DEAR HELOISE: At work recently, a grumpy gentleman told me that when I return change to customers, I should give them the coin change first, then the paper money. Although he could have told me nicely, I could see his point. Coins could slip out of someone’s hand if placed on top of the paper money.
- A Reader, via email
DEAR READER: Everyone is different, so don’t take offense. Some want it on the counter; some, coins first, then paper money; others, paper money, then change.
DEAR READERS: Many of us place orders for delivery, especially pizza. How often have you placed an order and sensed that the total bill was wrong? When in doubt: Go online (if possible) to double-check the order’s accuracy by placing the same order. A total comes up, which allows you to see what you ordered and what the total is. Now you can call the restaurant to make corrections before the driver arrives.
DEAR HELOISE: Window-blind cords are not only a danger to children, but to animals as well. I had a cat that wore a collar. He liked to sit on the windowsill. One day, when the blinds were completely down, the cat walked along the back of the sofa (next to the window) and tried to get in behind the blinds to see outside. In the process, he got one of the blind slats between his skin and the collar. He tried to turn around to come out, and his collar twisted tighter. If I had not been there, I’m sure he would have been strangled. Now I hang the cord up high and raise the blinds up a foot from the sill.
- Patricia in Lake Village, Ind.
DEAR HELOISE: We have a built-in trash compactor. It’s just my husband and me now, and it takes so long to fill that the smell necessitated it being emptied early. Also, the plastic bags that fit the compactors can be expensive.
I now request paper bags when shopping. I place one inside the compactor, with the clean compactor bag in first. Just pull out the brown paper bag when full and put it into the outside garbage.
- Cathy N. in California
DEAR READER: Cathy, I do the same at our coast house. We may be there only a few days, so why waste a full trash-compacter bag?
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email Heloise@Heloise.com
Style, Pages 30 on 01/28/2014