The Bakersfield Californian

HINTS FROM HELOISE

- FOR TODAY’S BUSY CONSUMERS — Heloise This is the Send your hints to Heloise@ Heloise.com or mail them to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000.

Dear Heloise: I found a really great website; it is www. futureme.org.

The idea is simple: You write yourself a letter in the form of an email that can include anything, really — goals you want to achieve, bad habits you want to leave behind, health goals you have, family and career aspiration­s, whatever you want to accomplish.

Future Me will then email you your letter in either one, three or five years. It’s perfect for reflection and attainment.

The basic service is free, but you can make a donation to the site if you’d like. You can also choose to post your letter publicly but anonymousl­y to help others. — Jennifer T. In Virginia

Jennifer, fabulous idea to inspire and innovate! Best wishes!

— Heloise

Dear Heloise: I always make a photocopy or at the very least take a picture with my phone of any checks that I mail off.

— Hector V., San Antonio, Texas

Hector, with tax season right around the corner, this is a great idea! Thanks for the letter.

— Heloise

Dear Heloise: One group of

people that has been often left out of the conversati­on of folks needing comfort and consolatio­n as the result of the virus are the millions of men and women locked up in county jails and state and federal prisons.

Due to close confines, too many deaths amongst inmates and correction officers have occurred nationally, and family and friend visitation­s are canceled.

So, if you know of an incarcerat­ed person, write and/or allow them to call collect. It is said that over 75 percent of most inmates have little to no outside contacts; let’s change that status.

Thanks, Heloise. I think your readers will respond well to this. — Mike, Via Email

Mike, your email is an interestin­g one. People need hope, and if someone has made a mistake and hurt someone, they should serve time for that, but we shouldn’t write that person off completely. People can and do change, and healing and forgivenes­s can go a long way.

Reaching out to people in prison is a good project for groups to research.

Dear Readers: week to do it. Do what? Return unwanted items to stores from the Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa holidays.

Companies are great for offering extended return windows, but let’s not take advantage and ask for even more time. Get those packages back to the stores or postmarked in time, usually Jan. 31 is the cutoff.

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