DEAR HELOISE: I collect single dollar bills from our change and stash these bills in a jar until June, the beginning of hurricane season. I usually try to have about $200 in singles. When we receive a hurricane warning, everyone fills up with gas and raids the grocery store shelves and, of course, the ATM.
If hurricane season ends without a disaster at the end of November, we have extra money for Christmas. Also, before the holidays, we check our pantry and give extra iems to the food banks. In January, we start all over.
-- Lois D. in Houston
DEAR HELOISE: My rules of shopping carts and aisles are:
• Push the cart on your right side of the aisle only -- like you drive on the road.
• Push past needed items on that right and then select items.
• Park the cart on the right side and shop across the aisle. Never park the cart crosswise.
• Never try to go down aisles two or three carts abreast, or two or three people abreast.
• Never meet acquaintances and stop to visit while blocking aisles.
• Turn off your phone and mind your children.
If shoppers would follow these rules, shopping would be much less stressful.
-- Bob in Waco, Texas
DEAR HELOISE: My husband and I are seniors, and we enjoy the convenience of single-serve coffee pods.
I hate seeing all those little plastic cups going into the landfill, though, so I recycle them. I rinse out the very fine coffee grounds and toss the cups into my recycling bin.
-- Rae M., Lake Wylie, S.C.
DEAR HELOISE: You can purchase an inexpensive no-contract phone to keep in your vehicle in case you have trouble or anything else and need to call for assistance.
It's not always safe to wait at the side of the road for a passerby. This also is good if your landline goes out for whatever reason.
-- Rachel M., via email
DEAR READER: Read the fine print on these phones carefully.
DEAR HELOISE: MY ALL-CAPS TEXTING IS NOT YELLING. It's because it's easier to read and I don't have time to switch back between caps, non-caps, etc.
A longer message to me needs to be a phone call or email.
-- Marietta H., via email
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 on 05/15/2018