Make sure to secure your home

DEAR HELOISE » Believe it or not, it won’t be long before we’re all planning some type of vacation or perhaps just a weekend getaway. While it’s nice to be away and relax, make certain that you secure your home before you go. Tell your next-door neighbor (one you can trust) that you’re going out of town and ask them to gather your mail and to keep an eye on your home. It also might be a good idea to have one of your neighbors park halfway up your driveway to make certain that an unauthorized vehicle does not park there. This would give a thief the opportunity to load up a van with your things and then drive off. Use automatic timers on your lights so that lights go on and off at different times and in different rooms. If a neighbor isn’t picking up your mail for you, have the post office hold it. Have someone hold onto packages that might be left on your doorstep. Turn off your automatic garage opener and arrange for yard maintenance if you’ll be gone for a couple of weeks. — Victor N., Quincy, Massachusetts

DEAR HELOISE » Scammers are getting a little more clever. They know you won’t answer your phone, so they often move onto social media or emails. People must be very careful about sites that demand your email address before they let you use their site. Many ask for your address, phone number and other information. Think twice before you hand over any of that information. Many of these sites sell your information to other companies, and before you know it, you’re getting spam mail from places you don’t want to do business with and never heard of before. Right-click and unsubscribe.

If a strange email asks you to click on an attachment or an unfamiliar link, don’t do it. You’ll most likely pick up malware or some kind of virus that’ll cause you all sorts of problems.

Hackers love trolling social media, so be very careful what you say and all the information that you share if you use social media. And if you suddenly get an email from someone you know — a friend or acquaintance — asking you for money for whatever reason, it’s more than likely a scam. Report all such scam attempts to reportfraud.ftc.gov. — Nicholas H., Baltimore

DEAR HELOISE » We had sort of an impromptu party last weekend, and we needed to keep drinks cold. I took the hose and wet the inside and outside of three terra-cotta planters that were empty. As the water slowly evaporated, it cooled down the drinks. I kept using water to keep the planters wet and saved the ice for our drinks. — Charlotte W., Deerfield Beach, Florida

DEAR HELOISE » I discovered a nice way to mark where I am when I stop reading a book. I use a ribbon with a small charm at both ends, which I sew onto the ribbon. In fact, I’ve given them as gifts. If I give someone a book, I also give them one of my ribbon bookmarks. — Eunice S., Cedar Falls, Iowa

Write to Heloise at P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; Fax 210-HELOISE; or email Heloise@heloise.com.