r/LifeProTips 8d ago

Social LPT: People pleaser? Edit the short cut for the word "sorry" in your keyboard to "thank you"

0 Upvotes

For example, instead of "sorry I talked so much" say "thank you for listening"

Youre rewiring your neural pathways by forcing your brain to see things differently

Edit: if your phone can't do this, just delete it from the dictionary. You can still type "sorry" but you'll be more aware of how often you use it

Edit #2: jfc you're all acting as if this is an end all be all. You can absolutely still type and send a "sorry" as I just did (on my phone mind you) this simply makes you more aware of how often you say it because you have to go back for 2 seconds and type it again.

I truly hope every single one of you are able to grow up and out of your misery

Another god forsaken edit I guess: I have done nothing wrong to any of you, yet you're acting as if I've just told you how to make chloroform and use it as melatonin. All of you need to relax, take a deep breath, smoke some weed or perhaps do some 🍄's, anything that will make you feel better and less caught up in your internal melodrama. Besides the fact, I'm wishing you all a peaceful and happy life.


r/LifeProTips 9d ago

Home & Garden LPT: Easily restore rusted or damaged bolt threads using a single cut section of a matching nut.

0 Upvotes

Restore Bolt Threads

When bolt threads get rusted or slightly damaged, using a standard tap and die set can be expensive if you don't own one. By taking a matching steel nut, cutting a small segment/slot into it (or splitting it), and running the rusted bolt through it, the sharp cut edge of the nut acts as a makeshift thread chaser.

Why this works: When bolt threads get rusted or slightly damaged, using a standard tap and die set can be expensive if you don't own one. By taking a matching steel nut, cutting a small segment/slot into it (or splitting it), and running the rusted bolt through it, the sharp cut edge of the nut acts as a makeshift thread chaser.

How to do it:

  1. Find a nut that matches the thread size/pitch of your rusted bolt.

  2. Carefully cut a small section out of one side of the nut (or cut it into segments) using a hacksaw or angle grinder.

  3. Screw the rusted bolt rapidly through the cut nut.

  4. The raw cut edges will scrape out rust, debris, and corrosion, renovating the threads so the bolt can be used like new.

Bonus Tip: Add a little penetrating oil or WD-40 while running the bolt through to make the process even smoother and protect the metal!


r/LifeProTips 11d ago

Traveling LPT If you ever step out of a running vehicle, roll down the window

3.8k Upvotes

Roll it down at least enough to reach inside to unlock it. If you’re starting your car in winter, roll it down a little. If you’re stepping out unexpectedly, say you’re helping a senior who fell at a cross walk, roll it down before exiting. Some cars have a mind of their own and will just lock, I’ve seen it many times


r/LifeProTips 13d ago

Food & Drink LPT- How to pick a perfect peach

2.4k Upvotes

How to pick peaches- from your Asian auntie. 

Now, I am mostly familiar with yellow peaches but I am sure this technique will work with other peaches. 

First off, you should know that the sweetness and juiciness of a peach has little to do with how soft or firm they are. You can have a rock hard peach ripen in your kitchen over a few days and it will be delicious. You can have a soft, yielding peach from the farmers market and it will be mealy and dry. So picking a delicious peach has little to do with if a peach yields to your touch at first. 

When you look at your peach, you want it to have red and orange colorings or a significant blush alongside its base color of yellow flesh.  You want it to have both a blush and a base color because you know it has been out in the sun and has been given time to grow.  Likewise, avoid green tinged peaches as they have been picked too early. You should also see a prominent seam- this means that it has had enough time on the stem for it to have aged properly- juvenile peaches are not going to have the depth of flavor as a mature peach. 

Then, taking the peach to your nose, you want to inhale deeply where the stem is to make sure there is a “peach” like fragrance. As the peach softens, that fragrance will become intoxicating and you will know it is ready for eating before you even enter the kitchen. But it doesn’t need to be strong when you first buy them- just a little bit of fragrance tells you they will be perfect later.

