Pay attention to what stores throw away

Dear Heloise: I wanted to share the following hint with you. I work part time at a convenience store, and when displays are taken down, a lot of times they toss the shelving. They were going to toss a wooden rack that held wine bottles. Instead, I took it home.

I sanded it a little and painted it a pretty lilac color (all my dishes, candles, wall hangings, etc., in my dining room are purple) and set it in a corner. The top shelf was angled, and it was perfect for recipe books, and the bottom two shelves were ideal for my wine, champagne and margarita glasses (yes, they are purple!). It looks really nice, and everyone is always surprised when I explain where it came from. K.M. from New Braunfels, Texas

There are a lot of things from stores that can be reused — just ask! Recycling is trendy and saves money. Heloise

Dear Heloise: When we travel to a hotel, motel or cruise ship, or use the airplane lavatory, I wipe the toilet seat and handle with disinfectant wipes that I carry in a zipper-top plastic bag. I also wipe the remote control for the TV, the telephone and the sink or basin. Sondra Lewis, Princeville, Hawaii

Dear Heloise: Here’s a suggestion my mother gave me: When your children are very young, buy a large picture frame. As they win things in school, Scouts and clubs, the awards can be placed in the frame. Also, a school picture can be added each year. Then, as the children go through life, they can see what they have won, and the awards are not lost in a drawer or closet. Pauline E. Cook, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I hate it when the telephone rings but I can’t see the number displayed to know who is calling. I looked for a slant telephone stand but did not want to pay the high cost. I went to a store that sells stuff for a dollar and picked up a pack of plastic doorstops. I came home and put double-sided tape on one of them and placed my phone on that. Problem solved! Cathryn L. Wall, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: Guys, don’t let your wife throw away her old purses. I saved two of my wife’s leather purses. I use one to keep drill bits in (it has several compartments, which worked for sorting different-size bits). The second was large enough that it made a handy tool-toter for several tools — from the garage to the house. Both are hung on my garage wall by the straps — out of the way until the next use. J. Truett Langston, Lafayette, Tenn.

Dear Heloise: To dry a baseball cap after washing, place it over the top of the washing machine’s agitator. This is easy and works great. Kathleen Hargraves, Hamilton, Ohio

XSend 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