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After you graduate college (or, uh, not) you're unceremoniously shoved into "the real world:" a terrifying jungle of suits, landlords, and public transportation. No one blames you forgetting a little scared sometimes. It is, in fact, hard out here for a pimp.
We've all been knee-deep in struggle city so to help you through this incredible adventure called life, we collected 25 essential life hacks. Ever wanted to sneak a beer into a concert? Does your phone screen looks like Flavor Flav's forehead? We got your back with tips and tricks to make life easier. Say goodbye the to troubles that hamper your standard of living and click through to make the struggle a little less real.
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Clearing your internet history will get you cheaper flights.
You've saved up your vacation days and you're ready for the week-long beach turn up. Don't let flight websites play you. If you visit a site and leave it to search for cheaper flights and return, the price will increase because the website is stored on your Internet's memory and recognizes you left and returned to the site i.e you couldn't find anything in your budget. Clear your cache every time you search for flights. Or, take the 16-hour bus down to Miami. Your choice.
Use the Fake-A-Call App to get out of an awkward situation.
There are situations where escape is necessary. To avoid being rude, if you care, download the fake-a-call app so your flooded apartment excuse is somewhat believable. A couple clicks and the app makes your phone seem anyone you choose is calling you. Or, just man up and tell her you're just not that into her.
Drink children's medicine to get over a hangover.
Shoutout to the Slate for one of the most legit hangover cures we've ever seen. Drinking Pedialyte, the children's electrolyte drink, replenishes and rehydrates your body, allowing it to replace everything it lost after your wild night out. Pedialyte comes in ice pop form if you want a cure and a treat.
Use Chapstick to stop the bleeding when you cut yourself shaving.
Put Chapstick on a shaving cut or a paper cut and not only will the burning stop, but the bleeding will stop, too.
Keep your trifling co-workers from stealing your lunch.
We all know people get reckless when their stomachs start to grumble. All of sudden no one saw your Post-It note or the permanent marker rubbed off your tupperware. Check this for an anti-theft lunch bag.
Get the perfect toasted sandwich with the 2 slices 1 slot method.
Put two slices of bread in the same toaster slot so your sandwich will be soft on the inside and toasted on the outside.
Use spaghetti sticks to light candles and avoid getting burned.
Your boo is coming over and you're trying to set the mood, but you might develop second-degree burns before you light a candle. Try lighting a spaghetti stick and using that to light the candle's wick instead of charring your thumb finger.
Eat an apple to stay awake.
Studies show apples are more effective than caffeine in keeping people awake and alert.
If you don't have an iron, use your girlfriend's hair straightener.
Don't get mad when her stuff starts piling up on the bathroom counter. Use it to your advantage. Her hair straightener can be used to iron out wrinkles in collars if you don't own an iron (or are too lazy/time-pressed to turn one on).
Use the coils from pens on your phone's charger to make it last longer.
Take a pen apart and use the coil inside to wrap around where wire meets the part you plug into your phone. You don't want your phone to hit 1% and your charger to be broken.
Get a fake email for 10 minutes to sign up for things.
10minutemail.com assigns you a fake email address so you can avoid giving sketchy websites your personal address.
Change the URL to get free WiFi at the airport.
Adding "?.jpg" to the end of a URL allows you to access the Internet for free.
Put your phone in a plastic cup for an instant speaker.
Solo cups are dual purposed. Putting your phone in a plastic cup (empty of course) will make the music louder.
Freeze grapes to chill wine.
The wine isn't cold enough and ice dilutes it. Freeze grapes and put them in the wine glass; coolness is achieved and flavor is maintained.
Put a bottle opener on your keys or in your wallet.
This way you're always ready to get crunk.
Boomerang all your emails so your boss/professor doesn't know you finished this assignment 10 minutes before it was due.
No one needs to know you finished up the forms at 5 a.m. after you hit the club. Especially not your boss. Type out the email, attach the files and then boomerang the email and choose exactly what time you want it to arrive in their inbox. Instructions on how to set up the gmail app here.
Ask for discounts on expired groceries to score food on the cheap.
Grocery stores will usually sell expired foods at a discount if you ask at the counter, and many foods last about a week after their expiration date.
Cool your beer quickly with a paper towel.
Wet a paper towel, wrap it around your beer, and stick it in the fridge. 10-15 minutes later it will be ice cold.
Bring a flask when you go out.
The life of a 20-something is often defined by the desire to turn up but the struggle of being broke. 15 dollar drinks don't help. Next time you go out, BYOB in a flask. Your friends might judge you, but when the tab comes, who's gonna be mad?
Fix your smart phone's cracked screen for cheap with a screen kit and a little DIY.
Can you order something off the Internet? Yes. Can you operate a screwdriver? Maybe. Do you have 100 extra dollars? Probably not. Next time your phone screen cracks, because it will, buy a screen kit off eBay or Amazon for around 20 bucks and follow a YouTube tutorial to get your phone back in order. Better than sliding that Benjamin in the Apple store.
Sleep next to an onion and wake up cold-free.
If you have a stuffy nose, sleep next to a sliced onion, and you'll wake up with a clearer nose.
Un-shrink your clothes by soaking them in hair conditioner.
If your clothes shrunk in the dryer soak them in a mixture of hair conditioner and hot water for about 5 minutes to get them back to their regular size. And consider air drying for next time.
Use a dryer sheet to keep your room smelling fresh.
Place a dryer sheet over your AC unit or a fan and your room will smell better. Stuff a couple extra in your shoes for the same effect.
Hold on to your college I.D to get student discounts.
Just make sure no one looks too closesly at the graduation year.
Get cheaper pizza by asking about orders that haven't been picked up.
Call your local pizza place and ask if they have any orders that haven't been picked up. If it's been a few hours, they'll usually sell you the pizza at a discount.
