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Life Hacks Every Girl Should Know

If you were born with a vagina, you need to read these life hacks every girl should know.

By Ossiana TepfenhartPublished 6 years ago 9 min read
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Being a girl is hard. Ladies have to deal with double standards, insane demands from society, having to protect their bodily autonomy on a daily basis...the list goes on and on.

It takes most ladies years to learn how to make life easier for themselves — no thanks to companies that constantly tell us that we need more stuff in order to be "acceptable."

Girls have the chips stacked against them, and sometimes, all you need is a good trick to help make life more reasonable. If you need to look put together, sane, or otherwise just get through life, you need this list of life hacks every girl should know.

Use the two finger rule to get a bra sized.

If you can fit two fingers under your band, you have the right size. If you can't, it's too tight. If you can fit a fist there, it's too loose. Bra fitting should never be painful, ladies.

This is one of those life hacks every girl should know, simply because so many companies seem to believe that shoes need to be modeled after medieval torture devices. There are two easy ways to do it.

The Ice Method: Take two large, watertight bags filled with water — and stuff them in your shoes. Then, put your shoes in a refrigerator overnight. Ice expands, which means your shoes will expand. Remove the shoes in the morning, and you have broken in shoes.

The Hairdryer Method: Put on thick socks, then wear your shoes. Take a blow dryer and blast them with heat for a minute or two where you feel tightness. Keep the socks and shoes on while they cool. Repeat until your shoes are broken in.

Find out the expiration dates on cosmetics.

Using expired cosmetics is a major no-no, and can lead to serious infection. Most cosmetics will have a picture of a little jar with a number on them. The number tells you the number of months a product will be good for after opening.

Most mascara will only be good for three months, while lipsticks and powders will last a total of two years. Make sure to toss out what you don't use — and if you're curious, you can find out more about makeup expiration dates online.

Use clear nail polish on jewelry.

Once again, this is one of the many life hacks every girl should know. However, this is particularly useful for girls with metal allergies. The nail polish keeps your hands and neck from getting exposed to metal, which in turn means less rashes and less green fingers.

If you have a lot of plated jewelry, then this life hack will also help them continue to look like real gold/rose gold/rhodium/whatever.

Hang purses with shower curtain hooks.

This allows you to get more use out of your closet space — and also alleviates time locating for that one cute purse you always wanted to use for a special occasion.

Here's how to get rid of some of the most common stains you might get on your clothing...

These are life hacks every girl should know — and every guy, too. Even guys have certain sheets and shirts they love to pieces, and knowing these tricks can help.

  • Neutralize red wine with white wine. Just pour and dab.
  • Blood stains get lifted fairly easily with hydrogen peroxide. It looks like magic, and keeps things snowy white.
  • You can use a dryer sheet to get rid of deodorant stains. Just rub the dryer sheets in a circular motion on the stain, and presto! Stain goes poof!
  • Use ice to get gum off clothes or shoes. You also can use this trick if someone puts gum in your hair.

Go shopping for quotes on car repairs, and use a car maintenance app to learn more about what's needed.

You know that myth about car repairmen who lie to women in order to get a bigger sale? That's not a myth — it really does happen. You can help avoid getting fleeced by comparison shopping and using an app to get quotes.

Using a car maintenance app can also help you stay on top of car repairs better than most guys. Trust me when I say these are seriously important life hacks every girl should know, if they don't want to get fleeced when they hit the mechanic.

Use a staple remover to add keys to your keyring without breaking a nail.

While we are including this on a list of life hacks every girl should know, let's be real, guys can use this one, too. Keyrings are terrible for your hands and getting a nail caught hurts like hell.

When negotiating salary, don't be afraid to ask for more.

A lot of companies hire more women because they know they are less likely to ask for a higher salary. It's okay to be aggressive when you're discussing your financial needs, and it's also okay to compare the average wage in a company to what you are currently being paid.

There are many smart tactics you can use when negotiating salary.

One of the best ones, at least for women, is to stay quiet when offered a job rather than to pounce on it. More often than not, people will feel a need to close the void of conversation — which in turn will make them offer a higher salary.

This tactic allows you to come across as less aggressive, which in turn makes it one of those life hacks every girl should know.

Buy a Diva cup for that time of the month, if you tend to run out of tampons everywhere you go.

Few products qualify as life hacks every girl should know, but this is one of them.

Diva cups are amazing inventions, and they will last a lifetime. They're medical-grade silicone, can be sterilized via boiling in a container, and will hugely cut down on monthly expenses. Also, unlike tampons, they don't cause toxic shock.

