HELOISE: Save by making your own postcards

Dear Heloise: I have a suggestion for a helpful way to save. Many of the lightweight cardboard or paperboard containers we discard in the trash or recycling bins have tops, sides and/or bottoms that can be cut into the size of postcards. The U.S. Postal Service charges 28 cents each to mail, as long as the card size does not exceed 41/2 by 6 inches. Inexpensive scrap paper or notepaper can be taped onto your homemade cards in case they are short of clear surfaces to write on. Thanks for all the hints!

Eddie in Wurtsboro, N.Y.

Eddie, a good recycle and reuse hint! Please note: According to the Postal Service, if a postcard is more than .016 inch thick, it is considered oversized, and it could be charged as a letter or a large envelope. Folks, just remember that postcards are nice for a quick greeting, but any personal information should be sent in a sealed letter!

Heloise

Dear Heloise: So many stores are handing out credit-card-size and key-chain-size reward or loyalty cards. I don’t like to keep them all in my wallet. I solved the problem by punching a hole in the credit-card-size ones and putting them with smaller key-chain cards. I leave the ring full of cards in the car, and take them with me if I know I am going into one of the stores that I have a card for, or just leave them in the bottom of my purse to keep them all accessible.

Babs Howard, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Dear Readers: Here are some great gift ideas to consider for expectant parents:

Offer to paint the baby’s room.

Make several days’ worth of meals in disposable pans and include reheating instructions.

When delivering meals, include paper plates, utensils and any other “extras” needed to enjoy the completed meal.

Are there minor home improvements you can do? Assemble crib or bookcases, arrange baby-room furniture or install a Dutch door (where the top half of the door opens separately) for the baby’s room.

Print “gift certificates” such as “free baby-sitting for first date post-baby,” “maid for the day” or “lawn-mowing services.”

Provide transportation to/from the airport for out-of-town guests visiting the new bundle of joy!

Heloise

Dear Heloise: When the gasket (rubber seal) around my refrigerator went bad, a helpful repairman taught me that a thin layer of petroleum jelly can be a real money-saver. I applied the jelly to the clean gasket, and it helped make a tight seal.

Lois J. in Newark, N.J.

Dear Readers: If you have plastic flowers that need cleaning, mix 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar, and put it in a plastic spray bottle. Spritz the flowers, then wipe with a clean cloth.

Heloise

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