Often times, I move too quickly through life and miss the little things that would help me figure things out faster. Ironic? Yes. Here are a few of the simple intuitive things I never noticed, until a good friend pointed them out to me.
Freeway exit signs | Credit: Bro Choi
You've probably noticed the numbers on freeway exit signs before, but never really thought twice about it. Apparently, those numbers are mile markers from the start of the freeway. This is helpful when GPS lady tells me I need to exit in 5 miles. Pay even closer attention and you'll notice that in cities, you'll often have Exit 14A and 14B. That just means there are two exits in the same mile -- in order, of course. The exit numbers are the same for both directions on the freeway.
Price labels at the grocery store | Credit: maybe Helen or Allan, I don't remember
When you're at the grocery store looking at a product, you're often just looking for the big number that tells you the price. Lean in and look at all the other little numbers surrounding it. One of those tells you the value: price per ounce. You may save $2 per box, but end up spending $0.48 more per ounce. Tricksters! I'm always on the hunt for a bargain. Related, apparently Franzia (9 cents per ounce) is cheaper than Welches Grape Juice (13 cents per ounce). So if you're in a pinch, just drink box wine.
Pay-by-phone for parking meters | Credit: Aly Fried
Parking meters have loads of blinking lights, signs, stickers, and fine print. If you're lucky, it also has a paper bag over it, but if not, you're stuck fishing through your car for quarters. In SF, you now need 16+ quarters for one measly hour. In Philly, using your credit card in the machine will result in suspicious activity the next week (true story, happened to me in the Summer of '12). Several parking tickets later, Aly came home one day raving about this "Pay-by-phone" app. Sounds familiar... is it that blue sticker that I always ignored? Yes, that app charges you 25 cents to add money to a meter from anywhere -- a small price to pay for staying in the restaurant and not running out of the door. It also helps you find a free parking space. The cloud!
The life lesson here: look closer.