Use a staple remover to add keys to your keyring without breaking a nail.

While we are including this on a list of life hacks every girl should know, let's be real, guys can use this one, too. Keyrings are terrible for your hands and getting a nail caught hurts like hell.

Shut down intrusive questions by pointing out how intrusive they are.

It's horrible how often guys and even other women ask severely inappropriate questions of us. These questions may include plans for children, hormone issues, or even questions about our weight or dating choices.

I used to get bothered by these questions until I realized it was other peoples' way of controlling me — and that their need to control me showed how fucked up they were. This brings me to one of the best life hacks every girl should know: learning to deflect questions and shut haters down.

Take a look at how it's done...

Person: Wait, you don't want any kids? Why not?

Me: Wow, I'm kinda shocked that you think it's appropriate to discuss my reproductive choices like that. Don't you feel weird shaming someone over not being interested in unprotected sex? That's kind of gross and slimy to discuss.

Or, another...

Person: So, you're breastfeeding your child, right?

Me: Pardon me, but I don't see how this concerns you or your opinions. Don't you feel weird talking about milk squirting out of my breasts?

Or, another...

Person: Why don't you date Chauncey? I know you rejected him, but he'd be such a good match for you.

Me: Then by all means, feel free to have sex with him. Don't you think it's kind of crazy that you think you know what I want more than I do?

The more you turn it around on them, the more awkward they feel. Add a judgemental look to that, and they will quickly cut that out. People who do this use shame as a way to control others. Ending that is one of the most epic life hacks every girl should know.

Some people just don't get the hint, though. If they don't, just finish the conversation and leave.

Here's an example of how to finish a conversation.

Person: Look, all I want to know is why you don't want kids. What's so bad about that? What's your problem?

Me: You clearly aren't understanding where personal boundaries lie. What I do with my life has nothing to do with you. This conversation is over, please don't talk to me anymore.

Learn to DIY breast cancer screenings, and learn the symptoms of hormone disorders.

Women have a slew of health issues that men will never even begin to know about. Breast cancer and cervical cancer are major killers of the female population. PCOS can cause serious problems in your mood, your reproductive system, and even make hair grow from random places in your body.

If you're cursed with certain hormone disorders, like PMDD or the extreme imbalance I was diagnosed with, your hormones could easily cause you to lose relationships, jobs, or in rarer cases, your life.

That's why you need to educate yourself about how to do a breast exam, how to spot PMDD, and how to keep an eye out for hormone issues. Attending a local workshop thrown by medical professionals can help.

If you want to learn about your body, look up some women's health organizations and ask for their take on life hacks every girl should know regarding health.

Want to lose weight? Write what you eat down and watch the pounds peel off.

Studies show that people who lose weight and keep it off are far more likely to keep a food diary than those who can't lose weight — or those who yo-yo diet. Other important weight loss life hacks you can enjoy include:

  • Drink water throughout the day. More often than not, we think we're hungry when we're actually thirsty. By drinking water, we fill up our stomachs and force ourselves to eat less.
  • Eat slowly. It takes the human body 20 minutes to register that it's full. Listen to your body, and eat slowly.
  • Exercise at work. Desk exercises are a thing, as are taking brief walks outside the office. Take the stairs when you can, and you'll feel a lot better.
  • When working out, talk to someone. Studies show that people who talk while they work out are more likely to work out regularly and put in more effort than those who don't.

Learn to say no mildly, then ramp it up.

This is one of those life hacks every girl should know, simply because we're so frequently raised to be people-pleasers who put everyone before ourselves. Saying "no" is so heavily frowned-upon when we're young girls, and then all of a sudden, we're supposed to be assertive? Yeah, no, it doesn't work that way for most of us.

That's why I suggest learning a "soft no" or two when people start getting aggressive or demanding. Soft no's include the following methods of saying no without the "N" word:

  • "We'll talk."
  • "Not right now."
  • "I'm not sure."
  • (In the event of a date where you're feeling pressured.) "Look, I think I need to get going."
  • (In the event of talking to a guy where you're feeling pressured and he's aggressive.) "I have a boyfriend."
  • "I'm afraid I can't, because I have (XYZ excuse)."

Ramp up the no's until you're able to do a hard no. You'll be surprised at how empowering it feels.

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About the Creator

Ossiana Tepfenhart

Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer based out of New Jersey. This is her work account. She loves gifts and tips, so if you like something, tip her!

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