35 Incredibly Useful Life Hacks That Have Saved These Internet Users Tons Of Money And Time
There are literally thousands of small ways that you can improve your life right now, but dealing with so much information can be incredibly overwhelming. Instead, it’s best to focus on the best of the best.
That’s where one useful online thread, started up by redditor u/angelicasibs, comes in. The OP turned to the r/LifeProTips community, asking them to share their favorite life hacks that have improved their day-to-day by saving them time and money. We’ve collected the top ones that you might want to consider adding to your routine. Scroll down and don’t forget to upvote the tips that you think are the most important of the lot.
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Five fast things.
Overwhelmed? Don't know where to begin? Depressed even?
Just do 5 things.
Pick up those socks, return that cup to the kitchen, water your plant, make the bed, respond to one message...
Half the time, you'll get on a roll, and it turns into 20 things. Get in a groove and play some music. Magic happens.
Just do 5 things. Doesn't matter what they are, don't write a list. Nothing major.
Live fast die old, no regrets.
I have BPD and struggled with severe depression since I was around 15 years old. About 5 years ago I changed my internal narrative. I stopped saying I was depressed, Instead "I'm struggling", each day I get up and have a shower and brush my teeth straight away, even if I'm not going anywhere. May seem like small things but this really did change my outlook on life. I no longer "say" I'm depressed and have felt a lot better for it. Lots of other things also helped but these were the main bits. Also it's definitely easier said than done and was hard going at the start.
Save massive amount of money and have free time with this one simple trick: Don't have kids
Having children should be a very personal decision in life. Both, being childfree and "childblessed" are experiences that we shouldn't advocate for, and leave couples and/or individuals to make their own decisions. In one hand, you don't owe a grandchild to your mother; in the other hand, gathering tomatoes for a salad with your children is an image that will rest in your brain forever. Make your own path.
Beautifully written. We each have our own path. I don't plan on having my own kids, so many reasons, but if I make enough money one day, the plan is to adopt and foster and help as many children as I can! But I never ever want my own.
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Yes. Mine cost a lot. And even if you want kids, consider waiting a few years until you are more stable financially.
I had my first son at 40, and I would tell people to consider having children a few years earlier, when you are more energetic and have less fears...
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There were always people who didn't want to have kids. I know some now in their 70's, some are 50, and some are 20. They aren't so vocal for people to recive their message, they just live their lives in peace. I will never understand why there is this giant movement of people shouting to others not to have kids. Not because I'm against anything (live your life the way you choose) but live and let others live.
Why tf has this been upvoted to #1? This is not a "hack" by any means ("kids are expensive" is a no-brainer), this is just a cynical expression one person's opinion. We Fing get it, already -- younger ppl don't want to have kids as much.
This is wrong I don't have kids and I still don't have money or free time
My wife and I never had kids, but it was not a choice. Something just didn't work. We have two cats now and that is quite enough to be a family.
Look... I love being a mom. For me it's the best. HOWEVER I can tell you that they suck time and money away from you. It's just a fact. So yeah, if you value money more than kids then for sure don't have kids. If you want kids... accept the fact that they take a lot of money and time to raise!
How do you know, how much money you saved on children, if you never had children? 🤦♂️ This is just a moo point, cow’s opinion 😁
Children are quite an expense and if they become dependent ( probably your fault ) the money just continues to pour out ! just saying.....
I don’t know childless people who regret not having children, but I know a lot of parents who regret having children.
But before think hard about your old age. Will you be so rich to pay for all care you will need?
I recommend tomcyberghost@gmail.com for all hacking related services, this team is the best because of the services and cost effective services.
It's true. Not having kids saves lot soft time and money. That's all this says. These triggered people on the comments are too funny.
Yesterday I heard of two old friends that have recently been through the process. Single, happy. Meet girl, marry. Work a** off to make ends meet. Divorce, loose everything. Work a** off to pay lawyers, alimony and work your a** off to have enough money to spend the two weeks holidays you can offered with you kids if she hasn't taught them to hate you. Best thing I've never done. Not have kids. (m55) All my fiends and acquaintances I can honestly say that only two are happily married, the rest either divorced, broke and bitter or just holding in because they can't face the financial ruin. The laws need to change, I don't know how. I can say even say that for my ex BILs I feel sorry for them the way my sisters treated them when the time came to divorce with kids. One even tried to get me to declare abuse (there wasn't) so she could get full custody and deny him visits. She clamed that he made her feel useless and constantly put her down. Made up stories about him.
