Thread: My "life hacking" time saver!

Originally Posted by Forza

I'm thinking a dishwasher is a good alternative to disposable plates. Cleaning one plate and utensils takes a few seconds. A dishwasher even less time. But repairs can be a hassle occasionally.

...If you do your own cooking, don't you have to clean pots and pans?

Speaking from experience here, it takes less than a second to toss a paper plate into the trash.

It takes about 30-60 seconds to wash a plate, and 15 seconds to put it away when it's dry. It takes at least 15 seconds to rinse a plate, and another 30 seconds to open a dishwasher, put in a plate, and close the thing.

Then, you need to unload it when the dishes are clean (figure another 15 seconds per item, on average, not counting flatware).

Do that 3x a day for 5 days (eat out 6x a week), and you've got 15x you're doing this per week.

15 x 50 weeks (we'll take a 2 week vacation) and you've got 750x a year.

Assuming 60 seconds savings (on average) for each meal, that's 750 minutes per year.

That's 12.5 hours per year.

And that's assuming no big meals w/heavy dish clean up.

-Russ H.

PS RE pots and pans: One pot meals saves additional time. Just one example: You boil pasta in a pot, then take it out to drain. Use the same pot to warm up sauce, or saute' things to toss w/the pasta. Then, toss the pasta back into the pot.

Originally Posted by Russ H

That's 12.5 hours per year.

Now imagine if you had just hours left to live and you were sharing it with loved ones ... and then suddenly, you were told you had an extra 12.5 hours to spend with them. There is no value on it.

Originally Posted by nomadjanet

New post topic what saves me time: I only allow my assistant to contact me by email.

Great to see you Janet!

I know from JScott's Facebook page that he's been practicing stuff like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PkdR...layer_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An0mF...eature=related

Again, it all adds up (plus, I think it's kinda cool)

-Russ H.

This next one is only for those of us that haven't gotten to the self-sufficiency thing, and need to work on that while getting paid to work on other things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYgtU...eature=related (In the interest of your time, only watch if you have five minutes for entertainment and enjoy office humor.)

Why buy paper plates, it's like you're throwing money away:



Solution- Dollar store "china" (Or of course a ShamWow or whatever equivalent they can make for dishes)

While we're on the subject of time wasted in cleaning dishes, I really love my CuisinArt juicer even though it takes like 15 minutes to clean after every use b/c I know I'm getting natural/fresh juice

Originally Posted by Russ H

It takes about 30-60 seconds to wash a plate, and 15 seconds to put it away when it's dry. It takes at least 15 seconds to rinse a plate, and another 30 seconds to open a dishwasher, put in a plate, and close the thing.

Then, you need to unload it when the dishes are clean (figure another 15 seconds per item, on average, not counting flatware).

Russ, you are simply a very slow dish washer, lol.

If someone isn't rushing to get rich, then micro managing time like this means they don't really enjoy life much, i.e. the present moment. Ordinary things. Life is filled with ordinary things. So much so that they're wasting much of their life away if they don't enjoy them.

Originally Posted by Forza

Russ, you are simply a very slow dish washer, lol.

If someone isn't rushing to get rich, then micro managing time like this means they don't really enjoy life much, i.e. the present moment. Ordinary things. Life is filled with ordinary things. So much so that they're wasting much of their life away if they don't enjoy them.

Forza-

I don't enjoy mowing the lawn, raking leaves, sweeping the floor, or doing dishes.

And it's not that I don't like menial labor-- I actually enjoy lots of these things. But after years of therapy, the pain of getting beat as a kid (not hit-- BEAT) every single day for the lawn, or the leaves, or the dishes, or sweeping the floor is just there-- it's a painful part of my psyche. Call me a wimp, or damaged goods. It's who I am.

I suck at taking out the trash, too (same reason).

Fortunately, I have a very understanding wife who is OK w/this, and doesn't push it. She sees that I'm a workaholic, so she knows that it's not being lazy.

So what do I do about the things I don't like? I have alternatives: The yard is rubber mulch and pavers (no lawn), and we have a landscaper that does the leaves. A housekeeper sweeps the floor, and also does most of the dishes.

I do take out the trash, but my wife does it more than I do.

Things I didn't get beaten for-- doing laundry, cooking, cleaning the house-- all of these things I do, and enjoy.

Another example: I also enjoy running through spreadsheets and figuring out how to make another couple hundred grand this year-- so that's something *I* do, and don't farm out.

Just b/c I like it.

Make sense?

-Russ H.

Yes. It sucks that you had to go through that when you were young. You seem to have pulled through nicely inspite of it though

Originally Posted by Forza

If someone isn't rushing to get rich, then micro managing time like this means they don't really enjoy life much, i.e. the present moment.

I can only speak for myself, but this assumption is entirely wrong. I'd rather spend my time engaging in activities that aren't laborious. Instead of washing dishes, I'd rather be listening to music. Sitting on the patio enjoying a beer and a cigar. Sitting on the couch watching CSI.

It is the same reason why I don't do the landscaping at my house and I pay someone to do it -- it is the same reason why I have a cleaning lady come over every so often, it is the same reason why I don't get up at 6am and go to work for 8 hours -- I'd rather reallocate that time to some activity that actually has a return either in more time, enjoyment, or relaxation.

I think that this thread is really about not doing what you don't like doing and doing what you do like. It is different for everybody.

I know that there's no way MJ would want to spend a week trying to climb a mountain, camping in the cold, trudging in rain. But for me, that's what I do in my leisure time.