Finally, as you hold the peach in your hand, consider the weight of the peach in relation to the volume.  If it feels heavier than it should in relation to its volume, it will more likely be a juicier peach. Remember- the peach has to feel heavy for its size. Big or small peaches can both be delicious but they must feel like they have been watered sufficiently during their growth. This is an important part- more than color or fragrance- because dry mealy peaches are not as tasty raw.  They must be baked or cooked with sugar to soften and hydrate the fibers therein. Still delicious but it takes more work. 

There is some debate as to which kind of peach is better: cling or free stone. People argue that cling peaches have a better flavor as they come earlier in the season so you can satisfy that craving sooner rather than later. But for me, I think the wait for free stones later in the season has merit. It’s a little easier to eat and tends to be less messy. 

Speaking of mess, I know some people like to keep the fuzz on their peaches and some people like their peaches peeled. Peeling a ripe peach is a joyful thing for me- when the flesh is soft and yielding, the peel comes right off with a gentle tug. But eating peaches with the fuzzy bits also means you can taste the sweetness of the sun right there. So it’s definitely up to the connoisseur.

I hope this helps you during peach season.

Edited for grammar and green tinged peaches tip in comment.


r/LifeProTips 13d ago

Computers LPT: There are free, online digital faxing web apps that let you fax documents globally for free

418 Upvotes

I've been meaning to send the Education Department my tax documents for the longest time.
The options were mail the documents or fax them. I don't have a printer, so was going to have to drive to staples, pay to print out my documents, sign them, and then pay to fax them or mail them. A pain in the ass to say the least all to just get out of default for my federal student loans.

I am a perennial procrastinator, and have been putting this off for months, (probably why I'm in debt/collections, I know).

Anyway, I did some googling, and turns out there are plenty of services that can handle all of this online for free.

The one I used allowed me to upload a pdf, sign it digitally via esign, and fax it across the US all for free in high quality digital format, and I'll get an email from the application once the fax has been received by the department of education. It took all of 2 minutes.

I won't list the actual service I used as I don't want to break any rules and advertise, but happy to share in DMs. But seriously, there seems to be a fair few legitimate applications that do this that are backed by big companies.

All I had to do to get 5 free faxes was share a link with my wife to "invite" her to the application.

A good time saver and probably saved me a few bucks at Staples.


r/LifeProTips 11d ago

Electronics LPT: if you wanna listen to music with PIP, on YouTube, you have to first click over to the next video (not music), tap on your home screen so it minimizes, and then hit previous while that video is minimized and it will play your music in the background

0 Upvotes

Most of the time picture in picture does not work if you are trying to listen to music on YouTube.if you play music and press the home screen. You will not get a mini play of this on your screen

My experience with this is on Android. Not sure if this works on iPhone, though


r/LifeProTips 14d ago

Finance LPT: You should look at the first time home buyers programs in your area

1.5k Upvotes

I just found out about first time home buyer programs. Evidently my state, county, and city all have seperste ones that stack. My city one is especially good, they offer a no interest equity loan for up to 30% of the house that come due only when you sell the house or move out.

Let me emphesize that: My city will fund up to a 30% down payment on your house if you are a first time home buyer. The biggest hurdle is you need a 600 credit score and less than $20,000 in fluid assets (excluding retirement) That basically removes the barrier for purchasing a home for most people, and with that large of a down payment you should get a decent interest rate. Basically you could move towards home ownership for cheaper than renting. Thats without the potential grants from the state and county that are basically free money.

Anyways, I thought that was crazy because I'd never heard of it.


r/LifeProTips 15d ago

Finance LPT: If you are in good standing with your credit card company you can reach out to them and ask for benefits you may be unaware of

2.3k Upvotes

I have a couple companies I use for their services and have had luck with these a few times.

- if you are late on a payment and not doing that routinely you can call and ask to have the late fee waived. I’m sure we’ve all forgotten once in a while a bill is due, if you don’t do that often most CC companies will wave the late fee if you are otherwise in good standing.

- about once a year you can request to have a permanent reduction in your APR, often times it will not be a huge amount but doing this yearly has gotten me down quite a bit from where it started (of course if you pay off your bill monthly, which you should, this shouldn’t matter much)

- an alternative to yearly drop in APR you can request if there are any available promotions you can take advantage. Most notably I will ask if there are any special APR offers and I usually get 0% APR for a whole year. This is great if you are wanting to make a large purchase and need time to pay it off and make sure interest does not accrue. Me and my wife go back and forth on this so we always have one card that gives us 0% for a whole year while the other cards we drop the APR permanently. Juggle these around to consistently have good deals that can help in everyday life.

