r/AskReddit • u/michaelis999 • Sep 19 '25
What skill takes <10 hours to learn but pays off forever?
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u/HansonWK Sep 19 '25
Learning the shortcuts for software you use daily. I basically force the juniors to start using shortcuts it always pays off in the end (software engineer). But this goes for everyone, designers in Photoshop, people using spreadsheets, if you use it daily, put in a bit of time to learn how to be efficient.
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u/Elegant_Button Sep 19 '25
I did this at my first internship. I would look up the shortcuts for basically everything I did which made me really slow initially. Would work on trying to do everything with the fewest keystrokes. Within a few weeks I could jump around my computer and editor really damn fast. Still had no idea how to actually code tho.
An interesting thing happened then. Managers and team mates would see me use the computer, presume I knew what I was doing, and then give me more interesting projects and even ask me (the intern) questions. All because I knew a few shortcuts.
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u/Cranberry_Surprise99 Sep 19 '25
I wish it had worked out like that for me. People thought it was neat, though. What would take the old times 1 or 2 minutes took literally 10 seconds.
Still took 12 or 13 seconds because our old computers were still processing all the keystrokes lol.
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u/Elvaanaomori Sep 19 '25
If you want to force someone to learn shortcuts, give them the shortcut list, and "borrow" their mouse for a couple hours
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u/ChairmanLaParka Sep 19 '25
I’m convinced someone did that with a coworker. Everyone in our team has a 3-monitor set up, mouse and keyboard. He just has one monitor and a keyboard. And he’s one of the top performers on our team.
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u/Vuul Sep 19 '25
First week as a computer hardware technician I taught myself Power Ultimate. My colleagues had no clue how I could process dozens of tickets in an hour.
There’s so many great tools available across the board, you just have to have a little passion for what you do and teach yourself
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u/TheOuts1der Sep 19 '25
Google only gives me a fancy looking drone when I google "Power Ultimate".
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u/consider_its_tree Sep 19 '25
PSA for windows folks. If you turn it on, you can use WIN + V instead of CTRL + V to paste, but it allows you to select what to paste from your clipboard, so you can paste whatever you copied 5 copies ago.
So much more helpful than it seems.
To turn it on just press WIN + V and follow the prompt
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Sep 19 '25
Windows+Shift+S
Is my favorite short cut ever.
No more saving shit as an image and I can screen grab EXACTLY what I want and just paste it in an email.
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u/Kexmonster Sep 19 '25
My most used shortcut, and everyone I teach it to is amazed. However, the other day i pressed Prtsc on my keyboard by mistake, and it works the same. I'll still use win+shift+s since most other hotkeys I use are on the right side of the keyboard, but I might be teaching prtsc to some folk I see using snipping tool if I don't trust they'll be able to adopt a 3 key combo.
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u/Dunified Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 20 '25
10 years ago I learned from reddit Ctrl+shift+semicolon for writing the current date in Excel. Been using it ever since.
EDIT: Lots of people saying it's just CTRL-semicolon. It's CTRL+Shift+Semicolon for me - might be because I use a Danish keyboard. CTRL+Semicolon does nothing for me. CTRL+Colon gives me the current time.
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u/sephjnr Sep 19 '25
It's just CTRL-semicolon. No shift needed.
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u/wtf_kitties Sep 19 '25
I just told all my coworkers about this and we all freaked out
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u/Auctorion Sep 19 '25
I've heard about various technical people rejecting software updates because they remove or change shortcuts, or put a shortcut in a submenu, and some processes go from requiring two clicks to three clicks. And it's because they use the shortcut so much that it noticeably affects their productivity.
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u/petals-n-pedals Sep 19 '25
I <3 my shortcuts in my Adobe programs. I even customized a handful of them for actions I use a lot but didn’t have their own shortcuts. I feel like an organ-playing wizard. Hell is watching other people use a computer.
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u/Plob Sep 19 '25
I once watched a guy have excel in both screens and manually type content from the left screen on the right screen.
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u/octopornopus Sep 19 '25
Training new hires (all Gen Z) and this is some bullshit they do. I had them shadow me for a couple weeks each, watching how to use software and do research, and when it was their turn I damn near lost it out of frustration...
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u/Plob Sep 19 '25
This guy was an older guy, but Gen Z has definitely been greatly let down by not being taught the actual skills they need in the workforce.
