Life hack advice abounds in the era of optimization and influencers, but the desire to live life a little better is nothing new. Even ancient philosophers pondered the wisest uses of our time, energy, and resources. But in today’s more complicated world, the answers to such questions can be a lot more specific.
Young adults have been asking for “oddly specific” life tips, and people are delivering their favorite hacks. These aren’t the “surround yourself with positive people” kind of tips we typically see, but rather random, specific bits of advice.
Here are some of the most universally applicable ones shared on X:
Food
Thinking about what to eat, preparing what to eat, and actually eating it takes up a decent amount of our daily lives. It makes sense to give it a little extra thought, both for efficiency and enjoyment’s sake.
“When in an unknown small town, pick your restaurant based on the number of pickup trucks in the parking lot. Nobody goes on vacation in the pickup. Those are locals, who know where to eat.” – @KeelowSierra
“Learn to cook 3 meals extremely well. It will save money, impress people, and make rough weeks easier.” – @Alacritic_Super
“Make a weekly rotating menu so you never have to agonize over what to make for dinner. Like Taco Tuesday. Vary the specific item each week to keep it fresh but man it saves time, energy, and money.” – @RuralUrbie
Health
There’s a lot of health advice out there, and a lot of it is conflicting. But here are a few tips that seem solid no matter what your approach to health might be:
“Always wash your hands standing on one leg. We lose our balance with age and this simple habit forces you to consistently practice it without interfering with your life.” – @catpoopburglar
“Drink a full glass of water before you touch your phone in the morning.” – @EarthOriginHQ
“Speaking as someone who *didn’t* do this enough: Literally touch grass as often as you can. Go outside, get some sun, go camping, disconnect from your phone and social media and go explore the world without a filter. It’ll do wonders for your mental health, it’ll force you to spend some time alone with your thoughts, and you’ll gain some perspective about yourself and life in general.” – @CitizenAmedia
Money
Getting money advice from strangers can be dodgy, to say the least. But a few folks offered some pretty universal bits of wisdom:
“Before any purchase over $100, wait 48 hours. If you still want it after two days, buy it. You’ll be surprised how often the urge disappears. This one habit will save you thousands over the next decade without any willpower required.” – @BellaBaddie__
“I wish I had practiced minimalism. I’m spending the second half of my life getting rid of expensive junk for free that I thought I needed. I wish I had invested that money for my future instead. That’s solid advice.” – @starjaxranch
“Roth IRA and regular investment brokerage accounts. Contribute every month, even if it’s only $20. Just keep doing it and don’t stop. When people panic about the market crashing just keep contributing. It isn’t a loss if you don’t sell and it always bounces back higher, crashes are nothing but buying opportunities to increase your returns down the road. Just keep investing in funds. Learn how to get a shopping high from investing.” – @AnteEcho
Work
Most adults spend much of their day working, so advice in this area is particularly valuable. Here are some nuggets of wisdom that apply no matter what kind of work you do:
“Keep a ‘brag document’ – a running list of every win, project, compliment, or achievement at work. Update it weekly. When it’s performance review time or you’re updating your resume, you won’t be sitting there trying to remember what you did six months ago.” – @PursuDr
“At work no matter what your job is or how much you are currently being paid, if someone offers to teach you a new skill… Get out a notebook and a pencil and say ‘Thank you, I want to learn how to do that!’ This is how you increase your value.” – @TimothyMcGuire
“Always keep one skill you’re quietly improving that nobody knows about yet.” – @Alacritic_Super
“For all the jobs you have, don’t burn bridges when you leave a place. Keep your colleagues contact informing from each job. Leave on good terms. These things help in networking for a new job in the future.” – @daoc151
General
Outside of those big life categories, people offered all sorts of great tips born from experience. Keep these in your pocket when you need them:
“After you spend ages looking for something store it in the first place you looked.” – @floboflo
“Buy your concert t-shirts one or two sizes larger. You’ll likely be larger yourself for the reunion tour.” – @TeamToad
“When you find a pair of shoes or sandals or a bra that fits you comfortably and perfectly, buy three more just like it immediately and save them in your closet. Everything good gets discontinued.” – @Suzanne08053
“The mental energy associated with procrastination is costing you the same (if not more) as the energy required to take action. Pick action over mental suffering.” – @ConMcGovy
“Check the toilet paper holder in the gas station bathrooms BEFORE you sit down….” – @scdavem
“Treat every microphone like it’s on.” – @RobOps_xyz
“Never make a major life or business decision after 10 PM. You aren’t yourself when you’re tired; you’re just a high-stress version of yourself. Sleep on it. The solution is almost always waiting for you at 7 AM.” – @ria_rustagi
“When you drop something. Especially something small like a screw. Don’t grab wildly at it to keep it from falling. Concentrate on watching it fall with absolute focus.”– @GeorgiasGiant
“If you find a toilet in your dream, don’t use it.” – @Sandy166059 (If you know, you know.)
There’s a lot we need to learn on our own, of course. But we can also learn from the lessons others have shared, taking what works and leaving what doesn’t.
