We humans are strange creatures. Sometimes we have this ill-advised notion that we know better than everyone else and can dismiss things without knowing much about them. But luckily, we're also open to learning and growing, even if it requires admitting that we don't have all the answers. So Reddit user 730throwaway made a post on the platform, asking others to share the life hacks they thought were nonsense, but tried and found to be surprisingly effective. From self-care to productivity, if it's stupid but it works, it isn't stupid!
#1
Taking a stupid little walk for my stupid mental health. It made me feel better.
Image credits: rowan_juniper
#2
Pretending that people with road rage or driving crazy have diarrhea and are just trying to get to a toilet before they c**p themselves.
Image credits: Rip-Own
#3
Moved to another state and wanted to attend the state university, you had to live in state for a year before they would consider you a resident.
The tuition was a lot more for non-residents. I read the fine print and it said if you own a business you would be considered a resident immediately. I got a business license for my new business, Green Thumbs Landscaping company, mowed my neighbors' lawns and saved a ton.
Image credits: Jaded_Ad_9409
#4
Started telling myself “it is what it is” on situations I have no control over and it’s done wonders for my stress level.
Image credits: xoxomaxine
#5
Hospital in our town charges ridiculous parking fees. Having to stay for a week can easily cost you hundreds of €. When you donate blood at that hospital, they'll not only give you a decent Käsebrot and a Coke but they'll also exchange your parking ticket for one that's already paid/validated.
So after staying with my wife for 10 days when our no.1 son was born, i simply donated blood and picked up my free parking card instead of bankrupting our young family.
#6
These may sound silly but feel like game changers to me:
1. brushing my long and easily tangled hair BEFORE getting in the shower makes post shower hair stuff so much easier.
2. keeping appropriate cleaning supplies in each room they'll be used in makes it much easier for quick tidying and thus less need for major awful cleaning later.
3. if you want to curb impulse shopping online, make a wishlist page where you save everything you want to buy. Pick one day of the week where you're 'allowed' to purchase things. By the time you get to that day, you don't want half the stuff on the wishlist anymore. (my day is Monday!).
Image credits: strangeloop414
#7
My wife and I had to move in with her parents for a bit around the time my first child was born and they drove me insane. They are your typical heavily involved Nigerian Grandparents. Was seeing a therapist and she suggested I convert "judgement" into "curiosity". As in don't be quick to get angry about things they do like having an opinion about every possible thing particularly around our baby. But instead Try to think about where this behaviour comes from. Turns out my Mother in Law is f*****g amazing and we couldn't have done baby and unexpected twins without her. Her love and care for our children is unconditional and she doesn't do it out of obligation. She considers them her kids and it's her job. Pretty lucky in that regard.
Image credits: corporatemumbojumbo
#8
I used to jokingly put myself down until the day I realized I had started believing it. I immediately started telling myself, "wait, f**k you, you're not an idiot, you're actually smart" or whatever I had immediately started insulting myself with. It works. I regained my confidence.
Image credits: GreenOnionCrusader
#9
You can train your pets to remind you to take your medications.
If you give your cat/dog a treat at the same time every day, they will not let you forget that it's "treat time". Keep your medications near their treat cupboard so you both get your "treats" at the same time.
Image credits: Visual-Lobster6625
#10
I kill people with kindness who hate me. It makes them furious.
#11
Just go ahead and put a trash can in each room. Seriously. Lifesaver.
#12
I was trying to be more positive in general. So I began small, simply complementing every Ford Transit van I drive past. A dozen times a day I’d say to my self, “huh, nice Ford Transit”. I picked that car because of a Jeremy Clarkson Top Gear joke years ago. Since then I’ve found my self quicker to compliment others and finding more positivity in the mundane.
Image credits: Redrumjam
#13
If you always put your keys in the same place, you won’t lose them.
Image credits: SweetXBunny2001
#14
Some amount of blind confidence goes a long way. Having an “I’ll figure it out” attitude will get you really far.
#15
When someone you like or respect does something confusingly infuriating, imagine the most-favorable-to-them possible explanation, and pretend that's true. Wait until you know more before getting reflexively angry.
