“Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” – 10 Brilliant Ways to Save Time and Money at Home

Here on my blog, I strive to share simple, everyday tips and tricks that can help make life a little bit easier. But sometimes, the tips that I want to share aren’t something I can write a whole blog post about. And since I simply cannot waste a good idea, I tuck them away to use at a later date. I decided to share some of those tips and tricks today, in the fifth edition of my ongoing series, “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?

Note: Many of the tips I share on the blog come straight from your comments. If you have a great idea you’d like to share, leave it in the comments, and your idea could be featured in the next “Why Didn’t I Think of That?” post!

Save Your Lemons

Lemons look great sitting in a bowl on the counter in the kitchen, but oddly enough, that’s about the worst way to store them (go figure!) Instead, place lemons in a container or bowl full of water and store them in the fridge. Stored this way, the lemons can last up to 3 months!

VIDEO: Keep Your Lemons Fresher Longer

Gas Tank Tip

If you can’t seem to remember which side of the car your gas cap is on, check out the gas gauge. Many cars have a small arrow near the gas gauge that points toward the side of the car where the gas cap is located. This is particularly helpful when driving unfamiliar cars!

Battery Fix

If you’re in dire need of AA batteries, but can only find AAA batteries, you can make them work in a pinch with just a bit of tin foil. Place the AAA batteries into the device, then wad up a couple of small pieces of tin foil. Wedge the piece of foil in to fill the gap on the positive end of the battery.

(This should be seen as an emergency fix, and should not be used for any extended period of time. But in a pinch, it could help a lot!)

VIDEO: Battery Emergency? 🚨 Here’s the Fix!

Band-Aid

Sometimes removing a Band-Aid can hurt worse than the injury itself, but it doesn’t have to! To make removing a bandage painless, all you need is a bit of rubbing alcohol. Apply rubbing alcohol to the bandage on your skin, saturating it thoroughly. Let it sit for a minute, then peel the Band-Aid away. The alcohol will dissolve the adhesive so it won’t hurt to remove.

VIDEO: Ouch-free Bandaid Trick!

Tape Reviver

If your masking tape or painter’s tape has become dry and brittle, you can revive it in the microwave. Place your roll of tape in the microwave for just a few seconds (but keep an eye on it, you don’t want to start a fire!) The heat will loosen the adhesive and make your tape usable again.

Better Burgers

Before grilling homemade burger patties, use your thumb or the bottom of a small cup to create a divot in the center of each patty. The hole will fill in as the burger cooks, which will help minimize shrinking and ensure that the center of the burger isn’t undercooked. Smart!

VIDEO: Smart Burger Grilling Hack

Cheese Saver

Once you’ve cut into a block of cheese, you can help keep it fresh by rubbing butter over the cut edge. Butter creates a protective layer that keeps air from oxidizing the cheese as it sits in your fridge. At the same time, it also discourages mold growth because butter is overwhelmingly composed of fat. Mold doesn’t grow very well with such a high percentage of fat. Butter acts as a barrier to both dry edges and spoiling!

VIDEO: Keep Cheese Fresher, Longer

Peel a Kiwi Like a Pro

The delicate flesh of the kiwi requires careful peeling to avoid damaging the fruit. Want to know the quickest way to peel one? Cut off the top and bottom of the fruit and rest it upright on one end. Then take a spoon and slide it between the fruit and the skin, and rotate the spoon around until all the skin has come loose (a tablespoon is usually a good size of spoon to use.) When the spoon gets back to the starting point, the kiwifruit should pop out of the skin. Slide the skin off, then slice the kiwi and serve.

VIDEO: The Quickest & Safest Way to Peel a Kiwi

Battery Test

If you’re replacing old batteries with new ones of the same brand, it’s easy to get confused about which ones are the old ones and which ones are new. To figure out which is which, drop the batteries one at a time onto a table from a height of an inch or two. An old (dead) battery will bounce and fall over, while a new battery will stay upright. Brilliant! :-)

VIDEO: How to Tell If a Battery Is Dead or Alive

Jug Lantern

For quick, emergency lighting or a simple makeshift lantern for camping & other outdoor activities, all you need is a milk jug and a headlamp. Fill an empty milk jug with water, then strap the headlamp to the jug. The water will diffuse the light, making the jug a good source of soft, ambient light for a nightlight you can take anywhere!

VIDEO: Simple DIY Light For Emergencies, Camping, or Just Plain Fun!

Never Lose an Earring Back Again!

Have you ever lost an earring thanks to a loose earring back? I once lost a treasured family heirloom this way and vowed never to wear my valuable earrings again for this very reason. But all that has changed since I discovered Chrysmela earring backs! I use them for ALL my earrings now and never worry about losing them. The Chrysmela earring backs contain three micro ball bearings that are spring-activated inside the tiny device, and generate super strong holding power to lock earrings securely! Learn more here:  www.chrysme.la

NEW! Can you guess the 5-letter word related to today’s post?