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 216182 times)

Offline EliJelly

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1120 on: December 03, 2022, 11:44:48 PM »
I've found them to have very similar prices. The free shipping (on many products without a minimum) with redcard also helps. And the fact that there's a Target not far from my my house...

Aha, I guess I'll look into it. Thanks

Offline yelped

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1121 on: December 04, 2022, 12:59:46 AM »
What makes Target worth it to stock up on GC? I find Walmart to be better priced on household items. Can you share where Target has an edge?
I use it with Shipt (don't have Walmart+ for free delivery from store) all the time. They constantly have deals on household cleaning items and groceries.

Offline YitzyS

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1122 on: December 04, 2022, 01:12:54 AM »
It's hard to explain without a picture and I didn't think it through if it would work for nusach sefard as well.

You can wrap your tefillin using what I call the gift box wrap. Which basically reverses the direction that you wrap it around the tefillin batim case. It makes the bottom flatter and makes rolling the tefillin up much easier and putting it on also easier. Since the retzuos are the same direction for putting on and putting away.
I figured this out a few months after my Bar Mitzva and have been doing it since. Until then, I had to keep stopping to untwist the retzuah. Now it goes really fast and easy.

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1123 on: December 04, 2022, 01:25:27 AM »
I figured this out a few months after my Bar Mitzva and have been doing it since. Until then, I had to keep stopping to untwist the retzuah. Now it goes really fast and easy.
Nice. I don't remember when I figured it out but I don't think it was a few months.

Have you ever seen anybody else do it?
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Offline herb

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1124 on: December 04, 2022, 01:31:12 AM »
What makes Target worth it to stock up on GC? I find Walmart to be better priced on household items. Can you share where Target has an edge?
ime target is a much more pleasant shopping experience all around, cleaner neater store, faster checkout etc...
Up to you if you want to pay more for that

Offline EliJelly

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1125 on: December 04, 2022, 02:35:26 AM »
ime target is a much more pleasant shopping experience all around, cleaner neater store, faster checkout etc...
Up to you if you want to pay more for that

Their stores are definitely nicer. My comparison was regarding online shopping. In-store shopping in the city is no outing.. Besides for Costco.  :)

Offline Essen est zich

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1126 on: December 04, 2022, 06:55:08 AM »
What makes Target worth it to stock up on GC? I find Walmart to be better priced on household items. Can you share where Target has an edge?
Their drive up ability is great for store pickups. And at times of it's out of stock they may ship it for free.
Shloffen Shloft Zich

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1127 on: December 04, 2022, 10:48:10 AM »
It's hard to explain without a picture and I didn't think it through if it would work for nusach sefard as well.

You can wrap your tefillin using what I call the gift box wrap. Which basically reverses the direction that you wrap it around the tefillin batim case. It makes the bottom flatter and makes rolling the tefillin up much easier and putting it on also easier. Since the retzuos are the same direction for putting on and putting away.
Like so



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Offline Yo ssi

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1128 on: December 04, 2022, 10:57:52 AM »
Hard to tell from the picture what's going on.

For Chabad tefillin the way lots of people wrap their shel yad (if you do on one side) it perfectly works out for an easy put on. For the shel rosh I usually do it differently than most in a way which keeps the kesher flat, so the retzuas shouldn't thin out.
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Offline Kryptonite

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1129 on: December 04, 2022, 03:11:05 PM »
Like so
As opposed to what? I believe I've been doing that since bar mitzvah (unless I'm reading the pictures wrong)
Don't even try it.

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1130 on: December 05, 2022, 10:17:41 AM »
As opposed to what? I believe I've been doing that since bar mitzvah (unless I'm reading the pictures wrong)
I thought no one (or very few people) did it. I guess I was wrong. Just to clarify it a bit.
This is what I thought most people do.



As opposed to this


Notice how the retzua is being rolled up the other way. And doesn't twist it on it on the bottom.
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Offline Kryptonite

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1131 on: December 05, 2022, 07:50:54 PM »
Notice how the retzua is being rolled up the other way. And doesn't twist it on it on the bottom.
That definitely makes it clearer. Thanks.
Don't even try it.

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1132 on: December 05, 2022, 07:52:01 PM »
That definitely makes it clearer. Thanks.
Is that the way you always did it?
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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1133 on: December 05, 2022, 07:59:53 PM »
Is that the way you always did it?
Yes.
Don't even try it.

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1134 on: January 26, 2023, 08:16:41 PM »
at weddings serve children portions to adults as well, it will be cheaper and more people will enjoy it
ps. it only works if you limit one portion per adult, it may be risking adults taking more than one.
another thing to look out for is the caterer should bill it as child portions without the extra fees (fries with the peels etc.)

the only question is what should be served for the rabbis, maybe will keep salmon for them

Offline yungermanchik

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1135 on: February 19, 2023, 09:00:49 PM »
The best $4 upgrade to a minivan. This garbage can fits perfectly in the space between the front seats on a Sienna (2020 or older)
Small people talk about other people.
Average people talk about things
BIG PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IDEAS.

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1136 on: February 19, 2023, 09:04:59 PM »
The best $4 upgrade to a minivan. This garbage can fits perfectly in the space between the front seats on a Sienna (2020 or older)
That's cheaper than my current solution  :P

Offline Danfan27

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1137 on: February 19, 2023, 09:10:06 PM »
The best $4 upgrade to a minivan. This garbage can fits perfectly in the space between the front seats on a Sienna (2020 or older)

Anyone know of one for a 2022 odyssey?

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1138 on: February 19, 2023, 09:13:34 PM »
Anyone know of one for a 2022 odyssey?
Hard to tell for sure from pictures, but it looks like this would fit there too.
Small people talk about other people.
Average people talk about things
BIG PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IDEAS.

Offline Danfan27

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Re: Life Hacks, Post Your Favorites!
« Reply #1139 on: February 19, 2023, 09:15:40 PM »
Hard to tell for sure from pictures, but it looks like this would fit there too.

Thanks. For 4$ it doesn’t hurt to try.