Here are ways to save when renting a car

Dear Heloise: I read your article on renting a car and had a few comments to make:

• Call your auto-insurance company to find out if you have insurance already to cover a car rental. See if it covers collision, too. It can save a lot of money in extra fees that you don’t have to pay. Ask what kinds of fees are charged — you would be surprised at the number of fees tacked on to rental-car bills.

•Rent a car online for the best deals, and get a confirmation number. A confirmation number is proof that you have a contract with the rental-car agency. (Print out the confirmation page. Heloise)

•Stand up for your rights, and look over the final bill to make sure extra fees were not tacked on. Fill up the tank before you return the car, because rental companies charge a lot for their gas.

•If you are going on a long vacation or out of town for a while, it might be cheaper to rent a car to go to and from the airport rather than pay for long-term parking. Laura Koppe, Galveston, Texas

Good advice. Call a shuttle service or a taxi company to see how much it costs to get to and from the airport; you might save money. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have enjoyed your hints for a long time. In fact, they are the first thing I read in our morning paper, the Ventura County (Calif.) Star.

While out walking our dog in the early morning, I felt very secure with my pepper spray in my pocket. I decided to try it to see how far it would spray, and was unpleasantly surprised to find that it had dried up and nothing came out.

So, my hint is to try the spray every once in a while to make sure that it is still working and that you know how far it will spray. M.G.N., Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Dear Heloise: When I got a prescription filled and I had to take it more than once a day, I would wonder: Did I take it? Now I know. On an inhaler, which must be taken twice a day, on one side of the disk I write with a permanent marker “A.M.” and on the other side I write “P.M.” After I take it in the morning, I turn it over so “P.M.” shows. A Nanny in New Jersey

Dear Heloise: I buy trash bags that have the twist-ties. I usually tie the bag shut without using the twist-ties, but save them in my “junk” drawer in the kitchen. My husband uses them when he goes fishing. If he doesn’t feel like breaking down his fishing pole, he just twist-ties the loose line to the pole. He said it works great. Francis, via e-mail

SBlt 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