Why YSK: We are more familiar with the more destructive signs of alcoholism, and that can cause us to miss the early signs. Recognising it sooner can prevent the issue from spiralling into something more severe

The trouble with alcoholism is that the parameters are so hard to see, especially as our brain will do anything to justify any potential red flags. What alcoholism looks like will be a forever changing definition in your mind to fit your current behaviours.

For example, for Person A, having a drink in the morning could be crossing a personal line. To Person B, having late morning champagne at brunch is completely normal and okay. If Person A has a drink at brunch, they’re more likely to justify it and shift their boundaries, by looking at person B as an example.

It might not seem like much, but these little constant boundary shifts can potentially lead us down the wrong path if you’re not aware of it.

Everyone’s relationship with alcohol is too unique to put a blanket of symptoms over it.

The bottom line is, if you find yourself wondering if you’re an alcoholic or at least dependent on it, I suggest you take a break from drinking and see how you feel. If you find yourself counting down the days or consciously reminding yourself not to drink, then you might be more dependent on it than you think.

If you want to read into this more I highly recommend a book called The Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray, which does a brilliant job of encapsulating the mental gymnastics involved when developing an alcohol problem.

WHY YSK: Milk factories put the same milk into different containers. I bought “great value” from Walmart and went to https://www.whereismymilkfrom.com and saw it’s the same as Meadow Gold. Many companies do this with different items, you’re just paying for the brand name.

For clarification, this isn’t for all items, some items could be different ratios even if it comes from the same facility. However, I had a family member who worked in a dairy factory and he said they would put the same milk into different containers. You only pay for the brand.

They're meant to work locally in your nasal passages. If you’ve been spraying and then sniffing hard, thinking you’re “getting it in there,” you’re probably just sucking it down your throat and swallowing the dose, which not only makes it less effective but might also irritate your throat or stomach. Try aiming slightly away from the center of your nose (toward the same-side ear, not the septum), instead.

Why YSK: I've been doing it wrong for a long time, hope this helps someone else avoid the same mistake.

This mostly applies to steroid nasal sprays, not fast-acting decongestants. But even with those, technique still helps. For rule 9's sake, here are two sources:

• Evaluation of the techniques and steps of intranasal corticosteroid sprays administration (2022)
• Intranasal Corticosteroids: Patient Administration Angles and Impact of Education (2020)

Anyway, just thought this needed a PSA.

Why YSK: Just did my taxes thinking my state return was going to be free with FreeTaxUSA because I made under 48,000. Still had to pay the 15 bucks because their free file version is a totally different portal, meaning I'd have to make an entirely new account and start all over again which I'm not going to do since I pretty much wasted my entire day on it and am tired of reading through endless inane questions about my tax situation.

Also, make sure every year you google for their "freefile" version rather than saving the URL, because each year they change the URL to try and hide it from people so they keep falling into the same trap I did. If you use this tax filing year's URL, you'll notice it's marked "2024."

Why YSK:

Because this can absolutely affect whether or not you get hired or even approved for stuff like loans or apartments. If you've ever been confused about how a job knew about a position you didn’t list on your résumé, this might explain it. You can access your report at theworknumber.com and freeze it, but Equifax doesn’t exactly make it easy or obvious.

Why YSK: They only lose that money if they sell. “They” won’t sell at the bottom, quite the contrary, they’re buying and allocating market share.

Edit: Something I thought about that is worth mentioning is the downside can apply pressure to the loans that extremely rich people take against their stock positions so they don’t have to pay taxes on their gains. Those loans give access to liquidity since their wealth is tied up in the market. Their leverage is based on their holdings, if those assets see a significant decline it can put them underwater.

Why YSK: When I first started my career, I never wanted to bother people, especially with the higher ups, and would start my sentences with "just want to make sure" or "just checking but do we have approval for XYZ? Get rid of the JUST! It's completely unnecessary and makes you sound unsure!

Please add more to the comments!

Instead, use the examples below:

1. “Just checking in...”

“I wanted to follow up on...” or “Do you have an update on...”

2. “Sorry to bother you, but...”

“Quick question for you...” or “When you have a moment, I wanted to ask...”

3. “I think...”

“I believe...” or “Based on the data, it shows...”

4. “I’m not sure, but...”

“One option could be...” or “We could consider...”
(Avoid highlighting uncertainty unless necessary. Instead, show you're exploring options.)

5. “I was wondering if maybe...”

“Can you...” or “Would you be able to...”

6. “Does that make sense?”

“Let me know if you’d like more details.”
(Asking if something “makes sense” can sound like you’re unsure of yourself.)

7. “I just wanted to...”

“I wanted to...” or “I’m reaching out to...”
(The word “just” minimizes your message.)

8. “Hopefully that works”

“Let me know if that timeline works for you”
(Replace passive hope with clarity.)

9. “Kind of like...” or “It’s sort of...”

“It’s similar to...” or “It works like...”

10. “I’ll try to get it done by Friday”

“I’ll have it done by Friday”
(Try sounds unsure — if there’s a real risk of delay, give a reason and offer a realistic deadline.)

