Who doesn’t love a good life hack? Life hacks are simple tricks, skills or shortcuts that can
increase productivity and efficiency in all areas of your life. Life can be expensive,
stressful, time consuming and even dangerous, but we’ve got
you covered with this ultimate collection of 50 insane life hacks that will save you time,
save you money, save you frustration, and maybe even save your life!
50. In the digital age, our technology is the ultimate time suck. Rather than constantly
monitoring your emails and phone for alerts, which sucks up your time and attention, try
batching your electronic communications instead. Aim to check your email only 3 times per day. To
accomplish this, use your email’s auto-filter features to immediately move marketing emails
to a separate folder and keep your main inbox clean. Set auto-replies to let those contacting
you know that you’ve received their message and to set expectations for when they can expect you
to reply. You can use the same strategy with your phone - turn off notifications during set times,
and reply to messages and calls in batches to avoid the constant pull of the pings and dings.
49. To keep yourself focused on important tasks, remove the temptation of distractions.
Try putting your phone in another room or, if that doesn’t work,
consider locking it away in a lock box with a timer. Use blocking software to keep you
off distracting websites while working, and turn off notifications or use the
Do Not Disturb mode on your phone to avoid interruptions. Try the pomodoro technique
to keep yourself focused for short periods and reward yourself with regular breaks.
48. Our time may be limited, but there are plenty of small bubbles of time throughout
the day that often go to waste. Instead, try the 2 minute rule - if something will take you less
than 2 minutes to do, do it right away. The time and mental energy required to plan, schedule and
remember to do the task later can add another 5 minutes to a simple task that could be done
in 2 minutes right now, and it's also a great way to make use of those small pockets of free time.
47. One of the best ways to save time and get more done is to build on your momentum.
Practicing the plus 1 rule will help you get more done in less time. Every time you’re completing a
task, tack on an extra one at the end that will take only a few minutes to complete.
You’ll get a few minutes of your time back, and bask in a 2-for-1 sense of accomplishment.
46. Getting out the door on time in the morning can be a big challenge. A fun way to start your
day off on the right foot is the 4 song morning routine. Cue up 4 of your favorite jams, and sync
your morning routine to this pump-up playlist. During the first song, start your shower and brush
and floss your teeth while the water heats up. Spend the second song in the shower - singalongs
optional - and then get dressed during the third song. The fourth song will give you time
to accessorize, pack your things and be ready to head out the door by the time the song ends.
Voila! A fun and focused morning routine to start your day in the right mood.
45. Did you know that your dishwasher can do more than just wash dishes?
Save time on frustrating cleaning tasks by using your dishwasher to clean everything from rubber
flip flops and canvas shoes, to plastic toys and utensils, to fridge shelves and toaster oven
racks. You can even wash your makeup brushes, combs and showerheads in the dishwasher. Plus,
you can spend the time that it takes for the cycle to run on something much more fun than cleaning.
44. Eating well can be a huge timesuck. Between making lists, shopping, prepping and cooking,
it’s no wonder so many of us opt for take-out more than we should. To streamline a healthy diet and
save time on shopping and prepping, try setting up regular auto-deliveries of staple items like rice,
pasta and household items like toilet paper. There are even countless companies that will
deliver fully prepped meal kits right to your door to take all of the planning out of healthy eating.
43. Another great way to save time on eating well is to batch prep your meals for the weak.
Spending an hour or 2 on Sundays making a week’s worth of smoothies for breakfast,
pre-making salads for lunch and cooking a big pot of rice to add to your dinners
will save you hours during the week, eliminate food decision fatigue
and help you avoid wasting time on last-minute trips to the grocery store.
42. Your freezer can be your best friend when it comes to saving time on cooking and eating well.
Keep your freezer stocked with frozen produce, or freeze your extra produce to avoid food waste
and minimize trips to the store for fresh foods every few days. By making extra large
batches of your favorite meals, you’ll always have extras to keep in the freezer for those
inevitable days when even deciding what to eat seems like an impossible task.
41. Ready for the ultimate time-saving hack? This one will truly change your life and give you back
hours of your precious time. The best way to save time is to learn to say
no. This simple and powerful word will drastically reduce the amount of time you spend on things
that aren’t really important to you, and help you avoid getting burnt out by an overpacked schedule
and a never-ending to-do list. Saying no can be hard, especially if people
have been used to you always saying yes to everything, but it’s worth the discomfort to
gain more energy and time for the things - and the people - that really matter to you.
