You’ll Wish You Knew These 37 Brilliant Hacks Sooner — All Under $5

These clever hacks can make your home improvement tasks quicker and easier—without breaking the bank. Even better, each one can be done for under five dollars. 01.What to Do When Your Glue Caps Keep Getting Stuck Family HandymanCaps on certain adhesives—such as rubber cement or super glue—tend to get stuck or sealed shut over time, even if you make an effort to keep them clean. 02.Coat Your Snow Shovel with Car Wax Family Handyman Simplify snow shoveling by applying a layer of car wax to your metal shovel beforehand. Just follow the directions on the wax packaging for proper application. Once coated, snow and ice will effortlessly slide off with every scoop. 03.Peel-and-Stick Vinyl Work Surface Family Handyman Transform nearly any work surface in your shop into an easy-to-clean area by installing peel-and-stick vinyl tiles. These smooth, liquid-resistant tiles are widely available at home improvement stores and come with pre-applied adhesive, making installation quick and hassle-free. 04.Taller Table Hack Family Handyman If you, like Family Handyman reader Gary Inlow, use a typical banquet table as your workbench, this tip is for you! Gary enhanced his setup by slipping 1-1/4-inch PVC pipes over the table legs, effectively elevating the work surface to a more ergonomic and comfortable height. 05.DIY Car Mats Family Handyman Here’s a simple car hack: grab a few carpet squares from Home Depot—usually priced under $2—and use them as floor mats for your back seats. Alternatively, repurpose leftover carpet scraps to create custom DIY car mats. It’s an easy, budget-friendly way to help keep your car’s interior clean. 06.Tag Your Tools: Not Pretty but Effective! Family Handyman Want to prevent your tools from mysteriously disappearing on the jobsite? Give them a unique mark. Senior Editor Travis Larson did just that using some spray paint. "Sure, my tools look rough," he says, "but that’s exactly why they never get left behind—they’re easy to spot and always come home with me." 07.How to Make an Emergency Candle Family Handyman Most homes have a spare roll of toilet paper and a stick of butter on hand—and surprisingly, those two everyday items can be used to create an emergency candle. Here’s a quick and clever way to make one when you’re in a pinch! 08.DIY Ice Pack Hack Family Handyman Create your own DIY ice pack with just a kitchen sponge and a zip-top bag. Simply soak the sponge in water, seal it inside the bag, and place it in the freezer overnight. By morning, you'll have a ready-to-use ice pack—and the best part? As it melts, the sponge absorbs the water, preventing any messy leaks. 09.Extend the Life of Your Phone Charger Extend the life of your fragile phone charger with this easy DIY trick! Begin by removing the spring from an old pen. Gently stretch one end of the spring so it can fit around your charger cable—using pliers if needed. Then, coil the spring tightly around the base of the cable. Slide a piece of appropriately sized heat shrink tubing over both the charger and spring, and carefully heat it with a lighter until it snugly fits. This quick fix reinforces the cable, helping prevent future damage or fraying before it even starts. 10.Rain-X in Snowthrower Chute Family Handyman Maintain your snowthrower’s efficiency by applying Rain-X inside the chute during your regular tune-up. Reader John Gossard swears by this trick—Rain-X creates a slick surface that helps prevent snow and ice buildup, allowing you to clear snow more quickly and with less hassle. 11.The Miracle of a Walnut Over time, furniture can show signs of wear and tear—but those scratches don’t have to be permanent. Surprisingly, you can minimize years of damage using something from your pantry: walnuts. 12.Pipe Insulation Car Hack Family Handyman Reader James Goldstein devised a clever fix to stop small items like keys or phones from slipping between a car’s seats and center console—a spot that’s tough to reach and potentially hazardous while driving. His solution? Simply wedge foam pipe insulation into the gaps to block anything from falling through. 13.Scrap Wood Computer Shelf Put leftover scrap wood from your workshop to good use by building a minimalist computer shelf for your desk. This version was made using a 1 ft. x 2 ft. piece of plywood paired with two 12-inch sections of 1x3 board. A brad nailer made assembly quick and easy, and leaving the wood unfinished gives it a clean, modern aesthetic. 14.Ladder Hack: Magnet Extra Hand Add a handy helper to your ladder by attaching a round base magnet to the top. This magnet can hold screws, bolts, nuts, and other small metal parts while you work. Since round base magnets come with a pre-drilled hole in the center, simply drill a matching hole at the top of your ladder and fasten the magnet using a bolt and nut. 15.Use Coins for Toilet Shims Family Handyman Did you know you can use coins as shims to level a wobbly toilet? Just slide a few under the base until it sits evenly, then apply caulk around the bottom edge to conceal the coins and secure the toilet in place. 16.How to Revive Dead Sharpies Dried-out Sharpies may not be a major workshop issue, but they’re certainly frustrating—especially when you need to mark measurements or jot down notes and can't find a spare. Fortunately, you can revive that seemingly dead marker, as there's often still usable ink inside! Here's how to bring it back to life. 17.Cutting PVC With String When a piece of PVC pipe is too difficult to reach with a saw, try this clever workaround: use a utility knife to carve a small notch into the pipe, then thread a sturdy string through the notch and saw back and forth. While it’s not as quick or precise as using a traditional saw—it took about five minutes to cut through a 2-inch pipe—it’s an effective solution in tight or hard-to-reach spaces. 17.Make Your Reusable Grocery Bags Sturdier Ever struggled with a heavy load of groceries that your reusable bag couldn’t quite handle without tearing? Here’s a simple, budget-friendly solution that can save your haul and your bag—no need for expensive fixes! 