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 294393 times)

Offline yuneeq

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1060 on: August 03, 2022, 12:08:48 AM »
And how much did you end up gaining from having done this? Was it worthwhile?

No idea, I refi'd after only 4 years. I was told it would shave off 7+ years for a 30 year mortgage, but now that I looked at some calculators it would've been about 4.5 years saved. Taking into account the extra 2 years worth of payments made, not really worth it. For higher interest mortgages it does make a bigger difference though, at 6.5% you save 6 years, at 8% you save 7.2 years.

Other benefits - it's a safe way to get a guaranteed fixed return on your extra cash. It also helps you save money without feeling the pinch as much.
Visibly Jewish

Offline YitzyS

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1061 on: August 29, 2022, 02:07:52 PM »
You can make a photographic collection of the front doors of famous people for very cheap.

1. Search for the home addresses of anyone famous - if you know where to look, you can find a lot of addresses.
2. Find a really cheap item on Amazon. Order it to all of those houses.
3. Add a delivery instruction stating that packages are often left at the wrong home, so the driver should make sure to include a clear picture of the whole front of the home when he delivers the package.
4. Wait for the delivery emails to come in with pictures of the delivered package.
5. Give your kids a virtual tour of the fronts of those houses on Chol Hamoed.

Offline Moshe123

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1062 on: August 29, 2022, 02:14:24 PM »
Ahem

Offline YitzyS

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1063 on: August 29, 2022, 02:17:10 PM »
Ahem
Were you wondering why you got a package of Q-tips you never ordered?  :P

Offline EliJelly

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1064 on: August 29, 2022, 03:00:57 PM »
You can make a photographic collection of the front doors of famous people for very cheap.

1. Search for the home addresses of anyone famous - if you know where to look, you can find a lot of addresses.
2. Find a really cheap item on Amazon. Order it to all of those houses.
3. Add a delivery instruction stating that packages are often left at the wrong home, so the driver should make sure to include a clear picture of the whole front of the home when he delivers the package.
4. Wait for the delivery emails to come in with pictures of the delivered package.
5. Give your kids a virtual tour of the fronts of those houses on Chol Hamoed.

6. Then take take them to Cherry Crest Lancaster and they'll have a Chol Hamoed to remember.

Offline Yehudaa

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1065 on: August 29, 2022, 03:17:36 PM »
You can make a photographic collection of the front doors of famous people for very cheap.

1. Search for the home addresses of anyone famous - if you know where to look, you can find a lot of addresses.
2. Find a really cheap item on Amazon. Order it to all of those houses. Open Google Maps, paste the address and then drop the street view dude in front of the house.
3. Add a delivery instruction stating that packages are often left at the wrong home, so the driver should make sure to include a clear picture of the whole front of the home when he delivers the package. Take a screenshot.
4. Wait for the delivery emails to come in with pictures of the delivered package.
5.
Give your kids a virtual tour of the fronts of those houses on Chol Hamoed.
FTFY?

Offline username

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1066 on: August 29, 2022, 03:22:15 PM »
Most of these doors are not visible from the street. Really long driveways.
^^^

Offline Abebee

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1067 on: August 29, 2022, 03:58:01 PM »
Oh how I wish my parents would have shown me pictures of front doors on Chol hamoaed. I feel cheated! 

Offline YitzyS

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1068 on: August 29, 2022, 04:30:11 PM »
FTFY?
You think Amazon won't get a clearer shot of my first planned delivery?  8)



Offline Oiheivyisroel

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1069 on: August 29, 2022, 05:07:34 PM »
You can make a photographic collection of the front doors of famous people for very cheap.

1. Search for the home addresses of anyone famous - if you know where to look, you can find a lot of addresses.
2. Find a really cheap item on Amazon. Order it to all of those houses.
3. Add a delivery instruction stating that packages are often left at the wrong home, so the driver should make sure to include a clear picture of the whole front of the home when he delivers the package.
4. Wait for the delivery emails to come in with pictures of the delivered package.
5. Give your kids a virtual tour of the fronts of those houses on Chol Hamoed.

Reminds me of another life hack.

The most effective way to kill a mosquito:

1. Take the mosquito in your left hand.
2. Tickle the mosquito on his/her stomach till it starts laughing.
3. Take a grape with your right hand.
4. While tho mosquito laughs, put the grape into its mouth, so the mosquito chokes on it.
5. Results.
Am Yisroel have no fear, Moshiach will be here this year!

Offline Kryptonite

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1070 on: August 29, 2022, 05:28:16 PM »
You can make a photographic collection of the front doors of famous people for very cheap.

1. Search for the home addresses of anyone famous - if you know where to look, you can find a lot of addresses.
2. Find a really cheap item on Amazon. Order it to all of those houses.
3. Add a delivery instruction stating that packages are often left at the wrong home, so the driver should make sure to include a clear picture of the whole front of the home when he delivers the package.
4. Wait for the delivery emails to come in with pictures of the delivered package.
5. Give your kids a virtual tour of the fronts of those houses on Chol Hamoed.
Enough with your Calvin & Hobbs posts - can't wait for the Rube Goldberg's to start coming...
Don't even try it.

Offline YitzyS

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1071 on: August 29, 2022, 06:27:02 PM »
Enough with your Calvin & Hobbs posts - can't wait for the Rube Goldberg's to start coming...


Online yungermanchik

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1072 on: August 29, 2022, 07:27:19 PM »

Rube Goldberg Pencil Sharpener:
Open window (A) and fly kite (B). String (C) lifts small door (D) allowing moths (E) to escape and eat red flannel shirt (F). As weight of shirt becomes less, shoe (G) steps on switch (H) which heats electric iron (I) and burns hole in pants (J). Smoke (K) enters hole in tree (L), smoking out opossum (M) which jumps into basket (N), pulling rope (O) and lifting cage (P), allowing woodpecker (Q) to chew wood from pencil (R), exposing lead. Emergency knife (S) is always handy in case opossum or the woodpecker gets sick and can't work.
Small people talk about other people.
Average people talk about things
BIG PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IDEAS.

Online ushdadude

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1073 on: August 29, 2022, 10:27:41 PM »
Depends on your interest rate. If you have a low rate, it's to your advantage to stretch it as long as possible.
are you actually investing the extra money you aren't putting towards mortgage?

Offline Euclid

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1074 on: August 29, 2022, 10:31:34 PM »
are you actually investing the extra money you aren't putting towards mortgage?
Yup

Online ushdadude

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1075 on: August 29, 2022, 10:50:53 PM »

Offline Euclid

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1076 on: August 29, 2022, 10:54:55 PM »

Kol hakavod. That's unusual
It is? Not amongst people I talk to

Offline MeirS

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1077 on: August 30, 2022, 03:33:08 AM »
You think Amazon won't get a clearer shot of my first planned delivery?  8)


Why do you need a picture of my house?

Online ushdadude

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1078 on: August 30, 2022, 08:34:22 AM »
It is? Not amongst people I talk to


Most people who have money end up spending more, not saving more

Offline dm123

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1079 on: August 30, 2022, 01:11:57 PM »

Most people who have money end up spending more, not saving more

Part of the hack is to set it and forget it - set an auto-transfer for the amount you would have paid to now go into an investment and/or savings account.

Same with getting a raise, set the additional amount to go towards something (investing/saving/paying off debt/etc) not just go into your checking account to be spent without thought or contribute to a "lifestyle creep".


Kol hakavod. That's unusual
It is? Not amongst people I talk to

DDF poll so we can scientifically extrapolate exactly what percentage of the world population does it?  :P