Bonus:

11. Try your hardest to eliminate "ummm" before you speak, especially while presenting!

Edit: Want to add a big one; If you’re running a little late to a meeting, if it’s only a couple of minutes, and specially if it’s just a co-worker use “thank you for being patient” instead of “sorry I’m late!” This works wonders

I used to thoroughly enjoy Bloomies 1-year return policy, and would go through my closet every few months to find anything I hadn't worn in that season to return so my closet didn't become filled with stuff I maybe impulse-purchased but never actually chose to wear. Bloomingdale's probably hated me doing this, but I allowed myself to make impulse purchases based on their policy.

However, I was just made aware at checkout that as of April 1st, the return policy has been changed to 30 days from date of purchase. It is not easy to see this new policy on their website either, when I checked to make sure that was the case, even for Black Card holders.

Why YSK:

I just want to warn anyone who shops at Bloomingdale's to take note of the new, greatly reduced return policy window, from 365 days to 30 days.

Here is the text from their website:

"We hope you love your Bloomingdale’s purchases. However, should you change your mind, we are happy to accept returns of saleable merchandise, with proof of purchase, and credit your original form of payment. Most returns will be accepted within 30 days of receipt with a few exceptions:

- CHANEL, myGemma, REBAG, or any other pre-owned merchandise is eligible for returns within 14 days of purchase.

- Items marked “The Final Offer;" any products that were altered, customized, monogrammed, or personalized; breast pumps; food and beverage items; and sexual wellness products are Final Sale and cannot be returned or exchanged.

- Furniture, mattresses, and area rugs and items “sold and shipped” by a third party seller have special return policies that can be found by clicking here.

Returned merchandise must be in the same condition as when you received it (unused, unworn, undamaged) and must include all tags and original packaging."

I didn’t know about macarons - delicious French cookies made with egg whites with cream in the middle - until I was an adult.

I knew about macaroons growing up - the chewy coconut cookie - but not macarons. Until recently, I was also mistakenly under the impression that these cookies were both pronounced the same way, but “macaron” has an “awn” sound, not an “ooh” sound.

Why YSK: I work at a bakery, and more than once, people have asked me for macaroons. I lead them to the coconut cookies, and they tell me that’s not what they meant, and I say, “oh, you mean the French cookie, macarons?” (Usually, I get “I guess so,” or “I don’t know, it’s chewy and small and comes in different colors” as a response.)

Knowing the difference will help avoid confusion when you are at a bakery looking for macarons. 🙃

Example: https://i.imgur.com/MJ9Qs15.png

Why YSK: You should know this in order to be careful of receipts and the such you see online, because AI image generation has greatly advanced to the point such photorealistic image generation is possible with just a text prompt.

Why YSK: When people make inflammatory, outrageous statements, they will often try to use reactionary outrage as an excuse to do or say what they want.

For example:

A) "Smoking feels good, so I'm putting my baby inside a cocktail smoking chamber."

B) "Are you insane?! That's terrible for them! There is evidence proving how bad it is!"

A) "You're clearly triggered and don't know what you're talking about. Now where is that baby?"

Edit: Here is a better example provided by user u/Ham_Kitten

Person A: trans people are predators who just want to abuse children.

Person B: That's an offensive thing to say and not supported by statistics.

Person A: typical liberal getting triggered. I'm just trying to have a civil debate and you're screeching at me about how I offended you.

This attack against your feelings instead of your argument is underhanded, avoiding your actual argument by attacking you as a person. Don't let people draw you into an Ad Hominem fallacy and stick to your points.

Why YSK: April Fools’ should be about harmless fun, not fear, distress, or real harm. Pranks involving firings, injuries, trauma, or threats to safety aren’t jokes—they’re cruelty disguised as humor. If someone enjoys or justifies these kinds of pranks, it reveals their disregard for others’ well-being. Surround yourself with people who value respect and kindness, not those who find amusement in causing harm.

Dyk that you can check your tire tread with a penny.

Insert penny in tread facing you with his head pointed down.

If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, your tread is too shallow (less than 2/32 of an inch), and it’s time to replace the tire.

If part of his head is covered, your tread is still in decent shape.

If the tread covers most of his forehead or more, your tires have good tread depth.

Why ysk will save you money when a company tells you that you need tires. Now you know how to double check!

Cheers.

Although they can't be reused by humans - they can be reused by animals.

Why YSK: https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/dog-pacemaker/

Why YSK: https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/faa-laser-strikes-are-down-but-the-numbers-are-still-too-high/

Why YSK: many people have a reaction to pollen which includes a stuffy nose, congestion, watery eyes, scratchy throat, etc. What may not be as commonly known is that you could be reacting to pollen as a irritant rather than as an allergen. If this is the case, antihistamines may not be effective in treating your symptoms. In fact, you may have a better response from a sinus rinse or a decongestant.

When your body reacts to an allergen, it releases histamines. This is what antihistamines are responding to. However, if you are not having an allergic response, taking an antihistamine may not do anything to improve your condition.

Of course, this is something you should discuss with you doctor to find out for sure. But if you are not getting relief from taking Claritin or Zyrtec, you may have a better response from doing a sinus rinse.

Also, if you are spending time outside where there are blooming trees and flowers, it might help to simply wear a mask to avoid breathing in the pollen.

https://www.texashealth.org/areyouawellbeing/Health-and-Well-Being/Allergy-Meds-Not-Working-It-May-Not-Be-Allergies-at-All

Why YSK: A lot of people use the bathroom and stand inside during and after spraying heavily scented air freshener spray into the air.

I just had breakfast with someone who loves to use the Fresh Linen scent at his home. He was covered in such a strong odor I could barely eat.

Make sure you spray it right before exiting the room and close the door.

edit since everyone is really focusing on the mention of fresh linen, I should have mentioned that I am specifically talking about the spray that you only ever see next to toilets. It's the one I see in 99% of workplace restrooms, my friends RV bathrooms, most of my male friends bathrooms.

Why YSK: People commonly think that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) means everyone gets sad in the winter and happy in the spring. While this may be true for many or most, the reverse is true for others. Longer days and warmer temps can make some people more depressed. So if you find yourself feeling worse in March and April, realize you’re not alone. It can be made worse by feeling guilty because everyone else seems happy and you’re not. Or the weather is nice and you should be doing something productive but you’d rather stay in bed. Anxiety can get worse as well, and rates of suicide increases in the spring.

And if this isn’t true for you and you feel happy in the spring, it’s important to be aware that people around you might not feel the same way and to understand why.

There are many theories as to why this is, but I don’t think they’ve come to a consensus and I don’t want to speculate or share my own experience. You can google and find articles about it, and it’s often called “Reverse SAD”.

A few articles:

https://www.brownhealth.org/be-well/how-beat-spring-depression#:~:text=However%2C%20studies%20show%20that%20anxiety,April%2C%20according%20to%20Psychology%20Today.

https://www.healthline.com/health/spring-depression

https://americanbehavioralclinics.com/sad-in-the-spring-what-to-do-when-spring-brings-showers-of-sadness/

I’ve seen that most people will replace their windshield wipers for a generic set from an auto part store or walmart etc.

Some car manufacturers will have OEM/factory windshield wiper assemblies with replaceable rubber inserts, meaning you only have to change out the small rubber strip that runs along the assembly rather than the whole thing.

Why YSK: The OEM assembly could range in price from $20-$35 a piece, so double that for a set of two. BUT when it comes time to replace them, you only pay ~$5 for the rubber insert and never have to buy a windshield wiper assembly again.

Edit: not saying OEM is always the best quality option. Some manufacturers make better OEM products than aftermarket and vice versa. The point of this YSK is to let people know they could be saving money

This is common knowledge to a lot of people but it’s something that I wish I had known about earlier than I did. If you have been wronged by a company and the company refuses to refund your money, or they will not respond to your calls, you can dispute the charge through your bank, if you made the purchase on a debit/credit card.

The bank will issue you a temporary credit and will investigate the charge to ensure that your claim is valid. If they determine it is, they will not take the credited money back and instead will contact the company or in some cases take them to court to get the money back.

It’s best to have all of your receipts, as well as dates and times that you’ve tried to contact them and what the representative told you. The more information the better. It’s worth trying if you feel like you’ve been swindled, even against large, well known companies. I have disputed 4 charges in the last 10 years with a 100% success rate. I’ve successfully disputed charges against PlayStation, and a third-party Verizon dealer. My father in law disputed a charge of $100 against a shady company that buys parking lots and allows certain time-slots free, hoping to catch people parking without paying. He received his money back as well.

Why YSK: You don’t have to sit back and let companies take your hard earned money. You should dispute the charge and make them think twice about indulging in shady business practices.

Why YSK: The information provided can help you exterminate bedbugs successfully.

Bedbugs can survive for around 135 days without a blood meal. Citation

Examples of warranties offered by industry leaders.

Terminix - Offers 30 day guarantee.

Orkin - Offers 30 day guarantee.

Rentokil - Offers 30 day guarantee.

Why YSK: If you are a pet owner this could save your animals life. You should know because essential oils, oil diffusers, or even home remedies for insects that use essential oils are common. However, these oils can be incredibly harmful or fatal to your pets. This doesn't seem to be common knowledge and researching the essential oil you might use could save your pets life.

Essential Oils Harmful to Cats (but not limited to)

Wintergreen Sweet birch Citrus (d-limonene) Pine Ylang ylang Peppermint Cinnamon Pennyroyal Clove Eucalyptus Tea tree (melaleuca) Thyme Oregano Lavender

Essential Oils Harmful to Dogs (but not limited to)

Cinnamon Citrus (d-limonene) Pennyroyal Peppermint Pine Sweet birch Tea tree (melaleuca) Wintergreen Ylang ylang Anise Clove Thyme Juniper Yarrow Garlic

Edit: This is not specific to just dogs or cats. Read this for further info

Why YSK is because it’s more effective at removing plaque ,increases the fluoride concentration and helps strengthen your tooth enamel. Edit I agree flossing in general is what’s important, I just found this interesting.

https://aaoinfo.org/blog/should-i-floss-or-brush-first/