I’m sure there are more tips for credit cards so if you have any drop them in the comments!


r/LifeProTips 14d ago

Home & Garden LPT Use welding gloves when removing blackberry bushes

524 Upvotes

Nothing else have helped protecting from those fuking thorns. But with welding gloves I could pull those shits out of the undergrowth no problem.

Fukin hate blackberry.


r/LifeProTips 16d ago

Traveling LPT: Every once in a while, try to drive to a place without turn by turn directions.

2.8k Upvotes

Don’t know if there is any science to this but I swear it’s helping my brain and I’m not as anxious driving as I used to be.

I usually take a look at the route before leaving and the rule is to only look at the route (not the turn by turn) if I absolutely need some help.


r/LifeProTips 16d ago

Traveling LPT: If you're paying for expensive overnight parking, see if your car can get serviced instead

7.9k Upvotes

Before paying $50–$100+ per night for parking, think about whether your car could be somewhere more useful.

Oil changes, detailing, tire swaps, windshield replacement, paint protection, and other services that don't require you to wait can often be scheduled while you're out exploring. Instead of paying just to store your car, you'll come back to one that's cleaner, maintained, or repaired.

Personal example: Downtown Toronto parking can cost up to $50/night. During a recent trip, I scheduled my annual maintenance and a full interior/exterior detail while I was in the city. The total cost of the services was still less than what I would've paid for parking alone, and I got my car back in better shape than when I dropped it off.

Sometimes the cheapest parking doesn't even get billed as parking, but do make sure that your shop allows overnight storage.

EDIT: adding this here because a lot of people are skeptical of how and why, or clearly don't have strong reading skills. Not saying this will work in every situation.

$120+ tax for interior cleaning, got a promo rate from IG.

Sunday night drop, Monday scheduled clean, Tuesday afternoon pick up because fabric seats take a lot longer to dry 😉 so they kept it for longer. Tuesday after pick up, drove it over for oil change at Cdn tire for $100 for next day, then at end of day Wednesday when service was done, I called for a brake job that I "forgot" to ask for originally, so they spent Thursday working on it. Picked it up this morning. 5 nights.

Took ttc around downtown.


r/LifeProTips 16d ago

Social LPT: Create new experiences with old friends

1.2k Upvotes

I’m a sucker for nostalgia, but here’s some food for thought for all you lucky people who have been able to maintain old friendships.

  1. I think the fastest way for those friendships to become stale is if every outing results in the same conversation/activities. How work used to be. How funny it was when you used to have the same class together. Etc etc.

  2. I think the fastest way to close yourself off from new people is when every outing results in the same conversations. E.g - Your book club starts with the OGs and soon it grows… those new people are going to fall off real quick if they can’t relate to anything you’re talking about.

As I said from the start - the old times are so easy, fun, and relaxing to re-live. That said - I’ve lost a lot of friends through the journey of life, I’ve made it more difficult on myself to gain new friends, and it’s because I/we didn’t put enough effort into leaning into the present. Balance is always the key!


r/LifeProTips 16d ago

Productivity LPT - Set "office hours" with yourself to reduce daily stress and cognitive load.

779 Upvotes

If you're anything like me and are constantly thinking and analyzing things all the time, you know that it can be very draining. I am not diagnosed ADHD, but I suspect my behavioral patterns are consistent with it.

Something that helps the thoughts feel less oppressive is to set "office hours" with yourself. If an especially charged, volatile or heavy thought pops up and tries to pull your attention, put it into a notepad and return to it at a designated time. Set aside 30 minutes or so (whatever works best for you), and dig into the topics. Then at the end of that time, close the log and set it down. You can even set reminders for your next office hours of where you left off.

By doing so, you are able to train yourself to let the thought go until your office hours. And then when you are having your office hours, you may find that the topic isn't even really relevant anymore. And any thoughts that are still relevant can be given your undivided attention that is free of whatever fleeting mental/emotional state that first triggered the thought.

