Back up all computer files online
Dear Heloise: Regarding uploading pictures to your computer, I would also suggest making sure you have an online backup of all your computer files. A fire or a flood can destroy your computer and any backup devices kept in your home. And it could also destroy the original photos that are stored at home.
As for the worry about technology getting outdated, there will always be a way to update files. You can still buy converters for floppy discs to USB drives, and floppy discs have not been used for decades. I recently uploaded 3,000 slides to my computer. I found that after 60 years, some have faded badly; that is also true for color prints. Uploading them also makes it easier to share pictures with grandchildren and others who no longer live nearby. –Alex Magdaleno, Camarillo, California
PILL REMINDERS
Dear Heloise: I recently found a way to keep from running short of essential prescription mail-order meds. I started filling two weekly pill organizers instead of one, and I refill the emptied one each week. By doing this, I know if I need to request refills ahead of time. –Margaret Bee, Houston
TIRE PRESSURE UPDATE
Dear Readers: In a recent column, there was a misprint about tire pressures. Overinflating car tires is extremely dangerous. Tires should always be inflated to the correct pressure, and that pressure should be recommended on the tire information sticker on the driver’s side door. When they are inflated to the correct pressure, traction will be at a maximum. — Heloise
GROCERY BAGS
Dear Heloise: I’d like to add to Lucy H.’s suggestion of using paper grocery bags. In our town, the deli’s at the grocery stores give you your cold cuts in zip-close bags. This is a waste of plastic if you ask me. I go to the pastry department and grab a few wax paper bags. I then ask the deli clerk to put my cold cuts in them, and they never decline. When I get home, I simply put the meat and cheese in individual resealable food storage containers. — Kenny A., Bozeman, Montana
K-CUP COFFEE MAKER AND IRON ADVICE
Dear Heloise: Here are a couple of helpful tips for K-cup-style coffee makers as well as household irons. K-cup-style coffee makers work better if you use filtered water, for example, from your refrigerator’s water dispenser. Household irons have less problems with internal buildup if you use distilled water and then empty the cooled iron once you are done with it.
I enjoy all the tips and ideas you print that make life easier and more interesting. — Mary, Vancouver, Washington
UPDATING PAPERWORK
Dear Heloise: Every January, I go through important papers and records to see if they need updating. If something were to happen to me, is there someone with authorization to get medical, banking or insurance information?
Would they know how to get my account numbers and passwords or which insurances to call? Does this person know which bills to pay and how to access my online banking? Do they have a key to the house? Do they know my burial wishes? Do they know where all of these papers are kept?
It just makes it easier for whoever has to handle affairs in case of an emergency. This is something everyone should do, even though it’s time-consuming. –PH, via email
Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise, PO Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to HeloiseHeloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
King Features Syndicate