5 life hacks for people who don’t have time to wait

Let’s face it: not everyone is patient, and not everyone has time to wait! It can be frustrating to have to wait or do things the long way, so if you’re really urgently needing something, we have found 5 of the best hacks for you.

1. Stop waiting on the phone

Are you sick of the endless loop of automated messages you get whenever you try to call a business or government department? You’re definitely not alone!

Luckily, there are a few things you can try that might take you straight to a real person on the other end.

Try any one or more of the following tricks:

• Dial “0”. Most of the time, pressing “0” will take you to a person. If it doesn’t, press it over and over. For many systems, pressing it 20 times will be effective.
• Dial “*” or “#” four or more times.
• Do nothing and wait. Most systems have support for old rotary style phones which cannot submit a digit, and will connect you with an operator.
• Choose the prompt for signing up for a new service or cancel your account.
• Choose the option for checking your account. When asked for your account number, dial randomly
• For voice-based systems, simply say ‘operator’ over and over. Otherwise, just mumble – most systems only ask you to repeat yourself twice before you are directed to an operator.

If all else fails, here’s the prompts to speak to an operator for the major banks and financial societies:

2. When you don’t have time to split the cheque

There’s an app called SplitWise which makes going out to dinner with friends or family easy by making sure no one pays more than they need to.

3. Thaw butter with a cheese grater

Thawing butter can take a while and even rip up your bread, but a simple cheese grater will solve this problem. Grate some cold butter over your bread and enjoy!

4. Colour code your keys

Have trouble remembering which key is which? The trick is using nail polish. It sticks to keys but make sure to only paint on the top part of the key.

5. Brush your teeth in the shower

It sounds silly but combining these two tasks can save you a lot of time!

Do you have any other time-saving tips to share?