Alex Buscemi
Life hacks are the small tips and tricks that make you wonder how you ever got by without them.
Reddit user u/TuffTombas asked people to share the hacks they wish they had discovered sooner—those clever shortcuts and problem-solving gems that have made their lives just a little easier.
From unexpected uses for everyday items to strategies for staying organized or getting through a busy day, these ideas are surprisingly practical and sometimes hilariously relatable.
Whether you’re looking for new ways to simplify your routine or just enjoy hearing how others have figured out life’s quirks, this collection is full of ideas worth keeping in mind.
1.
I always say that half-a*sed is better than no-a*sed. Doing a part of a chore, half the dishes, some of the laundry, cleaning part of the bathroom, vacuuming 1 room, is better than letting the mess build up until it’s overwhelming.
2.
When I wash my windows, I wash the outside horizontal and the inside vertical. This way I can easily tell if the streaks are on the inside or out. Huge timesaver.
3.
Read the f*****g manual.
4.
Doing a closing shift before going to bed. Put everything in its place from the shelves/tables, take out the garbage and turn on the dishwasher – every evening. I’m not a morning person, but getting up and everything is tidy makes a completely different start to the day.
5.
The no empty hands rule. There is always something that can be put away. Going upstairs, take something that goes there. Helps keep the clutter from building up in the usual spots aka any flat surface.
6.
If you’re asking someone to do something for you or give something to you, give them a reason why you want/need it. It can literally be *any* reason. The chances of them agreeing increase significantly if you attach a reason. It’s just something that clicks in people’s brains.
7.
I write my grocery store list in the order I walk through the store. Keeps me organized and I don’t have to walk all over the store.
8.
90%+ of what I know how to do DIY is learned from YouTube. There is *so much* good free content out there. A basic set of tools and some time has saved me enough money over the years that it became the down payment for a house. Plus, I just like learning how to do things and get a sense of satisfaction from completing something challenging/new and knowing I was able to fix it.
9.
Adding the word “reddit” at the end of every question I search on Google. There’s always a person that asked that question 7 years before me.
10.
Use a vegetable peeler to shave off thin bits of hard cold butter that will spread on bread/toast much easier.
11.
When I need to remember something, I put something out of place and tie it to the memory. Like if I need to remember to bring something to work but I’m about to fall asleep, I’ll put my water bottle on top of my phone, and when I wake up I notice it and wonder why it’s like that, then I remember the thing.
12.
Vinegar and Dawn soap will clean pretty much everything in your house. Everything.
13.
Every time I get up off the couch or toilet, I do a full, deep squat. It’s the lazy man’s way to keep your legs strong. It doesn’t even feel like I do 20-25 squats a day.
14.
I can’t remember exactly where online, but I saw a video about a year ago saying have your condiments and sauces in your veggie drawer in the fridge and have your veggies in sight in the door and shelves. You’ll always use the condiments no matter what, so them being out of sight doesn’t matter. Been a good hack for my partner and me who are neurospicy.
15.
A former GF called me unexpectedly a few months after we mutually broke up. She knew I was a freelance IT guy with lots of spare parts and asked me if I had an extra power supply for her laptop. I painted her initials on the unit with correction fluid, turned it into the Lost and Found at a major rail transit hub, and pretended I found it. She picked it up a day or two after I dropped it off.
16.
If you drill a hole in the wall that turns out to be too big, or if a wall plug has come loose, snap the red bit off of a couple of matchsticks, throw those away, and put the remaining wooden bit in the hole before reinserting the wall plug and screw the item back in.
17.
I book flights, cars, and hotels by searching with the big aggregate sites to find the deals, then contact the firms directly to make the booking. The price is frequently the same and sometimes lower, but it makes it a lot easier to fix if something goes wrong.
18.
Studying actually helps to improve mental health.
19.
This is an old but loved one: you can clean rust off metal with Coca-Cola, the oldest mechanic’s trick in the book.
20.
I have a real problem with putting my washing away once it’s dried. So I shove it all into the “clean” basket and then later when I’m looking to put clothes on, instead of digging around the basket for the clothes I want to wear, I put away as many clothes as I can until I find what I want to wear.
21.
I once read that putting a rubber band around a jar lid makes it easier to open. Tried it on a stubborn jar of pickles, and it worked so well, I felt like a superhero.
22.
Sniffing an alcohol swab will help cure nausea most of the time.
23.
Clean your house before leaving on vacation so you can come home to a welcoming and clean house with no chores to follow up on.
24.
When parking in a big ramp (mall, airport, parking garage), take a quick photo of a sign that reminds you of the location.
25.
After taking a shower, I initially dry myself using hands. Just run your hands along your body to get rid of excess water. Especially good when you have a hairy body.
26.
I’ve weaponized my procrastination. If I have 5 things on my to-do list, I’ll procrastinate on the first or second item by doing another item on the list. I’m not getting the first thing done, but I’m still progressing.
27.
Hair conditioner works very well as a shaving cream. Smells better, too, usually.
28.
Always check out resale shops and thrift stores in nicer cities and towns. They always have the good stuff.
29.
I squeegee my shower walls, door, and floor after every shower. It takes less than 2 minutes while I’m drip drying and keeps my shower much, much cleaner.
30.
Using a tortilla as a plate so I can just eat the mess after. Work smarter, not harder.
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