Lifehacker

Childhood emotional neglect (CEN) occurs when caregivers fail to fulfill a child’s emotional needs. This can include overt, verbal abuse, as well as passive acts of ignoring or neglecting the child’s needs. Both emotional neglect and emotional invalidation fall under the larger category of CEN and have different…Read more...

So you’ve set out to do a load of laundry only to realize you already used the last of the detergent. Bummer—but there is hope for your socks and underwear yet. In a pinch, you can sub in some common household items for your Tide or All; they may not have the same stain-busting power but they will get rid of odors and…Read more...

For all the good things it does for us, the sun can also be a menace: It can burn your skin, mess with your eyes, and even damage your vehicle. It might also be responsible for that rash you’ve been Googling since you discovered it across your shoulders. You could have a “sun rash” or “sun allergy” and never have even…Read more...

If you want to reduce your chances of an early death from a heart attack or stroke, you’ve probably heard of a few ways to do that: get more exercise, eat “good fats,” maybe pay attention to the heart health metrics on your smartwatch. But there are a lot of things that are supposed to be good for our hearts, and…Read more...

The idea of hopping in an RV with some friends or family and exploring off the beaten path completely on your own schedule might be pretty compelling—at least until you look up the price of the rental. If this sounds like something you want to do, though, don’t be scared away by the high rental prices you may come…Read more...

Governments lie. They cheat. They steal. Sometimes the blame comes from within: corrupt individuals who’d conned their ways into the halls of power with no moral compass beyond their own self-aggrandizement. Sometimes, the fault lies within ourselves: We’re drawn to populist politicians who tell us what we want to…Read more...

Sometimes you want to melt away the hours managing an island of misfits and paying back a predatory raccoon. And sometimes you wanna be put through the wringer—to test every fibre of your patience, skill, and smarts on your path to victory.

When it comes to running in the heat, I’m a wimp. (When it comes to a lot of things, I am a wimp.) After running a spring marathon, I’ve struggled to resume training and get myself out the door and into the summer weather. Then I remembered one of my hacks that I usually reserve for pre-race nerves: A quick shower.

In 2020, no household product loomed as large in the public consciousness as hand sanitizer. Back in March of that year—before we knew COVID-19 is mostly spread through the air rather than by you touching your face—the stuff was practically liquid gold. Shelves were emptied. Prices skyrocketed. Some people tried to…Read more...

Buying a new car has always been a major investment, and at a time when everyone is feeling the pinch of inflation, it’s especially important to factor in the costs now, and the expenses associated with using and maintaining it over time. And with gas hovering around $5/gallon, a car’s fuel efficiency could end up…Read more...

On one hand, things are seriously fucked up basically all over the world. Everyone feels like they’re going crazy and nothing makes any sense anymore. But on the other hand, young people have collectively decided to dress in their nicest clothes to see Minions: The Rise of Gru this weekend. That has to even the scales…Read more...

When you’re single, it’s easy to lose control of your budget, or even feel like you don’t need one in the first place. Date nights, takeout for one, no one to split streaming subscriptions with...the costs of being single add up quick. Without a second income, you have to get a little creative with how you save. At…Read more...

Google Hangouts will be replaced by Google Chats later this year, adding another entry to the ever-growing list of dead Google services. The shutdown is planned to occur some time in October, but Google is already starting the transition. While the process will mostly take place on Google’s side, the company is…Read more...

Many parents don’t like guns—real ones or toys. So even though we may know that playing with pretend guns is developmentally normal, our instinct whenever our kids start building guns out of LEGO bricks or pretend-shooting at each other with sticks, is to shut it down. But guns are part of our reality and a normal…Read more...

I was skeptical of Nordic Walking when I first heard of it. It seemed like a try at commodifying taking a stroll, like, “You’re not really walking until you’re doing it with these expensive walking poles,” but after looking into the research behind it, my mind was changed completely.

Yesterday, I read an article that claimed brie was the “best” cheese to put on your burger. I was, frankly, a little stunned. I’m a big fan of brie, and a big fan of a big pan of brie, but the “best” burger cheese it is not.Read more...

