DEAR HELOISE: In our paper today, there was a letter talking about unwanted callers and scammers. There is a very easy way to turn off these callers. If you have an iPhone, go to your settings under the tab "Phone" and then select silence unknown callers. This will prevent any callers not known to you from having an audible ring. I am sure Android phones have a similar selection in their settings. The callers can leave a voicemail, but at least you can avoid your phone ringing incessantly with these types of calls.
I hope this helps somebody, because it has been wonderful for us. (Our granddaughter told us about it.) I love your column and your recipes. Have a great new year.
-- Janet Ham, via email
DEAR HELOISE: In your column a reader suggested one go to the Charity Navigator to check out charities. But I have a better idea.
Write to the charity and ask for a four-page notarized financial statement. If you do not know how to read it, take it to your local banker or CPA. A true charity will have an overhead of 2% to 5%. Some insist 10% is OK, but anything over that does not have the interest of the so-called charitable organization in mind. Your money will be better spent elsewhere.
There was once an ad on TV asking for donations to help needy children in an Asian nation, so I called the number listed to ask for the four-page notarized financial statement. I never heard from them, which let me know they were not a true charity, just someone playing on your sympathy. There are many deserving charities out there. Just be careful in the selection of which ones you decide to help.
-- P.A. Almquist,
Marshall, Texas
DEAR HELOISE: A reader said to eliminate water spots on glasses that you need to buy a high-grade water spot remover found online or in a cleaning supply store. I, my daughter and my friends just buy a shine dish detergent booster. No more spots or film. Follow the directions on the container. It's readily available at most markets in the cleaning item aisle. It also works for a lot of cleaning needs, like scrubbing sinks and removing gray marks on plates without scratching them.
Good hints come from your readers. Thank you.
-- Russ S., via email
DEAR HELOISE: Ava T. made a good point about securing your dog when driving. The same is true for cats. When I take my cats to the vet, I always buckle them in. This is easily done by feeding the seatbelt through the handle of the cat carrier. A little peace of mind is always good when it comes to our fur babies. I love your column, and I use many of your hints.
-- Sandra Greenough,
via email
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