The bank doesn’t want my cash?

DEAR HELOISE >> My friend lent me some money. I wanted to pay her back, but I wasn’t able to DEPOSIT CASH into her checking account. What is this about?

— Lindsay N., Toledo, Ohio

DEAR LINDSAY N. >> Lindsay, this is a new trend, especially among the big national banks. Banks are looking to stop money laundering, and they also want to cut their expenses.

“Money laundering” means trying to hide the source of ill-gotten gains. The vast majority of transactions are legitimate, so this bank policy is a result of “a few bad apples.”

Also, having to count large sums of cash requires lots of manpower, which costs money.

Speak to the branch manager. Depositing a check or money order is still OK, or you can add yourself as a signer on the account, which requires the original account holder’s permission.

IS ‘BEST BY’ THE BEST BUY?

DEAR HELOISE >> When manufacturers stamp the “best by” dates on cans, they often place the stamp on top of the ringed ridges, which makes it almost impossible to read.

They are fulfilling their responsibility to mark the date, but what good does it do if you cannot read it?

— Nick in Little Rock, Ark.

DEAR NICK >> Nick, great point. Let’s clear up some confusion on terms related to this:

“Best by”: A hint as to when the product should be used for its optimum quality.

“Use by”: After this date, the product quality goes down rapidly.

“Sell by”: For the retailer, the date by when the product must be pulled from the shelf.

Experts concur: You can’t go solely by smell, taste or appearance to judge whether a food is safe to eat. Use these dates as a guide.

DEAR HELOISE >> In reading your column recently in the San Antonio Express-News, I wanted to share that there are companies that build domeshaped houses such as was mentioned. One company, manufacturing in North Carolina, builds homes that are designed to withstand high winds/hurricanes.

The company makes prefabricated “round pods” that can be configured in many ways, and it was featured on TV as having the only home still standing after a Florida hurricane devastated a community.

We have one made of two round pods joined by an entryway in Port O’Connor, Texas. It was delivered and put together in the late 1970s. This design is such a good idea, I can’t imagine why more builders in coastal areas don’t try to duplicate it!

— Casey A., via email

DEAR READERS >> Here are some helpful Christmas shopping hints:

• Make a list and stick to it. People who shop without a list can spend about 20% more.

• Use a price comparison app. Scanning a bar code can reveal prices at nearby stores, so you can see the best deal.

• Ask stores to price match. Many do.

• Buy small gifts and supplies in bulk. You can store for later or share the cost with a friend.