A lot of people can't afford kids. It's just flat out not an option. In my area, fulltime daycare for one child is easily £350 -£400 a week. If you can't afford that, you are going to be losing one income. That's just the daycare. Add all the other costs, and it's just not possible.
Hmmmm…. Seems like sound advice. But What do I do with the ones I already got??
How is this a lifehack? It doesn't explain what to do with existing kids. ;)
So true. When you have a lot of money and a lot of time, you might want to use it for something. Why not children? Nothing will give you more happiness.
Pets, fandoms, nature. Lots of things will give people happiness because not everyone wants kids. People are upset because others are being vocal about it. That's why China, Japan and South Korea are concerned because young women are choosing not to have kids and their populations are dropping.
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When my kids started school, I set an alarm in my phone for about 10 minutes before we had to leave. That way, it was only the clock/alarm telling them to hurry up, not their mother. They’re in their final years of schooling now, I still have the alarm and in those 13 years, I’ve only had to yell to get ready maybe 5 times and my kids have only been late for real reasons (car trouble etc). It really helped us.
The OP’s thread made quite a splash on Reddit. At the time of writing, u/angelicasibs’ post got 10k upvotes and a couple of awards. But the real victory was the discussion that they sparked!
Members of the r/LifeProTips subreddit were happy to share their top hacks, in the hope that they’ll be useful to anyone reading the thread. There’s a lot of knowledge condensed here, whether you’re looking to save a bit of cash or want to improve the quality of your life a little bit. It’s also a ton of fun to consider which hacks are the most worth trying out when you’ve got a spare moment.
When the butter is cold use a potato peeler to get a nice thin slice that spreads easier
Finally! A useful "life hack!" Butter lives on my counter unless it's being frozen for pastry, but I'm sure someone will find this useful.
I keep a $2 Great Value feather duster in the glove box of my car. At the first sign of dust accumulation on my dash, *vvvt vvvt* my dashboard and vents are pristine again.
Learned this LPT from the most awful woman I've ever had the displeasure of dating, which just goes to show you can learn something from everyone, folks
Having saving accounts for expenses that are expected in the coming year like car registration and repairs, house repairs, and gifts. I pay into those accounts each month like they’re bills. And when I get a car repair bill, I move money over from that savings account for it because I’ve “prepaid” it.
Additionally, no matter how much money I make, I give myself a fixed weekly “allowance” that transfers to a debit card that I use for gas, haircuts, groceries, eating out and other discretionary spending. This helps me stay on a spending plan without over thinking it.
These disciplines have helped me save thousands of dollars in overspending or debt servicing because I wasn’t prepared for the expense. I’ve also been able to save more for my emergency fund and retirement as a result.
One of the best things about the internet is that if you’ve got an open mind, you can learn a ton of useful hacks. It’s also a lot of fun to teach others what’s worked for you. And many of these tips aren’t ground-breaking: they’re common sense stuff that many of us know… but may need to be reminded of.
For instance, in our experience, our day goes smoother if when we have a couple of glasses of water first thing after getting up. We also delay our first cup of coffee until around an hour after waking up. This way, we’re more alert and feel like we’re less dependent on caffeine.
''Just 10 minutes''. Put on a timer, and start doing what needs to be done in the house. Folding the laundry, washing dishes, putting away clutter, etc. When the timer goes off, you can stop. But far more often I'll just keep going untill everything is done.
That's my Saturday morning routine. I'll wake around 7. Get some coffee. Drink said coffee in shower (don't judge me!) Grab the laundry and head downstairs. Toss a load in, do the dishes, clean the counters, spruce up a bit, put the wash unto the dryer and then start 2nd load. By that time it's around 9 and I hang out till everyone else wakes up.
20 pairs of the same socks. This is a lifetime saver!! Don't waste your time and searching or sort your socks. Just grab 2 piece 😀
Something else that works wonders for us is walking more. Whether it’s a mid-morning stroll, doing a few laps around the office at lunch, or going for a longer hike out in nature after work, our mood is far better when we move more. These strolls also help reduce stress and anxiety and get you away from the computer, phone, and TV. We aim for getting at least 10k steps per day.
