# Life hacks you figured out on your own **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 11, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041 "2023-03-11T20:36:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/81 "2023-03-13T21:59:04Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > You can use an old bicycle inner tube to make hundreds of rubber bands - use scissors to cut it cross-wise to whatever width you need, whenever needed. Boy that sounds like a hella lot o’ work to save $1.29. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/82 "2023-03-13T22:05:22Z")
That’s why I said “whenever needed” 😆, and no, you don’t cut-up a hundred bands all at one time. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/83 "2023-03-13T22:17:31Z")
A comment elsethread reminded me of an idea I had that’s working nicely. Have as unique a doormat as possible. That way, when I get a picture of a delivery, I can tell whether it made it to the correct apartment or I need to go hunting. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/84 "2023-03-13T23:03:23Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I have a very strict ‘no drinks without a cap’ rule at my desk and even though it’s me that’s ruined more than one keyboard, and a laptop, by spilling things on them, the rule applies to everyone else too In my home, I’m contractually forbidden to set my glass on the same table as a board game. I used to be able to blame the cats, but as we no longer have cats, the jig is up. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/85 "2023-03-13T23:27:39Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > It’s unclear to me how you can do this. Turntable belts need to have a very specific length and a tension to reasonable tolerances, and also have a precise and consistent width or you’ll get wow and flutter on the turntable. I don’t see how you can do that by cutting up an inner tube with scissors. The consistent width is fairly easy to get with sharp scissors, cutting across the tube. The length? Rubber stretches, and the belts I cut didn’t really have to stretch very much. The turntables I’ve done this to (Sansui and Pioneer) have spindles that are not perfectly cylindrical. They’re a bit thicker where the middle of the belt rides than towards the edges of the belt. This is an old engineering trick that always keeps the belt centered on the spindle, keeping the belt speed constant. I understand your skepticism. So, I just put a record on one of the turntables. I’m sure I haven’t used it for the better part of a decade and it sounds fine. In my experience a stock belt would be stuck to the platter and wrapped around the spindle after that long. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/86 "2023-03-13T23:46:37Z")
Thanks for the response. Personally I’m not that adventurous about making my own stuff, so based on your observation that belts don’t last, I ordered a spare just now for my turntable. I kind of figured that the belt would likely be the first thing to go. It cost more than it should but still, $20 and free shipping gives me peace of mind, in case for some reason it becomes no longer available in the future. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/87 "2023-03-14T00:01:42Z")
Speaking of “no liquids in vessels without a cap in our house,” if you keep water on your bedside table, be sure to use a bottle with a cap or a cup with a lid or the like. Years ago, I used to keep an uncovered glass of water beside the bed, and one morning I woke up and a giant dead cockroach (the big Texas waterbug kind) was floating in it. That is a picture I will _never_ get out of my head. Thank goodness I didn’t wake up thirsty that night… 😝 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/88 "2023-03-14T00:13:23Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I’m sure everyone is aware of the five minute timer for getting stuff done, but I have to recommend an inexpensive plastic timer called Time Timer that shows you in a pie slice how much time you have left. I’ve seen that in classrooms, for showing how much time is left in a test or the like. > [@beowulff](#): > > When drilling holes in drywall (e.g. - for hanging a shelf), take a piece of printer paper and fold it in half, and then tape one edge with painter’s tape just beneath where the hole will be drilled. This will catch all the drywall dust and obviate having to vacuum up the mess afterwards. For smaller jobs, a Post-it works well. > [@wolfpup](#): > > Personally I’m not that adventurous about making my own stuff, so based on your observation that belts don’t last, I ordered a spare just now for my turntable. I kind of figured that the belt would likely be the first thing to go. The spare will probably go bad quicker than the one actually in the turntable. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Years ago, I used to keep an uncovered glass of water beside the bed, and one morning I woke up and a giant dead cockroach (the big Texas waterbug kind) was floating in it. I do know a great lifehack for that one: Don’t live in Texas. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/89 "2023-03-14T00:24:54Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > if you keep water on your bedside table Or you discover the cat with its head all the way in your drinking glass. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/90 "2023-03-14T00:45:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The spare will probably go bad quicker than the one actually in the turntable. Typical cynic! 😅 I know all rubber has a finite lifetime. But the turntable is already several years old, and due to a screwup on my part, at one time was left running (rotating) for probably several weeks before I noticed. All of that, combined with the fact that I intend to store the spare in optimum conditions, probably means it may be useful as an actual replacement. My betting, though, based on previous experience, is that I likely won’t need it at all. But it was a small cost for a bit of peace of mind. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/91 "2023-03-14T13:53:40Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > You can use an old bicycle inner tube to make hundreds of rubber bands - use scissors to cut it cross-wise to whatever width you need, whenever needed. Back when we used to get a daily newspaper - two, actually - I started making a rubber band ball with the rubber bands they put around the paper. I still have a baseball-sized rubber band ball in the kitchen junk drawer that I can peel a rubber band off of whenever I need one. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/92 "2023-03-14T14:45:49Z")
