DEAR HELOISE: All too often I see a death notice in the newspaper with the name of the church or funeral home but no address, not even a ZIP code. I see where to send donations in place of flowers, but there's no address attached. We need the full addresses of these places.
Not everyone has a smartphone or a computer to look up addresses, and phone books are a thing of the past. Funeral homes should make sure their address is included in the newspapers, as should churches and the family of the deceased.
-- Reader in Ohio
DEAR READER: I agree! Simply giving the name of the funeral home or church does nothing to help people who want to attend but are from out of town and don't know where places are located. It would make life a little easier for those who are grieving.
DEAR READERS: Here are some additional uses for a shower cap:
• Place over a telephone to cut down on the ringing noise.
• Use to cover a pie tin.
• Place over bowls of food at picnics to keep bugs off.
• Have workmen cover the bottoms of their shoes when in your home.
DEAR HELOISE: Whoever invented the doorbell camera has been a godsend! Since the covid-19 virus has made ordering online so common and easy, many of us have used this service. But with that, came "porch pirates."
My husband wondered why a few of our orders went missing until we installed a doorbell camera and discovered our neighbor across the street was stealing our packages. My husband invited him over and showed him the tape, then asked for our items back or their monetary equivalent. Needless to say, nothing has gone missing since. You never know when a camera is watching you, so it's best not to break the law.
-- Jackie D., San Antonio
DEAR HELOISE: According to the Federal Trade Commission, one of the fastest-growing scams comes from scammers who try to get you to pay off imaginary debts with gift cards. Anytime someone calls and says you owe money, which you can pay with gift cards, hang up on them. No reputable company will want you to pay off anything with a gift card. No matter if they threaten you or not, hang up on them.
-- Lowell C., Albany, New York
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email