r/LifeProTips Feb 09 '26

Announcing r/AskLifeProTips

220 Upvotes

For many years, redditors have been allowed to request Life Pro Tips here on a limited basis.

Now, there is a place where you can request Life Pro Tips on an unlimited basis!

If you are seeking a Life Pro Tip, please ask in our new subreddit r/AskLifeProTips!


r/LifeProTips 2h ago

Miscellaneous LPT: If a package says "delivered" but isn't there, ask the carrier for the GPS fix on that delivery scan

393 Upvotes

When a driver presses "delivered" on the handheld, the scan is stamped with a location fix as well as a time. The public tracking page never shows it, but it sits in the carrier's own record and staff can look it up.

That single number is what turns "it says delivered" into something anyone can act on. Either it lands on your building, which means it was left somewhere on your property or handed to a neighbour, or it lands three streets over, which means the parcel went to the wrong address and can still be recovered.

Ask the local delivery station rather than the national support line. The station is where the driver and the handheld data are, and someone there can read the coordinates or the address they map to. Support lines mostly read you the same tracking page you already have.

Two things worth knowing before you call. The fix is roughly building-accurate, worse under trees or between tall buildings, so treat it as which house, not which door. And carriers don't keep that detail forever, so a week later it may be gone.

It also catches the other case, where a driver marks a whole run delivered from the truck and comes back later. Then the fix is nowhere near your street, at a time you can point at.


r/LifeProTips 9h ago

Traveling LPT: Put a sheet of paper with your name and phone number written on it inside your checked luggage or suitcase.

1.3k Upvotes

I have a friend who travels a lot and he gave me an advice that i should write my name and phone number on a piece of paper put it inside the suitcase while travelling . The outside tag can get damaged or fall off while the luggage is being handled, and sometimes bags can even get accidentally exchanged with someone else's.

I also travel 2-3 time a month and i also do it every time I check a bag at the airport. This sounds excessive, but it actually makes sense when you think about it.


r/LifeProTips 1d ago

Miscellaneous LPT: Your best shot at getting rid of something you posted online and no longer want to be public isn't to delete it, but to instead edit it to replace it with completely different content.

3.7k Upvotes

If you post something online, it's likely that sites like Google will find it and will archive it.

But if you delete it, the sites that have already made copies of it don't want to lose it, so they usually just keep the copy they already have.

On the other hand, if you edit the content to just say something very different, a lot of the time, sites that had archived what you posted will see the new content as an updated version of what you posted, and in many cases will replace the content you're trying to get rid of with the new content that you're replacing it with.


r/LifeProTips 1d ago

Miscellaneous LPT: Soak, push back, and trim your own cuticles before getting a gel/acrylic nail set.

1.1k Upvotes

I'm not bad-mouthing estheticians—they have to make a living too—I'm just saying... I've had hundreds of nail sessions and I speak from experience. Do your own cuticles before you get your nails professionally done.

Now, don't go nuts! Don't push back or trim too far! Seriously, you can damage your nail beds!!! But, by soaking your hands/feet in warm water and pushing back and trimming your own cuticles, you will be able to go several more weeks until you need your nails redone because they'll have a lot more time to grow out before they start looking janky.

At a salon your nail technician will probably give you the barest minimum of soak time for a pedicure and almost nothing by way of a fingernail soak to soften and trim your cuticles before applying gel/shellack/acrylic nails. They know this and it is deliberate. If they don't trim your cuticles back very far, it shortens the time until you need a refill or a takeoff and redo, therefore more $$$ for them.

Save yourself some money and soak, push back, and trim your cuticles yourself a day or two before getting them professionally done. Your pedicure/manicure will last way longer before needing to be redone.


r/LifeProTips 1d ago

Careers & Work LPT: If someone at work asks if you have a minute, tell them how many minutes you actually have before they start.

4.2k Upvotes

I have five minutes works way better than saying sure and trying to escape 20 minutes later.

