Dear Bernard,

Do you know what a "life hack" is?

Before social media, something of this nature would have been called a shortcut. It's some easy trick or idea to make your daily life a little easier. We are all looking for ways to save time or effort; such as hitting contact names in our phones rather than inputting the complete number. Even things like ASAP, LOL, TGIF have become daily shortcuts.

However, the "hacks" I am thinking of are using things other than they were intended to solve a problem.

What comes to mind is something like adding small pieces of Gorilla tape to the non-chip or non-magnetic strip side of my credit cards. I did this a few years ago and found that the tape works like a little tab and makes it easier to get them out of my wallet.

I have also heard of things like putting dryer sheets in your mail box in the summer. The scent of the sheet keeps bees and spiders from building a nest inside the box.

The following are tips I recently read about. It just makes sense to include them here:

5-Minute Rule: If it takes less than 5 minutes, do it right when you think about it.

Do Favors for tomorrow: Take care of little tasks at the end of the day instead of pushing them off. Having the small items out of the way may save you a head ache when you run into a time crunch the following day.

Set "do not disturb" for your phone: This can allow you to unplug and recharge and yet your phone will still work in case of an emergency. (See the settings app on your phone.)

Need vs. Want: Do I need it or do I want it? If I need it get it. If I want it, wait a few weeks, do some research, see how I feel about the item later. I may find I didn't need it after all or may discover a better alternative.

Parking Photo: If you have trouble remembering where you park (especially at an event like a concert or sporting event) take a picture of your car and the section you are parked in. You can also 'drop a pin" on Google maps and get directions back to your car.

Take pictures of parts you need before heading to the hardware store: this can save you time and effort by identifying the right items you need.

Use your points: How many of us have credit card points that have accumulated and go unused. While in many cases you can request cash by redeeming the points, many times there are multipliers by redeeming them for travel or entertainment.

These are just a few I came across or use myself. If you have other shortcuts that you use feel free to send them to us. We will be sure to pass them on at a later date.

As always, thanks for reading.

Bernie & Chad