18.Pipe Insulation for Baby-Proofing FAMILY HANDYMAN Foam pipe insulation can double as an effective and inexpensive way to baby-proof your home. Simply cut the insulation to the desired length and fit it over sharp edges or corners that pose a risk to little ones. The foam’s natural curve helps it stay in place, making it a quick and removable safety measure. For a longer-lasting solution, use the built-in adhesive strip to secure it more permanently. 19.PVC Razor Organizer Create an easy DIY razor organizer using 1-inch PVC pipe. Cut the pipe into sections slightly longer than the razors themselves, then use hot glue to attach the pieces together. For added convenience, label each section with names or color-code them so everyone in the household knows which razor is theirs. 20.Chap Stick for the Toolbox If you frequently work with hardwoods, you understand the value of lubricating screws—it makes driving them smoother and minimizes heat buildup. But if you're out of soap or beeswax, don’t worry. Just grab a tube of Chap Stick—it works surprisingly well as a quick and convenient screw lubricant. 21.Tarp Cement Mixer FAMILY HANDYMAN Skip the hassle of renting a cement mixer—mixing a large batch of concrete can be done easily with a heavy-duty tarp and a partner. Start by pouring the dry mix into the center of the tarp, form a well, and add the appropriate amount of water. Then, you and your helper each grab two corners of the tarp and lift them alternately, rolling the mixture back and forth until it reaches the right consistency. When it’s ready, pour the concrete straight from the tarp into your form. 22.Bobby Pin Nail Holder FAMILY HANDYMAN Avoid the risk of smashing your fingers when working with small nails or in cramped spaces by using a simple bobby pin as a nail holder. It securely grips the nail while keeping your fingers safely out of the way. Once the nail is partially driven in, just remove the bobby pin and finish the job with ease. 23.Seal Outdoor Furniture Feet Extend the life of your outdoor wood furniture by sealing the areas that touch the ground—particularly the end-grain sections, which are most vulnerable to moisture. To do this, prepare a batch of epoxy and apply a smooth, even coat to the feet of the furniture, like a wooden bench. Let the epoxy cure fully to create a durable, weather-resistant barrier before setting the piece outside. 24.Brown Paper Bag Finishing Trick Achieving a smooth finish typically involves fine sandpaper and rubbing compounds—but that can be time-consuming. Even with quick-drying lacquer, dust often settles on the final coat before it dries. For most projects, unless you're striving for a flawless, glass-smooth surface, gently buffing the finish with a folded brown paper bag is often all you need. 25.Hot Glue Gun Uses: Fix Wobbly Furniture with a Penny FAMILY HANDYMAN You can stabilize a wobbly bench or table using a simple coin and some hot glue. Just place a dab of hot glue on the coin and stick it to the uneven leg or problem spot. The coin works as a quick and effective shim, helping to level the furniture instantly. 26.Write Notes on the Washer Family Handyman When loading your washing machine, grab a dry-erase marker and jot down on the lid which items should be air-dried instead of going into the dryer. Most washing machine lids have an enamel surface that works like a whiteboard, so the notes can be easily wiped away with a dry paper towel. This simple trick helps prevent accidental damage—ensuring that whoever transfers the load knows exactly which garments to leave out of the dryer. Better safe than sorry! 27.Coffee Filters for Dusting Family Handyman Next time you’re cleaning your computer monitor or TV screen, try using a coffee filter. Its soft, cloth-like texture picks up dust effectively without leaving lint behind and covers a wide surface area. Coffee filters also work great for dusting other household items, making them a versatile and inexpensive cleaning tool. 28.Make a Smartphone Stand When tackling a DIY project, many of us rely on our phones to view reference photos or instructional videos. However, the challenge is that phones don’t stand up on their own, making it hard to keep the screen in view while working. Having a hands-free solution can make all the difference in staying efficient and focused on the task. 29.A Clever Way to Get Rid of Glue Squeeze-Out When excess glue seeps into an inside corner—such as in a drawer or the interior of a woodworking project—reaching for a chisel might seem like the obvious solution. However, using a sharp blade in these tight spaces can easily leave scratches or gouges on the surrounding surfaces, causing unintended damage to your work. 30.Clean Upholstery with Baking Soda Family Handyman Did you know that ordinary baking soda can be a powerful deodorizer for your couch or upholstered chairs? Simply sprinkle a liberal amount over the fabric, let it sit for about 20 minutes, and then vacuum thoroughly. The baking soda absorbs unpleasant odors and can even help loosen light stains embedded in the upholstery. 31.Use a Rubber Band to Grip Stripped Screws Stripping a screw is a common mishap—and usually not a problem until it’s time to remove it. Next time you face a stubborn stripped screw, place a rubber band over the screw head before inserting your screwdriver. The rubber provides extra grip, making it easier to turn the screw and back it out without slipping. 32.Easy-Find Dado Blades Dado blades must be installed on a table saw in a precise orientation, often indicated by small printed letters on the blades themselves. However, these markings can fade with use over time. To avoid confusion and ensure correct installation in the future, clearly mark the orientation letters in large, permanent writing on each blade. This simple step will make using your dado set quicker and more foolproof. 33.How to Use Toothpicks as Dowels Round toothpicks can serve as effective dowels for joining boards together. Once your boards are cut and ready, drill pilot holes—matching the diameter of the toothpick—at two locations on each board. Accuracy is key, so use a square to ensure the holes are aligned precisely. Apply wood glue to a toothpick and insert it into the holes on the first board, tapping it in gently. After the glue sets, trim the protruding toothpick so it can fit snugly into the corresponding holes on the second board. Add glue, join the boards, and clamp them securely unti