Image credits: CoconutAngelox
#16
We had an issue with wasps in our yard. My wife read something about wasps being deterred by fake nests and made some using brown paper bags. It seemed utterly comical that wasps would collectively look at a poorly contrived fake nest and think to themselves, “I don’t want any of that smoke with those wasps.”
This year there’s no wasps.
Image credits: suitupyo
#17
If you push a razor on the surface of a pair of jeans 10-15 times (opposite way you would use it to shave) it sharpens the blade and you can keep using it. You just have to run it under really hot water to sterilize and clean it after. I haven’t bought a replacement cartridge for my Mach 3 in months, and I shave my head 4-5 times a week.
Image credits: matthewrodier
#18
If you feel like you hate everybody, eat something. If you feel like everyone hates you, get some sleep.
Image credits: 5akul
#19
I used to get ingrown toenails over and over. Doc would remove and promise they wouldn’t come back, but they always did. Until I was at a family Xmas gathering and talking to a distant uncle I hadn’t seen in years. I was telling him my situation. He told me the clip a little “V” into the the center of my big toenail and I wouldn’t get anymore ingrowns.
It f****n worked. Tried it and haven’t had one for over 25 years.
My best guess on why it works is that the nail spends is growing energy on filling in the “V” instead of growing down into the side of my toes.
Hopefully a smartypants can tell me the actual reason it works.
#20
Done playing at the beach and ready to go home? Apply baby powder or corn starch to any sandy skin and it brushes off much easier! We keep a travel size baby powder in the trunk of the car for this purpose :).
Image credits: bristripp
#21
Playing sleep meditations ( michael sealey is a good one) a few times a week before I go to bed.
My inner voice went from critical to loving, I have confidence. I started college ( at 51). I started therapy, my house is clean and orderly.
I have some pretty brutal PTSD from a 30 year abusive marriage and it was an unbelievable game changer.
Image credits: ThatGirl_Tasha
#22
Putting a kitchen towel with a small squirt of dish soap and water in an oily container. Shake it for 30-45 seconds and comes out fresh and oil gone.
For a guy who’s worked in kitchen forever and an Asian upbringing, a life hack that totally rocked my jimmies and others when I show them.
#23
Once I got drunk and fell into my bathroom door ripping the hinges out. The next day a friend of mine recommended filling the holes with chopsticks and screw it back in and it worked.
Image credits: Pm_me_clown_pics3
#24
Dogs attacking the vacuum? Turn it off, put the vacuum in the middle of the room in front of the dogs, and scold the vacuum. Yell "NO. BAD. NO NO NO" while pointing. It really works.
cromulo:
We did the opposite. Ran the vacuum and called it a Good Boy and gave it treats. Dogs have no problem with it now.
Image credits: Weiner_Queefer_9000
#25
Leave the exhaust on for like 10mins after you are done showering. The mould build up reduces drastically.
Image credits: Jeffinj420
#26
In the morning while showering or getting dressed think about the things you are grateful for. It will help you start the day with a better mindset. No guarantee it will last, but it helps to start.
Image credits: anon
#27
Forgot to lock your car as you walked away?
Out of distance for the blipper to engage the lock button?
Hold it to the side of your head and click.
Your car will lock/unlock.
Image credits: cloudstrifeuk
#28
For college students:If you are in a big class, sit where the prof can see your face clearly. Look interested when they lecture, and respond when appropriate. Visit them during office hours. Be genuinely interested. This brings amazing benefits!
The prof is spending their time and energy trying to engage with their students, and in most cases, they get nothing back. It's exhausting and frustrating. By becoming known to them, and responding to their efforts, they will think of you when any perks become available. During college, I got to assist one professor in her lab, and became a TA in 4 courses. I got excused for a final, got a paid part time department job, and got a terrific internship.
Try this. It's worth your time. HTH.
#29
When you’re trying to remember someone’s name, think of a stupid mnemonic. Even if it doesn’t make sense. I once met a guy named Lance, and I remembered he was Lance with the pants, even though there was nothing remarkable about his pants.
Image credits: rnilbog
#30
Seeing happiness as a practice, rather than a destination.
#31
Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning will perk you up better than a strong cup of coffee.