40. One way to reduce your grocery bill is to eat less meat.
Not only is it less expensive, but it’s also better for the environment,
and better for your health. You don’t have to go full-out vegetarian to benefit - even
adding one meatless meal each week can save you hundreds of dollars a year.
39. Another great way to cut down your grocery spending is to avoid buying things you don’t need.
Making a list before you set out to do the shopping can help you avoid impulse buying,
and snapping a picture of the inside of your fridge and cupboards before you head
to the grocery store will ensure that you never again forget an important ingredient,
or buy something you already have at home.
38. If you want to avoid spending your hard-earned cash, there is a simple
solution - carry more of it. Credit and debit cards make it easier to spend money mindlessly,
but carrying cold hard cash on you - especially larger bills - can make you
think twice before parting with your money. Who wants to break a 50 for a 2 dollar coffee?
Using cash can help keep you on budget, since you’ll know immediately when you’re running low.
37. We all have our favorite brands, but what you might not know is that many, if not most,
store brands are just as good as their name brand counterparts, and they come at a huge cost
savings to boot. Try out some store brands of your favorite foods, personal items and even clothes,
and see if any of them hold up to your brand name favorites. If they do, keep buying the
cheaper version; if not, no worries - enjoy your brand-name favorites guilt-free where
it counts with the savings you earn from making a few swaps where it matters less.
36. If you’ve ever found yourself thirsty while out and about, you know just how expensive
drinks can be. Between 3 dollar sodas, 5 dollar coffees, and 10-plus dollar alcoholic drinks,
your beverage bill can quickly get out of control. A simple way to avoid overpaying
for hydration is to stick to water as your primary - or even exclusive - drink. Carry
a water bottle everywhere you go, invest in a water filter to encourage you to stick to water,
make coffee to-go at home, and sit back and sip as you watch the savings pile up.
35. One way to save on groceries is to skip the store altogether! Growing your own herbs and
produce at home can be less expensive, and more fun, than buying them from the grocery store.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a huge yard or even a green thumb. Just start with 1 or 2 of your
favorite herbs or veggies - basil and tomatoes are great ones to start with - and you’ll never need
to buy them from the store again. Plus, they’ll be fresher and tastier than store-bought produce,
and you’ll experience the pride that comes from eating foods you’ve grown yourself.
34. Nothing hurts more than having your hard earned cash go missing. Prevent this disaster
from happening to you by finding unique ways to keep your cash and other valuables secure
and hidden when you’re out and about. An old tube of chapstick is the perfect inconspicuous
place to hide a roll of a few emergency bills, and an old sunscreen bottle makes
a great incognito case for your phone and wallet while you’re at the beach!
33. Who wouldn’t love a lower electric bill? But all those energy-sucking appliances,
tools and gadgets that we can’t live without come at a cost. Thankfully,
there are ways to minimize your electricity usage, which is not only good for the environment,
but will save you money in the process! Try lowering the brightness on your screens,
switching to LED lightbulbs, and putting your TVs, stereos and computers on power bars
with on-off switches so that you can eliminate power drain when you’re not using the devices.
32. Have you ever tried to take care of a small project around the house,
only to find out that you don’t have the tools to do the job? Before you run to the hardware store,
try getting creative. Instead of a pricey stud finder, use a magnet to find the nails
in your studs so you can hang that picture. No corkscrew? No problem! Push a nail into the cork
and use the back of a hammer to pry it out, and you’ll be enjoying your vino in no time.
31. Many of us are guilty of having a closet full of clothes but somehow still feel
like we never have anything to wear, which means we end up buying a whole new outfit
for every event and occasion. Stop this cycle in its tracks by building a capsule wardrobe.
Fill your closet with neutral items so you can easily mix and match, use accessories to
add a personal touch, and stick to the “one in, one out” rule when buying new things to
make dressing a breeze and cut down on impulse shopping. And, ironically, by spending more money
on fewer high-quality items that will stand up to frequent wear, you’ll save money in the long run.
30. Here’s another hack that will curb your impulse buying, especially if online shopping
is your downfall. Delete your saved payment information from all online retailers and always
use the guest option to check out. These extra few steps to the buying process might be enough
to give you second thoughts. Set up a separate email address specifically for offers and coupons,
and only check it occasionally. After a shopping session, make sure to clear your browser history
and cache - some websites will monitor your search history and use that information to
increase the price on items you’ve already looked at. Better yet, disable cookies on your browser,
or use a browser like Brave that already does all of these things automatically.
