HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR READERS: When you bring groceries home from the supermarket, be certain your freezer is working OPINION properly to keep frozen food frozen. Keep your freezer at 0 degrees.

If the temperature is fluctuating, it will HELOISE

cause frozen food to lose moisture, dry out or go bad. So take these steps to protect the food.

■ Keep the freezer full to maintain the temperature.

■ Do not add too many nonfrozen items to the freezer at one time, because the heat given off might cause the freezer temperature to rise.

■ Put food in moisture-proof containers with an airtight seal to preserve nutritional value and taste.

DEAR HELOISE: I am writing 30 minutes after a phone emergency precipitated calls from 911 and my emergency contacts. What happened is my iPhone froze and I couldn’t shut it off as my friend had shown me. I started pushing all the buttons; nothing worked except 911. I couldn’t call my friend because her number was in my contacts. 911 proceeded to call my emergency contacts, who all called me to see if I was all right, but I couldn’t answer. My phone was frozen and I couldn’t use the land line because everyone’s phone numbers were in my contacts. My hint is to go back to keeping your phone numbers in a physical address book, not just your phone’s contacts.

— Zack Chewy, via email DEAR READER: It is a good idea, indeed. And here’s another letter on this problem:

DEAR HELOISE: I wanted to add some great advice to your article regarding a stolen purse or credit cards.

Everyone should take a photocopy, front and back, of everything in their wallet or purse and keep it in a safe place. That way, if the wallet or purse is stolen or lost, you have the information all in one place at your fingertips. It only takes a couple of minutes to do and could save you lots of time.

— Peggy, via mail DEAR READERS: If you are setting up a pantry, use these hints to make the canned goods last longer and stay fresher. Do not store canned goods in the basement near a furnace or steam pipes. Never put canned goods in the garage or on a porch, where the temperatures will be too low or too high. Store canned goods in your home in a space that’s away from the kitchen stove. Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email