I spent two years putting a koi pond in my backyard and countless hours and it's not done yet. Yes, I could have easily paid someone $20k to get it done in 2 weeks but that not what I WANTED to do. I wanted to rent my own backhoe, order all the supplies, cut the PVC pipe, etc...

So think about it before you have an opinion that doing this or that sucks for that person.

BTW, I still clean up my dog's poo every week too. And I also volunteer at the zoo and I have to scoop up tiger and lion poo. I'm sure the people watching me are thinking, what a poor guy or that guy's job sucks.

Originally Posted by biophase

And I also volunteer at the zoo and I have to scoop up tiger and lion poo.

Wow, I didn't know that! After all these years of softball and you never mentioned it??

Originally Posted by PhxMJ

I can only speak for myself, but this assumption is entirely wrong. I'd rather spend my time engaging in activities that aren't laborious. Instead of washing dishes, I'd rather be listening to music. Sitting on the patio enjoying a beer and a cigar. Sitting on the couch watching CSI.

It is the same reason why I don't do the landscaping at my house and I pay someone to do it -- it is the same reason why I have a cleaning lady come over every so often, it is the same reason why I don't get up at 6am and go to work for 8 hours -- I'd rather reallocate that time to some activity that actually has a return either in more time, enjoyment, or relaxation.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I know what I mean too, but I'll leave it at that

Who knew that a thread called "life hacking" would prompt Kenric to reveal that he picks up lion and tiger poop.

(FWIW, I think that's way cool, Bio-- love the fact that you're volunteering there-- assuming you like working around the animals and learning things? Or is there a lion trainer you've got your eye on? )

-Russ H.

Originally Posted by Forza

Yes. It sucks that you had to go through that when you were young. You seem to have pulled through nicely inspite of it though

Thanks. I can't complain.

Well, I could complain. But then I'd really be a weenie.

I'm very thankful for a lot of things my parents instilled in me: Strong sense of values, work ethic, love for learning, wanderlust, seeing the commonalities in others instead of the differences-- I could go on and on.

But I was totally convinced I would never be a dad-- too worried I would repeat what I'd been exposed to.

Turns out that doesn't have to happen.

But I'm glad I waited 'til I was older to be a dad. I have a much better handle on my life now, vs when I was younger and trying to sort out the good from the bad from my childhood.

-Russ H.

Originally Posted by Russ H

Who knew that a thread called "life hacking" would prompt Kenric to reveal that he picks up lion and tiger poop.

(FWIW, I think that's way cool, Bio-- love the fact that you're volunteering there-- assuming you like working around the animals and learning things? Or is there a lion trainer you've got your eye on? )

-Russ H.

I started volunteering there a long time ago because I was bored. I wanted to work with animals and volunteering at the anti cruety society I would end upa adopting 1 dog a month. I used to go once a week, but then I moved to Scottsdale and the zoo is a one hour drive now, so I only go a few times a year. Usually on holidays or whenever they call me.

After you pick up lion poop, you will never complain about picking up dog poop. FYI, random info: People sometimes want the lion and tiger poop because if you put it on your property it keeps coyotes and other predators away.

Everyone who goes to the zoo always wants to do one thing... Feed the animals. By volunteering I get to feed the animals and I don't have to pay for the food. It's like having 400 pets.

Here is a old video of me feeding some squirrel monkeys and Eddie the penguin trying to eat my shorts.

Originally Posted by Russ H

I'm very thankful for a lot of things my parents instilled in me: Strong sense of values, work ethic, love for learning, wanderlust, seeing the commonalities in others instead of the differences-- I could go on and on.

And these are of course the values that are lacking in my generation and subsequent generations, IMO it has a lot to do with the "buy now, pay later" mentality that has led to a sense of entitlement in addition to weak discipline in the household.

Ironically, this came up last night at my friends' bachelor party(it was a PG-13 co-bachelor/ette party at a bowling alley BTW ) when I was talking with my friends who are Filipino and Indian and came up in much stricter households than I did which resulted in a much stronger work ethic and more devotion in their beliefs, however, they also had 1 parent at home to raise them, while both of my parents worked.

Not saying that my parents were never around(they were around a LOT) and I love them more than anything, however, I do resent the fact that my brother and I were spoiled so much as kids and while I turned out ok, it took 4yrs in the Army to straighten out my bro.

Originally Posted by vr4playa

And these are of course the values that are lacking in my generation and subsequent generations, IMO it has a lot to do with the "buy now, pay later" mentality that has led to a sense of entitlement in addition to weak discipline in the household.

. . .my friends who are Filipino and Indian and came up in much stricter households than I did which resulted in a much stronger work ethic and more devotion in their beliefs, however, they also had 1 parent at home to raise them, while both of my parents worked.

I was born in the 60s and raised in the 60s and 70s-- when the majority of US households had one person working.

Both my parents worked.

So that isn't the reason those values were passed on to me.

I just think it has a lot to do w/how strict the parents are, and what's important to them.

I can't speak for your parents, vr4playa, but I can tell you my parents *never* sat down to watch sporting events or to have people over for parties, or went out to party w/friends. It was, in part, b/c they were kinda anti-social. But it was also b/c they were both teachers, and spent nights grading homework (while my bro and I were working on ours). The whole family did schoolwork, most every night.

-Russ H.

Originally Posted by biophase

Here is an old video of Eddie the penguin trying to eat my shorts.

There you go-- I was just wondering today about what wild experiences you'd have working at the zoo-- things that have never happened to me.

I've never had a penguin eat my shorts, for instance.

-Russ H.