The price of being a woman?

DEAR READERS >> DO WOMEN PAY MORE THAN MEN for haircuts, personal grooming, dry cleaning and apparel, among other things?

A 2015 study by the New York Department of Consumer Affairs concluded that women can pay an average of 7% more than men for virtually the same items and services!

Readers, have you seen price differences along gender lines?

SAY WHAT?

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 KATHERINE >> 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 >> I love reading your column in the Orange County Register here in Southern California. 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 Laguna Hills, Calif.

DEAR HELOISE >> I’m a paying customer for cable TV, and it seems commercials are taking over the programs I try to watch. I counted 15 TV commercials on one break. I should not have to pay for or endure so many annoying and ridiculous commercials! ENOUGH! — Terry V. in New Orleans

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. As a result, I have privacy and a dark room in which to sleep! — Dianne G., Canton, Ohio DEAR DIANNE G. >> One of my favorite travel hints!

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 better to have it used, and 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.