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Marriage looks different for every single couple. Some agree that both spouses should work, while others decide that their kids will have a stay-at-home parent. Some can’t bear to be apart for more than 24 hours, while others celebrate the holidays separately, so they can each be with family.
As long as both parties are on the same page, there’s nothing wrong with making up the rules as they go. And sometimes, unconventional methods are the best way to keep a marriage afloat. People have recently been sharing their most creative and brilliant marriage hacks on TikTok, so we’ve gathered the best ones below. Some are adorable, while others are a bit questionable, but these spouses swear by them! So enjoy scrolling through, and be sure to upvote the ones you’d like to implement in your own relationship.
This woman invited people to share their most unconventional marriage hacks, and viewers did not disappoint with their replies
Image credits: michellerosbury
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
We have a decision coin with our names that we flip when both of us “don’t care” on whatever we can’t come to a joint decision on (ie: food). The name it lands on must make the choice. The coin is law.
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#2
Before long car rides we have a pep talk to remind ourselves we are not enemies- the children are our enemies.
#3
I tell my husband to stop being my husband for a minute and be my best friend. Then I tell my best friend what my husband has been doing to PMO and he plays along as my best friend talking s**t about my “husband”. Corrects his own behaviour.
#4
I have a wife & I check every makeup or skin care she uses regularly & buy them when they’re about to be empty. I wonder if she’s realized why she’s never run out
#5
We have scheduled arguments. Every 2 weeks. “Biweekly beef.” We bring up any and all complaints. Everything from serious stuff to “I did not appreciate how u farted last week.” It’s very effective.
#6
Every time I find our kitchen cabinets wide open I have to yell “BE GONE DEMON” while I close them to let my husband know he left them open again, it’s been 4 days since the last exorcism.
#7
I say “babe guess where I’m taking you for dinner!” And she’ll say “sushi?!” Or whatever she wants and I say damn how’d you know?? Saves all of the indecision.
#8
When I’ve asked him to do a project more than twice I get out all the wrong power tools and act like I’m going to start doing it. Works every time.
#9
Rather than get mad at the other for not doing that thing you expect for them to just know to do (dishes for ex.) we place a stuffed elephant by the thing to point out "the elephant in the room".
#10
When we were adjusting to our first baby & were sleep deprived we made a deal not take anything mean said from 8pm - 8 am to heart, our keyword was “that wasn’t me that was patricia” from Split.
#11
When I want him to do something I start with “how do you feel about helping me with…” and it usually works bc he doesn’t feel like I’m demanding or ordering him. Btw I’m a marriage therapist.
#12
We sometimes text for our hard discussions. That way we can fully think out our responses. And it makes you read over your angry reactions so you can reword them in a more productive way.
#13
When I’m mean he makes me get back in the bed, roll across it, and get out because i “must have woken up on the wrong side”.
#14
When he stops pulling his weight in house chores I stop doing all his things.. laundry, meals, dishes. I’m a mom but not his mom. He catches on quickly.
#15
When we are planning to make a big purchase I 1st show him the most expensive thing & Let him marinate. Then show him the one I really want which is cheaper but not the cheapest. 😬 Works every time.
#16
He "puts me to bed" so he can go game without feeling guilty. and I get tucked in and the fan turned on and the lights off. then I scroll on my phone. we both get alone time
#17
When he asks me to find something he “can’t find” (it was in plain sight he just doesn’t look enough) I charge him a book. I now have 4 shelves of books and he thinks I have magic finding powers (eyes).
#18
We say “Scale of 1-10” when we want to check where the other person is mentally/emotionally throughout the day - and based on that adjust how we treat each other.
Lila Allen 7 months ago
Oh now this is good communication. Checking in and adjusting to support each other is peak relationship goals
#19
My husband and i refer to our innermost illogical thoughts as "lizard brain", so we can share insecurities/jealousy without judgment. i.e. "lizard brain says you hate my haircut"
Lila Allen 7 months ago
Oh I like this. It's a way to express uncomfortable things and as long as you both agree to not take it personally it probably helps with communication
#20
I Pavloved my husband by wearing the same scent only during intimacy for a year. Then I wore it to a family function, and he became feral. He glares at me when I wear it because he knows. Still works.
#21
My great-grandma would flip over their “Home Sweet Home” sign when they were fighting over something.
