HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: My husband and I want to travel somewhere this month to see fall colors. He wants to go west, and I want to go east. Any hints on where to go?

— Emma in Texas DEAR READER: New England is beautiful in the fall, and there are many little towns along the way that are very historic. Then there are beautiful places in Oregon, Washington state and Colorado with lots of rustic charm. Your best bet might be to consult with a travel agent. This year one of you picks a place, and next year the other person selects the place. Let a travel agent show you some of the most interesting places to visit.

DEAR HELOISE: Recently, a man phoned me to tell me that my bank noticed suspicious activity on a charge card of mine. Then he asked me to verify my card number and expiration date. I said no and asked him to read off the number he had, and I would tell him whether or not it’s my card. He refused, so I hung up and called my bank, which hadn’t monitored my account and did not call me. It was a scam. Please warn your readers to never give out information about their credit cards or their accounts at the bank. Always call your bank to verify that it was the one that called.

— June L., Paramus, N.J.

DEAR HELOISE: There are some things you should never put on social media, which, I learned the hard way. There’s no need to post certain things, such as:

■ Full date of birth: No one needs to see this critical piece of information.

■ Phone number: About 25% of people post their phone number. Don’t do it.

■ Home address: Stalkers love getting your address.

■ Social Security number: Don’t do it.

■ Relationship status: Another favorite of a stalker.

■ Info on work: Never post anything negative about your boss or co-workers.

■ Photos of your vacation: Don’t post them until you get home again; burglars love an empty house.

— Mike, via email

DEAR HELOISE: Here is an easy way to keep track of my sheets and pillowcases: I fold the bottom sheet, fold the top sheet and one pillowcase, then slide all three pieces into the second pillowcase. This makes it easy to store and keeps everything together.

— Brianna Y., North Augusta, S.C.

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 Heloise@Heloise.com

HELOISE