Car buyer beware
DEAR READERS>> A PRE-OWNED CAR can be a great gift or smart purchase for yourself, but be careful. Cars damaged in floods can wind up for sale. Let’s discuss what to look for:
• Rust is a dead giveaway that there has been water damage to the vehicle.
• The presence of residual mud/ water staining on the carpet or upholstery points to water damage.
• Hiring a mechanic to do a onceover on the car? That’s money wellspent.
• There are websites that will check the VIN for the car you are buying.
THE THIRD ‘R’
DEARHELOISE >> I enjoy reading all of the recommendations about recycling and reusing items. Please also mention the first “R” in the three R’s: “reduce.”
If I don’t need it or already have a suitable substitute, I don’t get it. Plastic or paper shopping bags are one example that comes to mind.
If I can carry my items in my hand throughout the store, I can carry them to the car or home.
— Karen K., via email
DEAR KARENK.>> Karen, excellent point!
DEARHELOISE >> During last winter, I turned on the seat warmer in my car, and this hint came to me: If it can keep my backside warm, why not pizza?
Voila! I turned on the passenger seat heater, put the pizza on the seat, and when I got home, the pizza was perfectly hot!
This would work with just about any food you’d like to keep warm.
— Joann H., Massillon, Ohio
DEARHELOISE >> I recently had total knee replacement, and my physical trainer passed along this tip to me. For icing down after exercising, he said to mix 1 part rubbing alcohol with 2 parts water in a zip- close plastic bag and freeze it for about 12 hours. It becomes a cold gel pack.
— Peter H., Staten Island, N.Y.
DEAR PETERH. >> Readers, add a drop of food coloring if you’d like, and label the bag.
DEARHELOISE >> In the big-box stores, they have many checkout registers, but nobody to run them.
It’s not a good idea to make buyers stand in line too long — they’ll take their business somewhere else. If the register doesn’t RING, then no sales, no money, store closes!
— Burch E., Dayton, Ohio
DEAR BURCHE. >> It does look silly to have upward of 20 or more checkout registers and maybe only five open. Management needs to open more lanes as the flow demands.
DEARHELOISE >> File this one under “sometimes it irks me; sometimes I laugh”: If I text somebody, and that person calls me to respond!
The reason I texted you is because I didn’t necessarily want to talk to you! — Julie H. in Texas
Write to Heloise at P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; Fax 210-HELOISE; or email Heloise@ Heloise.com.