“Can’t Believe Other People Don’t Know This”: 50 Life Hacks That Deserve To Be Common Knowledge

When in public, you can watch videos and listen to music easily by using a simple device called "headphones".

Minding your own business really does reduce stress.

My wife and I like to get takeout once a week or so and if the food is good I like to call the restaurant and say, “Hi, my name is XXX and we just picked up an order of XXX for takeout.” (Insert short pause - you can hear the tension build on the restaurant end expecting a complaint). “I just wanted you to know that was one of the best meals we’ve eaten in a long time. Please thank the chef and everyone working back of house for us.”

I don’t know if restaurants have a secret code or some way of identifying customers but we always seem to have better interactions with them on future orders, but most importantly it lets the BOH know that we really do appreciate their hard work.

When ordering something online I will add it to my cart and then let it sit for a couple days. Many times ive been sent the "You forgot something" email and a promo code for a % off.

When purchasing citrus fruit, select the heavy ones. They are more likely to be fresh and juicy than the lighter ones (assuming the same variety and similar size).

On BMWs, there is this lever on the left side of the steering wheel that gives an indication if you want to turn left or right.

When buying bagged salad, buy the bags that aren't puffed up. Look for the flattest bags. They are the freshest ones. When the salad starts to go bad, it makes the bag inflate.

Dental tablets - like the ones that dissolve to clean dentures - clean out water bottles incredibly well. Can be super lightweight to carry while camping/hiking/traveling too. Put all my friends onto this hack!

"Do you want to vent or do you want advice?"

Varrrow:

My wife and I use the phrase "Do you want a sword or a blanket?" quite often.

Judging by the number of people who pull up on my bumper at every light, apparently a lot of people don’t know this:

You should pull up to the point where you can still see the bottom of the tires of the car in front of you. That gives you enough space to pull into another lane and get out of there. You never know when traffic in front of you is going to stop dead. There might be an accident, a stopped train, or some other issue. Make sure you can leave without problems.

When you buy a house or rent a new apartment, get a new gmail account for its address. Then send anything house- or apartment-related to that one email so when it is time to leave or sell, you have a history of everything done or spent on.

HR is not your friend. They are hired to protect the company not you. Anonymous surveys at work are also not Anonymous. The creator of the survey has access to who wrote what. You’re welcome.

Hydrogen peroxide to clean blood off all fabrics. No, it doesn’t bleach the fabric. Yes, it’s near instant and 1000% total - no scrubbing. Just saturate, wait a few, and rinse. Do it a few times if the blood is old. 

It ALWAYS works.

Hair conditioner works better than most shaving creams for shaving and it's a lot cheaper too.

Individual-Crazy3752:

That is 100% true. Went through hundreds of razor burns in sensitive areas and one day discovered that hair conditioner softens thick short hairs perfectly- smooth skin, much better than any overpriced shaving product.

When showing people pictures on your phone, zoom in slightly so they can't swipe to another picture on your camera roll.

As a dental hygienist: anything is always better than nothing.

You do not have to brush and floss at the same time. Just at some point during the day preferred.

Don't like string floss? Try the picks. Keep them in the shower, in the car, on your nightstand, on the couch.

Don't like floss period? Try a waterpik (the brand is waterpik, they make water flossers. I always recommend waterpik because they are the brand with the research to back them).

Hand held models are good for travel or if they are rechargeable, take into the shower (just fill the tank twice). I prefer models that sit on the counter because they have better pressure control and a larger tank (just fill once).

Other options are toothpicks, proxy brushes/soft picks, rubber tip stimulators. Anything to disrupt plaque and stimulate the gums.

Anything is ALWAYS better than nothing. A s****y brush is better than no brush. Flossing once a week is better than none a week. 👍🏼 And always always just do the best you can.

People who work on windows computers. Hit the windows key and V at the same time.

Instead of pasting, it opens up your entire clipboard. Once you enable it it will save a history of what you copy and you can pick and choose.


Enjoy.

Admitting when you're wrong goes a lot farther than denying.

Not really a hack, but library branches often have digital libraries where you can view pretty recent movies and tv shows for free from the comfort of your home or wherever.

Accessing will vary one one branch to another. It's either via a specific website/app unique to the branch. But some branches work with the Hoopla app offering the same access.

Though note you may need an active library card to access the digital library.

Politely asking for things. People just seem to assume or default to terrible service or the inability for things to happen for them. If you approach it nicely with respect and ask for what you want etc many times it's not that big of a deal to get it done.

I've gotten VIP upgrades for concerts, free food, complimentary airport lounge passes, reservations at hard to get places, bill concessions.

It's amazing how rudely most people in a forward facing role are treated. If you approach them and treat them with dignity and respect, often times they will happily extend a courtesy to you. They are people and if they're the right person, they can often bend the rules in a way that you wouldn't have ever gotten had you not asked in the first place.

This also works with friends, family, partners, etc.