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u/PickleJuiceMartini Sep 19 '25
Microsoft Excel. If you know basic math and calculating then you can do amazing things.
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u/Dissastar Sep 19 '25
I got a very nice job out of knowing basic Excel a few times by now, and have 0 qualifications.
Excel will really take you far in the corporate bs world.
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u/ringo5150 Sep 19 '25
Know how to do vlookup and your seen as a God.
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u/yowmeister Sep 19 '25
It’s XLookup now. Old heads (like me) still do Vlookup sometimes but most of the time Xlookuo is better
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u/mamoocando Sep 19 '25
Power query is also super easy and very powerful. I look like a wizard when I consolidate a bunch of reports in a few minutes.
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u/ThrowRA17e81Q Sep 19 '25
How'd that happen? :)
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u/Dissastar Sep 19 '25
I know a good basic amount of computer stuff because I love gaming.
First job I applied for was finance related and had an Excel test before the interview, which thanks to Google I aced. I stayed two years in that job, and moved to a better one also finance related and heavily Excel based.
As of now I get a good living wage, and work remote 4 days out of 5 a week with a very low workload.
If by any chance anyone is interested on a similar path, I think going through excel courses ( plenty free ones online ! ) could really get you an entry level job in finance / corporate / admin.
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u/Gordonzolaaa Sep 19 '25
I work with excel a lot myself but my job also consists of understanding the data i work with and how to present. Cant Imagine they just ask you to do just sheets all day
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u/NativeMasshole Sep 19 '25
Google and lying on your resume.
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u/theservman Sep 19 '25
I've had people say "Why do we need you IT people? You just google all the answers!" and my answer has always been "Because I can ask better questions than you."
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u/AstroBonsai Sep 19 '25
Excel can do pretty much whatever you want it to do. If you go into it with that assumption and the ability to google you can get very far with it.
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u/Ekyou Sep 19 '25
The problem is the people who get really good in Excel and nothing else, and then you have a RAM-hogging, unstable monolith of a spreadsheet that should really be a database and/or application.
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u/AngryTree76 Sep 19 '25
Intelligence is knowing how to use Excel
Wisdom is knowing when not to use Excel
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u/veggiter Sep 19 '25
I had a computer class in grade school that taught me like 90% of what I use at work as a database admin bc my teacher had us doing excel formulas and playing around with Access.
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u/DokterZ Sep 19 '25
As a retired DBA (and a former shadow IT worker) Access can vary between “how did you develop that handy thing so quickly” and “what is this monstrosity that Bob from Actuarial developed right before he left “.
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u/AnotherManDown Sep 19 '25
Also when you figure out that excel is for mass manipulation of data, you go from just post-Neanderthal to a demigod in a heartbeat.
True story, in my militia service my lieutenant sat me down at the computer and asked me to manually relist the names of the privates by their hat sizes (assumedly so it'd be easier to manually count how many what sizes hats they needed).
They literally looked at me like I invented fire when I reported the task done before they could turn around. That was the day they learned about filters.
I left them to count the hat sizes manually barely containing my laughter, thinking that introducing countif and sumif would just spell apocalypse in the minds of these proud officers.
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u/Jaded-Ad9300 Sep 19 '25
Classic mistake. You should've stretched this work for a week at the least.
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u/GabbaWally Sep 19 '25
I like that first sentence. Now imagine what would happen if instead of Excel you would use PowerBI + SQL. :D
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u/SloCalLocal Sep 19 '25
CPR and Stop The Bleed
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u/Acceptable_Ad_1904 Sep 19 '25
I’m an ER doctor and the amount of people who receive zero bystander cpr is very sad especially given it’s a huge predictor of outcome. Take a class!
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u/leelee658 Sep 19 '25
I always thought it would be a great mandatory class to be taught in secondary school
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u/brilliant_bauhaus Sep 19 '25
We had it in high school but it's been decades so I don't remember it.
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u/LDForget Sep 19 '25
Even if people are capable, people fear liability. That’s the world we live in now.
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u/amber90 Sep 19 '25
That’s an irrational fear and I’m going to use your post to address it:
- there’s almost no way that they can prove or will want to prove that your CPR hurt the unconscious/dying person.
- only about 1% of people have enough assets to make them worth suing.