#22
Maybe not unhinged but anytime one of us speaks to the other with a little too much sass or sarcasm, we calmly say, ”You wanna try that again?“ and it avoids any escalation like 95% of the time.
Roshan Kassan 3 months ago
My wife was the QUEEN of sarcasm - when she said ANYTHING with sass, i got the popcorn ready
#23
We wear party hats during arguments. How can you possibly argue badly with party hats on.
#24
If we are getting heated or have something to discuss, we get a flash light and we get under a cover like we’re telling ghost stories and who ever has the flash like has talking rights.
#25
My mom is amazing at backgammon. She & my dad played every day before he left for work and before bed. She let him win in the mornings so he’d feel good at work and make that 💰. He never noticed. 💀
#26
We have a 5 second rule. You have 5 seconds after you say something you regret to say “5 second rule” and it’s erased. It’s saved many arguments.
#27
I tell him made up stories about things my “friend’s husband” did and finish with, “I’m so glad you don’t do that” but they’re all things he does that I don’t like. He self-corrects.
Estelle E. 7 months ago
It's what she does. He knows it's about him. Just the way of saying it is a little fun and non-confrontational. Humor, right?
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#28
I like to say "You know what I love about you?" and list the things I want him to be like. He believes he suddenly has these qualities and starts to build on them without question. It's magic.
#29
I randomly flash my husband. He never knows when it’s coming, but I make sure to do it when he’s having a bad day or we’re fighting. It’s a small act but it’s a mood lifter/shifter.
#30
When I have an uncomfortable situation to talk to him about that I know he’ll get angry or won’t want to talk about. I wait until he’s pooping cause he can’t run away.
#31
He started gaining too much weight so instead of telling him and messing with his confidence I cooked healthier and told him I was too scared to go on my walks alone so joined every night and morning.
George Costanza 7 months ago
Pretty sure men have been chastised for doing anything similar if their wife gains weight.
#32
I buy giftcards occasionally so every time he doesn’t wanan go out to eat I say “oh we have a gift card from Christmas!” Works every time.
#33
I wore the same perfume everytime we would go to the mall so now anytime I put it on he asks if I want to go shopping.
Lila Allen 7 months ago
Ok Pavlov really should have thought through the effect of publishing his research.
#34
If my husband and I are arguing I flip him off when he’s not looking and it just makes me feel calmer.
#35
Instead of being mad at the other person next morning if one didn’t clean up the night before, we go “whoah who closed last night?!” As if it was someone else so we get mad at the imaginary person.
#36
We can disagree with each other in private but we're always on the same team in public (not talking about silly, small things). This especially works if you have difficult family members.
#37
When we argue, we hold hands. Reminds us that we're a team together against a problem, not against each other. We also NEVER assume the other has done something out of malice.
Lila Allen 7 months ago
We do something similar. It's my husband's family rule. If you have a problem with someone you have to first look them in the eye and tell them one reason you love them. Then sit down and talk through the problem. The reminder that you love this person makes you think about your words and the impact they have and not veer off into getting heated and saying unkind things.
#38
Started doing finger guns to eachother when we brought our newborn home, instead of arguing out loud. When he snores now I roll over + hold a finger gun to his neck + he goes, “please don’t do it.”
#39
When I’m doing all the work around the house I go up to him and say “has Dobby done a good job master? must keep home clean for master” then when he does a chore I grab a sock saying “Dobby is free!!”
#40
He’s in charge of cutting the grass and when the grass gets too high I say landscapers came and left their business card. It instantly motivates him to cut the grass.
Blackmoon The Dragon 7 months ago
This is kind of twisted, but in a funny way... I mean I guess its good to save money!
#41
When me and my husband are going through a rough patch. We force ourselves to go camping for 3-4 days. No phone service just us in a state park in the middle of nowhere.
Lila Allen 7 months ago
This either works itself out or ends up as an episode on Forensic Files
#42
My brother and sis in law, blames everything on Samantha instead of each other. Samantha is the none existent character in frozen 2 that Olaf yells out for.
#43
Pavloved him into to listening better. Starting convos in the car when the music is playing. I begin talking at normal volume, then slowly get quieter until he realizes he can’t hear over the radio.
Lila Allen 7 months ago
Um this is not conditioning. This is actually strategic silence or sound reduction. Conditioning ( pavlov) is pairing a stimulus like a specific sound or smell with a response you want.
