“Wait, People Don’t Do This?”: 30 Folks Share Their Most Surprisingly Useful Life Hacks

Some life hacks are so simple and so genius that once you hear them, you’re left wondering how you ever survived without them. And according to Reddit, there’s an entire universe of these “real-life cheat codes” people swear by, the tiny tricks that make everyday routines smoother, smarter and a whole lot easier.

Pulled from threads like “What are some real life cheat codes?” and “What’s your ‘I can’t believe other people don’t do this’ hack?”, this list of clever ideas is packed with the kind of wisdom you wish someone had told you years ago. From productivity boosts to small lifestyle upgrades that feel almost magical, these hacks might just change the way you move through your day.

#1

Image source: Bushdr78, Wallace Chuck/Pexels If you're depressed and struggling with getting a grip on life in general. Start small like clean out a drawer or clear a small area and then the next day do something else and eventually you'll notice that you're able to manage the bigger tasks because the small ones are already done.

#2

Image source: hiddenkobolds, Anna Tarazevich/Pexels Keep a running note of gift ideas for your loved ones, year round. When holidays, birthdays, etc. roll around, it's a lifesaver. Keep another note of TV shows, movies, books, music, games, whatever else you want to get to when you have time, and where to find them (if applicable). The next time you have spare time and can't think of what to watch/read/do, go to your list. Put days that matter to your loved ones in your calendar. Not just birthdays and stuff like that-- anniversaries of loved one's passings. Sober birthdays. Milestones. Make a point of reaching out on those days.

#3

Image source: According_Pay_6563, Karola G/Pexels Invest in multiple phone chargers. I have one by my bed, in the living room, my home office, and my car. **None of them are ever to be moved**. The lone exception is the fifth charger that I keep in my travel bag, along with a power bank. Haven't seen my battery go below 20% in years.

#4

Image source: TheRancidOne, Miriam Alonso/Pexels Prepare for your morning the night before. Whether it is for your usual morning routine, or a one-off event, lay out everything you will need before retiring to bed so you barely need to think in the morning. Not only is it more relaxing your mind will have the time to think of other small details you may have forgotten.

#5

Image source: bryantlking7, Karola G/Pexels I always put my keys in the exact same pocket or spot at home. I haven’t lost keys in years. My past self used to be a clown. My current self is a responsible adult.

#6

Image source: Maleficent_Height_49, Pixabay/Pexels Pay attention to price per gram at the supermarket.

#7

Image source: AwFuzzyFace, cottonbro studio/Pexels Skip the “placebo” week of birth control and start a new pack. It’s perfectly safe and I haven’t had a period in three years.

#8

Image source: JoelPetey, Suzy Hazelwood/Pexels If I'm invited to a Christmas party where I have gifts for some friends, I wrap 2 boxes of chocolates and attach a blank name tag so that if I receive a gift from someone unexpectedly, I can quickly scribble their name and it looks like I had a gift for them the whole time. If I don't have to deploy the tactical choc, then I have a nice treat for January.

#9

Image source: Tmon_of_QonoS, Denny Müller/Unsplash Use Firefox with ad block. like how do you all stand YouTube with all the ads.

#10

Image source: wabudo, Vlada Karpovich/Pexels When you buy a thing that has warranty take a picture of the receipt with your phone. Then store the picture in a dedicated warranty folder. Lastly rename the receipt YYYY-MM-DD ITEMNAME where the date is the expiration date of the warranty. Now you have all your warranties easily accessible and you can sort them by date.

#11

Image source: ParticularSyrup5760, Ruben Boekeloo/Pexels Windows + V for clipboard history. I showed a coworker this last week and he looked at me like I invented fire.

#12

Image source: Ok-Brick-5206, Lisa from Pexels/Pexels Telling my toddler that tv show characters go on vacation so we can take a break from watching them.

#13

I have a routine. Routines are simple, yet powerful. They take stress, anxiety, and guess work out of your life. Routines are my biggest hack. Here are other hacks that I use for my weekly cleaning routine (and these all make me wonder why doesn’t everyone use them): - set timers. They keep you efficient, and prevent you from over exerting yourself. Once the timer is done, take a break. - laundry day is bathroom cleaning day. If you’re already washing everything in there, it’s easy to clean the bathroom while towels, loofahs, and bath mats are in the laundry. - your don’t need several sets of sheets. Just strip the bed on laundry day, wash the bed clothes, remake the bed. You don’t have to fold fitted sheets if they’re already in use. Keeping a backup set is a good plan, but there’s no point to more than that imo. - Wash your shower loofahs with your towels. - last load of laundry on laundry day is white bar mops (we use these as kitchen towels). Use chlorine bleach in the load with an auto soak and an extra rinse. When you put the load in the dryer, leave the washer open to air dry. Once a week bleaching will ensure you don’t get musty odors or mildew. - I keep a dish scrub brush in the shower. The kind that you can fill with soap. I fill it with a combo of dish detergent and white vinegar. I also keep a small, plastic cup in the shower, too.  I can dispense cleaner from the brush, scrub my shower, then rinse with the cup. I do it while I deep condition my hair. — finally, anything worth doing is worth half assing. It’s better to get part of a task done than not getting it done at all. You’ll be in a better mood after, and it’s cleaner than it was before you did that chore in the most mediocre way possible. I’m disabled, so doing chores has to be broken down into smaller bites so things will get done without me hurting myself (inadvertently), getting too exhausted, or burning out and not doing anything. Image source: baconbitsy

#14

For my everyday wear, I bought a couple of multi-packs each of identical gray & black socks so I don't have to spend time matching them up. When one gets a hole, I can toss it & still have a mate. Image source: GetOffMyLawnYaPunk

#15

Image source: TomJDogHouse, RDNE Stock project/Pexels Do not make a big deal of anything that accidently spills or breaks in your house. Example: Spilling water at the dinner table. The calm reaction eliminates the usual stress episode. It's a great approach with kids.

