HELPFUL HINTS
DEAR HELOISE: My husband has been shopping for hearing aids, and we’ve discovered that the price range for new ones is in the thousands of dollars. My sister’s husband mentioned having used hearing aids that are reprogrammed. What a savings.
How can we locate places to sell used hearing aids and places to buy refurbished ones at a fraction of the cost of new ones?
— Katherine in San Antonio
DEAR READER: A quick Internet search reveals lots of good sources. If a computer is not nearby, call 211, a clearinghouse for social services in your neighborhood.
DEAR HELOISE: A reader asked what is the proper way to say the year. I spent 25 years as a professional broadcaster, and I tend to keep it less on the slang side and more on the educated side. So for me, it’s “two thousand nineteen.”
Consider this admonition by my high school math teacher: There should be no separation when saying numbers. Would you like “twenty nineteen” dollars, or “two thousand nineteen” dollars?
— Adam in California
DEAR HELOISE: When I am staying in a motel room, I find that the heavy window curtains don’t close completely, letting light in through the opening. I take a clothes hanger with clips and clasp the curtains together. I have privacy and a dark room.
— Dianne G., Ohio
DEAR HELOISE: Many gift cards are never fully used because only a small amount remains on the card. My solution: Hand the card to someone else in the store. It’s always appreciated.
— Toni, via email
DEAR HELOISE: When dining out, if I am served a wine I really like, I give my phone to the waiter and ask him to take a picture of the wine bottle so I can purchase it later. Or I ask the waiter to bring the wine to the table, and I take a picture myself.
— Ruth R., via email
DEAR HELOISE: Many online businesses will notice your abandoned “shopping cart” contents and email you a coupon code as an incentive to complete the order.
This applies to shoppers who have gone through the majority of the checkout process. These notices are sent within 24 hours; it may be worth the wait.
— Greg K., Oxnard, Calif. 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