SHOPPING CART TIP

Dear Heloise: Just saw a letter from someone asking why men don't help women with shopping carts? Realize that all men are not able to push heavy shopping carts due to their own health issues. My husband has several health problems and is not allowed to "lift or push" anything heavy. However, I am perfectly capable. I have found when purchasing bulky, heavy items (such as large bags of garden soil at a home improvement store), many men ask if I need help loading up the car. Most people are kind.

Just a thought - don't load up so much at one time. Make two trips, if possible. It's easier on everyone.

-- Deanna L. Burghardt, via email

COFFEE ICE CREAM TRICK

Dear Heloise: A reader wrote about coffee ice cream with raspberry toppings, and it is amazing. I don't always have coffee ice cream, but my grandfather taught me that pouring espresso over vanilla ice cream tastes just like it. Try it, and you will love it!

-- Richard Caniglia, The Villages, Florida

HOLIDAY EMPLOYMENT SCAM

Dear Heloise: Two weeks ago, I saw an advertisement for holiday employment. They emailed me an application but asked for very personal information that no one has a right to ask on an initial application. They wanted my Social Security number and the name of my bank. They said pay checks would be automatically deposited in my account, which normally isn't given out until someone is hired. A red flag went up when I was told that they would need my checking account number, my savings account number, and a pin number. It was glaringly obvious then that they were scammers. I turned them into the FBI.

-- G.H., in St. Louis

TOOTHPASTEAND DOGS

Dear Heloise: A recent letter mentioned some ideas of things to clean with toothpaste. I just found that my toothpaste contains xylitol, which can be fatal to dogs if they ingest even a trace of it. If a dog ingests a used piece of chewing gum that contains xylitol, it can suffer from severe seizures and sudden death. As I was reading your hint, I thought of all the places my dog might find it interesting to lick if she realized that I had used toothpaste to clean the wall or anywhere else in her environment. Please put this information out. It could save someone's pet.

--P.E., via email

Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to  Heloise@Heloise.com. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.