29. Why limit yourself to money-saving hacks when you could be using these money-making hacks, too!
Clean out your closet, garage and junk drawers and sell anything you no longer want or need online
or in a good old-fashioned yard sale. Harness the sharing economy to make
money on the things you need to keep, too - consider renting your spare room on AirBnB,
loaning out your bike through Bike Share, or even renting out your car with ZipCar.
With the power of the internet, you can find a buyer for almost anything you no longer want or
need. You know the saying - one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Even if you have nothing
to sell or rent, you can share your skills, expertise or hobbies by selling your wares on
Etsy or freelancing through sites like UpWork, earning extra cash while learning new skills.
28. Did you know that shopping can actually save you money? It pays to shop around to
find the best deals on everything from cell phone plans to car insurance,
to home decor. Get creative - consider shopping thrift stores and buying second hand. Also,
never hesitate to ask about special offers when dining out, flying or staying at hotels - many
brands offer discounts on unused rooms or seats, or extra perks, so it never hurts to ask!
27. This number 1 money-saving life hack has the potential to radically change your finances and
your life: the trick is to always pay yourself first. Instead of waiting until the end of the
month to see what - if anything - is left to save, set up an automatic transfer. Every payday,
money will automatically disappear into a separate savings account so you won’t have a chance to
spend it. If that’s not enough to stop you from raiding your savings, consider setting up your
savings account a completely separate bank - out of sight, out of mind. And while you’re at it,
set up all your bills on auto-pay, too. You’ll never pay another late fee again,
you’ll save time on money management, and you can just sit back and watch the savings roll in.
Saving time and money is all well and good, but wouldn’t it be nice to save yourself
from the frustrations of daily life, too? With these ingenious life hacks, you can!
26. Tired of losing your remote controls? Use a small piece of velcro to attach them to the
side of your coffee table - they’ll be out of sight, and you’ll never lose them again! This
hack works for more than just remotes, too - use it on makeup brushes, cleaning products, tools,
craft supplies and more, and never you’ll lose track of an item again!
25. There’s nothing worse than trying to enjoy an episode of the Infographics Show on your phone,
only to have to keep adjusting your phone to keep it from slipping and falling.
Instead of propping your phone haphazardly against anything in sight,
use this everyday item as a smart and portable phone holder - your sunglasses.
Place your sunglasses upside down with the arms slightly crossed, and rest your
phone against the inside of the lens. Voila! Instant phone holder that you can wear away.
24. Sick of getting soaked feet in your cute shoes? Make almost
any pair of canvas shoes waterproof by rubbing them with a coating of beeswax!
Let it dry, and enjoy puddle hopping, soak-free.
23. Avoid a leaky, messy garbage with this trick: line the bottom of each new bag with a layer of
old newspaper. The newspaper will soak up any liquids and prevent leakage. While you’re at it,
drill a hole or 2 in the bottom of your garbage can to make it easier to remove full bags.
22. Want an easy way to find out if those batteries you found in the back of the
drawer have any life left in them? Give them a bounce! Drop the batteries from a few inches
high onto a flat surface - if they give a small bounce and fall over, they are good
to go. If they bounce all over the place, toss them - they are either dead or on their way out.
21. Have you ever tried to fill up a bucket that’s too large to fit in the sink?
What a mess! Next time, use a dustpan to create a DIY spout extender. Place the
mouth of the dustpan under the facet and let the handle reach out over the edge.
Place your bucket under the handle, turn on the water and fill! No cleanup required.
20. Instead of using tape to repair a broken phone charger, avoid breaking it in the first
place with this hack. Wrap the spring from inside of an old pen around the charging
cable at the base of the connector to keep your cables from cracking and splitting.
19. After a long day, nothing could be better than an ice cold beverage. But what if you forgot to
put them in the fridge!? No worries - wrap a wet paper towel around the warm bottle and place it
in the freezer for 15 minutes, and the whole drink will be ice cold. Or, use frozen grapes
as ice cubes - they won’t water down your drink as they melt, plus you get a tasty snack at the end!
18. If you’re guilty of frequently sleeping through your alarm, try this hack. Before you
go to sleep, place your phone speaker-side down inside of a glass by your bedside.
The glass will amplify the volume of your alarm and ensure that you wake up on time.
