know this because my cats will chase flies at night, in the dark.
Daya Meyer 1 month ago
My dog, too. She is allowed to sleep in our bed and I can't remember how often she was jumping around like crazy because of one fly in the bedroom. Cozy....
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How to stop hiccups instantly by mildly hitting your center rib cage 10 times with your closed fist palm inwards, it creates impact waves around the area that interrupt those contractions and stops them from coming back. like tapping a dropped can of soda with a pen to reduce the bubbles inside and stop the can from exploding on you when you open it.
Ace 1 month ago (edited)
Like all hiccup 'cures' it might work for some people, whereas others will just end up bruised and battered. And the described mechanism is a nonsense.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 month ago
Yep. The one that works for me 99% of the time is to put a tiny pinch of salt on my palm, lick it off, and then rapidly drink some water right afterwards while the salt is still in my mouth. Honestly it's probably psychological as that's what my dad told me cured hiccups when I was a kid XD I don't care, though, because it does work for me on the occasions where my hiccups don't go away on their own.
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Krystle Deschene 1 month ago
Eat a dill pickle. It sounds strange but it works, something with the vinegar and what it does to your diaphragm. Who wants to punch themselves when you can just eat a pickle?
Kim Steffen 1 month ago
I once had hiccups for 7 days straight. I finally called Urgent Care, and while I was on the phone, they miraculously went away.
#46
Regulate an anxiety attack through breathing.
#47
Lose 15 lbs in 30 days by
1. Stop eating daily by 4pm and don’t eat again until 8 am (intermittent fasting) AND
2. Give up sweets (this includes all processed sugar plus honey, maple syrup, etc.) Low fructose fruits are okay.
During this time it’s helpful if you drink lots of water, get some sort of exercise every day, and avoid fast food.
highwaycrossingfrog 1 month ago
So lose weight by eating much more healthily, exercising, and having a calorie deficit? Mind blown
JSD 1 month ago
After a little while, your body adjusts actually. I don't do it to this extreme. After a week or two, your body no longer even wants this stuff. Processed food is made to be addictive.
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If you shake a sealed soda can and then tap the top before opening, it sprays way less.
Ace 1 month ago
Please don't be tempted to try this one, folks. No, it will not, it is a trick to make you spray yourself.
Anyone-for-tea? 1 month ago
Why not? It absolutely does work every time. I used to do this as my party trick, and never spilt a drop.
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If having a hard time sleeping, flipping to the opposite side of the bed is a true cure.
highwaycrossingfrog 1 month ago
🎵There were 2 in the bed and the little one said, roll over! Roll over!🎵
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#50
Zero sugar iced tea is just as good as regular.
Ace 1 month ago
Yukk. Artificial sweeteners are disgusting to some people. Just used less sugar, get used to it being less sweet and it will actually taste better.
Toothless Feline 1 month ago
They’re talking about unsweetened tea. Which no Southerner would say is “just as good” as sweet tea.
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Roni Stone 1 month ago
I drink my coffee, tea, and iced tea the same way - black, no sugar. saves on mess and a small bit on the budget.
MotherofGuineaPigs 1 month ago
Agreed. I live in an area where I have to request unsweet tea.
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highwaycrossingfrog 1 month ago
Avoid artificial sweeteners whenever possible. I know sugar is bad for you, but at least it's natural, and I'm convinced sweeteners are worse (they mess with your body's way of dealing with sweet foods and insulin production, so I read). Just do without either as much as possible.
Geoffrey Scott 1 month ago
I'm sure the Brits here will be horrified. I put a 1/4 cup of sugar in a gallon of my cold tea before brewing.
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