Breaking up, as they say, is hard to do. Everyone needs guidance when it comes to ending things, but usually, advice focuses on how to know you want to break up or how to cope with all the emotions afterward. One of the worst parts, though, is actually doing the damn thing. According to stats culled by Preply, a…Read more...

So far there are at least 351 confirmed cases of monkeypox in humans in the United States, with more than half of states reporting at least one case. Given existing barriers to diagnosis and testing, it’s likely that there are a lot more cases out there than have been documented. So how do you protect yourself?

Not to be too alarmist, but the economy isn’t looking super great at the moment. For starters, don’t look at your 401(k) right now. From crashing stock markets to spiking consumer prices, a recession seems to be looming. Although the news is troubling, there are steps you can take to stave off panic and protect…Read more...

The U.S. National Park Service is anticipating so many visitors this summer that you actually need a reservation just to enter some of them. And with a record number of people becoming one with nature, you’re going to have some unintended, but not completely unexpected, consequences. I am, of course, referring to the…Read more...

If you’ve been planning to buy a house, you may have noticed that it recently got a little more challenging. With inflation spooking politicians and economists alike, the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates 0.75% this month, and while that might not seem like much, it’s had a huge impact on the mortgage market.…Read more...

Americans, on average, juggle about 12 prescription medicines. While this number is certainly skewed by older folks who have racked up a lot of pills, many of us have been prescribed a prescription medicine we need to take every single day. But on the whole, we’re not very good at doing that—one study showed an…Read more...

The year was 2019. It was a simpler time, a time when, instead of monitoring the latest pandemic headlines, worrying about how to afford an entire tank of gas, and mourning the end of bodily autonomy, people were standing in long lines and arguing with strangers about Popeyes chicken sandwiches.Read more...

Chrome on Android is a very capable browser. It’s the default browser for most Android smartphones out there. And because it’s so popular, it hasn’t really changed over the last couple of years.

While we might try our hardest to always keep our tools clean and dry, they may still battle rust. When your prevention methods fail, common wisdom might be to toss out the damaged tools—and sometimes that’s inevitable. But before you junk your metal implements, there are a few things you can try to salvage them and…Read more...

Everyone knows how to add app shortcuts to your smartphone’s home screen, but did you know you can also save web pages as shortcuts, too? This simple method makes it easy to open your most-visited pages without fiddling with your web browser app’s bookmarks or searching for the website through the Google app, saving…Read more...

You may have noticed that a serpentine-shaped green vegetable has made its way to your local farmer’s market by the bushel. This time of year, when spring alliums—like green garlic and spring onions—begin to grow into their fully matured selves, garlic scapes make their fleeting appearance at the table. They may look…Read more...

Are we in for a sleepy summer, or a summer of sleeper hits? If you’re a loyal fan of silly favorites like Bob’s Burgers (July 12) and What We Do in the Shadows (July 13) , then you can get your fill on Hulu. If you’re looking for modern, wholesome movies, then you should turn to Amazon Prime Video for Don’t Make Me Go …Read more...

As a beginner to strength training, I’m sure you’ve heard the advice (from me, even!) to start with light weights or even no-weight exercises, and work up from there. While this is good advice in general, sometimes we get stuck on the easy version of an exercise, not realizing that adding weight can actually make it …Read more...

Music streaming apps are a convenient way to listen to your favorite songs and discover new bands, but none of them let you easily bring your created playlists, liked songs, or listening history with you if you decide to move to a different service.

As a rule of thumb, I try to never check luggage when I fly, but there are times when it is simply unavoidable. Also unavoidable is the subsequent required trip to the luggage carousel. You know the scene: The area is littered with your fellow exhausted travelers who are eager to get their bags so they move along to…Read more...

An increasing number of Americans are asking whether living in the United States is still a good idea—and I don’t blame them; there’s a lot going on right now. I’m still a fan, but that doesn’t mean I’m not keeping my options open, downloading Duolingo, and learning as much as I can about how to move to somewhere else…Read more...

I learned a lot about myself this morning thanks to Dimensional, a social media app that serves up a bunch of personality tests and encourages you to compare results with your friends. Not that I learned much from the tests themselves—personality tests are silly—but I did discover I am someone who can be made aware…Read more...