17. Next time you’re about to lend something to a friend,
try this hack to make sure your item finds its way back to you. When you hand over that book,
movie or favorite shirt to your friend, snap a picture of them holding the item with your phone.
When they return it, delete the picture. You’ll never forget who has your stuff, now!
16. Don’t you hate it when you buy something new, but it comes in one of those insane, impossible
to open plastic blister packs? Before you almost cut yourself trying to pry your new item loose,
try running your can opener along the side of the package to open it easily.
Much less frustrating, and much, much safer!
15. Cut down on extra trips to the store and save your poor fingers from going numb
by using this hack. Get yourself two extra large carabiners, large enough that you can comfortably
fit your fingers through them. Next time you have to make a major trip to the grocery store,
clip the handles of each grocery bag to one of the carabiners, and then carry your haul
by the carabiners - you can carry many more bags this way, and it will be much easier to
walk or ride the bus home and carry your bags up stairs. Plus, your fingers will thank you.
Life hacks don’t just make your life less expensive, less time consuming and less stressful.
These survival life hacks might actually save your life one day!
14. Keep a credit-card sized note in your wallet with all of your important information
in case of an emergency. Things like your emergency contact information, your blood type,
and any medical conditions or medications would be important for first responders to know,
and if you can’t speak for yourself, this card will speak for you.
13. If you ever find yourself in desperate need of drinking water, but with no way to sterilize
or boil the water to make it safe to drink, try this survival hack. Mix 1 to 2 drops of
unscented bleach in a bottle of water and let it sit for at least half an hour before drinking..
12. Speaking of survival hacks, being able to start a fire in an emergency can mean
the difference between life and death. You can make homemade fire starters by soaking
cotton pads in paraffin wax. If all else fails, Dorito chips make great kindling.
11. Kindling is an important part of any fire,
but you’ll still need something to get the fire started with.
You can make your own waterproof matches by dipping the heads of each match in nail polish.
10. If you’re truly lost in the wilderness, this hack will help you
find your way home. You can make a compass using nothing but a needle, a leaf and some
water. Place the needle on the leaf, and set the leaf in a small puddle or a cup of water.
The earth’s magnetic fields will orient the needle to face north-south, pointing you towards safety.
9. If you’re lost in the foods, after fire and water the next thing you’ll need is food. You
can make a simple fishing rod out of an empty soda can by removing the tab
and fashioning it into a hook. Use some string or floss to attach the hook to the can,
and wind the string around the outside of the can. Block the can’s opening to
keep it from sinking, then sit back and wait for dinner to be served.
8. If you find yourself a long way from safety with a flat bike tire,
this hack can get you back on the road. You can pack the bike’s tire evenly all the way
around with leaves and grass to give yourself enough lift to slowly ride to a better location.
7. To build an emergency heater that you can use even indoors, light 2 candles and place them on
a plate. Place 3 bricks around the sides of the plate in a “U” shape, and then rest a terra cotta
pot upside down on top of the bricks, covering the candles. This simple set up can heat a whole room.
6. You can make a long-lasting DIY emergency candle with this simple hack. All you need
to do is place a wick into a jar of vegetable shortening and light it,
and you’ll have a simple candle that will burn for hours.
5. To brighten your life in the outdoors, use this hack to build a simple camping lantern on the fly.
Strap a headlamp to a clear jug full of water, with the light facing into the jug. When you
turn on the headlamp, the entire jug will cast a pleasant glow over your campsite.
4. If you’re ever faced with a frozen lock on your car or door,
here’s a hack that will help. Place a straw over the lock, and blow into it.
After a few moments, your warm breath should unthaw the lock and let you get in.
3. You already know to stop, drop and roll when faced with a fire, but did you know that you can
make a homemade mask out of an everyday item of clothing? The cups of bra work perfectly as
debris masks that can help you stay calm and keep breathing until you can get to safety.
2. How many times have you gotten a small cut, only to realize that you don’t have
any bandaids handy? No worries - you can use Chapstick on small cuts to stop the bleeding.
It can also help to soothe bug bites and rashes.
1. Anyone who lives somewhere with extreme winter weather knows how hard it can be to
keep your cheeks warm when walking through biting winter winds. Next time you’re headed
into the great white outdoors, slather some baby oil on your face to protect against frostbite.
If you thought this video was great, be sure and check out our other videos, like this one called
“10 Incredible DIY Zombie Survival Hacks”, or you might like this other video, too.