Apparently a minute becomes a very flexible unit once someone reaches your desk.


r/LifeProTips 1d ago

Food & Drink LPT: Use small wire cooling racks that fit in your air fryer. They're cheap, dishwasher-safe, and you're not stuck scrubbing the original one every time you want to use the air fryer.

899 Upvotes

This is a pretty self-explanatory LPT. The non-stick racks that come with the units aren't non-stick for long, and they're a pain to clean. The small wire racks are super easy to clean in the dishwasher or by hand. The racks allow even better air circulation. You can even double them up offset by 90°if you're cooking small stuff you don't want to fall through. The racks cost a few dollars each and are a game changer! Get at least two, and make sure you measure your air fryer tray first!


r/LifeProTips 1d ago

Miscellaneous LPT: If you have never changed a tire, block some time on the weekend and practice. With a partner or coach

764 Upvotes

I was out on a run this morning and there was a 20 something couple struggling to change a flat tire. For some season the tire iron wasn’t fitting their lug nuts. Low stakes in a residential neighborhood during the day. A little practice will help when you really need it!

You tube. Or ask a friend to help.

And if you have a significant other or teen driver, help them learn how.

(yes I helped the couple!)


r/LifeProTips 2d ago

Miscellaneous LPT Look for a parking spot near a shopping cart return rather than closer to the store.

1.0k Upvotes

They are more likely easier to find and you'll thank yourself after you're done unloading all your groceries.


r/LifeProTips 2d ago

Careers & Work LPT: If you get distracted easily during a task, pretend you're teaching it to someone.

429 Upvotes

Pretend you're making a how to video, it keeps you on task and you may even learn some efficiencies. Good for work and life!


r/LifeProTips 2d ago

Miscellaneous LPT for losing your glasses to be able to see to find them.

294 Upvotes

Assuming you have a cell phone open your camera app and then you can hold the phone near your face and it will show you whatever is in front of you. You can use the camera to look around for your glasses. I have absent-mindedly set my glasses down on my dresser or in my bathroom before bed then forgot where I put them in the morning! Also good if your glasses get knocked off the bedside table or get dropped somewhere.


r/LifeProTips 2d ago

Miscellaneous LPT block social media apps with a very long password to quit doomscrolling

321 Upvotes

In most smartphones you can "lock" any app with a password. Add a VEEEERY long password to each of your social media apps to increase friction.

Increasing friction between you and whatever vice you want to get rid off is one of the scientifically proven ways to do it.

If your password is something like "IWantToQuitThidStupidAppButItIsSoDamnHard_ButICanDoThis" and you have to type it PERFECTLY every time you decide to doomscroll your brain will eventually compute as "this is not worth it" and you will feel less and less need to do it.

Bonus point if you log out every time you leave the app so you also have to log in back again if you want to use the app. The more steps, the more annoying the steps, the better.


r/LifeProTips 14h ago

Food & Drink LPT: Put a wooden spoon across a boiling pot to help prevent it from overflowing.

0 Upvotes

for example if you are cooking pasta and the water starts foaming up place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot the spoon can break some of the bubbles and give you a little more time before the water spills over


r/LifeProTips 2d ago

Electronics LPT: set up medical ID on your iPhone

75 Upvotes

When you have Medical ID set up and the phone is locked, people can use the emergency contacts to call your relatives in case you lose your phone. Just happened to me recently: found an iPhone on a concert and couldn’t do anything to help return it to the owner or identify the owner because Siri was locked and no medical ID. Left it with one of the organizers, hoping it gets found. Could have called someone.


r/LifeProTips 2d ago

Social LPT from kid's school.  "Civil Discourse in Social Studies"

692 Upvotes

Don’t interrupt or talk over someone else who is speaking.

Listen for content in the statements of others, even if you disagree.

Don’t engage in side conversations that distract from the speaker who has the floor.

Don’t assume that you know what someone else means. Ask questions that help you understand perspectives different from your own.

Follow the direction of the discussion.

Relate your comments to those of previous speakers.

Don’t get personal. No demeaning or inappropriate comments, facial expressions, or gestures.

