‘Gravy and sleeping bags’: Mel Buttle’s 17 unmissable life hacks

Matching trackies from Kmart are cheaper than PJs. Hand sanitiser cleans your hands and kills pimples. Here are Mel Buttle’s simple life hacks.

I love love life hacks, you know the videos you see that show you how you’ve been eating pineapple wrong this whole time? Or how to pour milk properly?

It struck me this week that maybe I could be a contributor to this genre and not just a rabid consumer.

So here it is, I’ve done it again, my list of life hacks that I invented. Well sort of.

None of these are patented, so I’m happy to share, please enjoy a smooth and pleasant life, courtesy of the house of Buttle.

● Carry a load of towels over your shoulders out to the washing line saves stuffing around with the basket, and bending down.

● Add some packet gravy granules to gravy that won’t thicken and still pass it off as homemade.

The secret to perfect gravy? Packet gravy granules.

● Sleep in your sleeping bag in bed under the doona if you’re cold, you’ll get to feel like a burrito and not have to turn the heater on to warm up.

● Buy a matching tracksuit for bed from Kmart as it’s cheaper than pyjamas.

● Leave conditioner on your head for ages in the shower instead of buying a hair treatment.

● Save the dried-out corners of a block of cheese to hide pills in for the dog.

● Put hand sanitiser on pimples to dry them out.

●To avoid fluff on your pyjamas, put your fitted flannel sheet underneath your regular fitted sheet on the bed. Similarly, double coat your doona in two covers for winter then when the top one gets dirty and needs changing, your new doona is already halfway there for you.

Double coat your doona in winter.

● Clean your ceilings fans with a pillow case, all the dirt will go inside the case, and not fall on your floor or bed.

● Keep a fork in the car for when takeaway places forget to give you one.

● The easiest dinner in the world is a roast supermarket chicken, a jar of pesto, a bag of baby spinach and some hot pasta. Mix and devour.

● Save the brine from pickles, slice up onions and put in the pickle brine. You’ve just got yourself some pickled onion slices.

● This is unorthodox but it works. Need to distract your dog while you leave the house? Spread some peanut butter on the front of the fridge door, it will give you a grace period of about 15 minutes to get out the door unnoticed. Obviously, give it a clean afterwards.

Need to distract your dog? Peanut butter. Picture: Evan Morgan

● No dessert? Crush up biscuits and layer in a glass with diced fruit and ice cream. Done, you’re welcome. Desserts in glasses are fancier than desserts in bowls. Fact.

● No dip? Puree semi-dried tomatoes and fold through mashed feta. Done.

● If you can’t remember someone’s name, find a friend and introduce them to your nameless buddy, you’ll get to hear the name again.

● Need a last minute present for your mum? Take her to a nursery and say choose any four plants, my treat.

So, that’s a peek into my life hacks, yes many of them are food related – good spotting.

Originally published as ‘Gravy and sleeping bags’: Mel Buttle’s 17 unmissable life hacks