The CDC recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderately intense aerobic physical activity per week. They can substitute this with 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity or aim for a combination of both. Meanwhile, kids and teens ought to be physically active for at least an hour each day. This way, everyone stays healthier, happier, and reduces their risks of contracting serious diseases.
Learning to be helpful at my job. About 15 years ago I simply decided that I would be helpful. If someone asked for help I would always volunteer. If someone was struggling I would offer to help. If someone needed a technical email drafted I’d write it and ask for no credit. My goal was simple. I want to help those around me be the best they can be and I want us all to go home on time.
Since making that decision I’ve only benefitted. People look out for me, help me find work, and if I really need help I know someone will step up.
Most of the time this works brilliantly, unfortunately once you have a reputation for being helpful, people will come to you with problems that are not in your remit, because they know you can find the answer from the person who should have dealt with it. But I still get the warm fuzzies
When clothes shopping, I don't look at the price tag until I get to the dressing room. I try on the piece and then make up a price that I would feel comfortable paying for it. If it is below that price, I'll buy it. If it's above it, back on the rack it goes.
Also, if you don't absolutely love it, don't buy it. If you only *like* it, don't buy it.
Before you throw a towel into the washing basket (to go into the washing machine later) - use that sucker to wipe down any and all dirt or grime you can find in the room it's from. THEN throw it in the laundry.
Which of these tips did you find the most useful, Pandas? Were there any that you've tried before? What life hacks have made your own day-to-day grinds easier, whether saving you time, energy, or money? Scroll down to the bottom of the article to share your thoughts in the comment section. In the meantime, for some more life hacks, check out Bored Panda's earlier feature right over here.
"Kill it before it grows," lol. Tackle all those little things that can turn into bigger problems before they have a chance to get worse. That annoying drip you just noticed in the kitchen? Go fix it before it turns into a $400 water bill. Loose piece of siding? Nail that sucker down before it blows off and hits your car. Random mint plant growing in the yard? Pull it up before it takes over.
In the mornings don’t think, just get up. You’ll have plenty of time to think later in the day.
Sometimes when it's winter and the mornings are colder than a cheater's heart, your rather die than get out of bed :/
Mine is "Might as Well" when walking past laundry on the floor, might as well take it to the bin if I am heading that way. Walking past trash on the floor, I Might as well pick it up and put it in the bin. Going downstairs Might as Well take a cup and put it in the sink. Trying to compress multiple activities into one when it is convenient.
In the restaurant industry, this is called, "full hands in, full hands out." When entering or leaving the kitchen, you should always be carrying something. It doesn't matter if it's not from or for your section. My partner has severe ADHD and I do this at home to keep from getting overwhelmed.
Eat before going shopping for groceries. You'll be less likely to buy snacks and stuff. Also make a list and buy just what's on the list.
I make a shopping list every time and try to stick to it. But if I see something on sale that I use or eat regularly, I'll take an advantage of it and make the extra purchase.
Batch cook lunches. It takes an hour out of your Sunday but is so much cheaper and ensures you don't just eat junk food because it's easier.
You guys are all about the self improvement. I am lazy-girling it over here but: Automatic bill pay.
Every bill. Automatic. Set credit cards to pay off in full every month if you're a points ranger.It's how I have an 820 FICO. I thought that would never happen.
Also, try to get enough sleep but if you can't, get as far away from your sleep space as possible in the morning and don't go back until you are 100 % awake. I put my clothes for the next day in the front bathroom, don't even shower in the master bath because the temptation to slither back into that bed like some kind of homing flounder is so strong.
Marry someone with similar values and priorities to you, those become important later in life as you begin to have to make tradeoffs with time and money
Also values are more imp then similar interests. Been with my partner for over 26 years .. our interests change but not our values.
A high quality and sharp cutting knife makes life in the kitchen so much easier.
And safer. It's the full knife, that you need to force, slips and nicks your finger.
I wash as I cook. A lot of cooking is standing waiting for something to heat up or mix. I rinse off the stir spoon or scraper right away and put it back. Use a measuring cup, same thing. My wife doesn't and she has a whole dishwasher full of cooking bowls, cups, and utensils at the end that take way more time to take care of. If you rinse off everything right away it doesn't dry on and you can quickly dry it and put it back.
