People often refer to clever tips as “life hacks,” but I have always felt that term wasn’t the best fit. While I don’t know any hackers personally, I strongly suspect that computer hacking isn’t as quick or easy as the movies make it out to be!
I think those little tips and tricks are closer to “cheat codes” than hacks! When my kids were younger, they used to use cheat codes on their Playstation to unlock certain advantages that made the game easier to play.
Just like those cheat codes my kids used to use, the tips I’ll be sharing with you today offer small advantages that can make your daily life a little bit easier! Check out my first batch of cheat codes for real life here.
9 MORE Hacks That Feel Like Cheat Codes For Real Life
1. Security Deposit Insurance
Always take photos of apartments or other rentals on the day you move in and the day you move out. You may not end up needing them, but you’ll be extremely glad to have them in case the property manager tries to blame you for damage you didn’t cause!
2. Email Accident Prevention
Composing an important email? Don’t add the recipient’s email address until you’re 100% ready to press the send button. This can help you avoid embarrassing email accidents, like sending an unfinished or typo-ridden email.
3. Faster Thawing
When portioning out food to freeze in ziplock bags, flatten the food out so that the bag lies flat. This will make the bags easier to arrange in your freezer, and will help the food thaw faster when you’re ready to use it!
4. Obscure Sensitive Information
There’s a better way to obscure sensitive information so that someone else can’t read it! Instead of simply crossing it out, write a series of random letters and numbers over the top of it.
This simple switch makes it much more difficult to make out what’s written underneath!
5. Avoid Photo Swiping
When showing someone a photo on your phone, zoom in a little bit on the photo before handing it over. This will prevent the person from accidentally (or purposefully) swiping over to other photos you may not want to share.
You can also avoid the issue entirely by storing sensitive photos in a secure app, like Keepsafe!
6. Spice Education
Want to make better use of the spices in your cupboard? Cooking your spices one at a time into white rice to get more familiar with their flavor or intensity!
Instant rice makes this especially quick and easy. Just add a couple of pinches of the spice you want to try to the water, bring it to a boil, then add the rice and remove it from heat.
In just 5 minutes, the rice will be ready to eat and you can experience the aromas and flavors of the spice. Do this regularly with a new spice to expand your culinary horizons!
7. Know The Number
Look up your local police department’s non-emergency number and save it in your phone. You’ll be more likely to report things like suspicious activity in the neighborhood or lost dogs if you have that number saved!
8. Warranty Reminder
When you make a major purchase, find out when the warranty on it will expire. Then use your phone to set a reminder for two weeks before the warranty expiration date.
When that reminder goes off, that’s your cue to examine the item for flaws or defects. That way, you’ll have enough time to arrange repairs or exchanges before the warranty period ends!
9. Help For Helpers
Are you the designated technology troubleshooter for your family or friends? If you frequently get calls from someone about their home entertainment system, take photos of their remote controls.
The next time they call for help, you’ll be able to tell them exactly which buttons to push on which remote to resolve the problem!
What’s your best “cheat code” for real life?