#32
Don't shop for groceries when you're hungry. Plan your meals out as far as you can and buy them after a full meal.
#33
Bending your knees up using a little stool to support your feet while pooping. It has changed my life.
Image credits: CharmingAngellx
#34
When I park in a big garage, I make up an offensive mnemonic device to help me remember where I parked. 2A - two a*****e cats. 3B - three b****y sisters (but make them relevant to you.) Works every time.
Image credits: mikuooeeoo
#35
Having a craving a night for something to eat and your dieting, brush your teeth. Nothing really tastes great after brushing your teeth.
#36
I grill in my BBQ a lot for cooking and would have problems with the food sticking to my BBQ grates. My wife showed me a video of someone rubbing half of a potato on the grill before cooking, with the reason being that the potato starch would make the grates non-stick temporarily. I tried it and was shocked at how well it worked! Perfect grill marks every time with not a single piece of meat getting stuck to the grill. I do it every time I use the BBQ now.
Image credits: Overlord_756
#37
Eating cheetos with chop sticks to avoid orange fingers.
#38
Carry a wide laundry basket in your vehicle; put all your groceries in that, making bringing them inside a one-trip move.
Image credits: BraxPlays
#39
Turn your steering wheel 180 degrees after parking in the hot sun.
Image credits: mikey_1989
#40
Ditching all forward facing social media. My close friends stay in contact with me just the same and I don’t need to see acquaintances or influencers pretending to live perfect lives and/or their petty drama. I also scroll less and have more time to focus on my family.
#41
Using shaving cream to remove carpet stains. I thought it was a dumb Instagram video trick, but it actually works really well.
Image credits: AffectionatePen277
#42
In high school I willed myself to enjoy my least favorite vegetable, broccoli. I would focus on imagining the taste and the texture, at random moments during the day. Eventually I started craving it, and that never stopped. It has now been my favorite vegetable for decades.
#43
If you can’t stop hiccuping, take a tablespoon of vinegar like a shot. It does something to your diaphragm (NPR explained if you want to go deep), but it stops them instantly. I’ve never had it not work.
#44
Set up your morning the night before. Fill the kettle, put the cup out, etc. Takes a few mins but in the morning it feels like wow everything is so simple. You kinda forget you did it the night before and surprise yourself.
#45
I once heard that putting a wooden spoon over a pot of boiling water keeps it from boiling over, and to my surprise, it actually works! It seems so simple and silly, but it has saved me from countless messes in the kitchen.
#46
If you take medication daily and having trouble remembering if you took it? turn the bottle upside down after you take it then, as part of your nighttime routine, right side all of your medication bottles. (once you are taking multiple meds at different times of the day it'll be time to get a pill organizer and prep your meds).
#47
Making a (usually silly) memorable noise / motion when I lock the door / turn off the stove / close the window so I don't panic about if I did it or not later, because the act that goes alongside it is so memorable and I'll only do it when I've done that thing.
Image credits: anon
#48
Put your keys with any item you don't want to forget to take with you when leaving the house.
#49
Always eat a muffin upside down. Stops it falling apart, and you get that sweet top last.
Image credits: T2Drink
#50
Keeping only fruit as snacks next to my computer. When I'm sitting at my desk, and the closest thing is an apple, I'm usually too lazy to get up for anything less healthy.
#51
I tape recorded all my college lectures in undergrad and would then transpose them into a *master* notebook. I kept the notebooks and gave them to my kids in college, as many were still applicable to their course of study.
#52
To neutralize oils from hot peppers, use a liquid antacid, like Malox or Milk of Mag. I had handled hot peppers and my hands were on fire. So bad I thought I would have to go to the hospital. MOM worked instantly.
#53
Fitted sheets are a pain to get on but I remember seeing a hack for them. The tag always goes in the bottom right corner. (When you’re standing at the end of the bed.) It’s helped me a lot my fitted sheet never comes off anymore.
#54
Pouring hot water and using a toilet plunger to remove dents from a car.
Image credits: tisotokiki
#55
I once saw this hack where you use a hair straightener to iron shirt collars real quick. Thought it was dumb but gave it a shot before a job interview—worked like a charm, no wrinkles! Just don't burn yourself or set off the smoke alarm like I almost did.
