Dear Heloise: I have always travelled 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

CHECKING ACCOUNTS AND ­BUDGETING

Dear Heloise: I am astonished at all the folks I know who do not maintain a check register for their bank account or perform any sort of household budgeting. While they all keep up with their account activity and balances online, they don’t use an app or a spreadsheet to track spending or plan for future costs. What happens with their finances simply happens.

My parents taught me how to budget when they first gave me an allowance as a kid, and it took root. This will sound bizarre, but it’s a fact: I have never had to worry about money because I am constantly worried about money. — Jim R., Houston

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

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Hints from Heloise run occasionally in Lifestyles. Readers may send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE, or email: Heloise@Heloise.com. Letters won’t be answered personally.