People Are Revealing Their Top "Why Doesn’t Everyone Do This?" Hacks — And They’re Absolutely Brilliant

Life is all about efficiency. Every now and then, you stumble upon a tip that makes you wonder, why didn’t this occur to me sooner? Redditor That_Is_Bryce posed the question, "What’s your go-to 'I can’t believe others aren’t doing this' hack?" Below are some of the transformative tips people swear by.

1. "If you frequently need a tool in one spot but end up using it in another, just buy a duplicate for the second location. For instance, having a drawer for scissors is handy, but if you’re always searching for them at your desk, keep an extra pair there..."

2. "I keep a dish-cleaning wand filled with Dawn soap and vinegar in my shower. I use it to scrub the walls and tub every other time I shower. It takes under two minutes, and I never need to deep clean my tub or shower otherwise. I might use Comet for a thorough scrub twice a year, but honestly, it’s hard to tell the difference. It’s more for my own reassurance."

3. "Turn your muffin upside down when eating it. This way, it won’t crumble, and you save the delicious muffin top for last."

4. "Hand sanitizer works wonders for getting rid of ink stains."

5. "Every year, I maintain a list of happy moments, noting the date and details. These moments range from significant events like holidays to small, heartfelt instances, like a friend’s vulnerable expression when they confide in you. I once believed I could remember everything, but at 41, revisiting these lists always lifts my spirits."

6. "It’s incredibly simple, yet many people are unaware that pressing Control/Command + Shift + T on Chrome (or similar browsers) reopens accidentally closed tabs. It can even restore entire windows if you close everything by mistake."

7. "I stash an emergency $20 bill between my phone and its case. This has saved me multiple times when I’ve forgotten my wallet or visited a cash-only establishment."

8. "I tell my toddler that TV show characters are on vacation so we can take a break from watching them."

9. "I created a Google account for our house. I email myself important reminders and store photos of various areas, including plants (since I can never tell weeds from actual plants). In Drive, I’ve saved paint colors, renovation documents, house plans, and more. If we ever sell the house, I can simply change the password and hand over a complete house manual to the new owners."

10. "Use a VPN to book flights while appearing to be from a different country. This often results in cheaper fares. You don’t need to be from or travel to that country to book. I saved $1600 on a US-to-Australia flight using this trick."

11. "Create dedicated bags for different activities. I have a gym bag, work bag, roller skate bag, dance bag, and so on. I find affordable bags at thrift stores. Now, I just grab the appropriate bag for the activity without worrying about forgetting anything. It’s a huge time-saver."

12. "After Christmas, I stock up on discounted wrapping paper, organizing it by background colors like red, white, green, and blue. (You can choose any color scheme that suits you.) When I wrap gifts, I use specific colors to indicate their destination..."

13. "I line waste baskets around my house with multiple plastic trash bags. When one fills up, I just remove it, and a new one is already in place. This saves me time on trash day, especially the night before pickup."

14. "I store sliced watermelon and other chopped fruits in a salad spinner. The mesh keeps the fruit separated from excess juice, helping it stay fresh longer."

15. "My wife and I withdraw a fixed amount of cash weekly, say $125 each, totaling $250. This is our personal spending money for the week. Whether it’s lunch or online purchases, it comes from this allowance. At the week’s end, any leftover cash goes into a jar, which becomes our shared fund for groceries, dining out, vacations, and more. This system has significantly reduced our weekly spending."

16. "Use an upstairs-downstairs basket placed at the stairway. Add items to the basket as you notice they need to go up or down. The next person heading that way takes the basket with them."

17. "You can find promo codes by searching Google or Reddit. I’ve even contacted companies directly to ask if they’d match Groupon’s rates, and most agree!"

18. "When ordering Chinese dishes with fried components, like General Tso's chicken or orange beef, request the sauce on the side. This keeps the fried items crispy, even after delivery or pickup, preventing them from getting soggy in the sauce."

19. "I purchase all my socks at once, and they’re identical. This way, I can grab any two socks, and they’ll always match. If one gets a hole, I discard just that sock, not the pair. When my supply runs low, I replace the entire batch. The idea of sorting, pairing, and folding socks seems unnecessary to me."

20. "I eat tacos and burritos over a bed of lettuce. Any filling that falls out turns into a tasty salad."