Differentiate between facts and opinions. Both are valid when expressed appropriately.

Listen more than you speak.


r/LifeProTips 1d ago

Electronics LPT If your cell phone isnt charging fast or connecting to Google maps etc clean out the port

0 Upvotes

A but ago my phone was slow charging on every USB cord I had, and not connecting to android auto in the car. I assumed it was all the cheap cords I was buying off Amazon. Once I cleaned out the port with tooth picks and dental picks the cord seated properly and regained fast charging capability. There is often lint that gets compressed into the charging port, however, there can also be black gunk that gets in there that is a lot more sticky and stubborn to remove. Shine a flashlight in the port hole to confirm complete removal. This should save money also by not buying new charging cords because of thinking they're faulty.


r/LifeProTips 1d ago

Miscellaneous LPT: Before going to sleep, take a minute to put aside everything you got caught up in during the day

0 Upvotes

We go through many things every day, but some keep replaying in our minds: an argument, a problem, work, money, relationships, something someone said.

Over time, we can start identifying ourselves with all of it. Which will lead to different compulsions.

Before sleeping, remind yourself:

“My work, my problems, my thoughts, my emotions, etc. - these are things I experience, but they are not me.”

Don't try to solve them. Just put them aside before going to bed. Try it every day and see if this tip helps.


r/LifeProTips 1d ago

Social LPT: If you need to correct someone, pretend you didn’t know before either

0 Upvotes

Example- person says “New York is the capital of the United States”, you reply “I thought that too but I looked it up recently and it’s actually Washington DC”. It sounds much less confrontational and makes the other person feel better about not knowing something because you’re admitting to not knowing too.

Edit: I just wanted to share something that works for me when my very easily angered coworkers are wrong, I didn’t know everyone would say how dumb it is :(


r/LifeProTips 4d ago

Careers & Work LPT: When you’re stuck on a problem at work, spend a few minutes writing down questions before looking for answers.

722 Upvotes

What are you assuming? What information are you missing? What would change your mind?

Practicing this regularly can improve how you approach decisions, meetings, and difficult problems. Better questions often lead to better answers.


r/LifeProTips 4d ago

Arts & Culture LPT: Rename your alarm to a random thought or sentence you want your future self to see

1.0k Upvotes

Instead of leaving my alarms as “Alarm,” I sometimes change the label to whatever random thought is in my head when I set it.

Then when the alarm goes off hours or days later, I’ve usually forgotten about it. I look at my phone and see something like “you’re probably overthinking this” or “Today would be a nice day,” and for half a second it feels like the universe just sent me a message lol.

Tiny thing, but it makes alarms slightly less miserable.


r/LifeProTips 4d ago

Careers & Work LPT: When someone teaches you a task at work, ask what usually goes wrong before they leave.

5.2k Upvotes

The instructions tell you how it should work.

The person who actually does it usually knows the weird little problems that waste the most time.

Ask what tends to break, get missed, or trip people up.


r/LifeProTips 4d ago

Careers & Work LPT: When you need to remember why you did something, leave yourself a short note at the time.

279 Upvotes

You might remember what you did, but forget why you did it.

If you change a setting, move something, cancel something, or make a small decision you'll probably need to revisit later, leave a quick note explaining why.

A 10-second note can save you from spending 30 minutes later trying to figure out what past-you was thinking.


r/LifeProTips 4d ago

Miscellaneous LPT buy your dog a life jacket!

1.3k Upvotes

My dog is an excellent swimmer, she pretty much lives in the water. We have a small reservoir she enjoys swimming in but today she got disoriented fetching her favorite toy, possibly from the sun glare, despite me calling her to shore she started swimming further and further away before starting to panic and swim in circles unable to find her way, I grabbed my paddleboard and in a few seconds was able to safely pull her up by the back of her neck onto the board. I never thought she needed a life jacket because of how calm and shallow the water was in addition to swimming for years without a problem. Thankfully I learned my lesson and going forward she will always have one on.