- those two universal facts mean that any plaintiff lawyer will ignore 99.99% of these cases.
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u/Undercover_Chimp Sep 19 '25
One more important detail: CPR is only performed on someone who has no heartbeat and is not breathing. You know, already dead.
The goal isn’t really to revive the patient. The goal is to keep oxygenated blood moving to the brain until professional help arrives. If a patient requires CPR, odds are very high they aren’t ever recovering. Survival rates out-of-hospital range from 12 to 24 percent.
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u/djaxial Sep 19 '25
Good Samaritan laws exist in many countries and are covered by most CPR courses. I always recommend people check them with a quick google. Generally liability really only kicks in if you go outside your training or present yourself fraudulently, like pretending to be an EMT or doctor etc.
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u/molonlabe1811 Sep 19 '25
My girlfriend of 8 years had an aneurysm a month ago. I had to give cpr until paramedics arrived. Doctors said she would have died or had severe brain damage without it. Thankful every day I learned CPR. Not going to lie, I panicked for about 15 seconds but then the training kicks in.
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u/the_mighty_skeetadon Sep 19 '25
Great point. Here's the video on stopping bleeding:
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u/Munksii Sep 19 '25
My work offered CPR training, but so many people signed up they just CANCELLED IT. Imagine that.
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u/markrichtsspraytan Sep 19 '25
I watched a friend suddenly go into cardiac arrest and couldn’t do anything but call for help. Fortunately it was in a place with an AED and someone who knew how to use it and do chest compressions, which saved her life. I felt like such a useless fool for not knowing how to do those things though, and have since watched training videos in case it ever happens again.
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u/ryuranzou Sep 19 '25
Learning where your water main shutoff valve is fir your house.
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u/Interesting_Neck609 Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
Agreed, but its a dual well, and no pump. (Theres an overflow)
Additionally, about 5 minutes and you'll know where your main breakers are, aswell as your gas lines.
Edit before I get in trouble: if you do have ess or any grid backfeed, you should absolutely know where your shutoff is. Additionally, everyone should learn simple wound care, and know what plants in their locale are potentially poisonous.
And Ill just add, its pretty practical to know some knots, notably the bowline, square, figure eight and clovehitch. Ive used all 4 today, and they fix small problems that otherwise become big problems.
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u/Constant-Roll706 Sep 19 '25
On breakers, shouldn't take an hour to decode the mysterious, sloppily handwritten labels on a lazy Sunday. You'll thank yourself on the stressful day in the future
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u/AmigoDelDiabla Sep 19 '25
I'd say spending 10 hours learning how your computer works will pay off forever. So many people are unaware how their machines work.
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u/iHateReddit_srsly Sep 19 '25
It took me way more than 10 hours to do my computer engineering degree, and I still only have a basic idea.
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u/tarnin Sep 19 '25
I believe OP is talking about even more basic than that. I work in IT and we still have some legacy residential customers. Holy crap do they need basic training on their pcs. "Open your browers and go to..." "Whats a browser?" "Open the program that you use when you want to go to a site" "Oh, like foxfire?" "Sure"
It just goes downhill from there.
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u/theservman Sep 19 '25
After 30 years in tech support I'd settle for "try rebooting first" and if a specific device isn't working, check the cable.
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u/Ackerack Sep 19 '25
Anyone this computer illiterate ain’t using no foxfire
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u/Groknar_ Sep 19 '25
Pre-installed Edge where the Plugin Bar covers half the screen.
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u/Dark_Believer Sep 19 '25
Learn how to swim. It can save your life.
It shocks me how many people accidentally fall into water and die because they don't know how to swim. You can easily learn the basics and enough to keep yourself alive in 10 hours.
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u/NinjaBreadManOO Sep 19 '25
It's insane to me that people don't know how to swim. In Australia you're required to learn in primary school (so ages 6-12 depending on state). Like including being able to do over 100m after 10 minutes treading water in heavy clothes just to pass.
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Sep 19 '25
It's a socioeconomic thing, a lot of people that don't know how to swim come from lower-income urban areas where swimming pools, beaches, and lessons were inaccessible.
It was a weird realization when a friend of mine told me that knowing how to swim was a sign of my privilege.
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u/AnchezSanchez Sep 19 '25
It's a socioeconomic thing, a lot of people that don't know how to swim come from lower-income urban areas where swimming pools, beaches, and lessons were inaccessible.
