Paying for air?
Dear Readers: Today’s SOUND OFF is about the shrinking size of food packages. — Heloise
“Dear Heloise: Have you noticed that many food items are now packaged in smaller amounts? Cake mixes, sodas, pastas and frozen dinners have all reduced the portions but not the price. For example, the pasta I buy went from 16 ounces to 13.25 ounces per package. Many canned vegetables went to 13 or 14 ounces, when they used to be 16 ounces. Sugar that I’ve bought for years went from 5 pounds to 4 pounds! I’ve noticed more air in bags of chips.
“Consumers do read labels, and we know that we’re paying more for less. We feel cheated. I know manufacturers are saying that their new packaging is ‘greener’ (more environmentally friendly), and it may be true, but we’re still paying more for those ‘greener’ packages. For larger families, this poses a serious problem with their food budget.
“Manufacturers can complain about the cost of doing business, but the public feels shortchanged. This is especially true when people have to buy two packages of something instead of the one package they’ve bought in the past, just so they’ll have enough to feed their families.” — Renee N. in St. Louis
FAST FACTS
Dear Readers: Here are some uses for old pillowcases:
n As laundry bags.
n As a hobby sack for your knitting, hand-sewing, etc.
n To store out-of-season clothing.
n As a cover for a small dog bed.
— Heloise
CANNING JARS
Dear Heloise: Years ago, my mother taught me to place a small, wadded-up piece of clean paper toweling in all the empty canning jars to absorb the moisture and musty smells. It works wonders! — Nina Y., Provo, Utah
CLOUDY SHOWER CURTAIN
Dear Heloise: Got a cloudy shower curtain due to mildew? Just pop it into the washing machine with a little soap and 2 cups of vinegar, and wash on “gentle.” When finished, just leave it out to dry, either hanging up in the shower or outside. — Helen P., Boone, N.C.
MAGIC MONSTER SPRAY
Dear Heloise: My son was terrified of “monsters” that he thought lived in his closet or under the bed. I got a spray bottle and put water in it with two drops of lemon oil. Before my son went to bed each night, I’d take the bottle of “magic monster spray” and pretend to chase the monsters away with two quick zaps under the bed or on the closet floor. No more monsters, and no more nightmares. — Carolyn G., Lynchburg, Tenn.
ANIMAL KINDNESS
Dear Heloise: As the weather gets colder, it’s important to remind people that their pets (cats, dogs, rabbits) need to be kept indoors. They might be animals, but they need to be sheltered from any extreme weather. Do NOT chain a dog up to a doghouse and leave it there. A pet needs attention, love and companionship to thrive. — Maisy M., Nutley, N.J.
Dear Readers: A pre-owned car can be a great gift or smart purchase for yourself, but be careful. Cars damaged in floods can wind up for sale. Let’s discuss what to look for:
n Rust is a dead giveaway that there has been water damage to the vehicle.
n The presence of residual mud/water staining on the carpet or upholstery points to water damage.
n Hiring a mechanic to do a once-over on the car? That’s money well-spent.
n There are websites that will check the VIN for the car you are buying.
— Heloise
THE THIRD ‘R’
Dear Heloise: I enjoy reading all of the recommendations about recycling and reusing items. Please also mention the first “R” in the three R’s: “reduce.”
If I don’t need it or already have a suitable substitute, I don’t get it. Plastic or paper shopping bags are one example that comes to mind. If I can carry my items in my hand throughout the store, I can carry them to the car or home. — Karen K., via email
Karen, excellent point! — Heloise
PERFECT PIZZA
Dear Heloise: During last winter, I turned on the seat warmer in my car, and this hint came to me: If it can keep my backside warm, why not pizza?
Voila! I turned on the passenger seat heater, put the pizza on the seat, and when I got home, the pizza was perfectly hot!
This would work with just about any food you’d like to keep warm. — Joann H., Massillon, Ohio
SLUSHY SOLUTION
Dear Heloise: I recently had total knee replacement, and my physical trainer passed along this tip to me. For icing down after exercising, he said to mix 1 part rubbing alcohol with 2 parts water in a zip-close plastic bag and freeze it for about 12 hours. It becomes a cold gel pack. — Peter H., Staten Island, N.Y.
Readers, add a drop of food coloring if you’d like, and label the bag. — Heloise
LONELY CHECKOUT
Dear Heloise: In the big-box stores, they have many checkout registers, but nobody to run them.
It’s not a good idea to make buyers stand in line too long — they’ll take their business somewhere else. If the register doesn’t RING, then no sales, no money, store closes! — Burch E., Dayton, Ohio
It does look silly to have upward of 20 or more checkout registers and maybe only five open. Management needs to open more lanes as the flow demands. — Heloise
LETTER OF LAUGHTER
Dear Heloise: File this one under “sometimes it irks me; sometimes I laugh”: If I text somebody, and that person calls me to respond!
The reason I texted you is because I didn’t necessarily want to talk to you! — Julie H. in Texas
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise(at)Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
SEND A HINT TO:
Heloise
P.O. Box 795001
San Antonio, TX 78279-5001
Fax: 1-210-HELOISE
Email: Heloise@Heloise.com