#44
Always have your private time before dinner so you’re not bloated after a date night out.
#45
When he’s been playing video games for too long I’ll just start singing “ cause I’m all alone, there’s no one here beside me” by Donkey from Shrek.
#46
I made his lunch with a salami and sprinkles sandwich one time…. That’s all it took for him to tell me what he wants in his lunch instead of “whatever”.
#47
When I really want him to do something around the house I call my dad. All of the sudden he’s embarrassed and can do it.
Lila Allen 7 months ago
My husband is usually thrilled if I call my dad. My dad has way better tools and more experience. Then they get to work it together.
#48
we have to kiss every day for at LEAST 6 seconds. Doesn’t matter what’s going on or if we are busy. 6 seconds will be taken out of our day to kiss or make out. helps a lot more than you realize!
#49
If mine talks to me in ways i dont like, I like to go outside, make fake binoculars w/ my hands and when he ask "what are you doin" id say "lookin for who tf you think u r talkin to with that attitude.
#50
I jokingly say things like "The dishes need doing and you need doing. I only have energy for one of these things." He does the dishes in record time.
#51
When i’m doing chores and he isn’t helping, I start singing “a single mom who works too hard” the Reba theme song and he gets up and helps without me having to nag.
Caspian (he/they) 7 months ago
I love that show for some reason. On Thursdays while my sibling is at their piano lesson my mom and I sit in the car and watch it while drinking tea. My favorite part of the week tbh
#52
I read Reddit stories of other failing relationships and talk to him about how we would of handled it or never would of done that.
#53
Instead of going after each other for random messes or issues we say “woah someone broke in and all they did was take your clothes and put them in the middle of the bathroom floor…. Weird”
#54
Yall are SLEEPING ON ROCK PAPER SCISSORS!!!! Bickering about who has to get up to get the charger? Rock paper scissors!! Who’s gonna change that stinky diaper? ROCK PAPER MF SCISSORS!!! It’s so fun
#55
If I want my husband to wear or use something I just put it in his plain sight. He sees it, picks it up, and will consistently use it if he thinks it’s his idea. If I suggest, it’s a 30% chance no-go.
Lila Allen 7 months ago
Is your husband a toddler? I mean why are you picking his clothes and why is he refusing to wear something because you suggested it?
#56
We use the Disney princess rule for hugs regardless of arguing or not. Whoever is the recipient of the hug can’t pull away until the hugger is done. And sometimes a hug fixes literally everything.
Auntriarch 7 months ago (edited)
Absolutely not, this is the wrong way round, it's the huggee that gets to decide when to pull away
#57
When the other person makes a mistake, instead of apologizing, the person in the wrong has to claim they’re a worm until they are forgiven (think pain & panic apologizing to Hades)
#58
I bill him for my mental load if I have to remind him about something more than once 💅💸 (and he pays it!)
Lila Allen 7 months ago
OK I did not know this was an option. I might need some invoices. Seriously though I do like the idea of having a reminder jar that each of us pays into if the other has to remind them of something multiple times.
#60
In year five, he agreed with his sister that her instant potatoes were better than my real potatoes. So, I fed him instant potatoes with every meal, every day for a year.
#62
My husband hates my eucalyptus lotion, so now I only wear it when I'm mad at him. And now he has to self reflect on what he did to make the lotion turn up.
Lila Allen 7 months ago
Or you could just use your grown up words and tell him you're upset and work it out.
#63
My husband holds up a fork when he’s upset at me and pretends I’m in jail for being mean.
#64
We blame Frank our house ghost when something goes wrong at home or someone forgot to do something. “FRANK forgot to defrost the chicken. Guess he’s buying dinner tonight!”
#65
We yell “whee” in the car instead of saying anything when we think the other persons driving is a little dicey. Conveys “It’s an adventure but also we felt like we were gonna die. Please be careful”.
#66
Touching foreheads and whisper/screaming at eachother whether it’s a fairly serious discussion or we’re just annoyed or had a rough day and need to vent. Guaranteed a laugh everytime.
#68
We randomly pretend not to know each other and start flirting. He could be mowing the lawn and I’ll walk out and say “what are u doing here you know my husband isn’t home” and he knows to plays along.
#69
We say passive aggressive thoughts out loud by telling them to our dog (“mozzie do you sense that attitude from dad too?”) takes the edge off a little.