#16

Image source: At_the_Roundhouse, AS Photography/Pexels When planning a trip, create a list in Google Maps and add everything you might want to do (after researching on Reddit, TripAdvisor, Atlas Obscura, etc.) It’ll allow you to see a bird’s eye visual of what’s near each other so you can group things and have an easier time planning your days.

#17

Image source: -Ramblin-Man-, NEOSiAM 2024+/Pexels Microwave full ears of corn, husk on. 3:30-4 mins. It steams itself in the husk. Then cut the base/stem off (with about the first little bit of corn closest to the base), pick it up by the top/silk, and the whole cob falls right out. All the silk stays with the husk. Corn is more snappy than boiled. Not mushy at all. And you don't have to mess with de-husking, or waiting forever for a huge pot of water to boil. The first time you cut it right and the ear drops out of the husk is pretty satisfying :-).

#18

Image source: Far_Instance_4141, Mica Asato/Pexels Hang washing on hangers. Eliminates most of the ironing and no pegs marks. Then just steam any clothes that need it on the hanger. So efficient.

#19

When you're threading a bolt, turn it anti-clockwise until you feel it drop into the start of the thread. Then you can tighten it, clockwise. Helps avoid cross-threading. Image source: nostril_spiders

#20

Image source: WorriedProfession177, RDNE Stock project/Pexels When I’m stressed, I ask myself: ‘Will this matter in 5 years?’ 90% of the time the answer is no.

#21

I saw a movie where a woman was mad because the man forgot to buy a present but he had it stashed in a closet. It was weird but what I took from it was that you could buy presents in advance and have them ready for the next occasion. If you find something better you can save the banked present but you always have something in case you forget or don't have time. Image source: wandrngfool

#22

Ctrl + Backspace deletes word by word. So friggin efficient. Image source: ALexGOREgeous

#23

Image source: indieauthor13, Mike/Pexels If something can be done in less than five minutes, do it right away or if it takes longer, set a timer for 5-10 minutes and just start. I apply this mostly to cleaning because I don't like doing dishes or sweeping the kitchen floor lol.

#24

Image source: gogojack, Karola G/Pexels Pay your bills when they arrive, not when they're due. When you get that notification that your (fill in the blank) bill will be due in a couple few weeks, pay it right then and there. Don't put it off. Once you get into the habit, it becomes easy, and while it doesn't save you any money up front, shifting your bill paying a few weeks ahead can pay off. If you're ahead on your bills and some emergency pops up - like a car repair - you don't have to choose whether to pay for that repair or your electric bill. You'll have a couple weeks worth of cushion to stave off paying a late fee. Creditors love late fees. Don't give them the satisfaction.

#25

Image source: FranklyFrigid4011, Foodie Factor/Pexels Eat at least 30g of fiber every day. High fiber foods I keep in my daily rotation: raspberries, kiwi, apples, sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, whole wheat bread, whole grains (oats, farro, brown/wild rice, barley, amaranth, teff, etc), legumes (chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, mung beans, soybeans, lentils, etc), chia seeds, flax seeds. I average ~60g of fiber a day! edit: Ditch the expensive fiber supplements and get your fiber in a neat package with phytonutrients and micronutrients.

#26

Image source: Prize-Flamingo-336, cottonbro studio/Pexels Do a bit at a time. You walking to the kitchen? Take the things that need to go to the kitchen with you? You need to pick up? Every time you are in the room, pick as much as you can and do more next time.

#27

There is nothing wrong with pre-cut, pre-made, or pre-packaged food. It can make a huge difference in your eating habits. I was in a pretty bad place for the past year and would survive on one grilled cheese sandwich a day. Pre-boiled rice together with pre-cut vegetables and fruits helped me to get back to healthy nutrition. I need it less these days, but I'm incredibly thankful that they were there for me. Image source: sprankelend

#28

I keep multiple bank acounts (one for me, one for pet vet bills, one for large house repairs, one for general-emergency-unexpected-expenses, etc) and have my stuff set to automatically pull money into the accounts for specific things on the fifth of the month. (I'm paid on the first of the month.) Most of the time, I deliberately forget I have any other bank accounts, and the only time I find out how much money is in them is when I need them. It would not work if I didn't make a reasonable amount of money. But I've been doing it since I was twenty, and it means that when the water heater suddenly dies or one of my cats gets sick or I need a new roof, I'm not left scrambling and trying to figure out how to pay for it because I've ALREADY been working on paying for it for months, sometimes years, before it happened. Image source: cattheotherwhitemeat

#29

Cook a turkey upside down, makes the white meat delicious!!! Image source: greenbitch69

#30

Image source: blind-bambi, Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels Create a linen pack - I fold up the matching flat sheet, fitted sheet, doona cover / duvet cover / quilt cover and one pillow case into a bundle and put it all inside the other matching pillow case. It’s easier to store and to grab everything you need for changing the bed.