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People Are Sharing “Cheat Codes” They’ve Found That Work In Real Life, Here Are 35 Of The Most Useful Ones
No one likes to waste unnecessary amounts of time and energy on things that can be done with a few quick shortcuts. Or find themselves in challenging scenarios and have no idea how to crack the code. Or do things the hard way when... You get it — "work smarter, not harder" is the way to go.
We naturally pick up small pieces of wisdom that allow us to overcome unexpected obstacles and complete demanding missions, but as you’ve definitely noticed, the game of life is often quite difficult. Sometimes, our brains struggle to unlock the secrets and find the little commands and hacks that would help us to move on to the next level. But thankfully, Redditors bacongobbler and Lurial decided to do us all a public service by sharing some very useful "cheat codes" with anyone who strives to make their days a bit easier.
So if you want to finally nail down this game we call life, we've got you covered! Below, our team at Bored Panda has wrapped up some of the best insights from these two threads to share with you all. But as the Redditors warn, remember to put your thinking caps on and do your own research before trying these moves in real life. So continue scrolling, upvote the hacks you didn't know about, and be sure to share your own bits of advice in the comments!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Secretaries, tech support and janitors are the true power in office buildings. Make friends, remember birthdays and you can get anything you need or go anywhere you need.
Henrik Schmidt 2 years ago
Plus, they're human beings. You CAN actually be nice to people without any ulterior motive!
#2
When commenting on something, whether it be reddit, facebook, etc. finish typing your comment, stop, re-read it twice and then ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish with said comment before posting
Moosy Girl 2 years ago
Til that comments have to accomplish something, I have hereby accomplished making a bunch of strangers aware of my musings on above subject.
#3
Shut the f**k up.
Wait for the lawyer.
#4
Turn it off, then on again.
#5
When you have forgotten someone's name, simply say : "I'm sorry, but what was your name one more time." They may act offended, but when they give you their first name you simply reply "No, I meant your last name." (more socially acceptable to forget).
Bingo. First and last names.
#6
Buy things out of season, this can save you money. Unless its food, then buy it in season
#8
When you're giving a presentation, bring a bottle of water up to the podium. If you find yourself in a spot where you blank, taking a drink will allow you to gather your thoughts. Nobody will be the wiser.
#9
When you buy something online, you usually get a chance to enter a promo code before you purchase.
Google the promo codes.
They're out there - you can get anything from free shipping to 25% off the purchase.
#10
If you have crushing chest pain, call 911 first. Then chew some aspirin. I work in cardiology.
#11
if you gently rock back and forth while pooping it will take significantly less time and make it easier to pass more "troublesome" movements. Best. Lifehack. Ever
#12
For essays with minimum page requirements: If you finish your paper and realize that what you wrote is a shy of the minimum requirement, ctrl F your paper and search for ".". Change the font size of the periods from 12 to 14. They are the exact same size, but it causes the paper to be significantly longer (my 5 page original essay was stretched out to roughly 7 pages).
#13
When I am in a large shopping centre (mall) I take a photo of the information board on my phone so I can look up how to get to stores without having to go back to the board
DuchessDegu 2 years ago
This is even more useful in an airport. I saw someone taking photos of the connection gates and gates map and scoff to myself "ppfft that's what the app is for", just to have the app stuck and nearly missing my flight
#14
Easy splinter removal: dip the splintered body part in some Elmer's glue, let it dry, remove glue with splinter.
Easy lawn care: Pour "beer" (Bud Light, Coors, etc) on the lawn. Fermented sugars make great fertilizer.
Easy broken glass clean up: Get the tiny pieces up with a piece of bread, the consistency and texture picks up even the smallest shard.
#15
Babywipes for the bathroom. Seriously, your life will be +1.
#16
Never bring anything in to work. That way, when you leave (ie, earlier than usual) it doesn't look like you're leaving for the day.
#17
I've got one. If you feel uncomfortable looking into someone's eyes when they're talking to you, look at their nose instead. They cannot tell the difference.
#18
When you eat hard shell taco's, do it over your nachos. That way when they disintegrate, you can eat the bits you lost with your nachos
#19
Avoid forgetting something in the morning by placing it in your shoes. (works best if you wear the same pair every day.)
#20
Try to use your non-dominant hand for more things, try to maintain an equal balance in your body. If you have paper and a writing utensil in front of you, try scribbling circles with your non-dominant hand. Stir things with it, open doors with it. Use your dominant hand for things that you'd usually use your non-dominant for.