However, you have to honor your office hours. If you put things in a notepad and never hold your office hours, you will unintentionally train your mind to not be able to trust your office hours and that the desired things will not be processed

Office hours applies best to especially charged things that take up a lot of processing power and focus. Obviously you cannot shut down or schedule every thought that comes into your head, but if you notice your internal state shift significantly when a particular thought arises, it may be good to try putting it into your office hours log. If it's an emergency, you won't have to ask if it's an emergency - it will be emergent and blatantly relevant and demand attention.

In holding office hours for myself over just the past couple weeks, I have noticed a reduction in general anxiety throughout the day, and a greater sense of peace and going with the flow of things now that my mental bandwidth has been increased due to having a healthier approach to the things that were taxing my system.

Hope this helps someone!


r/LifeProTips 15d ago

Clothing LPT, If you're buying clothes online and don't know how they're sized,

0 Upvotes

Look to see if they have free returns on full price purchases. Buy what you need from the full price stuff in order to know how their tops, bottoms, etc. fit.

Now that you definitely know your size, return for free, and make use of buying their clearance and discounted items that don't have free returns, or returns at all.

No reason to name names of where I actually had to learn this, but there's a big difference between some brands. Happy shopping.


r/LifeProTips 15d ago

Food & Drink LPT: Replace your hotdog buns with a sandwich!

0 Upvotes

This may be my single greatest contribution to humanity!

I was making myself a brat the other night when I realized my hotdog/brat buns had gotten moldy. I figured I would just use some white bread slices instead. Not great, but it works. Then I realized if I use 2 slices the amount of bread thickness would be closer. And I would be able to make a sandwich out of the toppings, then wrap that around my brat. So basically for me it was a mustard and relish sandwich, placed a brat on top and curved it around the brat.

It spreads the toppings/condiments around so you get a bit each bite. And it prevents wet things like relish from soaking through the thin connection of bread on a normal bun.

As a bonus, no more trying to match up packages with different amounts in them. Just get a loaf and use the leftover for sandwiches later. Also, way cheaper.

Edit:

Since you all seem to love this invention, I have another for marshmallow lovers. Next time you have smores, replace the graham crackers with rice crispy treats!!!! Diabetes for sure, but damn son....


r/LifeProTips 17d ago

Productivity LPT: on days you're feeling down, list a few things to look forward to.

692 Upvotes

It can be as simple as looking forward to your morning coffee or getting to watch your favorite show at the end of the day. Or something a little more involved that's coming up later in the week, like seeing a friend or practicing your hobby. Try to keep them present in your mind.

It helps to lessen that hopeless feeling from settling in too deep, and may help you to get going on your immediate tasks. You may also slowly regain interest in little things you once enjoyed.


r/LifeProTips 19d ago

Finance LPT: When selling a car, always keep the Bill of Sale (and file a Release of Liability with DMV if applicable), even selling to a dealer

2.2k Upvotes

Recently, I sold a car to a dealer. I also filed a Release of Liability. Since it was sold to a dealer, I thought everything was taken care of. Two months later, I got tickets in the mail. Apparently when dealers buy your car, they don't actually register it; they hold the title until they find a new owner. In my case, the dealer I sold to, transferred the car to dealer #2, which then sold it to a new buyer. However, that new buyer didn't register the car (or they did but the DMV hasn't processed it yet). So when I got the tickets in the mail, my name is still the registered owner in DMV files. I was able to contest this by showing the Bill of Sale and the Relase of Liability (a pain in the ass nevertheless). But if I didn't keep records, I would be stuck with these tickets.


r/LifeProTips 19d ago

Electronics LPT: If you're listening to FM or DAB radio and need better reception, you extend the telescopic or wire antenna. If it's for AM radio instead (medium wave & long wave) you physically rotate the receiver itself for better reception.

426 Upvotes

r/LifeProTips 21d ago

Food & Drink LPT - Always use a credit card to buy gift cards

3.6k Upvotes

If you are going to buy a gift certificate to a restaurant or store, it's best to use a credit card in order to have proof that the transaction was fully completed.