Not true. This is a massive waste of water. If you have a dishwasher, do it as the described wife does. That's what dishwashers are for, and they use way less water and energy. (also worth mentioning : prerinsing in the sink before putting in dishwasher is unnecessary and again, a waste of water)
Setting out a full outfit the night before, for whatever activity I have planned for tomorrow. I don't have to go searching for socks and appropriate undergarments, it dumps a mental load, and when I'm running behind schedule I know it's the last thing I have to do before I bolt out.
I do this sometimes only for me to put it on the next day, feel like it's not right, and then change my entire outfit:/
If there’s something I want/need to do but don’t “feel like it” (run, chore, work project, etc), I’ll mentally say “OK. I’m not going to complete it, but I’ll just start and do a tiny bit, no pressure.” Most of the time I get into the flow after starting.
definitely the hardest part is getting started, but once you do usually you finish and wonder why did i put it off so long
Stop caring if things go well or not. Literally revolutionized my life and how I enjoy the world. Being frustrated by circumstances out of your control will drive you insane. And if you look closely, basically everything in your life is out of your control. It’s just raining circumstances on you every day.
Ethnic market for cheaper meat and produce. At my Mexican market, produce is a bit less cosmetic, but a lot cheaper. Chicken is often on sale for $.69 a pound for leg/thigh quarters. Spices are super cheap.
When making any purchase, think of it as hours of your time you've had to give away.
For example, if you earn $10 an hour for round figures and that BBQ you want to buy is $600 is it worth 60 hours of your time?
Also if you find yourself making a lot of impulse purchases online, put the item in your online basket and wait a minimum of 24 hours, most of the time you'll forget about what you wanted.
At stores or anywhere that has a membership connected to a phone# I always use whatever area code I’m in + 867-5309, usually someone has it set up to that number and you get the discount
When buying something in the sale and thinking you are saving money because it has "x" amount off.
You are not saving money, you are spending money.
Do the hard things first. Tackle whatever tasks you least want to do early in the day.
I’m an elementary teacher, and I wear pretty much the same thing to work every day. I have 5 North Face brand pants and 5 school shirts. This makes my life such much easier, and I don’t have to worry about what to wear to work.
It's also less distracting for students - there was a teacher in a place I worked years ago who had discovered this trick. She always wore black and white, and colours at weekends. She said it meant the teenage students would take one look at her and then get to work. That was her theory, anyway.
Turn all your clothes hangers around at the start of the year, if they’re still the wrong way around the following year, ditch the clothes, either sell them on vinted or donate
Keep your place clean. A clean place leads to a clean mind that leads to more happiness, higher income, more time for fun things.
It takes effort to build that habit, after 2 months it will be a habit and you will never want to go back.
The habit tip works best for neurological people. For those of us who are neuro-spicy, it can become easier to do things, but I know, for me, it never actually become habitual. It is a conscious choice each time. (Yup, my spellchecker decided 'neurological' should be substituted for 'neurotypical'. I don't know why, but I shall be having words with it!)
Organise your rooms based on how you use them, not how you think they should be. Find out how you behave and go with the flow.
E.g. if your room is always messy because you leave your books on your bed, that’s because you read in bed. Put your shelf next to your bed or make your nightstand the designated book spot.
If you use a chair for clothes that are too clean to go in the hamper but too dirty to be in the closet, that’s because you don’t have a designated space for it. Have two hampers. One for dirty, one for not so dirty.
For the clothes: get a high-backed chair, or a pretty wooden ladder, instrad of that new hamper. Airy hanging heeps the clothes fresher.
1. When moving from room to room, always take something that needs moving. There's always something!
2. The five minute rule - if something takes less than five minutes, just do it.
3. A water flosser (yes I know not as good as real floss but I have a fixed retainer and I realistically am never going to use that fiddly superfloss stuff twice a day).
