People Are Sharing The Real Life "Cheat Codes" That Work For Them — And Some Are Actually Brilliant

Game on.

If you played The Sims growing up, you probably remember the cheat "rosebud," or "motherlode," which instantly deposited thousands of dollars into your account. Sadly, these kinds of cheats don't work in real life, but there are other life tricks that might actually get you somewhere.

Redditor u/SunZuu asked, "What are some cheat codes you've found in the game of life?" Here are some of the responses.

1. "You can mute self-checkout kiosks."

Helen H. Richardson / Denver Post via Getty Images

—u/thewilburbeast

2. "Faking confidence usually leads to actually being more confident."

YouTube

"I love the phrase fake it 'til you make it. It's incredible how much success is a byproduct of just acting confident about whatever you are doing." —u/captainpotatoe

3. "When my daughter was little, she believed Band-Aids cured things. One time she had a belly ache, so I put one on her belly and it made her feel better. Power of placebos!"

—u/tres_chill

4. "Smiling is actually magic."

NBC

"Smiling can actually make you happier. People often return a smile with a smile, which spreads positivity. Smiles and confidence will open doors for you in life." —u/takes_joke_literally

5. "If you have no complaints about your food service or staff at a restaurant, ask to see the manager and pay a compliment and give a 'thank you' about the server, host, or staff."

Pop TV

"Usually people want to see a manager to complain, and a compliment is nearly always welcome. I've gotten countless free drinks, appetizers, and money off my bill, all for just making a polite comment to management." —u/heelstoo

6. "Compliment your children with 'you are a hard worker,' not 'you're smart.' Studies show that kids who think they're hard workers outperform kids who think they're smart."

—u/holy_hunk

7. "If any website offers a percentage coupon code like '10percentoff,' try higher values like '20percentoff.' They often work.

FOX

—u/TheGarp

8. "Walk with a purpose. For some reason, people think you're busy, and you don't get hassled."

—u/Just_Curious_Duder

9. "Several times in life I've cold-called a company to confirm my interview time. I didn't have an interview prior to my call, but in their confusion and inability to even find my résumé, I've managed to secure an interview about four out of five times."

Universal Pictures

"Twice I've gotten the job." —u/TickleMeStalin

10. "You can borrow almost all of your textbooks from the library as a college student."

Warner Bros. Pictures

"WorldCat allows you to be linked to almost any library in America. All you have to do is find your book in the system and fill out a request form at a library, and it should be there in a week. I’ve saved probably $2,000 doing this in my first two years of college." —u/exoticpike

11. "I have a heated throw blanket in my living room. During the winter, I wrap my coat in it and crank up the heat. In a few minutes, my coat is toasty warm so I can brave the coldest day."

u/Lectric_Eye

12. "If you are punctual, smartly dressed, and friendly, you can actually get pretty far in most jobs without being that good or trying very hard."

BBC

—u/cold_italian_pizza

13. "Underpromise and overperform. Say you'll achieve less than you think you will and then do more, and everyone will be impressed."

—u/Nrich5

14. "Investing money is ridiculously underrated. There are dividend ETFs that will pay you a monthly dividend."

NBC

"If you work at it, you can build your own basic Income." —u/lf11

15. "Toss your jeans in the dryer for 15 minutes on a cold morning, and you've got warm pants."

—u/deepsoulfunk

16. "No matter what your bed time and wake up time [are], stick with it."

Pixar

"After a decade of being that person on Facebook at 3 a.m. and leaving for work four hours later, I started to view sleep as an enjoyable activity, not a chore." —u/lucy_throwaway

17. "Living within your means makes life pretty easy."

—u/littleredhoodlum

18. "Ask questions about everything. Ask people about themselves, and be open about stuff you don't understand."

POP TV

"I am amazed at how many people won't acknowledge ignorance, won't show honest curiosity, can't admit they've forgotten something they feel is important, and won't ask for help. Your life becomes so much easier if you just drop the ego and ask." —u/tylerss20

19. "Once you unlock the skill of not giving a crap about other people’s thoughts, you basically double your mana indefinitely."

NBC

—u/Pfeiferrm

20. "If you want to run a good meeting, say something and wait 10 seconds before moving on. Introverts (such as myself) need time to process before they speak."

"Once I started running my meetings this way, introverts started speaking more and providing really good input." —u/Shadow082

21. Say 'thank you' instead of 'I’m sorry' in most situations. 'Thank you for your patience' is much better than 'I’m sorry I’m late.'"

NBC

—u/Ignoble_profession

22. "Act like you belong. In any situation. It will change your life."

—u/triple4567

23. "Get a credit card that has 3%–6% cash back at groceries. Buy all your items at that grocery store. All together, the math works out to being 12%–15% off pretty much everything."

American Express

—u/kukukele

24. "Realize that earning grades and learning are two different things."

—u/meninistMD

25. "When you're married, don't stop treating your significant other like you did when you were trying to win them over."

Walt Disney Pictures

—u/Knockemdeadkidd

26. "Set the do-not-disturb feature on your phone to turn on from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m."

"You will sleep so much better without constant notifications from emails or texts." —u/deleted

What's your favorite life hack or everyday cheat code? Share in the comments!

Note: Responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.