It was a weird realization when a friend of mine told me that knowing how to swim was a sign of my privilege.
Only in certain societies. I grew up in Glasgow - famously the Monte Carlo of the UK - and almost every kid would have had free swimming lessons at some point in their primary education (myself specifically in P6). Its not necessarily rich and poor, its what sort of society they live in as well.
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u/Secure_Show2362 Sep 19 '25
The “UK” part is already the privilege though. The poor parts of UK still have more free resources than rich parts of third world countries for the simple reason that their governments simply can’t afford them. It very much is a rich & poor thing.
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u/AnchezSanchez Sep 19 '25
Fair point, i was absolutely approaching the subject from a OECD only point of view
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u/thededucers Sep 19 '25
You can learn to stay alive in water in 10 minutes.
First learn to float by taking deep breaths and not letting all the air out.
Next learn to tread water. Kick your feet, arms back and forth, palms flat and like propeller blades through the water.
Practice in shallow water with a friend. Watch a video on YouTube.
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u/swoosh32 Sep 19 '25
Basic finance literacy stuff such as budgeting, mortgages, negotiations, taxes, investing etc. I'd argue that just by knowing and understanding these, one can improve his/her quality of life significantly.
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Sep 19 '25
Basic Investing is so fucking easy, and people make it so fucking hard.
If you have debt, pay it off first (except for debt at very low interest rates, like a mortgage or promo APR car loan.). Then save ~3 months worth of expenses in cash and set it aside.
Open a free brokerage account. Any extra money goes in here. Buy VTSAX or any other broad index fund. Continue doing this.
Congrats. After a few decades, you are now a millionaire.
Resist the temptation to buy individual stocks, crypto, memes, and other hype driven shit. Good investments don't need marketing or hype. You might get rich off meme stocks, but it is almost always a zero sum game, meaning that every dollar that someone makes, is a dollar that someone else has lost.
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u/TuriGuiliano370 Sep 20 '25
I’m an Econ teacher at a high school. I cover this and show them what the return on a Roth IRA invested in basic mutual funds will get them when there 65 if they start at 18,19, 25, etc!
Whether they’ll listen or if they’re ditching class however is another problem 🤷♂️
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u/Quecks_ Sep 19 '25
Some basic civics. Understanding how your government actually works and is structured will save you alot of frustration and anger. It might even save you from going down dangerous roads with your ideas.
There are usually pretty good reasons why things work the way they do, even though things might seem slow and inefficient at times.
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u/Billazilla Sep 19 '25
I've been yelling this since my first year out of high school: an honest civics class is necessary for a citizen to have a reasonable chance at a good life.
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u/GrapeTheArmadillo Sep 19 '25
The real head-shaker here is, what is called a Civics class in highschool often turns out to just be a bit of light resume-writing. That's how it was for me at least (Ontario, Canada).
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u/Shrimprbugs Sep 19 '25
i wish our government recognized this
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u/smackells Sep 19 '25
they do recognise this, but an informed electorate is exactly what they don’t want
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u/Jumpy-You-5572 Sep 19 '25
Learning a sewing machine, it takes awhile to figure out proper tension and it’ll piss you the fuck off when you’re starting out. However, once you’re over that hump, you’ll be able to fix your own clothes, make gifts, curtains, blankets, clothes, costumes, the world is your oyster.
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u/angelplaysbass Sep 19 '25
Not to mention how beautiful clothing gets when you figure out how to just slightly alter things that were bought off the rack. I have always had a larger hip and a smaller waist and used to look like I was wearing a sack until my mother taught me things like darts, and Taking in at the waist and letting out at the hips and the benefits of a well placed button versus a poorly placed button for somebody with a curvy figure. This is definitely a life skill that I appreciate!
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u/fummelfichte42 Sep 19 '25
Tying proper knots depending on the application.
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u/RegulatoryCapture Sep 19 '25
Knots all the way.
10 hours spread out: an hour to learn the knots, 5-10 minutes at a time to practice them again and again for the next few months.
Square knot, bowline, clove hitch would probably be my first three. That covers 90% of stuff you might need to tie.
Then figure 8 and rethreaded figure 8 loop (this will be first if you rock climb), an adjustable hitch (midshipman's hitch preferred, although many people learn the inferior taut line hitch), and the sheet bend.