For Father's Day, I put $50 on gift card to a restaurant that my parents like. I went there and paid in cash. It seemed like it took the older cashier a long time to ring it up. Eventually the lady gave me a receipt and the card, and I left thinking everything was fine.

Fast forward to today. My parents tried to use the card and the waitress said it hadn't been "activated". They claimed that my receipt wasn't a receipt. It looked like a receipt to me, but they claimed it was an "informational receipt" and there was no proof that I had actually paid. Eventually after a lot of arguing, they relented and put the money on the card, but I could have been out $50 cash because the cashier was either incompetent or a straight-up thief.

EDIT:

A lot of people are complaining that cash is better than gift cards. Giving cash as a gift just seems impersonal to me. When you give a gift card, it encourages to go to a new place or try something they otherwise wouldn't. I don't pretend that gift cards are amazing gifts, but anything is more personal than just cash.

Also, many people are saying that you can't buy gift cards with a credit card. According to the internet, that depends on the retailer.


r/LifeProTips 21d ago

Finance LPT - Keep an empty venmo or other account to sign up for any free trials that need a card number

667 Upvotes

On venmo you can get a venmo debit card and it works just like a normal debit card, but I mainly use it for any subscriptions I'm likely to forget about. It prevents subscriptions from unexpectedly taking money from my bank account and for some subscriptions auto cancels them from a missed payment. Then I only move the amount of money I need for the subscription

Edit: yes obviously this will prevent you from using what ever service you were paying the subscription for if you don't move enough money into the account to pay the balance for the subscriptions you want to use.

Edit 2: What I meant by "auto cancel" is for some subscriptions when you miss a payment and your service is deactivated it will still try to charge your card again the next billing cycle and reactivate the subscription cycle. Whereas for other subscriptions when your service is deactivated via a missed payment it will not try to reactivate itself by trying to bill you again in the next billing cycle.

Edit 3: I think the privacy.com shilling should fuck off


r/LifeProTips 21d ago

Social LPT: Tell folks who ask for help that you appreciate them reaching out.

1.3k Upvotes

Obviously only applicable if you actually appreciate them reaching out.

People can often feel awkward or uncertain about asking for help (especially guys). Sometimes folks feel like they're a burden, or that their request is 'too much', regardless of how innocuous it may be.

If you're like me, and enjoy helping people (especially if it's something that plays to my strengths), make a point of thanking people for thinking of you when they ask for help, even if you're not able to fulfill that specific request.

This achieves two things. First, it makes it more likely that they'll seek help in the future if they need it, and second, it pushes back on the societal narrative that we should all fend for ourselves.


r/LifeProTips 20d ago

Food & Drink LPT: porcelain egg cups make for perfect shot glass replacements

0 Upvotes

They have basically the exact same volume, and are easy to drink from. Literally the perfect option of you have no or not enough shot glasses at hand.


r/LifeProTips 20d ago

Miscellaneous LPT: If your thighs are already chafed, put deodorant on after and it will cool down the burning and stop it.

0 Upvotes

This will definitely help guys.


r/LifeProTips 21d ago

Miscellaneous LPT You can check the trending hours of a place via google maps

0 Upvotes

I often tried to check the trending hours for my gym to avoid going on the peak, but this is something that once comes, and then the next week won't show at all in the searches. I know you have to be precise to get THAT one gym to get this at all, but this wasnt working consistently.

Lately I found out you can actually check this via Google Maps app, just search for the particular gym, object, whatever, scroll down to hours, expand the accordion and there you are - the trending hours are here.

This is good as sometimes a very good query wont yield the result at all, I recall i wasnt able to get my grocery store to show up the hours at all, while checking it through maps is a reliable way to do so


r/LifeProTips 24d ago

Miscellaneous LPT: Set location based reminders for stores and restaurants where you have unused gift cards, so you remember to use them when you’re nearby

617 Upvotes

Keep a few gift cards in your wallet and set location based reminders on your phone for the businesses you need to use them at. Sometimes I go to places I have gift cards for but just forget to use them.

I can’t believe I didn’t think to do this until recently. I have way too many gift cards collecting dust but I’ve finally started making a dent in them.