Topic Wiki

Food:
  • If you get a piece of eggshell in with the eggs while cracking them, use the other half of the eggshell to fish it out instead of trying to use your fingers or anything else.
  • If you want to separate the yolk from the white, take an empty clean water bottle, squeeze the bottle, place the mouth over the yolk and slowly release the bottle. The yolk will get sucked up into the bottle with minimal/no white.
  • When boiling eggs, add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to the water. Makes them really easy to peel and doesn't affect the taste.
  • If you have a room temperature bottle (and esp can) that you want to get cold fast, wrap a wet paper towel around it and put it in the freezer. It'll be ice cold pretty quickly.
  • Microwave rice from TJ's
  • Open a can of corn,put salt pepper and cheese on top, microwave or oven it (super easy lunch)
  • 2 slices of old pizza from the fridge, lay them cheese sides on top of each other and put them in a sandwich maker. Instant calzone.
  • For chulent of course.. Using only navy beans, chulent mix a big no no.
  • If you're going to freeze ground beef, put it in a gallon ziploc and squeeze/spread it flat to fill the bag. You can stack them in the freezer and it'll defrost much faster (without the outside spoiling while the inside is still frozen).
  • To easily melt a small amount of chocolate / butter, put it in a ziploc bag and put that into a mug of hot water for a few minutes. No mess! You can cut a hole in the corner to pipe chocolate too.
  • Shredded cheese lasts longer in the freezer, but will clump up, before freezing add a little bit of cornstarch (1tbs) and shake vigorously. The pieces will stay separate and it'll be easy to use.
  • To cool down baby food without blowing at it (which may add your bacteria to the food) wave your hand at it.
Travel:
  • If you want a hot meal on any plane, bring a tradition soup or oatmeal packet and use the free hot water they offer with tea. Great for traveling in general.
  • Before you go on a long flight, freeze a JJ cappuccino.  If it's frozen they let it on the plane. Once you get up from your nap on the plane there is nothing as refreshing as an iced cappuccino. It should still be freezing but not frozen.
  • When packing a suitcase, put your socks inside your shoes. It will save a little space and stop your shoes from getting crushed.
  • The aisle seat armrest usually has a little button underneath by the hinge that allows you to lift it. Makes it much easier to get in and out of your seat, especially if your tray table is open with stuff on it.
  • When we go on trips My wife packs the childrens clothing in individual ziplocs for each day of our trip. Like that she doesn't have to look for all the matching stuff.
Computers:
  • You can open links a in new tab by clicking with the scroll wheel.

    Quickly toggle between tabs.

    1) Excel and most internet browsers: Ctrl + PgUp/Dn
    2) Google Sheets: Ctrl + Shift + PgUpDn
    3) chrome: control-tab / control-shift-tab
alternatively ctrl+number tab from left
   
  • Widows+V will open up your clipboard with all recent stuff copied.
Every day/Home:
  • If you are drilling into a wall, open an envelope and tape the flap to the wall under where you are drilling and it catches all the plaster/dust that comes out. Makes cleanup after a small drilling a breeze
  • Open glass jars with rubber gloves, Or a rubber band around the lid.
  • When you first open a bottle of soda or seltzer or pop, begin by slowly turning the cap one-quarter turn and wait about 10 seconds, watching for the small bubbles to slow down, and listening as the sssst of escaping gas gets quieter.  Then turn another 1/4 turn, and wait another 10 seconds till it quiets down.
  • If you get chewing gum on your clothes, put the clothes in the freezer for a bit, it will be much easier to remove the gum afterwards.
Stores:

  • Check out at the pharmacy in the grocery store when the regular lines are long.
Perscriptions:

  • GoodRX.com, even for meds that are covered. My insurance can have a $15 copay, but coupon from GoodRX gets me the medication for $7. When insurance doesn't cover the medication, it's a fraction of the cost. I've seen discounts of 90%
Holidays:
  • After Yom Tov, especially Pesach, make a spreadsheet. What on the menu went over well with guests and kids. What did you run short on and need to have more next time around. What did you way overbuy on. That way there is no need to reinvent the wheel next year.

