Thursday, April 12, 2007
Dear Readers: Usually when you go garage-sale shopping, you'll find some things you will be bringing back home with you. Here are a few helpful items to take with you that will make life a lot easier if you buy that "find & quot;:
Keep a cardboard box or a tote bag in your car to hold your purchases, so things don't roll around while you're driving. It'll make carrying items into your home easier, too.
Keep some newspaper in the car so that if you need to wrap up anything breakable before you leave the garage sale, you'll be ready. There's nothing worse than arriving home to find your new treasure in pieces.
Keep a container of diaper wipes or a roll of paper towels and a bottle of hand sanitizer handy. Garage sales have lots of terrific finds, but often a lot of dust and dirt come with them.
Also, take a few business cards or handwritten cards with your name and cell-phone number. If you see something you really want, but only if the price comes down, you can ask the seller to call you if it is marked down! Heloise
Dear Heloise: My mother used to use one of the seven-day pillboxes. She always kept a rubber band (the type that is 1/4 inch thick) around the box to make sure the lids stayed closed. When she was ready to take her pills, she would put the rubber band on the table and drop the pills from the holder into the center of the rubber-band circle. By doing so, she made sure none of them rolled off or was lost as she was taking them. She also could easily count them to be sure she had all the ones she needed. RuthAnne Baird, Branson, Mo.
Dear Heloise: There is no refill for those new pump foam-hand-soap dispensers, so I came up with my own economical solution. I fill the empty container with 1/3 liquid hand soap and the rest with hot water. The soap "melts," and it's ready to reuse. I now have recycled the container and saved money. Small children love this soap because it's easy to use -- just lather and rinse. Maritza M., Fair Oaks, Calif.
I'm all for recycling and saving money. However, Heloise Central tested this, and some soaps worked while others did not! Many liquid soaps are concentrated and seem to separate from the water after a while. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Some elderly women's stomachs can become large as they age. I took my mom to the maternity department of a clothing store and got her the cutest pair of jeans. Usually she buys one brand of pants with elastic all around the top, but they are not very stylish. These jeans fit her bottom and are comfy on her tummy. Maybe this hint will help someone else's mom who still wants to look good! Diane in Texas
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate