HELOISE: What’s in your wallet or purse?

Dear Readers: Do you know what would happen if your purse or wallet got stolen or you lost it? When you shop or travel, take only the cards and information you need.

Never carry items such as passports or Social Security cards. Retail establishments, when you purchase an item, will not require them.

Carry only what you need. Make sure you have copies of each item, with phone numbers of the companies in case you have to cancel them quickly.

Never leave PIN numbers with bank or debit cards.

Don’t carry irreplaceable items with you, such as one-of-a kind photos.

Never put your purse or wallet directly on a store counter. Keep it close, and monitor it at all times.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: Whenever we visit overnight with a friend or family member, I carry a pack of window-cleaning wipes that I use on the bathroom, leaving it as shiny as it was when we arrived.

Jackie Huffines, Elizabethtown, Ky.

Dear Heloise: After a foiled break-in attempt at our home, the police did a walk-through with us to determine if anything was stolen or damaged. They noticed a key holder in the wall near the garage entrance. The police explained that even though this is a common practice, it is very unsafe.

When robbers enter a home, they look for items in sight — things they can grab and run with. They especially look for keys, because this gives them entrance into the home again, along with access to your cars, ATVs, boats, storage sheds, mailbox, etc. The police suggested we move the keys to inside a closet or cabinet — definitely out of sight. This may not be as convenient, but it’s much safer.

Beth in Texas

Dear Heloise: Need a great use for an old pillowcase? Use it to cover clothes in the closet.

Snip a small hole in the middle of the stitched end and slip it over suit jackets and blouses to protect them from dust. The pillowcases are much better than dry-cleaning bags because clothes need to “breathe” to stay in good condition.

A Reader in Texas

Dear Heloise: I hate receiving offers to open new credit cards. We have a good credit rating because we keep our use of credit to a minimum. I have no desire to open more accounts. The offers have to be destroyed to avoid identity theft, which is such a nuisance. Repeated attempts to ask companies to stop sending the offers didn’t work.

I write in permanent ink across the return portion of the offer “Remove From All Mailing Lists,” and send everything back in the postpaid envelope. Maybe if more of us try this tactic, companies would no longer find it cost-effective to clutter our mailboxes.

Anne in Minnesota

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate