by Let’s face it: we’re all busy and life is hard! So if you discover a life hack that makes it something so much easier, you hold it. Well, Redditor u/stowRA asked, “What’s your ‘I can’t believe other people don’t do this’ hack?” This is what people said.
1.
“I have a keyboard shortcut on all my devices where ‘@@’ automatically enters my email address. On an iPhone, you can set this up by going to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement.”
2.
“Before I buy something, I ask myself, ‘Do I need it or do I want it?’ If I need it, I’ll get it. If I want it, I’ll wait a few weeks, do some research, see if I can fit it in, and if I still want it a month or two later, I might get it. It turns out that my wishes are not always there after waiting. It is new for me and has drastically changed my way of thinking.”
3.
“I use Ziploc bags in my ‘junk drawer.’ It’s not organized; it’s just a handful of junk-filled bags. It makes sorting through the clutter easier. Instead of sifting through a bunch of junk and loose items, grab I take a bag and inspect it for something I’m looking for. Junk bags in a junk drawer.”
—u/euphoric-Meat3943
4.
“Empty your fridge before going grocery shopping! Eliminates mysterious Tupperware and always reminds you of something you need to pick up.”
5.
“Start a savings account with a high return. It will earn 4.5-5% interest if your money just stays there. And it won’t cost you a cent.”
—u/jawarren1
6.
“I freeze leftover coffee in ice cube trays. This way the coffee is not watered down when I make iced coffee. The coffee remains strong and delicious when it melts!”
7.
“I hate cleaning, but I always try to take something with me when I leave a room. It could be a piece of trash, a plate, or an item that needs to be put away. It goes a long way in keeping things tidy without any real effort.”
—u/Kaablooie42
8.
“I’m shocked at how many people don’t store their sheet sets in the matching pillowcase until they’re used. This keeps everything together!”
9.
‘Use heavy-duty garbage bags for all camping and outdoor activities. They are the most advanced, cheap material available. You can use them as backpack linings, rain covers, ponchos, seat cushions, water carriers and extra shopping bags.” We are so versatile and lightweight.”
—u/Aruhito_0
10.
“I have trouble cleaning, but what I usually do so I don’t get overwhelmed is write down a list of tasks from one to 20 that I need to complete. I break it up into small chunks. And then I roll a D20 die tasks from the list. It takes away the overwhelming feeling of deciding where to start and keeps me on task so I’m not bouncing between five different tasks at once.”
11.
“For household items, you immediately buy more than you need. For example, I have two packs of toilet paper rolls. One is for now, which I keep in the bathroom. The other is for later, and I keep it in a cupboard. When Now empty I’ll get out later. Later it will be the new Now and I’ll buy a replacement the next time I go shopping.
12.
“I keep one of those dishwashing sticks that you fill with soap in my shower. It’s filled with Dawn soap and vinegar. I scrub my shower walls, the tub, and every other shower while I’m there. It takes less than two minutes, and otherwise I never have to clean my tub/shower. I do a Comet tub clean about twice a year but I can’t even see or tell the difference, it’s usually just for peace of mind.
—u/Whatchab
13.
“Set nightly ‘do not disturb’ times on your phone (mine is from 11pm to 7am). You can allow notifications from favorite contacts like your spouse, kids, etc.”
14.
“Do yourself a favor for tomorrow. Car is running low on battery? Do a favor tomorrow and pick it up on the way home. It’s almost bedtime, but there are dishes in the sink? Do them as a favor for your future self. Collect tomorrow’s clothes while you’re at it, and make sure you pack your lunch if you’re not in a hurry. Tomorrow you’ll love it. And today, if you enjoy everything you did yesterday to make your life easier, remember then to thank yourself for doing it. I know it sounds strange, but this has motivated me to get things done quickly instead of at the last minute.”
15.
“Open the bags of chips upside down! All herbs remain at the bottom👌.”
16.
“I stick to the five-minute rule. If a task takes less than five minutes, do it well if you think about it. Turn the laundry over, respond to an email left in the inbox, load the dishwasher, replace that vanity lamp you’ve been looking at for forever, etc…”
17.
“Surprisingly, many people don’t notice that there is a little arrow on your car’s gas gauge pointing to the side where the tank is.”
—u/spiritofjosh
18.
“If you’re cleaning up ‘messy’ things that can’t be picked up, use two flat, stiff things, like the edge of two pieces of cardboard, and literally scoop it up. I’m amazed at how many people I see trying to clean something like egg yolks or spaghetti sauce with a mop or broom.
19.
“In large parking lots, I quickly take a photo of where I park my car. It saves so much time when I’m wandering around lost.”
—u/Jerome_real24
20.
“Buy her flowers ‘just because’. Seriously, apology gifts always have the stench of the original mistake. Just because gifts actually make her smile every time she looks at them and doesn’t think about the stupid thing I did.”
What’s a life hack you use all the time but can’t believe more people don’t know about it? Tell us in the comments or in this anonymous form.
