Dear Heloise: With the holiday season upon us, I would like to send my helpful hint. It has amazed

Dear Heloise: With the holiday season upon us, I would like to send my helpful hint. It has amazed me that night-light bulbs are so expensive throughout the year.
At Christmas, you can buy the same type bulbs for the tree so inexpensively. So, before Christmas and especially at after-Christmas sales, I stock up on the tree lights (clear or white ones) so I am never without light at night in halls or children's rooms. J.B., Orangeburg, S.C.
Sounds like a good idea. We took your question to the experts to check it out. They said that as long as the bulb is the same size and wattage, there shouldn't be a problem. Do not use a larger-wattage bulb or other type bulb.
One day, I needed a bulb for a night light and didn't have one, so I used a chandelier bulb, with disastrous results! Heloise
Dear Heloise: My helpful hint is to keep a phone book in your car, so that when out running errands, etc., you can look up restaurants to make a reservation, merchants to check their business hours or even friends whose numbers you don't have in your cell phone's memory.
Just always practice safety and pull over in a parking lot or gas station before looking up numbers and using your cell phone. We get new phone books each year and recycle the oldest ones. Karen Withrow, Sugar Land, Texas
Dear Heloise: I recently read of an idea on how to put the most frequently used names on the top of your computer e-mail address list. It was done by placing an "A" in front of their names. This can also be done by placing a period or two (..) in front of the name, and it might not be as confusing. For those that I want down by the bottom of my list, I place an "x," "w" or "z" in front of their names, and it places their names at the end of my list. S.S., Hot Springs Village, Ark.
Dear Heloise: When I need to reheat a single serving of soup, stew, etc., in the microwave, I cover the bowl with a saucer from the same set of dishes. This makes a great cover and keeps the microwave clean, and the food heats faster. I don't need to use a separate microwave container. Make sure your dishes are microwave-safe. I also use a saucer as a cover for a small serving of food in the refrigerator. Mary, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: I am writing in regard to the mother who asked "When will they ever start making bedspreads again?" She mentioned that her son doesn't want dust ruffles. My solution is to purchase a comforter larger than needed and use it as a bedspread. Bonus: Only one sham comes with single comforters, versus two with full or larger. Joan, East Hanover, N.J.
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
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