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, people have been talking about what abortion was like in the days before modern medical procedures. Even in ancient history, abortions were performed with both surgical and medicinal techniques; Ben Franklin famously included a protocol for herbal abortions in one of his books. And…Read more...

Insightful documentary explorations into the most pressing issues of our day are all well and good, but given that I usually watch TV when I want to completely wall off my brain from the horrors of reality, I’ll take a YouTube-style deep dive into a piece of pop culture ephemera (almost) every time. The Day the Music…Read more...

Water can help your garden feel more tranquil—and it can encourage birds and other wildlife to spend more time in your yard. Adding a water feature can sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. You can get all the benefits of having a backyard oasis without a lot of hassle. Here are some simple tools and tips you…Read more...

Every year around mid-June my inbox is flooded with press releases for flag cake recipes, all of which boast new and exciting takes on the patriotic dessert. Usually I ignore them, because flag cakes have been done to death, but America has really outdone herself this year, and she deserves a cake—an unprecedented…Read more...

Plenty of things can cause fights in a relationship, from infidelity to a misalignment of values, but many issues boil down to a lack of trust, a lack of communication, or a blending of the two. And then, you have your finances. Money causes major stress to many of us all individually, so it makes sense that it would…Read more...

Anyone who has ever moved as an adult knows how expensive it can be. Between hiring movers, renting transportation, replacing lost or broken items, the bill that comes along with settling into a new home can be pretty steep. If you’re looking to save money on your next move, know that the little things add up. To…Read more...

When you’re traveling or out and about, a single USB-C adapter is never enough. You probably need at least two USB-C ports—one for your iPhone and the other to charge your MacBook, iPad, or other peripherals. While you can get a plethora of third-party multi-port chargers, Apple has never made one—until now.

Viewed through modern eyes, long-discredited parenting techniques seem laughable—what kind of idiot would feed a six month old child eggs, bacon, and coffee? But remember, raising your kid in weird ways wasn’t that weird when tons of people were doing it.Read more...

From Netflix, to iCloud or Google Cloud, to Amazon Prime, to Blue Apron, you probably subscribe to more subscription-based services than you can easily remember— which can be a problem when it comes to canceling services that you aren’t actually using anymore.Read more...

Although fireworks make appearances at New Year’s Eve celebrations, sporting events, and even weddings, their big day is unquestionably the Fourth of July. But how did the explosive displays come to be associated with Independence Day in America? And when did that start? Here’s what to know about the country’s loudest…Read more...

It’s estimated that 25 million Americans have a fear of flying. And although the fear is a perfectly natural one—how does it stay up there, especially when turbulence hits?—it can have a significantly negative impact on a person’s life. But there’s a simple mental imagery trick, invented by an airline pilot and making…Read more...

According to the National Resources Defense Council, up to 40% of the food in the United States is never eaten. A lot of factors contribute to that reality: restaurants cook more food than they’re able to sell in a day; grocery stores overstock their shelves to create the appearance of abundance; farmers can’t always…Read more...

Last week I asked you for your unwritten rules of parking lot etiquette. As I wrote then, this request sprung from when I previously asked Lifehacker readers for their unbreakable rules of driving etiquette. From there, a sub-category of passionate pleas for common sense and human decency emerged. In addition to the…Read more...

The age of the noctilucent cloud is upon us. Night-shining clouds are historically rare, beautiful formations of shimmering ice crystals hanging in the upper atmosphere that were only visible in the northern parts of the world in years past. They’ve been steadily creeping south for four decades though, so this could…Read more...

Let’s be honest: One reason we love sharing our Spotify listening data is for the competition. There are apps that help flaunt off your eclectic library or prove you’re among a band’s highest listener percentage, but now you can display the depths of your obscure music tastes by creating a Spotify Iceberg thanks to…Read more...

You don’t need to intervene if you find a baby bird. Truly, fledglings don’t need your help. But an injured bird is another matter. If one flies into your streak-free window, for instance, and is now lying on your deck, it only makes sense that you’d want to help out your tiny, feathered friend. You can do that, but…Read more...

Hanging out at the airport is no one’s idea of a good time, but as the Transportation Security Administration warns of longer-than-usual wait times during this busy summer travel season, it (unfortunately) seems the prudent choice is to get to the airport early.