« Last edited by qooldude on July 07, 2022, 12:22:43 AM »

Author Topic: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!  (Read 216223 times)

Offline ah giten

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #20 on: June 10, 2020, 07:33:46 PM »
After Yom Tov, especially Pesach, make a spreadsheet. What on the menu went over well with guests and kids. What did you run short on and need to have more next time around. What did you way overbuy on. That way there is no need to reinvent the wheel next year.
And make sure you hide the list in a place that you won't be able to find the next year...

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #21 on: June 10, 2020, 07:34:13 PM »
And make sure you hide the list in a place that you won't be able to find the next year...
Is that a life hack or is that just life? :)
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Online etech0

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #22 on: June 10, 2020, 07:34:54 PM »
That’s a fantastic idea
Been doing it for about a year now and it works beautifully. And if you want to mix in ingredients for meatballs, you can throw them in the bag, re-zip, and mix it inside.
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Online moko

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #23 on: June 10, 2020, 07:35:58 PM »
To easily melt a small amount of chocolate / butter, put it in a ziploc bag and put that into a mug of hot water for a few minutes. No mess! You can cut a hole in the corner to pipe chocolate too.
or just stick the bag in the microwave for a minute

Online moko

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #24 on: June 10, 2020, 07:36:41 PM »
Shredded cheese lasts longer in the freezer, but will clump up, before freezing add a little bit of cornstarch (1tbs) and shake vigorously. The pieces will stay separate and it'll be easy to use.

If you want a hot meal on any plane, bring a tradition soup or oatmeal packet and use the free hot water they offer with tea. Great for traveling in general.
there's already starch in shredded cheese

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #25 on: June 10, 2020, 07:37:35 PM »
or just stick the bag in the microwave for a minute
And hope it doesn't burn :)
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline Joel

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #26 on: June 10, 2020, 08:03:33 PM »
Open glass jars with rubber gloves

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #27 on: June 10, 2020, 08:08:59 PM »
Before you go on a long flight, freeze a JJ cappuccino.  If it's frozen they let it on the plane. Once you get up from your nap on the plane there is nothing as refreshing as an iced cappuccino. It should still be freezing but not frozen.

Thank me later

Offline VacationLover

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #28 on: June 10, 2020, 08:19:04 PM »
Before you go on a long flight, freeze a JJ cappuccino.  If it's frozen they let it on the plane. Once you get up from your nap on the plane there is nothing as refreshing as an iced cappuccino. It should still be freezing but not frozen.

Thank me later
From my experience,  they don't take away any box drinks - even liquid - since it shows up on their screen as neatly packed food wrapped in silver foil (shhhh...).

Freezing liquid always works, not only on box drinks. It can be a small bottle milk or anything.
« Last Edit: June 10, 2020, 08:25:42 PM by VacationLover »

Offline Sam Finkelstein

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #29 on: June 10, 2020, 08:22:54 PM »
I’ve had varying degree of success with this. Usually they’ve melted a bit by the time we reach security.
Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil. –J. Paul Getty

Offline biobook

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #30 on: June 10, 2020, 08:36:55 PM »
Open glass jars with rubber gloves
Or a rubber band around the lid.

Offline cholent

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #31 on: June 10, 2020, 08:37:16 PM »
From my experience,  they don't take away any box drinks - even liquid - since it shows up on their screen as neatly packed food wrapped in silver foil (shhhh...).

Freezing liquid always works, not only on box drinks. It can be a small bottle milk or anything.
They took away my non frozen jj iced capps (I usually do the frozen trip but this was the way back, I had checked out of the hotel many hours earlier and it was no longer frozen)
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Offline biobook

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #32 on: June 10, 2020, 09:04:23 PM »
When you first open a bottle of soda or seltzer or pop, begin by slowly turning the cap one-quarter turn and wait about 10 seconds, watching for the small bubbles to slow down, and listening as the sssst of escaping gas gets quieter.  Then turn another 1/4 turn, and wait another 10 seconds till it quiets down.  Now open the cap the rest of the way, and look proudly around as you pour a perfect cup.  Don't expect a pat on the back, though, because nobody will realize what didn't happen.  But you'll know. 

