Who doesn’t love a good life hack? Everyone wants ways to improve their productivity and find shortcuts. Plus, most life hacks are good for the environment! Reducing your needs and reusing items you never thought about is better for the environment than remembering to recycle. And while we all certainly get along in life just fine, it doesn’t hurt to save time and sanity with some helpful tips.
Tori Highley via Obsessedly
Never throw out a bag tie, ever.
These little things will keep you from losing your mind. Organize cords, attach plants to their supports, close a bag that never came with one, even just replace one that mysteriously got lost. Who doesn’t love free and easy access to the marshmallow and chocolate chip bags?
Unsplash by Christian Perello
Foggy glasses becoming a problem?
Do what your grandparents used to! Take a bar of soap and rub it on both sides of your lens. Then, rub the soap in with a clean, soft rag. The soap will leave a thin residue that won't fog up!
Unsplash by Aesop Wines
Want to chill a bottle of wine you just bought for dinner?
Or maybe you just keep forgetting to put your soda in the fridge. Never fear! Wrap a wet paper towel around your bottle and place it in the freezer. Set a timer (don’t forget it!) for 15 minutes and voila! Your drink will be ice cold, perfect for drinking.
Unsplash by Miguel Andrade
Save your squeeze bottles!
Use old ketchup bottles for easy pancake pouring. You can even put pre-measured amounts of pancake mix into a cleaned out bottle to bring camping. Write the needed amount of water on the bottle so you don’t forget, and then when you are out in the wilderness and ready for breakfast, just add water, *shake shake shake*, and bam! Pancake batter ready for the griddle.
Tori Highley via Obsessedly
Freeze leftovers of almost everything
If you can consume it, you can probably freeze it. Milk, butter, bread; you'll never need to run out to the store if you stock up and freeze these things. You can also freeze leftovers in tupperware for easy meals later in the month. Just remember to separate your leftover foods into serving portions and write what the meal is on the lid!
You can even freeze leftover liquids, like chicken broth, tomato paste, coffee, and wine. Just grab some ice cube trays (we recommend silicon for flexibility and easy cleanup) and get freezing!
Wiki Commons by U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman William A. O'Brien
Never know what’s for dinner? Eat way too much take out?
Find two or three easy recipes you like, and keep the ingredients on hand. This sounds so obvious but honestly, most people don’t think about it! To make it as simple and easy as possible, think about using frozen or dried foods as subs in these meals. Use instant potatoes for shepherd’s pie, or keep frozen broccoli to throw in with your mac and cheese. Even just keeping cooked ground beef or Italian sausage in the freezer will make it easy for you to cook a delicious pasta dinner when you are feeling low energy. You’ll save money, be healthier, and feel great about yourself. Bonus points if some of the ingredients are the same!
Wiki Commons by Yinan Chen
Is your luggage the same ol’ black or navy blue bag that everyone has?
Tie a bright ribbon or piece of fabric to it to quickly ID the bag from across the luggage carousel. It even makes it easy to describe to someone else in case you lose your luggage or your host wants to help you find your suitcase!
Unsplash by Dane Deaner
Worried about your home while on vacation?
Take a few pictures of your apartment or home before you go on a long trip, especially the oven and the bathroom. This way you definitely know you turned the oven off and put the groceries in the fridge! On top of waylaying panic, if you happen to be the victim of a burglary while you are gone, you have fresh pictures of your home and possessions to send to police and insurance. If you vacation once a year like most people, and you always do this, you’ll always have up-to-date photos for your insurance claims.
Wiki Commons by matthew venn from london, uk
Freeze grapes. Seriously!
Not only will they chill wine without watering it down, but they are a great summertime snack for little ones, especially on car rides. They don’t melt like popsicles, so clean up is a breeze! Just remember to take them off the stems before you throw them in the freezer, and you’ll be on your way to your new favorite summertime treat.
Unsplash by Isaac Quesada
Save toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes for seed starters!
Just cut them about 5 cm in length, cut four slits on one end about 2 cm deep to make little flaps, and then fold them in. Voila, you have a little compostable seed cup.
Pexels by undefined Lisa Fotios
Need to cool down your hot coffee, tea, or soup?
Save your tongue from a burning by leaving a metal spoon in your hot beverages and soups. The metal conducts the heat to the atmosphere better than the mug or bowl your hot liquid is in.
Wiki Commons by Tiefkuehlfan, Unsplash by Serenity Mitchell
Before you go on your next trip ...
Remember this tip! Freeze a cup of water, and then leave a few pennies (or any coin) on top of the ice. When you come back, if your pennies are in the water or ice, you know the freezer lost power and your food defrosted. This tip is great for peace of mind and knowing that your groceries are still safe.
Unsplash by Paweł Czerwiński
Also, don't leave for your trip without ...
Before you leave for vacation or a weekend trip out, hit the grocery store. Pick up at least one or two of your favorite non-perishable meals so you don’t have to grocery shop or eat out right away. You’ll be super grateful for that box of mac and cheese or jar of spaghetti sauce when you get home, and your budget will thank you. As a bonus, pick up a bag of chips or cookies for an easy snack.
Unsplash by Jana Sabeth
If you are tired of cleaning out nasty sippy cups, write this tip down.
Teaching your kids how to use “adult” cups? Hit up your local thrift store for mugs and glasses you don’t care about. The new-to-you glasses will probably get damaged, but they will get the kids used to the weight and feel of real cups, sparing your favorites from inevitable destruction.
Unsplash by Marcel Strauß
Keep a box of plastic baggies in your tool box!
Most people don’t think about it, but organization is key to smooth handiwork. If you put all your loose nails and screws in a baggy, no one will step on them and they won’t roll away never to be seen again. It’s a very low budget solution, but everyone who sees it will think you are a genius!
