25 Simple Life Hacks People Actually Swear By

Buzz Feed

17-07-2025

There are so many little life tips and tricks that when you finally learn them, you think, "Why didn't anyone tell me this before?" Like SERIOUSLY, how am I in my twentysomethings and only hearing about the cure for the hiccups NOW?!?
So when Reddit user Huge-College4381 asked, "What's a life hack that actually works?" I grabbed the nearest pen and began taking notes. Life is about to get a LOT easier for us all. Listen up...
"When the weather is terrible, people cancel their appointments at the last minute. So you can call doctors, vets, opticians, and many more, and see if there are any same-day appointments available."
"Freeze a wet sponge in a Ziploc bag and use it as an ice pack in your lunchbox. It stays cold for hours, and when it melts, you have a clean sponge to wipe up any spills. Mind = blown."
"On some mobile keyboards, you can hold and slide your finger left or right across the spacebar to move the text cursor."
"For many subscriptions, if you try to cancel, they'll give you a significantly discounted rate for a few months in an effort to keep your business."
"Never leave a room empty-handed. Look around for at least one item that belongs to the place you're going. This often manifests in taking my drinking glass downstairs to the kitchen or my laptop upstairs to my room."
"Drop frozen grapes into white wine instead of ice cubes. They chill it without watering it down, and you get a boozy snack later."
"A glob of peanut butter will cure the hiccups right away. Around two tablespoons does the trick."
"I get restless leg syndrome at night. I once read a scientific journal that tying a tube sock around your foot helps. I can testify; it works like a charm."
"After you renew your driving license, immediately create a reminder on your phone calendar for 5 years from then. Saved my ass so many times."
"When looking at recipes online, click the 'print' button. This cuts out the unnecessary backstory and random musings before the recipe. You can also save the recipe as a PDF to your computer this way."
"Put your phone in a Ziploc bag when cooking or baking. You can follow recipe videos and scroll through ingredients without getting the screen all messy with flour or sauce. Plus, the touch screen still works perfectly through the plastic!"
"Electrical tape works in Scotch tape dispensers."
"If you can't open things with lids on them, wear rubber gloves."
"Set an alarm for an hour before you want to go to sleep. It'll remind you to start getting ready for bed."
"Anything I need for the day (keys, wallet, phone), I put on a small end table and move it in front of the door. Since I can't open the door without moving the table, I never forget anything."
"I have a hard time taking care of myself, but it's super easy for me to care for others. So I've made 'future me' into a separate person. Example: 'If I do the dishes now, future me doesn't have to deal with it.' It works really well."
"Walk. Take walks. Walk instead of driving whenever possible. Walk to clear your head, walk to enjoy it. It will truly improve your health, well-being, and overall quality of life. Just take walks."
"Grocery shopping after eating definitely cuts impulse purchases."
"If you whisper to a screaming toddler, they'll often quiet down to hear what you have to say. Especially if you sprinkle in some barely audible words like 'ice cream,' 'Bluey,' or 'playground.'"
"Immediately make your bed after waking up. It sounds small, but it gives you a sense of accomplishment that sets the tone for the rest of the day."
"Drink a glass of water before you eat, then one immediately after. It makes you feel full without extra calories, it keeps you hydrated, and it helps with digestion."
"Always carry a book with you. Read it instead of looking at your phone all day."
"My mantra is 'if being a dick to yourself worked, you would already have achieved all of your goals.'"
"If your phone gets wet, put it in a bag of uncooked rice. Silica gel packets work even better."
And finally: "Put lemons in your garbage disposal for a nice scent."
In the comments, tell me the best life hacks that you have learned along the way. Or the life hacks that you think are overrated. For me, the best life hack I recently learned about is "voice isolation mode" on your iPhone. Game changer.
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