Because one day, soon we hope, you'll be at a shul kiddush, balancing a full bowl of aromatic chulent or chili or Hungarian goulash in one hand, and an empty cup in the other, and someone will offer to pour you a drink, and he'll twist that cap quickly, in one fell swoop, and you'll watch as the bottle suddenly erupts, and fizzy, bubbly liquid streams downward, over his greasy hands into your still-untouched chulent or chili or Hungarian goulash, filling the bowl with what now looks like brown soup, which overflows the rim and drips downwards onto your Shabbos shoes, and you'll look up as he sheepishly mumbles "Sorry!  Someone must have shaken the bottle" and you'll think NO, YOU DOOFUS!!!  DON'T BLAME SOMEONE ELSE!  ADMIT THAT YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO OPEN A BOTTLE OF SODA! but you won't say that, of course, you'll just smile kindly and say "It's nothing, I'll get another bowl" and you'll return to the table, only to discover that the pan has now been totally emptied of its chulent or chili or Hungarian goulash, and you'll just sigh.  How could he know?  He's not a DDFer.

Offline ckmk47

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #33 on: June 10, 2020, 09:05:12 PM »
Prepare a Tradition soup the regular way.  (Add boiling water an let it sit.)
Then pour out the broth into a bowl and add shredded cheese to the noodles in the cup and mix.
You've now got soup and noodles and cheese.
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Offline ckmk47

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #34 on: June 10, 2020, 09:08:14 PM »
After Yom Tov, especially Pesach, make a spreadsheet. What on the menu went over well with guests and kids. What did you run short on and need to have more next time around. What did you way overbuy on. That way there is no need to reinvent the wheel next year.
Also make a list of how much you used of everything ( wine, matzoh, potatoes, etc) and who was there. (How many eaters)
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Offline Jellybelly

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #35 on: June 10, 2020, 09:10:54 PM »
When you first open a bottle of soda or seltzer or pop, begin by slowly turning the cap one-quarter turn and wait about 10 seconds, watching for the small bubbles to slow down, and listening as the sssst of escaping gas gets quieter.  Then turn another 1/4 turn, and wait another 10 seconds till it quiets down.  Now open the cap the rest of the way, and look proudly around as you pour a perfect cup.  Don't expect a pat on the back, though, because nobody will realize what didn't happen.  But you'll know. 

Because one day, soon we hope, you'll be at a shul kiddush, balancing a full bowl of aromatic chulent or chili or Hungarian goulash in one hand, and an empty cup in the other, and someone will offer to pour you a drink, and he'll twist that cap quickly, in one fell swoop, and you'll watch as the bottle suddenly erupts, and fizzy, bubbly liquid streams downward, over his greasy hands into your still-untouched chulent or chili or Hungarian goulash, filling the bowl with what now looks like brown soup, which overflows the rim and drips downwards onto your Shabbos shoes, and you'll look up as he sheepishly mumbles "Sorry!  Someone must have shaken the bottle" and you'll think NO, YOU DOOFUS!!!  DON'T BLAME SOMEONE ELSE!  ADMIT THAT YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO OPEN A BOTTLE OF SODA! but you won't say that, of course, you'll just smile kindly and say "It's nothing, I'll get another bowl" and you'll return to the table, only to discover that the pan has now been totally emptied of its chulent or chili or Hungarian goulash, and you'll just sigh.  How could he know?  He's not a DDFer.
@Yehuda57 has some serious competition over here

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #36 on: June 10, 2020, 09:27:38 PM »
@Yehuda57 has some serious competition over here
its different. theyre both essential
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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #37 on: June 10, 2020, 09:38:48 PM »
on the topic of tradition soup. I wouldn't recommend eating it, but for those that do eat it.
If you struggle to eat the long noodles, just try squeezing the cup BEFORE pouring in the hot water.

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #38 on: June 10, 2020, 09:50:34 PM »
When making homemade pizza on a pan (cast iron is better) partially bake the dough for a few minutes before putting on the marinara , cheese, oregano, etc. That way you end up with a perfect crust instead of half doughy out of the oven.

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