12 Super Handy Tips and Tricks Making Life Easier

1.

In most cases, it will cost your employer far more to replace you than it would to give you a raise. So ask firmly. The cost of recruiting, onboarding/training, etc often exceeds the cost of paying an already established employee more. Just remember that next time you talk yourself out of asking for a raise.

2.

If you have an Android phone, go to the developer options and set Animation Time to x0.5! Your phone will feel like it’s gotten a huge processor update. Unlock Developer Options: Settings > About Phone > 7x tap on Build Number Decrease animation time: Settings > System > Developer Options > Set all Options with Animation Scale to x0.5 or less

3.

Your parents took decades to furnish their house. If you’re just starting out, remember that it took your parents decades to collect all the furniture, decorations, appliances, etc you are used to having around. It’s easy to forget this because you started remembering things a long while after they started out together, so it feels like that’s how a house should always be. It’s impossible for most people starting out to get to that level of settled in without burying themselves in debt. So relax, take your time, and embrace the emptiness! You’ll enjoy the house much more if you’re not worried about how to pay for everything all the time.

4.

You will get calls about your taxes, there is a 100% chance they are scams. I just received a voicemail today that said there was a “tax fraud pending against me” and that I should call back immediately before “I get arrested”. Please be cautious as these are scams. If you ever have questions regarding your taxes, go to the place you filed them and start there, then go to the IRS directly. The IRS never calls, you’ll get letters.

5.

If you ever forget your WiFi password or you want to get your school WiFi password etc. Just type this command into the command line of a computer already connected to that WiFi: netsh wlan show profile WiFi-name key=clear. Also when youre at a hotel that charges for wifi (or for faster wifi), get the password from the business center computer which is probably connected to the employee wifi

6.

If you think someone has forgotten your name, skip the awkwardness and mention it in third person. Last night someone I’ve volunteered with on-and-off for 2 years, I’m pretty sure forgot my name, so I worked into conversation said something like “I have a tendency to leave things till the last minute, and my roommate is like ‘Alybank! Why are you like this?” I could see the relief on the other persons face when I said it.

7.

Inflation is currently ~2% per year. If you are not getting more than that per year as a raise, you are getting a pay cut. Make sure to take inflation into account when you get a raise.

8.

Those viral posts asking things like “Your stripper name is your first pet and your mother’s maiden name” are amazingly effective ways to reveal answers to common security questions you may be using elsewhere. The next time you see a mass post or “share this on” message asking for information like this, remember you’re sharing important personal information which may be dangerous to share openly with others. There’s a good reason why so many of them rely on your funny answer being made up of your mother’s maiden name, first pet, favourite teacher or street you grew up on…Always be careful where you’re sharing information, consider whether it’s really necessary to share it, or consider using incorrect answers – either to the post, or to the security questions themselves (as long as you can remember what you set them to).

9.

If you’re someone that always listens to music in your car make it a habit at least once a month to turn it off and listen to your car for a couple minutes. There may be an issue you’re not aware of which could be caught before it turns into a major problem

10.

Be skeptical of products that say “Clinically proven”. That is a marketing term and only says they’ve done their own private study that is designed to show the result the company wants. It is not the same as a “Scientifically proven” study which is published and open for peer review.

11.

if you need somewhere to work/relax with friendly staff, nice AC, plenty of seating, free WiFi, and available all across the US, you’re in luck! There are more public libraries in the US than there are Starbucks or McDonalds! And you’re under no obligation to buy anything to sit there. 16,568 – Public Libraries in the US. There are over 116,000 if you include academic, school, military, government, corporate, etc 14,606 – Starbucks stores in the U.S. in 2018 13,905 – McDonald’s restaurants in the United States in 2018

12.

If you have illegal drugs in your system and find yourself in the hospital PLEASE be honest and disclose exactly what you’ve taken or what you believe you’ve taken. Care providers are not the police; the quality of your outcome might depend on such information.