28 Tips to Make Your Life Run Smoothly

If you’re struggling with opening a container or a jar, don’t exert yourself too much. Just run the lid under hot water for half a minute, then dry it for a better grip, and see how it “magically” opens.

If you’re following a recipe that calls for both garlic and onions, add onions first. When you see they’re almost translucent, that’s the perfect moment to add garlic. Garlic will cook faster than onions. So if you put both these products in a pan at the same time, the garlic will burn, and your meal won’t taste as good.

You’re a fan of avocados? Here’s how you can easily check if one is ripe or not. Just take a look at its “tail.” If you can pull it out without any difficulties, the avocado is good to eat. If you can’t do it easily, better leave it for a couple of days since it’s not ripe yet.

Here’s how you can tell if an egg is fresh or not — break it and check the yolk. If you see it has a clear circle of white surrounding it and is located in the middle, you have a fresh egg. The yolk is supposed to be voluminous, too. If it’s flat, it’s better not to eat the egg. If you see that the white part doesn’t have clear borders and your egg spreads around, the chances are it’s spoiled.

To tell the quality of your eggs, put a raw one while it’s still in the shell into a bowl of water. If the egg remains on the bottom, you’re good to go. If one of its sides comes closer to the water’s surface, your egg is not fresh, but you can still eat it. But if it floats, it’s not fresh enough to consume.

Brushing your teeth in the morning, and before you go to bed doesn’t have to be the same process. It’s important to brush your teeth in the morning, but more so that you have fresh breath. But in the evening, you should brush your teeth more thoroughly because that’s how you can prevent bacteria from breeding and protect your gums and teeth.

Speaking of bad breath, wanna know a good trick to fight it in no time? Cucumber slices. If you don’t have a mint within reach, simply eat a slice of cucumber to fix this problem!

When you buy natural peanut butter, store it upside down. That way, it won’t separate into solids and oils as much. And you’ll bring the oils to the top, which is why the peanut butter will be easier to mix.

When you put something down for a while, comment it out loud. For example, “I’ve put my phone on the floor right next to my bed.” When you do this, you engage multiple parts of your brain — including the language centers — and create a more vivid memory. That way, you’ll be less likely to forget about it.

You can do the same when you, for example, blow out a candle, unplug your hair straightener, turn off your stove burners, or take your keys, wallet, and other stuff when you leave the house. You’ll get rid of many of those moments of doubt that make you wonder if you really did those things.

If you visit your friend and bring along something you don’t want to forget when you leave, just put it next to your car keys. That’s something you definitely can’t leave without!

If it’s hard for you to make a decision, flip a coin. It’s not really about letting it “decide” for you. But while you’re waiting to see the result, your mind will automatically start thinking about the outcome you really want but, perhaps, can’t admit out loud.

You’re in the supermarket and want to know if the pumpkin you’re holding is good or not. Just knock on it. Does it sound as if it’s empty inside? That’s a good sign. Meanwhile, on the outside, it should be solid.

Sometimes, we dispose of foods that are still good to consume, like yogurt that’s become layered. You know, that layer of liquid on the top? It’s just whey that contains nutrients. Stir your yogurt to make it smooth because it’s still good to eat.

When you’re buying chicken, check if there’s liquid around it — it’s better when it doesn’t have it. For instance, if you take some frozen chicken out of the freezer and see a lot of ice around the piece, it’s better not to eat it.

You’re moving into a new apartment or a house? Set up your bedroom first. Buy a bed before anything else. When you’re exhausted after carrying your stuff around and cleaning the whole day, you’ll just want to have a comfortable place to rest.

Here’s a trick that will help you figure out if your coconut oil is adulterated. Leave it in the fridge for half an hour. Coconut oil becomes solid at low temperatures. Adulterant oils detach, and you can see them as a separate layer.

When you want to check if an onion has some mold, just take a look at what’s under the first layer of peel. Do you see stains that look as if the peel has faded? Mold. Better avoid buying this vegetable or make sure to remove all that mold if you have already got it.

You can determine whether a lemon is ripe or not by eye. If its skin is smooth and has a rich yellow color, it’s ripe. A greenish tint, as well as a pale yellow color, tells you it’s ready to be used yet.

This one’s for coffee lovers — if you really want to enjoy your overall coffee experience, it’s way better to buy beans and grind them yourself. Or ask if a salesperson can do it in the store where you buy your coffee. That’s the best way to make sure that the product is really made without any extra additions that can be present in a regular ground coffee.

If you’re looking for a simple way to separate yolks from egg whites, try this. Take a clean and empty plastic water bottle. Crack an egg into a bowl, squeeze the bottle over the yolk, and slowly release it. This way, you’ll create a vacuum, which will make the yolk slide into the bottle. Taa-daa, it’s separated from the white — just like that!

Let’s say you’ve lost an earring or some other small item in the house. A vacuum cleaner will help — just don’t forget to pop a stocking over its head. This way, the item won’t get lost in the dust and dirt inside the vac’s bag.

You want to take your favorite lotion with you on a trip, but it takes too much space? Try using a contact lens case — it doesn’t need a lot of space, and it’s a perfect solution for short trips.

A hair straightener is a surprisingly good tool when it comes to ironing collars. Especially if you’re not a fan of regular ironing.

When you want to check if your batteries are good or bad, just drop them on a table from approximately 6 inches. If they bounce once and fall right over, they’re good to go. And if they bounce around more than that, they’re either done or on the way out.

If your razor doesn’t have a plastic cap, just use a binder clip to cover it — and to protect the rest of your stuff if you’re packing it with some sensitive items or materials.

Nail polish is a simple yet effective way to differentiate your keys, especially if they’re all similar. Finally, you don’t have to try each of them before getting to the right one.

When you’re reheating leftovers in a microwave, space out a circle in the middle of your dish. This way, your food will heat up more evenly.

Straw is a cool tool to remove strawberry stem, don’t you think?

A muffin tin definitely comes in handy when you want to serve different condiments for your BBQ. Plus, it will save you some time with the dishes later.