I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here?
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Some of my answers to this include:
- A canning funnel. Cheap, and spill-free pouring stuff into containers is a lot easier.
- Oil all the hinges in the house.
- Get a slow-settling toilet seat, so it never slams down.
Get many, many boxes of tissues and then any time you find yourself getting up to find a tissue, leave a box there for next time.
Leave a full (6-roll) pack of toilet paper in the bathroom and replenish when it gets to 2 or less.
Maintain a pool of good rechargeable batteries, a charger, 'charged' and 'empty' bins, and put them in a high-traffic area so that you'll notice when the charger is done and put in the next batch.
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I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
@mhoye I hung a 3-by-30 inch strip of fabric over the row of holes in my office window blind to keep the sun from shining in my eyes for three minutes every morning
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multiple sets of measuring spoons / measuring cups so that you (almost) always have one the size you need
a back scratcher
a bottle brush to clean the inside of jars and bottles instead of faffing around trying to squeeze your hand in
a good garden knife
a cheap LED flashlight for your grab bag of tools
a seam ripper
plunger caps for bottles of vinegar and olive oil to slow/control the pouring speed
@gvwilson @mhoye Here's my blog post where I call out my office backscratcher as the best-designed technology I own.
The other stuff is good but the cost-benefit ratio on the backscratcher is unbeatable.
https://blog.plover.com/tech/office-equipment.html -
@mhoye I replaced a split-ring keyring with a cable keyring. It is much easier to add and remove keys, and the non-rigid nature makes it more comfortable in a pocket.
+1 on the key loop.
I do wish that it wouldn’t undo itself, but I wonder if a dab of weak glue or a bit of quakefast might help that.
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Get many, many boxes of tissues and then any time you find yourself getting up to find a tissue, leave a box there for next time.
Leave a full (6-roll) pack of toilet paper in the bathroom and replenish when it gets to 2 or less.
Maintain a pool of good rechargeable batteries, a charger, 'charged' and 'empty' bins, and put them in a high-traffic area so that you'll notice when the charger is done and put in the next batch.
@suetanvil @mhoye
Oh!
Put a container (currently plastic paper basket) next to my bed, to drop clothes that need washing in when I chang einto pajamas.
Yeah, I have laundry boxes in the bathroom, but having an extra in the other place I get undressed lowered chances of dirty laundry lying around from 90% to 10%, or something like that XD -
I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
@mhoye a hot water bottle.
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@mhoye Keeping a sharpie and a roll of painter’s tape in the kitchen. Label anything that goes in the freezer (optionally put weights and dates where sensical) or in the fridge after repackaging
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I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
@mhoye i wrapped rubber bands around the handle of my (metal) compost bin so it doesn’t make a big clanging noise anymore.
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@gvwilson @mhoye Here's my blog post where I call out my office backscratcher as the best-designed technology I own.
The other stuff is good but the cost-benefit ratio on the backscratcher is unbeatable.
https://blog.plover.com/tech/office-equipment.html -
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@amenonsen @mjd @gvwilson that doesn’t sound small or cheap but I have to admit the idea is compelling
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I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
Simple syrup.
The base for coffee syrups and many other flavoured things. It is a 1:1 mix of sugar and water, brought to a boil and simmered for 5-10 minutes to sterilize, store in a glass storage container [with pouring spout].
Use to sweeten beverages (coffee/tea/cocoa/tart fruit juices/etc.) Stirring optional, no undissolved sugar. Drizzle over oatmeal, sweeten plain yogurt.
Easily flavoured - e.g. add vanilla to cooled syrup, or some cinnamon sticks while boiling it.
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Some of my answers to this include:
- A canning funnel. Cheap, and spill-free pouring stuff into containers is a lot easier.
- Oil all the hinges in the house.
- Get a slow-settling toilet seat, so it never slams down.
Oh, another one: a jar of binder clips in the kitchen. Don’t bother with ties or big “chip clips” or whatever, just fold the bag over and put the clip on it, cheap and easy.
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@dabeaz Say more.
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Oh, another one: a jar of binder clips in the kitchen. Don’t bother with ties or big “chip clips” or whatever, just fold the bag over and put the clip on it, cheap and easy.
@mhoye yes! Or clothes pins work great if you have extra from hang dry lanundry
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@mhoye@cosocial.ca charging my phone (alarm) on the other side of the room
makes me get up at the right time way more often -
I threw this up on Metafilter too, but why not here? Lazyweb, a question:
On a whim, I've added zipper pulls to a bunch of my clothes and coats. It's such a small, inexpensive thing but it's an improvement I notice dozens of times a day, especially wearing winter gloves.
So I'm thinking about aggregating marginal gains now, and wondering what other options like this I have. What is the _smallest_ thing - in terms of size, cost, effort, whatever - that has made your life better in some way?
@mhoye command hooks.
Got a thing that you use often but keeps getting buried? Stick it to the wall.
I do this with my keys so they do t get lost in the counter pile, and I’m less likely to forget them on my way out the door if they’re at eye level where I walk past
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Oh, another one: a jar of binder clips in the kitchen. Don’t bother with ties or big “chip clips” or whatever, just fold the bag over and put the clip on it, cheap and easy.
@mhoye I’m partial to IKEA’s “Bevara” clips for this purpose. Unlike most options, they survive being washed in the dishwasher without issue.
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@mhthaung Having a roll of velcro strip is great, particularly having a yard of it in the travel bag.
