Dear Heloise: I have always traveled extensively and have a shoebox full of postcards that I have collected but never sent. I send them now to friends and relatives in assisted living facilities and also to my grandchildren. Both groups love getting mail.

I even buy old postcards at thrift and antique shops, and the Friends of the Library bookshop has packets and really nice postcards for $1. This really brightens the seniors’ days and lets the kids know I am thinking about them.

Yes, the post office still sells postcard stamps, which I buy by the roll! I read your column in the Free Lance-Star. — Chris, in Fredericksburg, Virginia

TWO HINTS IN ONE

Dear Heloise: I have two hints for you and your readers. Regarding unwanted charitable requests, most request letters will have a phone number. I found that a call to this number with a request to remove you from their mailing list is effective every time. It’s a quick and easy method. You will be told that it takes some time to remove your name, but it will happen eventually. I have found everyone I talk to very friendly and helpful.

There has also been much discussion about the disposing of plastic bags. Many items come in plastic bags, and when they’re empty, I fill them with garbage and dispose them. But what do we usually do with them? We stuff them in another plastic bag (usually a grocery bag) and dispose of them altogether this way. By using the original bag, you are cutting the amount of plastic bags in landfills by half. Thanks. — Dick Warren, Sheridan, Wyoming

Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise@Heloise.com.