It’s a ghost town in the office today but I figured I could make your Good Friday even more “good” by sharing some of my favourtie ‘life hacks’ that I’ve come across over the years – so here they are:

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.

1. Freeze grapes to chill white wine without watering it down (this also looks cool and impresses friends)
2. Chew gum while cutting an onion to cry less
3. 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 aps and games run faster
4. Clean out an old suntan lotion bottle for your beach bag and put your phone, keys and money in there – unless someone is out to steal your suntan lotion, this should provide for a handy safe keeping trick
5. Rub chalk on clothing to remove grease stains
6. Put dry tea bags inside your smelly sneakers to remove the stink
7. Microwave limes to get more juice before squeezing
8. Eat cucumbers to soothe a sore throat
9. Use a hanging shoe rack to store cleaning supplies behind your laundry room door
10. Put pancake mix in a ketchup bottle for a no-mess experience
11. Substitute olive oil when you run out of shaving cream
12. If you think someone is giving you a fake number, read it back incorrectly to see if they’ll care to correct you
13. Use crayons when you run out of candles
14. Remove red wine with white wine
15. Saying the phrase “Boots N’ Cats” quickly, repeatedly & at varying tempos is the secret to beatboxing
16. If your 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
17. Trying to eat less? Use smaller plates to trick your mind
18. Before you marry someone, have them use a computer with slow internet to see who they truly are
19. Shrink a pimple in minutes by putting a dab of Listerine on it, causing it to fade from the alcohol
20. Buy a world map shower curtain and you’ll become a geography expert (I know this one from experience!)
21. Add one teaspoon of baking soda when boiling eggs and the shell will come off easier
22. Norway will allow any student from anywhere in the world to study at their Public Universities completely free of charge
23. 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.
24. “Stayin Alive” and “Another one Bites the Dust” have the optimum tempo for performing CPR on someone who has just suffered a heart attack
25. 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.