Dear Heloise: After buying expensive Christmas gifts for our 13 grandchildren for years, we decided it was time for a change. They all came from families who bought them whatever they wanted and needed. We now have them pick a charity (a different one each year), and we donate to those charities in their names.
On Christmas Eve, they each tell us about their charity and why they picked it. They love it, and it’s a win-win for everyone! — S.M.T., in St. Louis
Shopping spree
Dear Heloise: My uncle cared for his mentally handicapped sister (my aunt). He took her shopping and routinely returned much of what they bought. She was entertained, though, and he managed well enough. He just had to make sure to shop at stores that take returns and give refunds. — A.G., via email
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Dear Heloise: I read with sadness the letter from Lori. I would give the better part of my right arm to have my husband go shopping with me again. He loved it. So what if he bought too much? — Mary, in Youngstown, Ohio
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Dear Heloise: Instead of using mothballs to repel moths when storing clothes, scatter a generous tablespoon of ground black pepper across the bottom of the clothing bag. — O.J., in Rockford, Michigan
Get all the lotion out
Dear Heloise: To get the remaining lotion or shampoo out of their bottles, I use scissors or a knife to cut around the center of the plastic container. Then, after using some of the item, you can slide one end back over the other so that you have a shorter container.
If needed, you can also make a couple of slits in one end so that it fits down in the other section more easily. Thanks! — Linda, via email
Difficult packaging
Dear Heloise: As we baby boomers become senior citizens, we find ourselves increasingly struggling with all kinds of packaging. I routinely have to get out my X-Acto knife to open products encased in impenetrable, heavy plastic that is backed by stiff cardboard.
Push-and-turn and squeeze-and-turn caps on everything, from over-the-counter medicines to toilet cleaners, have become very challenging to remove. And the stiff plastic seals around some of these caps have broken many a thumbnail.
Sharp scissors are a must, and yes, I have stabbed my hand on occasion while using them. I once had to take a hammer to smash the cap of a bottle of eye drops. Fortunately, I still had an old bottle and was able to use its lid. (Also, speaking of eye drops, the round bottles are much harder to squeeze drops out of than the oblong bottles.)
I understand the safety precautions involved with today’s packaging, but I think we may have gone overboard. A plastic seal around a push-and-turn cap, plus a thick seal on the inside that requires a knife to penetrate, is a bit much.
I can’t be the only senior with reduced hand strength because of arthritis, who spends way too much time just trying to get into and use the things I buy. I am so grateful that I can at least request non-senior-proof caps on my prescriptions.
I have loved and learned so much from reading “Hints from Heloise†over the many years in the Mansfield News Journal. — J.N., in Ohio
Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to [email protected].
