Simple tricks that make your life easier.

[warthog]

Thought this might make an interesting thread. Everyone has a couple tricks that they have to make their life easier, so share it with the rest of us.

My first one is related to couch cushions. Specifically couch cushions that slide out from under you when you look at them the wrong way. One night, while watching TV, and having gotten up to adjust the cushions for the 3rd time, I had had enough. I googled it, and found this trick:

You take those rug pads that they use on wood floors, and cut them to fit under ALL of the cushions, not each individual one. Lay it on the bottom, and put the cushions back on. It totally works. I haven't had to adjust the cushions since I did it about a week ago.

So what you got?

[OldLarry]

Um, astroglide?

Oh, and a piece of dried spaghetti will clear out your wunnie lickey split. You're welcome

[advres]

Simple tricks that make your life easier.

Drink heavily. Even if it doesn't make your life easier, it seems that way at the time.

Seriously though, this is a good question. I am always trying to do things differently to streamline my day to day and make things quicker/easier. I will have to think about it and get back to you.

[MTrise]

Recently bought a portable harddrive. Backed up all of my photos, tunes, docs, and other misc. scans into one place. Dumped all the cd's, dvd's, that I had in a million different places. I can now find things without checking different computers, flashdrives...a huge timesaver.

But more importantly I couldn't live without the cheap magnetic bottle opener that I keep on the side of the fridge right where the door opens. Its just the cheap old school ECKO brand that has one end that opens bottle caps and has the triangular end for piercing steel cans. I've had it forever and opened more beers with the thing...Just stick it back on the fridge after opening.

I also recently broke down and bought a $12 sling to carry firewood from the woodpile to the house. I can believe I never bought one before. I always did the one arm load carry thing and got woodchips/sawdust all over the floor and myself. A simple piece of canvas and two handles...fucking brilliant.

[gatorboy]

2-finger scroll

[NorthernSpotted...]

Online banking, bill pay, etc.

Maybe this is obvious but I know a lot of people who don't use it.

[warthog]

2-finger scroll

Don't forget the two finger double click too.

[Nobody Famous]

Online banking, bill pay, etc.

Maybe this is obvious but I know a lot of people who don't use it.

Agreed. I'd go one step further and say use Quicken or MS Money for everything financial, credit cards, loans, investments, banking, bill pay (which goes through your bank). Unbelievable how simple this is to run vs. the alternative of not doing it this way.

[Lev]

Personal rule of thumb: If you can do something (any tasks) within 5 min or less, just do it then instead of procrastinating until later. It's not as cool as a two finger scroll, but it certainly makes life easier and avoids having a million things put off until "later"

Try it

[Rubicon]

8 button mouse. The two thumb buttons are tied to the Forward/Back buttons on my browser. Makes navigation much faster.

[bmg97]

Stopped wiping after taking a shit. Saves tons of time and $$$$ on paper.

[warthog]

Ok, I thought of another one. Thought everyone knew it, but my wife proved that theory wrong. We feed our 16 month old a lot of avocados. My wife was actually peeling them. I showed her the trick- you slice it lengthwise around the whole thing, and twist. When you have the two halves, you take the knife and slap it down so it cuts lengthwise into the pit. One twist, and the pit is out. Scoop the avocado out with a spoon.

Another food trick- If you are making salad with iceburg lettuce, slam the knot on the counter, and then pull it out. Makes it a ton easier to shed the leaves.

Only other food trick I have is the ability to open a beer bottle with just about anything, but that is more of a visual trick. I always joke that it is the one thing I learned in college. Sadly, it is not really a joke.

[ICEHOCEY77]

hit the heinz ketchup bottle on the little 57 on the side of the glass.





also, pour salt on your mini-napkin if you glass drink is sticking to it.

[H0G]

Online banking, bill pay, etc.

Maybe this is obvious but I know a lot of people who don't use it.

my girlfriend's bank makes her pay for online banking. she calls the automated call center on the phone to check balances.

[Affix Snow]

SLOW DOWN. Dont be in such a rush.

You make mistakes and things end up taking you longer to complete when you rush.

[Phineas]

debit card instead of credit card. life got alot easier once I incorporated my grandma's motto of live within your means!

[Tippster]

If you're making 1/2 a pot or less of coffee in a drip coffeemaker use luke warm water instead of cold - makes for a better brew.

Dent the lid of a jar with the back of a knife to make it easier to open.

Ketchup-wise - No need to whack the "57" if you buy their upside-down dripless plastic bottle instead.

99% of White Rice is cooked 2 parts water to 1 part rice... meaning you can use any container to measure it out. If you're stuck without a dry measure use a juice glass, fill it with rice, place rice in pot, then fill the glass twice with water and wallah. If you like your rice a little crunchier and less sticky use a bit less water and don't stir the rice until it is completely cooked.

If your remote control is running out of battery and stops working you can pull out the batteries, rub them in your hand and replace them. Your remote will work for a little longer and you don't need to get up to find new batteries until you need to piss or get another beer.

[Lonnie]

debit card instead of credit card. life got alot easier once I incorporated my grandma's motto of live within your means!

Disagree. Get a rewards credit card, put all your (normal) bills on it and pay off your balance every month. It's like getting Free money. But your grandmother is right about living within your means...

My other, in my dishwasher I stack my silverware as it supposed to go back in the drawer. Anal, yes. Timesaver, maybe.

[Rideski]

I just found a new squirrel deterrent from this article:


snip~ mix some hot sauce in a spray bottle with water and squirt all over your trash or whatever squirrels are getting in, or, just slop some straight hot sauce right out of the bottle on to your trash, this totally works.

Note, if you go the spray bottle method, have it on stream not mist because if you breathe the mist it messes you up. I've gone to buying the jumbo size bottle of Tapatio for like $3 and just slopping it straight on the trash. Not too bad in the food either. Waaay cheaper than tabasco.

Squirrels and raccoons have not touched my trash since.



.

________

[BigDaddy]

I guess this could explain the Times Headline about flying squirrels invading Hoboken...

[Woolph]

Here is what to do when building shit solo and you need to pull some layout lines. Grab a bucket, cut a knife blade width notch in base, and fill the bucket with water. Now hook your end of the chalk line into the notch and snap away.

Want to change your trucks oil, but you don't have one of those oil collection pans? Take a bucket, hack it down to height to fit under the the vehicle, and go at it. This doesn't work with cars because you would have to cut too much off to fit.

[Trainwreck]

Opening a beer bottle with a lighter. Once you get that down you can open a beer bottle with anything, spoon, carabiner, car key...

[Parvo]

poke a small hole in the bottom of the can of refried beans so the pressure makes the whole log o beans slide out effortlessly. that way you don't have to use a utensil to scoop out all the beany goodness.

[grrrr]

Opening a beer bottle with a lighter. Once you get that down you can open a beer bottle with anything, spoon, carabiner, car key...

Pffft. Amateur. Learn how to do it with another beer bottle.

[OldLarry]

quit smoking- freaking bizarre how much time I found I had on my hands. $, too.

20/day x ~3 minutes per, plus the errand to buy em and time spent going outside and back all the time...

Edit: not so simple