Be conscious of how your body moves. Pick up your feet when you walk, pay attention to your posture, try not to lean to one side if you're standing for a long period of time. *Stretch.* Stretching is important in maintaining strength, balance and coordination. Try doing routine things in different ways, it'll help your body with the aging process and keep you in better shape.
If you want to develop certain traits as a person, live your life as if you've always been that way/had said traits. Eventually after a bit it will become so second nature that you won't even have to think about it.
Don't pretend to know something if you don't. You look ignorant if you're called out on it, and you force yourself to lose the opportunity to learn something new. If you're mocked for not knowing something and needing to ask, you're around the wrong people.
**tl;dr** Be conscious of how your body moves; try to stay balanced. Sometimes pretending to have certain traits will actually help you develop them. Be open to learning new things.
#21
On flights, if you are fighting for an arm rest with a stranger. bring your arm (the one thats on the same side the arm rest you want) up to your mouth and sneeze/cough. Then place it by the armrest. The other person will move their arm. Has had 100% success rate
Monday 2 years ago
Yes. Aisle gets the extra legroom and window gets...well the window.
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TheAquarius1978 2 years ago
Better yet, just use a sling ( like the ones used for a broken arm ) that way your arm can still rest confortable, and you don't have to interact with the sranger Next to you.
Vix Spiderthrust 2 years ago
Unfortunately a sling is a great conversation starter.
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Evan Martin 2 years ago
Not showering for a week before a flight is rude to everyone around you or has to come in contact with you. The pettiness of these examples is pretty astounding
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Nimitz 2 years ago
Or have an adult conversation instead of spreading your germs to everyone around you, and the people on the next flight, and the one after... In fact, if you're fighting with a stranger, consider whether or not you're the problem. Ever hear the phrase "Run into an a*****e in the morning, you ran into an a*****e, but run into assholes all day? You're the a*****e!"
Toby Lundy 2 years ago
dear airplane, theater, arena, etc designers, 19 out of 20 people in the world are not missing an arm...
P. Mozzani 2 years ago
I usually ask, "Do you mind if we share the arm rest?" The response (so far) has been, "Go ahead. It's yours. I don't need to use it." Dreading the day that I sit next to a self-entitled person.
Selah Rocks 1 year ago
Or just behave like a healthy human being and don't become an AH for coughing to prevent people from sharing "your" space.
LinkTheHylian 2 years ago
I'm good thanks. I'd rather wait for Star Trek transporter technology to be invented than share a tin can with 100 other people with 2-3 toilets between us and no way to get out of that hellhole without dying.
lubbaDubDub 2 years ago
How about just talking to the person next to you about it, like an adult
David Leick 2 years ago
Assert your dominance by licking the arm rest and then purposely don't use it.
Dustin West 2 years ago
I am skinny so I usually give the arm rests to whoever next to me. I can sit comfortably without using them.
#22
Learn to cook. You will save money, eat better and feel better. If you are terrible at cooking, there is only one way to get better...cook. Think of cooking not as a chore, but as something that is fun and that brings joy to other people and to yourself. If you live alone, invest in some nice pyrex containers, put a few portions in the freezer, a few in the fridge.
#23
If you get brain freeze from eating something cold too quickly, press your tongue against the roof of your mouth as hard as you can. Voila, instant brainfreeze relief.
#24
If you're at home/work/party or GOD forbid your girlfriend's house and the toilet starts to overflow, take the lid off the back reservoir part and lift the long handle as far up as it will go. The water will stop rising and then you can quietly mutter curses at it till it goes back down (which it does, more often than not...)
#25
Always walk like you know where you are and what you're doing. Most people will just let you go on through/by/away. Works on most rent-a-cops and campus police.
Thanatos Charles 2 years ago
Go anywhere at all with a high vis jacket, a stepladder and a small toolbox, can add a hard hat for extra effect, even easier to carry a bag with some light bulbs, incase anyone asks. You can literally get in anywhere
#26
Give yourself half an hour of downtime in the morning, between being ready to leave and leaving, and your day won't feel so rushed
sturmwesen 2 years ago
Where do you get that extra hour? I am happy if I can fit a 45min walk in instead of 15min.
#27
To get through tech support quickly with an ISP, choose the option for becoming a new customer. Then when you get there ask to transfer to tech support. Usually they won't put you on hold because they see the number coming from the new customer line.
sturmwesen 2 years ago
In somehotlines it helps to talk gibberish to the machine. Others kick you out for it.
#28
If you drive stick and the battery s dead, get some friends, put the key to the on position, put the car in 2nd and push the clutch down. have your friends push your car. when you get a decent speed going let the clutch up. (this is called "Popping the clutch." your car with start and you can drive around for a while to recharge your battery(provided nothing is wrong with the battery or the alternator)
Vix Spiderthrust 2 years ago (edited)
This is called a jump start. EDIT no it isn't. Stupid brain.
