The Shadow
Dear Heloise: My hint is that everyone should consider giving his or her EXTRA/UNUSED COUPONS to someone else, whether handing them off directly, taking them to a homeless shelter or leaving them on the counter at a grocery or retail store.
It just seems that there are unemployed people who cannot afford to take the paper and get the coupons, or who live in shelters and don’t have an address to get coupon mailers, or who don’t have computers to go online to print coupons, so this is another level of help. Thank you. — S. Rymer, via email
Your heart is in the right place! Coupons reduce the amount of money spent on food and personal items. Check the chamber of commerce in your city or town to find coupon-donation opportunities. Or call a library reference desk!
Some classic coupon drop-off sites:
* A grocery-store shelf.
* A doctor’s office.
* A lunchroom or break room at the office.
* A church or place of worship.
* A community center.
— Heloise
HANDY SANITIZER
Dear Heloise: I finally found my “lost” coffee mug at work but was chagrined to see that someone had been using it to hold ballpoint pens. I tried soap and water to remove the ink stains, but to no avail. However, there was a bottle of hand sanitizer nearby, and a squirt started to melt the ink instantly! — Marsha in Little Rock, Ark.
PURSE SECURITY
Dear Heloise: This is for the gals: Often, a car accident will cause your cellphone/handbag to go flying and therefore not be accessible for calling help. Fasten your seatbelt through your handbag strap while buckling up. Be sure to zip the bag closed to keep your phone inside. — Sherri in Erie, Pa.
EASY CLEAN
Dear Heloise: When doing a large laundry wash load, do the most soiled materials first, especially whites that need bleaching. They can be soaked for a while before the water level is increased (medium or high) for the rest of the wash load (not needing as much bleach and soap). This is one method that is very useful for saving bleach and soap, too! — Julia Renard-Torres, via email
PICTURE PERFECT
Dear Heloise: The way my kitchen is designed, I don’t have a window above my sink and am therefore unable to look out to see my backyard flower garden. I came upon the idea to take photographs of various scenes, print them on my computer and then place them in frames above the sink. I’m now able to enjoy their beauty year-round, as if I’m looking out a window. It makes standing at the sink a bit more pleasant, and I can almost smell the roses! — Susan in Monroe, Ohio
TOILET-TISSUE BLOTTER
Dear Readers: When you’re at the end of the roll of toilet tissue, add a fresh roll and use the end pieces to blot your lipstick! — Heloise
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise(at)Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
(c)2012 by King Features Syndicate Inc.