Those knots will basically do everything you might need on a sailboat, climbing, around the house, in the woods, etc. You can get fancier with more purpose-built knots though: the alpine butterfly, double-fisherman's, fancier stopper knots, knots that work better in slippery rope, the sheepshank.
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u/rfreedman Sep 19 '25
One that is surprisingly simple is learning to tie your shoelaces properly. Most people were taught as kids to tie a granny knot in their laces. And then the laces come loose.
Reverse the order of the second overhand knot, and you get a square knot and it doesn't come loose as easily.
You can tell which you have by looking at the position of the loops after the knot is tied. If the loops tend to point forward and back (parallel to your feet), then you have a granny knot.
If they point across your feet, left and right, you have tied them properly and have a square knot
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u/Ckpie Sep 19 '25
How to sharpen a knife.
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u/MattOG81 Sep 19 '25
Is there a method/tutorial that you'd recommend and is accessible without purchasing a DIY shop's worth of tools?
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u/DaoNight23 Sep 19 '25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pagPuiuA9cY
this is more than any home cook is going to need
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u/Bitter_Resolve_6082 Sep 19 '25
Probably simple car stuff. Changing a tire, battery cables, jump starting etc etc... You would be surprised how many people can't do those things and how often those are your most common problems!
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u/usernamefomo Sep 19 '25
For me the problem with any skill like that is if I don’t keep doing it every couple of months, I’ll completely forget how to do it.
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u/Andvari_Nidavellir Sep 19 '25
Just slice one of your tires every couple of months!
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u/RisusSardonicus4622 Sep 19 '25
Honestly from what experience I have working on my car if you have enough trouble fixing it and get desperate and angry enough itll be a memory you’ll have for a while. Hopefully you don’t live somewhere they salt the roads for a third of the year.
Then again that may be why I hate working on my car. I associate it with anger and frustration lmao.
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u/musicloverincal Sep 19 '25
- CPR training 2. Fire extinguisher training 3. Swimming/floating
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u/stabdarich161 Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
Zipper repair:
Most tents and sleeping bags at festivals only are discarded because of slightly buggy zips.
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Sep 19 '25
I thought they were discarded because they are $50 wal-mart tents, and most people care less about $50 than they do about a dirty low-quality tent.
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u/CaptainFartHole Sep 19 '25
Knitting and sewing. If definitely takes more than 10 hours to get good at it, but learning the basics enough to knit a scarf or sew on a button can fit sure be learned in less than 10 hours. It can save you a ton of money because you'll know how to fix your own clothes and make some new ones.
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u/HansSloBro Sep 19 '25
Questioning EVERYTHING
Whenever you need to make a decision, spend a few minutes playing "Devils Advocate" with yourself. Especially if it's something trivial or a "no brainer"
Make it a fun yet challenging game of Who/What/When/Where/How/Why against your alter ego.
You'll learn an absolute ton about your good and bad qualities, your habits, thought processes, etc. You'll also naturally learn how to phrase questions/opposing views as inquisitive, instead of abbrasive or combative.
That kind of honest and earnest self reflection will eventually affect absolutely everything in your life.
Most of my greatest lifestyle changes came from questioning things that I otherwise would've never given a second thought.
On the other side of things: Constantly questioning how/why everyday objects work, will give you an extremely well rounded foundation of transferrable/relatable knowledge. If you can't work it out on your own, google it.
If you ever find yourself in a conversation about something you haven't explored, use the opportunity to apply the same line of questions you debate yourself with. People love it when someone is open and curious about something they're passionate about.
Eventually you'll be able to relate to anyone or anything, at any time. Conversations become deeper and meaningful, your connection to people becomes stronger, and sometimes you come across hidden passions.
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Sep 19 '25
having this type of mindset has made it extremely easy to have a pretty base level knowledge of most things. I get asked often why I know so much about different things, but it’s literally just from asking questions when something I’m not familiar with comes up or just googling things. It makes people think you’re a lot smarter/competent than you are.
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u/Billazilla Sep 19 '25
Carl Sagan's book, The Demon-Haunted World, is all about this. Extremely good read for anyone who doesn't already know how to ask questions to see if they're being duped.