#56
1) Everything in your house needs a home
2) whatever your hands touch, put it away, not down
3) you can literally buy cake whenever you feel like it. It doesn’t have to be an occasion or a birthday or anything.
#57
Hanging a tennis ball on a string from the garage ceiling. When it hits the windshield, that's where you park. This ensures the car is all the way in so you can close the garage door.
#58
For college, these were my three moving hacks, but can be applied to any situation where you have to move.
1. Use as few boxes as possible. Got suitcases? Use 'em. Duffle bags? Throw some shoes in there. Storage tubs? Great! I even used suit bags to carry clothes and stuffed animals at the same time.
2. Very simple, but just leave your things on the hanger, fold them, and shove them in a suitcase. Saves the trouble of taking them off and putting them on. Just remove from the suitcase and hang. I also saw a good hack elsewhere where you just wrap trash bags on your hanging clothes and tie it off at the top, leaving the hanger hooks poking out. Basically a quick and temporary suit bag. And if they don't rip, you can use them at your new place immediately or just have them around to collect any trash from moving.
3. Don't bother with bubble wrap or cardboard for fragile items. Keep them layered between soft things like towels and blankets instead. Prevents waste and saves space when packing.
#59
Waiting 1.5 to 2 hours before drinking any caffeine in the morning is way more effective than first thing.
It gives your body a chance to wake up on its own and actually gives the kick when you need it with less of a “caffeine crash”.
There is some actual science to it. Your body clears adenosine (what makes you feel tired) when sleeping but it takes some time to fully clear out the remainder after waking. Immediate caffeine doesn’t allow this clearance which leads to the crash later.
#60
Making the bed every morning.
#61
When you're trying to line a baking tray with baking paper, scrunch the paper into a tight ball first and you can spread it evenly across the tray and up the sides.
#62
Everyone knows just how many companies are attempting to use subscription service models. Well just about *every* company that does will give you a discount if you attempt to cancel your subscription.
Serious XM is $24/mo. when I went to cancel they lowered it to $6/mo for 1 year. HBO Max is $17/mo. Went to cancel they dropped it to $8/mo. Netflix $15.50/mo. Dropped down to $11/mo. Gym went from $30/mo down to $15/mo.
That's like $50/mo for me just for making a couple of phone calls. These are 'promotional' rates that they give you. They will automatically go back to your old rates after a certain amount of time. All you have to do is make a note in your phone letting you know that your promotional deal is about to be over and call again.
Image credits: Ilosesoothersmaywin
#63
If you’re looking for something in your house and can’t find it in the first place you look, once you find it, move its permanent home to the first place you looked.
Put a basket where the stuff already ends up. Paraphrased from Joanna Gaines.
Think about tasks as doing a kindness for your future self. From “How to Keep House While Drowning” by KC Davis.
#64
Taping bits of cardboard that overhang something you bash your shins on constantly.
The Training wheels of walking into s**t.
#65
If I have forgotten someone’s name (someone I might see at work occasionally or parties/gatherings) I’ll doublecheck with them “What is your name again?” And when they answer “John” or “Stewart” or whatever, I’ll say “oh I know you’re John, I meant your last name?”
It works pretty well. They then tell me their last name but now I’m again reminded of their first name. Unless they have a bad memory, this works good once, *maybe* twice.
Image credits: IntoTheVeryFires
#66
Stop eating sugar, watch the sopranos on a treadmill going 3.6-4.0 (fast walk) for 60-90 minutes a day, lose 15-20 pounds a month and more if you're over like 240, 250.
It's not even tiring and you just end up at like down 40-50 pounds after 3 months.
You're welcome.
#67
A positive mindset.
Visualizing my future life (even if it's just the day ahead).
Expressing gratitude (in action or words/journaling, to someone or to myself)
Believing in abundance.
Believing things will happen at the right time.
Bonus: being aware of what energy I bring into a room when entering it.
It has really helped with anxiety and limiting beliefs. It's a daily investment. Like going to a mental gym for my mental health.