4. Portable travel steamer in my bedroom (instead of taking something downstairs to be ironed). EDIT: I should have noted that I'm a woman so I'm usually steaming silk, light cottons, cashmere, etc. (The steamer is also great for refreshing fabrics such as wool, silk and cashmere which are naturally self-cleaning.) If you're trying to get the results of an iron on, for example, a smart shirt, you're going to be disappointed. :(
5. Set days of the week for changing sheets, washing towels etc.
3. I have both. the water pick and the string floss can each get some things the other can't. I'd like to brag that I'm great about using both but that would be a lie. More like if I need it (something stuck in my teeth and bugging me) and when I think about it when brushing my teeth.
Don’t drink your calories. A small glass of orange juice is 130 calories. A can of soda is 140. A bottle of beer is 160. Swap those out for water/tea/black coffee and that’s 430 calories you didn’t consume each day.
I’m not sure if this is handy or not but I put all my forks, knives, etc into their own cubby in the dishwasher so when it comes to unloading I don’t have to sort through anything. 🤷🏼♂️
I'm actually responding twice because my first post reminded me of to do lists.
Option 1) Three tasks only: commit to only 3 important things rather than too much.
Option 2) Run a To Do list and a Done list. Write down everything you accomplish even if it wasn't on the agenda.
Lifting weights. It literally makes every aspect of my life better.
I love the fact this is mentioned here! Too many people still associate lifting weights with bodybuilders and pretty girls in yoga pants. That is not what it's about... After a certain age (I think this is around 30 or so) your body loses muscle tissue. Moreover you lose flexibility, mobility, coordination, bone density etc etc. Lifting weights is a very good way to slow this process and to stay more healthy and happy while your body inevitably still deteriorates. Lifting weights is actually common sense. Lift weights.
When cooking, time is your friend. It has the ability to make less expensive food delicious. Braising a cheap cut of meat in the oven or crockpot will make it amazing. Learn a half dozen recipes that use cheap ingredients, are delicious and healthy.
Speaking of cooking slow - If you do a lot of meat consider a sous vide. That's those hot water bath things and you can get the basic stick versions for not to much $$ these days. I got my $100 one for $10 at a garage sale. They can make a really cheap cut of beef be amazingly tender. I was also pleased with some salmon I tired but salmon is easy to steam in a pan because it cooks fast.
Making my own lunch for work. I work downtown and there’s a ton of places to buy food but overall it’s expensive and feel my energy levels go down after eating out too much.
A side perk is I also got good at cooking!
Meat pucks.
Take your favorite shredded meat recipe, whether it’s slow cooked, pressure cooked, whatever. Make a large batch, then put the remainder in a muffin tin and pop in the freezer. Once they’ve frozen put in a freezer bag. Now you have tasty, individually portioned meals for months.
I’ve got half a dozen different varieties going most of the time if not more. Pulled pork, chicken, asian-styled beef or pork, carnitas, machaca beef, the list goes on. Easy to make, easy to store, easy to turn into a meal with a veggie or just defrost and put one on nachos.
The best muffin tin for this I’ve found was one made of silicone with a support in it to make the tray rigid but the cups still flexible. That way it is easy to lay flat in the freezer but you can easily pop out the pucks.
For the broke & hungry uni / college students: the admin staff on campus probably have catered training/etc events at least once a month. Find the room(s) where they do it. My uni would put up a poster for the staff with the time & dates of these events, so I would walk by the room when an event ended and eat the remaining food.
Yes! My community college would do this ALL the time! The food was good, too!
Weekly menu planning combined with meal prep.
Once a week, my fiance and I go through our pantry and freezer, and plan out a menu for our evening meal. This allows us to grocery shop once a week for only the items we need for said meals that we don't already have in the house.
When we make those meals, we make enough to have a couple leftover containers for the next day's lunch, or put in the freezer for a future meal. (Lunches at work, or those nights where you're schedule gets busy)
We also take a week to 2 weeks every few months where we only eat what's in the house. We especially concentrate on planning meals around things that are older in the freezer or pantry. (We will go buy basic things like milk or produce as needed)
Been doing Weekly menu planning for years, it really saves time and money
Never leave a room empty handed. Heading downstairs to switch laundry over? Bring the drill that's been sitting in the kitchen. Heading to the kitchen? Grab the water bottle that's sitting on the side table. There is almost always something that's in the wrong place.
If you have an infant that attends childcare, remove their clothes as soon as they get home. Change their outfit.
The viruses and bacteria linger on clothes and the longer the child is immersed in them, the more likely they are to get sick.