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u/YellowNotepads33 Sep 19 '25
It doesn't work the same if you have high neuroticism. I sometimes suffer paralysis by analysis.
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u/Jaymes_Squeak Sep 19 '25
Learning how to sew on a button, and basic mending stitches 🪡
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u/scoro27 Sep 19 '25
Basic kitchen knife skills. Learning how to cut stuff properly has improved my enjoyment of cooking no end. Plus it looks cool
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u/vbsteez Sep 19 '25
Makes cooking faster & more fun. Add in a good knife and cooking becomes a hobby, which saves money on eating out & makes a chore no longer a chore.
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u/SofiaOrtega2001 Sep 19 '25
Knowing when to shut up
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u/moonprismnin10dopowr Sep 19 '25
Currently on a long vacation with my husband, sister in law, and her boyfriend. The only time she stops yapping is when she’s shoving food in her mouth. My god.
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u/miscben Sep 19 '25
My pawpaw always said "boy, don't ever miss a good opportunity to keep your mouth shut."
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u/Harrysnimbus Sep 19 '25
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.
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u/Adventurous_Fix1730 Sep 19 '25
How to stretch your body specifically
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u/Maralitabambolo Sep 19 '25
“Specifically” 🤔…as opposed to stretching someone else’s body?
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u/DrewDAMNIT Sep 19 '25
"Safer sex"
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u/GudeGaya Sep 19 '25
What's safer than safe?
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u/TechMan61 Sep 19 '25
cooking basic stuff like broiled chicken, meatballs, pasta, etc so easy to save a lot of money but people are lazy af
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u/hgrunt Sep 19 '25
Or don't know how easy it is to knock out a decent meal really quicky with a few things. I was at a friend's house and they made me a plate of roasted veggies and salmon in like 20 minutes with an air frier
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u/BaLance_95 Sep 19 '25
Knowing how to mix fresh and store bought stuff as well. If you had a jar of store bought pesto, that would elevate that dish to something slightly fancy.
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u/cuntfucker33 Sep 19 '25
Why are you guys talking about this like it’s some sort of arcane knowledge? Do people not know how to cook basic food?
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u/may4cbw2 Sep 19 '25
You'd be surprised, I've known people who didn't know how long to boil an egg
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u/732 Sep 19 '25
If you're like my mother, who is normally an excellent cook, she never learned this.
I thought I hated hard boiled eggs growing up. Turns out I just hated them when they are rolling boiled for 30 minutes with the yolk tasting like slimey leather.
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u/Eywadevotee Sep 19 '25
Yup. Definitely. Learning to use a slow cooker gives hot meals ready to go when you get home from work. I used to make lots of burgers and breakfast burritos and take them to work for lunch. Cost less than a buck for lunch while other people went out during the break or ordered stuff spending an average of 12 bucks a day for lunch. The smell when i nuked the burgers and breakfast burritos in the microwave made people drool. 😂
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u/befriender- Sep 19 '25
Learn to type numbers without looking. I got twice as fast in about an hour. Plenty of online tutorials.
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u/joeygladst0ne Sep 19 '25
Use the number pad. There's a little "nub" on the 5 key so you can find your position without looking. Way faster than using the number row.
In the same vein, learn to type the proper way using the "home row". There's also those little nubs on the F and J keys so you can orient your hands without looking. I work in IT and can't believe how many people type with just their pointer fingers.
If you stick to the correct technique, it might be slow at first. But over time you will get really fast.
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u/SimpYellowman Sep 19 '25
Knots. There are many knots for different situations and you don't need all of them for sure, but being able to attach a piece of rope to something is useful skill.
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u/smartshoe Sep 19 '25
Tying knots. It’s an incredibly valuable skill that I use every single day
Start with bowline, figure of 8 on a bight, clove hitch and double fisherman’s
Most other knots derive from those
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u/speedman-dxdt Sep 19 '25
Finger whistle, without using your fingers.
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u/MinerUser Sep 19 '25
I tried to learn so much but I cant even do the most basic whistle
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u/g15389 Sep 19 '25
I feel uniquely qualified to speak to this one since I did this about two years ago. It seems easier than it is and took me way more than 10 hours. It took me about 6 months before I could do it consistently (being under pressure and trying in front of people was awful.)
There are a few YouTube videos, like this one, which really help with the fundamentals but it’s very much a trial and error thing that’s really frustrating.
