The Smallest, Easiest Life Hack is the Best Life Hack

I’m a sucker for life hacks that save time and effort, and I consider this one of the easiest to implement.

When I use the microwave, I prioritize my button presses based on

• Number of Buttons Pressed
• Number of Different buttons pressed

An example: My microwave has an “Add 30 Seconds” button, regular numbers, and requires you to hit start before cooking. I often want to cook food in multiples of 30 seconds. Here’s a breakdown of some options from worst to best:

30 Seconds:

Add 30 Seconds, Start

• 3, 3, Start
• 3, 0, Start

1 Minute:

Add 30 Seconds, Add 30 Seconds, Start

• 5, 5, Start
• 6, 0, Start

1 Minute 30 Seconds:

• 8, 8, Start
• Add 30 Seconds, Add 30 Seconds, Add 30 Seconds, Start
• 1, 3, 0, Start

Ultimately this saves me no time at all during the day. What does happen is I use math to figure out what to press, which is better than it was before.

I know that 88 seconds is not the same as 90 seconds, but it’s close enough for me.