My daughter was constantly getting sick - covid, flus, RSV, often more than once. It was putting enormous strain on us as we both work and had to use up all our time off caring for her.
The moment we switched we went from every second week her being out sick, to maybe one week out of every two to three months.
They only really get ill the first year and then they're immune to most stuff, in my experience. I really wouldn't bother with this one. Most germs are spread from skin-to-skin contact and from breathing in droplets. The rest are probably because your little darling has very little concept of hygiene, i.e. picking nose and wiping eyes = conjunctivitis, poking around in their nappy and then eating a snack = D&V.
For dealing with emails: The Four Fs - Finish it (read and reply), Forward it, File it, F… it (delete it)
Use the reminder app in my iPhone. I set repeated reminders for credit card payment, bedclothes laundry, birthdays, even haircuts. Also very helpful for chores/random events. By doing this I can keep them from occupying my mind and focus on the things at hand.
When you book a hotel and it’s a “pay at hotel” reservation, keep checking the hotel rates for your same reserved dates. The price will fluctuate. When the price dips, contact the hotel and ask them to change the rate on your reservation to match. I saved a lot of money thanks do this with a reservation at Turtle Bay resort in Oahu, and now it’s the only way I operate. Same principle works for rental cars too, but many agencies suck so in those cases you just book a new reservation at the cheaper cost and then cancel the original one. Remember, this is only a good method for when you have paid nothing toward the reservation and you’re still in the cancellation period!
minimalism and going low waste. Both saves a ton of money, minimalism saves a lot of time as well (managing and cleaning a household becomes way easier and faster)
Hopping in the shower immediately after my partner. Saves time and money by not waiting on the water to warm up.
Always schedule your next appointment at the end of an appointment. Even if you've never had a problem getting an appointment on short notice, or it's a year away, or your schedule might change, etc. At most you might have to change it closer to the date, but I've found places are more likely to work with you if it's a reschedule rather than a new appointment.
When my 3 kids were little, and there were lots of taco Tuesdays and spaghetti dinners, I would buy hamburger meat in bulk and go ahead and cook it and then freeze the cooked burger crumbles in 1-2 cups freezer bags. Easy to pull out, defrost and reheat.
But not nearly as tasty as freshly browned ground beef. If you are going to do that, freeze the beef with the sauce on it.
I learned how to put a duvet cover on in aabout 1 minute.
Step 1)flip duvet or comforter inside out
Step 2) put your hands inside the now inside out duvet and pinch the far corners. The duvet is sort of draped over your arms and upper body.
Step 3) with your hands inside the duvet sheets, grasp the actual comforter at the corner
Step 4) roll let the sheets naturally roll down your arms and cover the comforter.
Get a poop stool 😅 Lifting your legs up while s******g makes it easier and greatly diminishes your chance of getting hemorrhoid later on.
Alarms for everything. It annoys my spouse, but it's how I do things.
This will get buried but we put the silverware in the dishwasher silverware holder thing grouped by type. So all the forks go on one side, and the spoons all go together and the knives all go together on the other side. Makes putting them away a smidge easier. Also have a squeezey bottle for laundry detergent instead of the little cup thing that makes a damn mess. Let's see what else... Cat food bowls are all ceramic now so they can be sanitized in the dishwasher vs those stupid plastic ones that fell apart.
Second post like this. I mix them all up so they are different shapes next to each other and don't nest together. But I also just dump the whole tray into the silverware drawer so that's a time saver. I used to have a neatly arranged silverware drawer but the grandkids kept messing it so I gave up. And not it's just me but - it's just me - so who cares.
1) Never go up/down our stairs without taking something: that empty cup for the kitchen, towels for the bathroom, even a magazine I might like to read in bed. Never waste a trip. 2) I know this won't work for everyone, but I never thought it would work for us. I think it is based on some money strategy, but I tweaked I think: First week I put a dollar in savings. Second week $2. At the end of the year (52 weeks) I put $53 dollars in that week. I kept going for three years. If I missed a week for any reason, I made it up the following. I could take out money for emergencies, but if not an emergency I had to pay it back. Created a great safety net for when my husband was unemployed. When he went back to work, I started again and I'm excite to see it grow!