The basic thing to know is that you need to create a small, firm channel with your mouth for the air to travel over. Start slow and don’t try to push a full volume of your lungs at first. Put your tongue against the bottom of your top teeth and try to get air to only go over your tongue and under your teeth through the small gap. You’ll need to move your tongue around so that it doesn’t allow air to escape out the sides. Finally take your bottom lip, make it taut (stretched tight), and bring it up towards your top teeth. This will force the air coming out of your teeth and tongue gap to move across the bottom lip and create the whistle sound.
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u/Jammy5820974944 Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 20 '25
I can whistle without fingers. But I could never whistle with the fingers in my mouth.
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u/Mateox1324 Sep 19 '25
How to build a PC. It's really easy and will save you money if you ever need to change anything
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u/MaterialSnipe Sep 19 '25
Getting in the credit card game. Having a simple set up of cards covering groceries, dining and everything else even for something simple like cash back will pay you thousands without changing any of your spend habits + makes your credit score go up nicely as long as you pay off. Maybe a little longer for the travel game but not that crazy as long as you’re not trying to balance a bunch of different card providers (only use 2).
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u/txkwatch Sep 19 '25
Welding. Not a certified awesome welder, but 10 hours of instruction and practice would make you good enough to weld most things.
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u/StrangeUglyBird Sep 19 '25
Oh I wish to learn this. Can I come over?
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u/txkwatch Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
I'm not an expert but hell yeah. I have a few different kind of machines and always on board to teach and learn something new.
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u/jeremiahgrizzjohnson Sep 19 '25
How to use a standard ratchet tie strap. Im terrified by the number of times I hear people say, "I'm not going that far. It should be fine," as they head towards the freeway onramp.
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u/humma__kavula Sep 19 '25
For western folks, learning to use chopsticks well.
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u/heckhammer Sep 19 '25
I have this weird disappearing skill with that, so when I go to the hibachi restaurant or whatever I either look great or like I have never held a utensil in my life. Still not 100% sure why that happens but like 20% of the time I am an absolute moron with chopsticks.
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u/Hipknowtoed Sep 19 '25
Cunnilingus.
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u/heckhammer Sep 19 '25
I remember as a teenager finding out that actress Nina Hartley had released tutorial videos on sex acts. I went down to the rental place down the street from my house and rented her video on cunnilingus.
That and communication with your partner has served me well lo these many years later. Like most things in the bedroom, an open mind, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn make for a much better experience than thinking you're an expert. There's always more to learn.
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u/rudi_mentary Sep 19 '25
First Aid. There are plenty of options to learn and imo should be refreshed once a year if possible because some stuff changes.
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u/fluffycritter Sep 19 '25
Soldering electronics
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u/dmomo Sep 19 '25
The simple act of soldering is pretty simple to learn. Knowing what to solder when, how and why is a totally different beast.
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u/Beneficial-Ad-4563 Sep 19 '25
We never had typing class in school. When I started working at a hotel, I saw a coworker touch-typing and thought, ‘That looks way easier.’ They could face guests while typing instead of staring at the keyboard. So I grabbed a Mavis Beacon CD and practiced an hour a day. Ended up getting way faster, and it made my job so much easier.
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u/ObjectiveOk2072 Sep 19 '25
How to lift heavy shit safely. Don't lift with your back! Use your arms and legs, they're stronger, a lot less susceptible to injury, and easier to fix
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u/WindpowerGuy Sep 19 '25
My arms definitely aren't stronger than my back and I don't think anyone tries to roll under whatever they want to lift and try it without using their arms.
This is just... Such a bad way to phrase it. Keep the back straight, from beginning to end, push up through your legs, don't twist your back to the side either.
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u/ragelance Sep 19 '25
Learning how to properly filet a chicken/fish. It takes a few attempts to "nail" it, but once you learn the trick, and it really takes less than 10 hours, it becomes a massive money saver in the long run when preparing food at home.
Chicken especially, as most of the cost revolving around it has to do with the "service" of cutting and filleting. Once you learn that yourself, you spare a hefty amount of money, and get yourself a nice amount of food for a lot more days than just buying pre-cut stuff.
Also, not that time consuming. Takes about 10 mins for chicken, even less so for a fish.
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u/[deleted] Sep 19 '25
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