News & Articles

Dear Heloise: I’ve never had a garage sale, and I don’t know what to do. Can you make a few suggestions for the garage sale I plan on having this summer? - Karen S., St. Joseph, Mo.

Karen, first, see if you need a permit to hold a garage sale, and if you do, then get one. Make sure everything you’re selling is clean and tagged with a price. Be open to negotiate, because an item is only worth what someone will pay for it. Display items attractively in aisles so that people can move around and pick up an object. Have someone who is in charge of the money. Make sure you have 10 or 15 single dollars, and that way you can make change. Don’t forget to put an ad in the newspaper and a sign out in front of the house. Also, you can mention on social media that you are having a garage sale. - Heloise

Have they got your number?

Dear Readers: Today’s SOUND OFF is about telemarketing calls that are using the names of family and friends:

“Dear Heloise: I got a phone call last night, and caller ID said it was from my son. I answered, only to get a marketer for some product I won’t buy. In fact, I encourage others I know to never buy a product from a telemarketer. So many marketing calls are scams. The Do Not Call list doesn’t screen out calls from my son, my friends or my alma mater. When will companies learn this is not an effective way to sell anything?” - Bess G., Sherman, Texas

Bess, telemarketing calls are becoming a real problem in this country. Readers, you can eliminate a number of these calls by going online and registering at www.donotcall.gov, or you can call 888-382-1222. If you move or change phone numbers, you’ll need to re-register. - Heloise

A child’s ID is a steal!

Dear Readers: Your YOUNG CHILD may have a playdate with a friend, a T-ball lesson, a scavenger hunt, a piano lesson, a boat loan and a mortgage. Wait, a boat loan and a mortgage?! If your child has a Social Security number, it’s at risk of being stolen. A bad guy can use a stolen Social Security number to rent an apartment, get utilities, apply for government assistance, open credit cards and even file taxes and have medical procedures! It’s identity theft, and kids are at risk.  And because they are kids, it could be YEARS before you find out. Here are some hints:

• Check their mail carefully. Shred any preapproved offers. Force the company to remove the child’s name from its mailing list.

• Teach even young kids to not give out their name, date of birth, phone number or address to ANYONE face to face, over the phone or online.

• Contact all three credit bureaus - Equifax (www.equifax.com), Experian (www.experian.com) and TransUnion (www.transunion.com) -- and request a copy of your child’s credit report. 

• The Federal Trade Commission (www.consumer.ftc.gov) can help you draft letters to address ID theft with any companies involved.

• If something has occurred, place a fraud alert on your child’s credit report. This will last 90 days.

Your child’s credit is important. Keep it monitored and unfettered. - Heloise

JOB INTERVIEWS

Dear Heloise: For the past six years, I’ve worked in human resources and done hundreds of interviews for a large corporation. I’d like to make a few recommendations to help people applying for a position. First, no matter what your line of work is, stay current. Learn all the new tech gadgets required for your line of work. Next, make certain your resume is updated and easy to read on one page. You need not go back to your first job if it was more than 10 years ago. When interviewed, dress professionally. Good luck on the interview. - Stacy W., Pendleton, Ore.

GLOW IN THE DARK

Dear Heloise: I could never find my cellphone in my purse, so I took glow-in-the-dark paint and painted strips on my cellphone case. - Nan D., Canton, Miss.

PEAS, PLEASE

Dear Heloise: With twin 2-year-old toddlers, we have our share of bumps and bruises. I keep several small bags of frozen peas in my freezer. They make perfect ice packs; they conform to small elbows and knees. I wrap the bag in a dish towel to prevent burning the skin. My pediatrician prefers flat ice packs, but she agrees: Peas work in a pinch. - Mary K. in Pennsylvania

(c)2019 by King Features Syndicate Inc.