HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: A family member uses a service dog, and people come up and fuss over the dog. The dog is working and should not be bothered. When Goldie is distracted, he can’t do his job the way he is supposed to.

— R.A., via email. DEAR READER: Thank you for the reminder. Readers, when a service animal is in work mode, its job is to help the owner. Please don’t pet, talk to or distract the dog unless you ask first.

This is especially critical if “the team” is walking on a sidewalk, waiting to cross a street or another high safety time.

DEAR HELOISE: There is such a dizzying array of products for the home, for women’s products, vitamin supplements, office supplies, and on and on.

Did it ever occur to anyone that we all have too many choices? Who needs to ponder over 20 kinds of mouthwash? Who needs 15 kinds of glittery eye shadow, 30 kinds of deodorant or 14 kinds of laundry soap?

We are confronted with a glut of similar products that do similar things, all in the name of companies that are hungry for your dollars.

— T.D., Fort Wayne, Ind. DEAR READER: It’s called a free market, and if there is a company that has a product it wants to sell, it can put the item out there on the shelf. Certain products, such as deodorant, laundry soap, tissue and toilet paper, are big moneymakers, since most everyone uses these daily. Stick to the brand you know.

DEAR HELOISE: When I was a kid, my dad would throw spare change in a drawer by the front door when he got home from work. At the end of the week, he would take me to get ice cream or another treat.

He made it a lesson for me that you should save up your money for the week, and then you can get a small treat. — Julie W. in Indianapolis DEAR READER: Spare change can accumulate and add up over time. I bet many of us collect spare change.

P.S. Spare change hanging around? I’d love to know what you use it for.

DEAR HELOISE: Pleated lampshades were hard to clean until I came upon this idea: a stiff, clean paintbrush, just for this task. The brushes can detail-clean a lot of items around the house: baseboards, windowsills, keyboards, etc.

— Amelia B. in Texas

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