Simplify your life: life hacks for home, tech, finances and travel.

Hey lovelies! I thought long and hard what to bring you today but finally settled for life hacks, cause why? Everyone needs those. Life hacks are cost effective, easy to use, practical and most certainly creative.

The beauty of life hacks

Life hacks are simple, easy to implement, does not require too much technical expertise. It is basically channeling the MacGyver in you.

We've all been there - needing a specific tool or equipment at home, the office or anywhere for that matter, that's out of budget. That's where life hacks come in - they are creative solutions/alternatives to help you achieve your goals without breaking the bank.

Another exciting thing about life hacks is that it can also help repurpose that pile of junk or that faded T-shirt or broken gadget you for some reason refuse to let go. No judgements here - we are all guilty of holding on to something "just in case" or because it holds sentimental value. Whether it's using binder clips to organize cables or finding a DIY solution to a problem, life hacks are a total game changer.

It's time to stop struggling and get smart about simplifying your life today - try these life hacks.

Productivity and Focus Hacks

1. Apply the two-minute rule: if something takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. Why - avoid procrastination, reduce decision fatigue, increase productivity and help you feel in control.

   
   

   Implementing the two minutes rule: identify small tasks, do it now and make it a habit.

   
   

2. The Pomodoro Technique: this is specially for you out there who struggles to focus. Select a task you want to do, set a timer and work exclusively on the task without any interruption, once the timer goes off take a 5minute break or more. No pressure. But make sure to time your break and once the break timer goes off go back to work (of course set a timer). This works like magic to boost focus plus achieve goals

3. Batch similar tasks: by grouping and completing similar tasks in one go, you save the time and effort required to switch between tasks. This help increase efficiency, productivity and improve focus. eg checking and replying to all emails at once, making phone calls etc

   
   

4. Use Airplane mode: To get out the most when working or sleeping use Airplane mode to avoid distractions. But should it be an internet related work, DND suffices.

   
   

5. Avoid multi-tasking to improve focus and take regular breaks to recharge and avoid burnouts.

Household Hacks

1. Use straws or cotton swab to clean between keyboards keys

2. Orange peel as insect repellent: research shows that limonene and beta-pinene found in orange peels have insect repelling properties. So, use orange peel on your door entrances, windows or wherever to repel spiders, mosquitoes or other insects.

3. Wooden spoon: A regular in the kitchen would have experienced food boiling over. But putting a wooden spoon over/across your pot to prevent food from boiling over.

   

4. long lasting fragrance on clothes: stick a sanitary pad inside your wardrobe, then spray your favorite fragrance on it. This fragrance lasts on your clothes and wardrobe for months.

6. From left over to purified oil: if you got left over vegetable oil from cooking, put starch into bowl of water. Mix well then fry the mixture in the leftover oil in low heat. Once the starch hardens take it out and you'd see all the gunk's and impurities glued to the fried starch and your oil is nice and clean again.

   
   

   

7. Power outage? If you got power outage at home and you got no candles, no problem. Pour a small quantity of rice into a glass, add water and a cooking oil (vegetable oil). Then you put a cotton swab in the center as a wick, light it up and voila you got yourself a DIY candle to lighten your room.

   

   
   

8. How to get rid of cockroaches: cut banana peels into tiny pieces, add a spoon of white sugar, add two drops of dishwashing liquid, then add water. Take the mixture to where the cockroaches are, and they'll disappear in no time.

   
   

9. Use of banana peels; use banana peels to clean/polish shoes or leather goods to make them shiny. Banana peels are also good for exfoliation and lubricating squeaky doors hinges.

   
   

10. Hair dryer cleaner: if you don't have a vacuum cleaner, you can make your own DIY vacuum cleaner with hairdryer. How? Place a face mask or a cloth on the tail/back of a hairdryer, attach a cut plastic bottle to it then turn on the hair dryer. Make sure the plastic bottle neck faces the dirt you're trying to clean.

Tech Hacks

1. Speech to text: you can do this by clicking the Windows + H keys. Your computer automatically records and type whatever you say. With this hack say goodbye to ever typing on MS Word. And of course, connect your internet to provoke the functioning of this hack.

   
   

2. Screen recording and screenshot: use the keys Windows + G to screen record and the keys Windows+ Shift + S to screenshot on your computer

   
   

   Money saving and Travel Hacks

   

   
   

   1. Audit subscriptions monthly and buy substitute brands with the same quality but cheaper price to save money.

   
   

   2. Buy nonperishable goods in bulk. It saves you from visiting the grocery store frequently and saves you from paying extra should price rise. This is one of the best household hacks for countries with perpetual inflation

   
   

3. Set a grocery budget and a meal plan and also use apps like Mint, YNAB and pocketbook to track budget.

   
   

4. Embrace the "no spending challenge": you can pick a day, a week or month to choose not to spend.

5. Apply the 24 hours rule: for those of us into impulse spending, when you see something you like, that happens not be in your budget, wait 24hours before making a purchase. You get 24hours to decide if you want it or not. This help reduce regret. I use it a lot.

   
   

6. Roll clothes instead of folding them to save space and reduce wrinkling when packing a travel bag.

   

   
   

   I still have many more amazing hacks, but I must stop here today. Hope you discovered new hacks here. By incorporating these life hacks into your daily routine, you're well on way to being creative and stress-free. Remember it's all about finding ways to make life easier, if you have any favorite life hacks to share, please leave them in the comments. Also, if you find this post helpful, share to friends and loved ones.

   
   

   As I will always say "do not yank it, until you've tried it" so try all the hacks and the results might just shock you. I hope "Simplify your life: life hacks for home, tech, finances and travel" was worth the read. Happy hacking!!!!

   
   

   Authored by Favour