I have one that won't work for everybody, but works pretty well. Own cats lol. Mine wake me up at 5 every morning. Once I'm up and they're fed, I don't let myself go back to my bed. They're perfect (purrfect?) alarms. Other than that, keep gym shoes by my bed. I grab them when I get up and once I put them on, I can't take them off until I've finished my exercise routine. (Those shoes are dedicated to just work outs at home, they don't ever go outside so they're not making the house gross. If I go for a run, I have running shoes for that)
i wish more of this accounted for people who have to pace due to disability and can't just 'get on a roll' this article was just depressing.
I would like a list like this but for parents and one for uhm... was it neuro-spicey? People. Because many life hacks and self care tips are just not gonna work for me. I can't just sleep longer at night because of the kids. I try my best but it's just not happening. And the neuro-spicey me can't just go and do stuff/get stuff done. I don't know exactly why because I still need to see a therapist who may/may not diagnose me with more than what I already have.
As a neuro-spicy person myself, with kids, I struggled for years over not being able to get in the habit of certain things, no matter how many times I was told how "easy" it was to "just do it". I will never be an early bird, no matter how often I need to wake up early. For things I do have control over, but know I struggle with, I take the "good enough" approach, to keep my sanity. Like, I only have enough dishes and silverware for the people in the house. No extra at all. This way, I know the dishes will be done at least once a day, when they run out. Same for things like towels, and we have enough clothes to last about a week.I know myself. If I have extra they'll just pile up and up, until I am completely overwhelmed. So, I just avoid that possibility all together. If I only had that self control when it came to things like books and cool looking rocks, my house would be spotless.
I give mg kids 3 laundry baskets: one for clean, one for not-so-clean but can be worn until laundry day, and one for dirty. The baskets go in the floor of their closets or under their beds. They can fold and put away if they want, but they don't have to. At age 13, they start doing their own laundry.
1) Never go up/down our stairs without taking something: that empty cup for the kitchen, towels for the bathroom, even a magazine I might like to read in bed. Never waste a trip. 2) I know this won't work for everyone, but I never thought it would work for us. I think it is based on some money strategy, but I tweaked I think: First week I put a dollar in savings. Second week $2. At the end of the year (52 weeks) I put $53 dollars in that week. I kept going for three years. If I missed a week for any reason, I made it up the following. I could take out money for emergencies, but if not an emergency I had to pay it back. Created a great safety net for when my husband was unemployed. When he went back to work, I started again and I'm excite to see it grow!
I have one that won't work for everybody, but works pretty well. Own cats lol. Mine wake me up at 5 every morning. Once I'm up and they're fed, I don't let myself go back to my bed. They're perfect (purrfect?) alarms. Other than that, keep gym shoes by my bed. I grab them when I get up and once I put them on, I can't take them off until I've finished my exercise routine. (Those shoes are dedicated to just work outs at home, they don't ever go outside so they're not making the house gross. If I go for a run, I have running shoes for that)
i wish more of this accounted for people who have to pace due to disability and can't just 'get on a roll' this article was just depressing.
I would like a list like this but for parents and one for uhm... was it neuro-spicey? People. Because many life hacks and self care tips are just not gonna work for me. I can't just sleep longer at night because of the kids. I try my best but it's just not happening. And the neuro-spicey me can't just go and do stuff/get stuff done. I don't know exactly why because I still need to see a therapist who may/may not diagnose me with more than what I already have.
As a neuro-spicy person myself, with kids, I struggled for years over not being able to get in the habit of certain things, no matter how many times I was told how "easy" it was to "just do it". I will never be an early bird, no matter how often I need to wake up early. For things I do have control over, but know I struggle with, I take the "good enough" approach, to keep my sanity. Like, I only have enough dishes and silverware for the people in the house. No extra at all. This way, I know the dishes will be done at least once a day, when they run out. Same for things like towels, and we have enough clothes to last about a week.I know myself. If I have extra they'll just pile up and up, until I am completely overwhelmed. So, I just avoid that possibility all together. If I only had that self control when it came to things like books and cool looking rocks, my house would be spotless.
I give mg kids 3 laundry baskets: one for clean, one for not-so-clean but can be worn until laundry day, and one for dirty. The baskets go in the floor of their closets or under their beds. They can fold and put away if they want, but they don't have to. At age 13, they start doing their own laundry.