#29
If you are quitting something e.g. smoking, drinking etc. Everytime you feel the urge to do said addiction : Go for a run, do 20 sit ups, 20 push ups etc. This way you can start to associate exercise with quitting and you get fitter the more you quit which can make you feel better
#30
If you are driving an unfamiliar car and you don't know which side the gas tank is on, just look at the little pump icon next to the gas gauge on the dashboard. The pump handle on the icon will be on the side of the tank
TheAquarius1978 2 years ago
Also lmao, if you drive an electric vehicle, don't try to fill its tank at the gás station... ( Google Tesla woman gás station, and be amazed )
#31
When you go to a restaurant where they bring you your drink in a cup/glass, ask for no ice or for ice on the side. Often what they do is load your drink with ice so that it seems as if there's more in there, especially at bars
#32
Try to put yourself in as many socially awkward situations as possible. You will be desensitized to it which makes you more outgoing.
#33
If you spill any liquid that will stain on your carpet (red wine, juice, etc), pour some salt on it. Work it into the carpet - just rub it in with your hands. Leave it there for a few hours (for serious stains, up to a day) and vacuum it out. Voila, stain gone.
#34
When you're talking to someone and can't tell if they are interested in the subject/their mind is elsewhere, cross your arms. If they cross theirs as well, they are truly listening
#35
Talk to everyone like you would your best mate, and smile.
What do you think ?
RP 2 years ago
I guess when it is 'cheating'. Cheating was never something good out of a video game context
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Lyrica Melody 2 years ago
Some of these are illegal in an awful lot of places -- fraud is fraud, no matter how you want to frame it as a money saving tactic. Postal fraud is a federal felony in the US, (and also against the law in most of the rest of the world too), for example. Are you sure you want to be on record that these are your "best insights?"
Appalachian Panda 2 years ago
Which were illegal? Most of them were just silly/basic. Some of them seemed borderline from an ethical standpoint, but I guess I didn't see the one that suggested postal fraud. I'll look them over again ...
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Powerful Katrinka 2 years ago
Wow. More than half of these are either silly, or absolutely terrible advice.
Yettichild 2 years ago (edited)
If you have the hiccups, inhale as much air as possible (to the point where you can't get any more in) hold it for as long as you possibly can, then let it out slowly. This compresses the diaphragm and 99% of the time will get rid of the hiccups.
Awkward Lady 2 years ago
What a rubbish list! Often, the advice is more trouble than it's worth.
OkieDonut 2 years ago
I have one! If you are ever stalking someone on Instagram and accidentally like an old pic, just unlike it quickly and scroll up to their most recent picture and like it. That way they'll get 2 notifications but when they see the picture you liked, they'll just assume it was a glitch. And then since it's normal to like a recent post they won't know you were stalking
OkieDonut 2 years ago
To clarify - when you like something and then unlike it, they get the notification but when they open the app they can't see the notification anymore. That's why this works
Load More Replies... RP 2 years ago
I guess when it is 'cheating'. Cheating was never something good out of a video game context
Load More Replies... Lyrica Melody 2 years ago
Some of these are illegal in an awful lot of places -- fraud is fraud, no matter how you want to frame it as a money saving tactic. Postal fraud is a federal felony in the US, (and also against the law in most of the rest of the world too), for example. Are you sure you want to be on record that these are your "best insights?"
Appalachian Panda 2 years ago
Which were illegal? Most of them were just silly/basic. Some of them seemed borderline from an ethical standpoint, but I guess I didn't see the one that suggested postal fraud. I'll look them over again ...
Load More Replies... Powerful Katrinka 2 years ago
Wow. More than half of these are either silly, or absolutely terrible advice.
Yettichild 2 years ago (edited)
If you have the hiccups, inhale as much air as possible (to the point where you can't get any more in) hold it for as long as you possibly can, then let it out slowly. This compresses the diaphragm and 99% of the time will get rid of the hiccups.
Awkward Lady 2 years ago
What a rubbish list! Often, the advice is more trouble than it's worth.
OkieDonut 2 years ago
I have one! If you are ever stalking someone on Instagram and accidentally like an old pic, just unlike it quickly and scroll up to their most recent picture and like it. That way they'll get 2 notifications but when they see the picture you liked, they'll just assume it was a glitch. And then since it's normal to like a recent post they won't know you were stalking
OkieDonut 2 years ago
To clarify - when you like something and then unlike it, they get the notification but when they open the app they can't see the notification anymore. That's why this works
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