Multiple uses for soup bowls

Dear Heloise: I really enjoyed the hint about old coffee cans, where a reader’s husband saved coffee cans. My husband saved mayonnaise jars. We switched over to using soup bowls from Chinese takeout. Most are microwaveand dishwasher-safe. We use them to refrigerate leftovers and freeze soups, chili, spaghetti sauce, etc. We label lids with a permeant marker and share food with friends. It also helps keep nuts and bolts from getting misplaced. You can stack them up to store. Recycle! — B.B., in Virginia

Saving clothes for a second wear

Dear Heloise: One of your readers said they solved the issue of saving something to wear one more time by hanging the clothes in the closet with the hanger in the opposite direction of the rest of the clothes. That would drive me nuts.

So, I decided to simply hang them inside-out and keep them facing the same direction as the rest of the clothes. — Cindee Watson, Costa Mesa, California

Sound off on charities

Dear Heloise: I hate that charities sell your info to other charities, and then you get deluged with useless junk in an attempt to lure you into contributing to them as well. It is August, and I already have over 10 calendars for 2023 and enough shipping labels to wrap around the world. I resent that they are spending my money on junk made in China that just ends up in our landfills and contaminates our water supply. I have received potholders that melted when I went to take something out of the oven. I have tote bags where the handles fell off after one use. I have pens that fall apart or don’t write at all.

So, since the charities are wasting the money I donate, I have solved this problem by not donating to anyone anymore. Is that what they really want? — Shirley Conley, Gardena, California

Organizing

Dear Heloise: I enjoy reading your tips in the Omaha World Herald. I have an organizing idea to share: I’m involved with several organizations where I need to contact people, but don’t necessarily know them well. I found a way that helps me organize them within my contacts on my cell phone/ computer.

I put the name (or acronym) for the organization first, and then their name. That way, I can search for them by organization, such as: BHS: Ann Smith. It saves me time in trying to remember a name; it’s also easier to create an email group. — Bev Hornig, Omaha, Nebraska