After thousands of attempts, I now cut tomatoes in half while putting my thumb on the green thingy. Allowing its removal in two cuts in stead of 4. It is amazing to me how long it took between the first time I thought “I should do this smarter” and the first time I did it automatically. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/93 "2023-03-14T14:52:50Z")
I dunno if this is a secret or a hack or not, but I use my phone to help read small things or hard to read things. Like serial/model number tags on electronics. Take a pic, zoom in, there’s your numbers. Especially handy for when my Echo loses connection with my Smart devices and I need to re-find the damn things from scratch. I don’t have to unscrew my lighbulbs and write down the model number, I can just shove my phone in the lamp and shoot a picture. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/94 "2023-03-14T15:03:18Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > After thousands of attempts, I now cut tomatoes in half while putting my thumb on the green thingy. Allowing its removal in two cuts in stead of 4. Sorry, but I’m not picturing what you mean by this. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/95 "2023-03-14T15:30:04Z")
After I run, I take off my running shoes _and_ remove the insole from each. My feet sweat during the run, and doing this helps the shoes dry faster. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/96 "2023-03-14T15:31:02Z")
I like to remove the stem from my tomatoes. I used to cut the tomato in half through the stem. When you do that you must cut 1/2 a stem from each half. Now I make the first cut on one side of the stem, so I only have to cut the stem from one half. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/97 "2023-03-14T15:51:06Z")
Here are some things I have learned on my own while working on old cars for many years. All pertain to nuts-n-bolts: When removing a difficult/rusty bolt or nut, do not simply turn it CCW. If you do this, you are forcing the threads to move lots of dirt and rust, and you could end up breaking the bolt due to the excessive torque necessary to do this. Do this instead: after breaking it loose, turn it CCW around 45°, and then CW about 20°. (These values are _very_ approximate.) And then keep doing that: 45° CCW, 20° CW, 45° CCW, 20° CW, etc. etc. This helps break up the rust and dirt in the threads, and reduces the torque necessary to remove the bolt. When starting a nut or bolt, begin by turning it CCW a couple revolutions. This helps seat it and prevents cross-threading. Once it is seated, turn it CW. When using a hacksaw to shorten a bolt, thread a nut on the bolt beforehand. After cutting it, remove the nut. The nut will fix the threads. When you have a bolt and nut, it is usually best to hold on to the bolt head (to keep it from rotating), and tighten the nut. When mounting something that requires more than one bolt or screw, thread-in each bolt, but do _not_ tighten it; keep it loosey-goosey. Start tightening the bolts only after _all_ the bolts are threaded-in (and still loose). This helps with alignment. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/98 "2023-03-14T17:25:34Z")
A couple regarding shaving. 1. Shaving is more pleasant if the foam is warm. This can be done by filling the sink with warm water and either shooting some foam on top (but not gel which may dissolve), or simply immersing the can for a couple minutes. 2. If you buy the expensive blades, the side with five blades can be easily sharpened by rubbing them on a flat glass surface (try both wet and dry). One blade gives good shaves for months. You can sharpen the single blade too, but this weakens the pivot and will eventually break the blade. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/99 "2023-03-14T17:59:09Z")
Markers solve lots of silly problems of modern life. I have two kinds of salt in my kitchen, coarse and fine-grained salt, both in glass jars with glass lids. Drawing a C and an F on the lids made it clear at a glance which is which. I got that idea from something I did to a toolbox, the kind that has two flaps for lids under which there are two compartments that open up like a tackle box (fishing). I used to keep screwdrivers in one compartment and box wrenches in the other, so I drew a circle on one lid and a straight line on the other to know at a glance which is which. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/100 "2023-03-14T18:11:52Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Back when we used to get a daily newspaper - two, actually - I started making a rubber band ball with the rubber bands they put around the paper. I still have a baseball-sized rubber band ball in the kitchen junk drawer that I can peel a rubber band off of whenever I need one. This is about 15,000ish rubber bands. And since the thread is about self learned life hacks, the life hack here is that if you spend an hour mindlessly adding rubber bands to your rubber band ball, wash your hands when you’re done. At some point you’ll touch your mouth and it’ll taste like you have a mouthful of rubber bands. It’s pretty gross. [![](https://i.imgur.com/Awcxhix.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/Awcxhix.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041.md?page=6)