HELPFUL HINTS
DEAR HELOISE: Recently, I read an article about how dirty money is, and people who handle food should not be handling money. Is it really true? Can you get sick from handling money? — Laura L., Sarasota, Fla. DEAR READER: Laura, it depends on a few factors. Money passes from hand to hand, and some people will stuff money into their underwear or shoe, so there are germs on your money. In a government study, a number of pathogens were discovered on money, along with cocaine, bacteria, mucus and mold. This means that after handling money, you really should wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.
P.S. The paper and ink used to make U.S. currency actually contain chemical compounds that can kill bacteria; the problem is, with all that handling, the fungicidal properties weaken over time.
DEAR HELOISE: I’ll be interviewing for a job after I graduate from college in June. Most employers want to start new graduates at a lower salary, so have you got any hints on how to ask for a higher salary?
— Ashley W., Oregon DEAR READER: Ashley, first, do your research. Know the company inside out. Next, know your value to the company. As a new graduate from college, your salary won’t be high until you’ve been with the company for a while. Experience counts.
Speak in terms of what you have to offer the company (and not what it can do for you). Think beyond salary. What else does the company offer besides salary? Will it pay for continuing education or offer flexible hours? Most jobs have a salary range, so if asked what you hope to make annually, ask what the salary range is, and go from there. Be prepared to explain why you deserve a higher salary, but above all, wait until the job is offered to you before negotiating.
DEAR HELOISE: When I was in college with a dorm full of women with our shampoos, conditioners, lotions and long hair, our drains used to clog up all the time. We used to cut a tennis ball with a serrated knife, place one half of the ball over the clogged drain, and with two fingers we pumped up and down. In an emergency and without a plunger, this worked just fine.
— Elizabeth V., Ann Arbor, Mich.
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email