Monday, March 28, 2005
Dear Heloise: We get some 30 or so unsolicited catalogs each week in the mail. With all the uproar over identity theft going on, we make it a point to tear our address labels from the cover pages of the catalogs, as well as from the order forms inside, before relegating them to the recycle bin. These address labels are fed into our shredder as they are torn off the catalogs.
We feel that by doing this each day, we will at least reduce the possibility of someone using our address information on these labels for their nefarious purposes. It takes just a few minutes, but can save a lot of potential grief later on. Bill in Vancouver, Wash.
Bill, thanks for the advice. Keep in mind that if you have ordered from a catalog and simply toss it, someone might be able to place an order with your customer number if one is on the label, and if the company has your credit card on file, you might end up paying for what was ordered. Heloise
Dear Readers: Here are some hints about saving money by brown-bagging it to work:
UYou can save a lot of money by bringing your lunch to work. If you routinely go out to lunch or order in and spend $3 to $5 a day, you can save from $60 to $100 in just a month by brown-bagging.
UThere are a lot more choices these days than just plain ol' sandwiches. Frozen entrees are endless, and many are healthy. Add a salad, and you have a delicious lunch.
UWhen making dinner, plan an extra serving to take for lunch the next day.
UBring a variety of items to snack on, such as yogurt, veggies and even a favorite dessert.
UMake tea for iced tea, or jazz up tap water with lemon, lime, orange or a dash of lemonade mix. Buying a soft drink or tea for lunch at 75 cents to $1.25 can run from $16 to $26 a month.
Dear Heloise: I save metal coffee cans to use for throwing away light bulbs and other glass.
Once one of the cans is full, I just pop the lid on and toss it in the trash. I don't worry about my sanitation workers getting cut, or broken glass tearing a hole in my garbage bags. Ginger Thompson in Texas
Sound off
Dear Heloise: People will call me and leave a message like "Hi, this is Bob. Call me back" and do not provide a last name or phone number (especially when one knows many by that first name). People also call and say they will call back, but they leave no name or inquire when I will be available. Please, folks, leave your full name and number. J. McKee from New York
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; fax (210) HELOISE, or e-mail heloise@heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate