| From Syria to North Korea to US politics, headlines this past week have been not-so-good. But, despite all the bad, there is always quite a bit of good in the world – so I figured I could make your Good Friday even more “good” by focusing on some good news stories below and by sharing some of my favourtie ‘life hacks’ that I’ve come across over the years. But first – what is a life hack? Life hacking refers to any trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method that increases productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life. It is arguably a modern appropriation of cutting the Gordian Knot - in other words, anything that solves an everyday problem in an inspired, ingenious manner. - Apply for insurance and apply for credit before you need it
- Never skimp on two things: your shoes or your mattress. You spend too much time in them to be uncomfortable
- Running low on battery and no time for charging? Put your phone on airplane mode and it’ll charge much faster. This trick also works for making your apps and games run faster
- Hang out with people who make you forget to look at your phone
- The upper right-hand corner of most menus: this is where you’ll find the most expensive dishes (because it’s where your eyes will go first)
- Freeze grapes to chill white wine without watering it down (this also looks cool and impresses friends)
- Microwave limes to get more juice before squeezing
- Chew gum while cutting an onion to cry less
- Put dry tea bags inside your smelly sneakers to remove the stink
- Put pancake mix in a ketchup bottle for a no-mess experience
- Add one teaspoon of baking soda when boiling eggs and the shell will come off easier
- Set up automatic investment/saving contributions and bill payments – you’re busy enough
- Stretch for 5 minutes before going to bed. Your muscles will be more relaxed and it’ll be easier to find a comfortable position to sleep in.
- Substitute olive oil when you run out of shaving cream
- “Stayin Alive” and “Another one Bites the Dust” have the optimum tempo for performing CPR on someone who has just suffered a heart attack
- Rub chalk on clothing to remove grease stains
- If a child writes a letter to their favorite Disney character, they will send them an autographed 8 x 10 picture! The address is Attn: [character’s name], Walt Disney Communications, PO BOX 10040, Lake Buena Vista, FL, 32830-0040
- Shrink a pimple in minutes by putting a dab of Listerine on it, causing it to fade from the alcohol
- If you think someone is giving you a fake number, read it back incorrectly to see if they’ll care to correct you
- My favourite investment hack: DRIP. The Dividend Reinvestment Plan. A plan offered by a corporation that allows investors to reinvest their cash dividends by purchasing additional shares or fractional shares on the dividend payment date. This is an excellent way to increase the value of your investment since most DRIPs allow you to buy shares commission free and at a significant discount to the current share price.
With so much going on and information coming at us from every angle, it's sometimes hard to keep your finger on the pulse of what's happening. In an effort to keep you in-the-know and provide you with some conversation nuggets for the long weekend, I've compiled the following hit list to fill your conversation pipeline. Now you are in-the-know with Word on the Street. Enjoy the long weekend, D.
Dian Chaaban
Investment & Wealth Advisor
416.842.4234
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