#70
We have something called anxiety questions. They're rooted in insanity. If they say, "hey anxiety question" the goal is to answer it with open arms no matter how insane it is.
#71
If we want the other do something they don’t want to do, we say “You signed it in our marriage contact. You must not have read the fine print”
#72
When he says something outrageous or just annoying I ask “was that a good idea?” He says no and then apologizes. They have to fear you a little bit.
#73
My husband doesn’t know how to let me take a minute to articulate my thoughts in a disagreement so I scream turtle time and hide under the covers to compose myself and breathe alone.
Lila Allen 7 months ago
I really think you might need to get a therapist for a few sessions and learn how to constructively argue.
#74
When we have disagreements and I don’t feel like dealing with it anymore I say “That’s show biz baby” and walk away. Argument over bc now he’s confused, and thinks im funny. Highly effective.
#75
I watched Shera seven and stopped being nice and accommodating, my man is obsessed with me more than ever lol
#76
I’ll ask for a divorce and she’ll reply “no divorce, only m**der”. It’s how we stay married… the fear.
#77
I tell him things I've learnt from Men's Health & GQ b/c I know he listens to & respects male voices & authority. The things I tell him are my ideas. I'm the study, the sample size & the research.
#78
I have pavloved my partner when I ask "where ya goin?" he automatically says making you popcorn, or getting you tea, or asks me what I want...lol
#79
Pavloved my husband. When i Say “ohhhhh nooo” it means i got in bed and need water and he immediately gets up to get my water and give me a kiss.
#80
I make his lunches and dinner. Sometimes if I’m mad I’ll purposely make it a little off and tell him I made it with anger instead of love. Somehow it works.
#81
We’re Christian. When we are praying together and mad at each other, we tell on each other out loud to God. Most of the time it’s unhinged and we laugh.
#82
When I’m mad, I make the salsa extra spicy and if he asks “is it spicy?” I reply with “not really”. Hope this helps!
#83
If we are giving each other the silent treatment, I hide something of his so he can ask me if I’ve seen it. That way, HE’S the first to talk.
#84
i tell him "ew" when he’s being sassy and it bugs him so much he takes his sas back 🤣 and says "baby no ew" 😭
#85
I tell him men are constantly hitting on me (at the gas station/dads at school/etc). Keeps him acting right.
What do you think ?
Svenne O'Lotta 6 months ago
"good communication" is whatever works for the people in question.
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Michael Largey 7 months ago
My wife and I clean the house on Wednesday mornings and then take each other out for a lunch date.
Paige Merlin 7 months ago
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Myrna Ferrington 6 months ago
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PenguinEmp 7 months ago
So treat your husband like a dog. Gotcha. How about I treat my wife like that? No? How about just talking to each other
Svenne O'Lotta 6 months ago
"good communication" is whatever works for the people in question.
Load More Replies... Michael Largey 7 months ago
My wife and I clean the house on Wednesday mornings and then take each other out for a lunch date.
Paige Merlin 7 months ago
It’s a competition type thing, top of page in green you’ll see a box telling you how many eggs you have and the Easter marketplace next to it. Click the marketplace link and it explains: Well, we just launched the Bored Panda Marketplace, and it’s where you can trade your collected points for stuff like: 🎁 Discount codes up to 100% for Bored Panda Premium 🏆 Leaderboard points, if you’re the competitive type 🐰 A special limited-edition profile frame ⭐️ And this is just the start, more exciting items and perks to come!
Load More Replies... Myrna Ferrington 6 months ago
i want to share an amazing experience i had with the almighty Dr Aziegbe, my husband Greg filed for a divorce i was really devastated i cried day and night everyday i told a friend of mine about the situation and she told me about the powerful man Dr Aziegbe i was feeling a little bit skeptical about it but i just decided to give him a try i did everything he asked me to do and he promised me 72hour result and the next morning to my greatest surprise it was Greg on his knees begging me to forgive and accept him back i'm so happy all thanks to Dr Aziegbe he can also help you contact him on WhatsApp +2349035465208 and also email: DRAZIEGBE1SPELLHOME@GMAIL.COM. he can also help with this service!! *grow your business spell * lottery spell * Pregnancy spell * protection spell * job promotion spell *win a court case spell
PenguinEmp 7 months ago
So treat your husband like a dog. Gotcha. How about I treat my wife like that? No? How about just talking to each other
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