25 Cheat Codes That Make Everyday Life Better, According To People

Life can be tougher than it needs to be if you don’t take advantage of handy life hacks. Nobody can make you remember or implement them, but giving a few a try could be a game-changer—your future self might just thank you. Recently, Redditors responded to the question, “What’s the best ‘life hack’ you’ve learned completely by accident?” by sharing tips that genuinely improved their lives. These tried-and-tested hacks became everyday habits after being discovered purely by chance, and who knows, it may even work for you.

#1

Image source: bigbagofbaldbabies, Ivan Oboleninov/Pexels Repeating the same gibberish word over and over in your head will help you fall asleep. This is transcendental meditation. You're not meant to fall asleep, but I found that I certainly do. I now use it not to meditate, but to quickly get to sleep.

#2

Image source: beautybeastx68, Aren Nagulyan/Pexels Check the card reader of the ATM. If someone's installed a skimmer, it would usually come off in your hand when moved.

#3

Image source: Ditkokirby2020, Leah Newhouse/Pexels I feel much better about my life when I avoid social media.

#4

Image source: opelemmescoochbyya, Mikhail Nilov/Pexels If you need to get something away from a toddler, just hold your hand out and say thank you. I think it tricks them into thinking they’re being helpful?

#5

Image source: Killybug, RDNE Stock project/Pexels If you are intending to read a storybook to a child or a group of children and you want them to focus on the book, begin by holding the book upside down and they will correct you, but turn the book 90% degrees clockwise and they’ll find it hilarious. Keep making this mistake a few more times before eventually getting it right. Then say if I make this mistake the children should shout “insert funny phrase”. They’ll pay attention to the story in order to catch you out later. (Of course some children it won’t work with but it does with a majority.)

#6

Image source: theduckopera, Dương Nhân/Pexels Treat your house like a desire path. If you find yourself always dumping your shoes in a certain place, put the shoe rack there, not where you think it makes sense. Let your environment mirror what you do naturally and it'll be way easier to keep it cleen.

#7

Image source: anon, Abdulgafur Ögel/Pexels Using an opened pistachio shell as a key for the tough to open pistachios.

#8

Image source: wwmjd73, cottonbro studio/Pexels My maintenance guy took the front off my washer/dryer. At the bottom were about 20 mismatched socks. Apparently there is a small crack between the top of the washer and the tub area, where if you are just throwing in clothes, etc- socks can go through that crack. They end up in the bottom internally that you don’t see. Not noticeable unless you knew about it. Solved my missing sock problem. Use a bag now or watch for the crack.

#9

Image source: Longjumping-Salad484, Abby Chung/Pexels Walk around any neighborhood at night gently saying "here kitty, kitty, kitty"...they appear out of the shadows.

#10

Image source: Emergency-Nebula5005, Greta Hoffman/Pexels My wellies got rainwater in them, but I really needed to wear them again. So I used plastic bags to line them. The plastic also made the wellies easier to slip on and off + added bonus, gave an extra layer of insulation. So if your wellies are a bit tough to get on and off, slip a plastic bag over your feet. Also, warm + cosy toesies:) .

#11

Image source: cantorgreen, Andrew Neel/Pexels If you pour your creamer into your mug first, and then pour your coffee, you don’t need to stir it with a spoon.

#12

If you have something you're putting off (like doing dishes or writing a report), just promise yourself you'll only do it for five minutes. Most of the time, once those five minutes are up, you've already broken the inertia and you end up finishing the whole thing or making serious progress**.**. Image source: StateMountain2766

#13

When you want to move in to a new home, stalk the neighborhood, try to make conversation with some people. A bad neighbour can ruin all peace and comfort. Image source: darkbellum

#14

Image source: Future_Usual_8698, Kaboompics.com/Pexels Being LIKED at work is more valuable than being RIGHT at work.

#15

Maxing out 401k early....your future self will thank you! Image source: Prize_Proof5332

#16

Image source: Drachen1065, Kampus Production/Pexels Ear plugs for sleeping if you live somewhere noisy or near a main road. I'd get tired with my noise canceling headphones on but taking them off let the noises wake me back up. Got some ear plugs from work and tried them out. They even have different noise reduction levels available. I can still hear my alarm with them in.

#17

Image source: CottonCandyEyesIm18, cottonbro studio/Pexels Putting a wet paper towel around warm beer and sticking it in the freezer, it will be cold in like 10-15 minutes.

#18

Put your single socks in the dirty laundry, no matter what. The other will turn up eventually. I haven’t lost a sock in years. Image source: st_malachy

#19

Image source: n0th1ng_r3al, Kaboompics.com/Pexels If you setup an account like Stash, Acorns or Onepay and set them to take a percentage automatically out of your paycheck every 2 weeks or whenever you won’t notice it and can build up savings faster.

#20

When you're drilling holes in your walls to mount things but don't want to make a mess, grab a roll of the widest blue painter's tape you can find and rip off a decently long piece. Stick it to the wall, vertically, right under where you're drilling, but leave the top unstuck and hanging underneath like a little tongue/shelf. Dust and shavings get stuck to the adhesive, and then you can just pull a little more off the wall and seal it by folding it. Then move onto the next hole until you run out of tape. Image source: ImALlamaAgain

#21

Clean as you go. Always. No excuses. Image source: QuokkaNerd

#22

Image source: Hooligans_, Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels If you stand on your heels while brushing your teeth/tongue it suppresses your gag reflex.

#23

Image source: TimedDelivery, Norma Mortenson/Pexels You want to take a photo of a group of children all looking at the same time with nice, genuine smiles? Say “don’t look at my camera! Uh oh I think you’re going to look! Don’t do it!” etc. Kids all look at the camera while laughing, great photos achieved.

#24

Image source: Zeruvi, Yaroslav Shuraev/Pexels Am very light sensitive so I'm often squinting and shielding my eyes from regular light sources. But in darkness if you close your eyes and reopen them you'll force your eyes to refocus and will usually immediately have better night vision. Found this out when I used to read during sunset. I'd just keep closing my eyes and reopening them until my mum found me reading in the dark hours later. Tbh not sure if this is a normal thing or I made myself this way by doing it as a kid.

#25

Just hang wrinkly clothes in the bathroom while you shower so the steam will do the work. Image source: Lingering_around