#68
My partner recently found this video on insta or something where you take a duvet cover, lay that out on the bed, then lay the duvet on top, tuck in the two corners, roll it all up together, do a little flippy thing,
and unroll, and you basically have a perfectly tucked in duvet. We just did it this weekend, and we're still mystified.
Up until then we used the "ghost" method, meaning someone stands there with an inside out duvet cover over their head and their hands at the corners. The other person hands them two corners of the duvet through the cover and they then hold on as the other person un-ghostifies them. Kinda fun but not quite as easy.
#69
A friend of mine came over and we made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He used the knife in the peanut butter first, then wiped it on the clean slice of bread to clean it before spreading the jelly next.
I had spent my whole life trying to clean the knife using the top of the peanut butter container and being constantly frustrated because if there was any peanut butter on it, I didn't want it in the jelly jar, and would use a second knife.
#70
Put the cutlery in the dishwasher in the same sections. Eg all forks in one section, all knives in another. When you unload the dishwasher you just transfer the cutlery in one handful at a time instead of pulling them out one by one.
#71
Putting a wine bottle in a shoe (bottom side in the shoe) and hitting it on the ground to push the cork out. We don't drink wine often and could not find our corkscrew anywhere. My husband Googled how to remove a cork without a corkscrew, and one of the suggestions was this shoe method. We were extremely skeptical, but had nothing to lose. It actually worked!
#72
Tie the ends of your floss together so it’s a loop. It’s way easier to hold onto and maneuver vs just winding around your fingers.
#73
If you burn yourself on the iron, for example, never run the area under the cold tap as per the normal approach. This instantly causes a blister, pain, and obvious discomfort.
If you immediately smear the affected area with aquafresh toothpaste and leave it for 10 - 20 seconds before you touch it, you will feel no pain, no blister, and no mark on the skin.
I used to carry a small tube permanently in my daughters changing bag when she was young, just in case.
When I was shown this, I was in the company of a chap who developed anti rejection d***s for transplant recipients, and he had absolutely no idea why it worked, but it does ?.
#74
Using foil and diet coke to remove surface rust on a motorcycle. I was pretty amazed.
#75
Having trouble opening a jar of pickles? Position the tip of a non plastic spoon in between the lid & side of the jar & gently apply pressure until lid opens. Definitely works. No more running hot water!
#76
Keeping your knees below your hips when sitting down makes sitting up straight feel natural.
#77
Kitchen Trash and bugs?
* Spray some kitchen cleaner in your trash can anytime you are dumping fruits in your trash. especially in the summer when gnats, flies, etc is an issue.
Any time i cut up whole fruit like watermelon, pineapple, melons, etc, i spray the fruit shell with cleaner while in the trash. This has help to reduce the chances of gnats/ flies seeking it for food and laying eggs.
#78
Kind of like 'fake it til you make it' - If you see a job at a place that sounds great but you know you're probably lacking enough experience for, apply anyway! Many places have multiple recruitment processes running at the same time but advertise the more senior roles first. You'll be competing with fewer people and get ahead of the pack.
If they like the sound of you, they'll reach out and see if you're interested in other roles with them. Plus, the pressure is off so you'll probably write a better application and be more natural in the interview since you have nothing to lose.
That's how I got my first high paying job. I landed an interview, knowing an existing staff member was in line for the role. To my surprise, they were impressed and offered me an entry-level role in an upcoming project that hadn't been advertised.
Many folk, especially women, sell themselves too short. The energy you'll put in to something that excites you will get across to the employer and you only need to get lucky once.
#79
Strain cereal with a colander to get the crushed parts from the bottom of the bag, no more funked up milk. Genius!
#80
Noxema on a sun burn cools it down.
Aqua fresh toothpaste will pull a stinger out if you get stung by a bee.
For Women, use hair conditioner instead of shaving cream on your legs.
Baby powder will keep ants out.
#81
Paid honestdoor $500 to advertise my property and someone actually bought my place. I paid for the buyer’s realtor but saved myself about $9k in realtor fees.
#82
Inside of a banana peel...rub it on poison ivy. After the 2nd or 3rd application, the itchiness dies off and it will heal quicker. Works unbelievably well.
