Dear Héloïse: With rising costs, I am always looking for a way to save money. Well, I realized that even though my tube of toothpaste or my expensive tube of body cream seemed empty, I decided to open the tube two inches using a good pair of scissors. As I suspected, there was still a lot left in the tube, so I scraped it off and placed it in the lower part of the tube, while using the upper part to close it.
You can’t use the normal opening, so I just pull out the section I cut off and dip it in my toothbrush or pick up the body cream with my fingers. This makes each tube last at least another month. This can be done with any soft tube. Open it to see how much is left in it. —Ann B., Bristol, Connecticut
COOKING WITH COFFEE CANS
Dear Héloïse: In response to the recent tip about reusing coffee cans: I’ve baked pumpkin bread in mine for years. I used 4 half-filled cans, and would bake them at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 1/2 hours, depending on individual ovens. Let rest for about 15 minutes before taking the bread out to cool completely. — Monique B., by email
REHEAT THE CHICKEN
Dear Héloïse: I would like to share this invaluable tip on reheating chicken. To me, chicken tastes weird and terrible when reheated and is usually thrown away after the first meal. A few days ago I bought a huge chicken. Normally I would have thrown it away again, but I had nothing to eat at home. So I decided to vacuum it up and warm it up.
For some unknown reason, I decided to spray the skillet and chicken before putting it in my little convection oven to reheat. To my surprise, it was really good! No bad taste, and the chicken was tender, as good as the first day I had it. I still wasn’t sure the spray oil was the reason it tasted so good and fresh, so I tried it twice more. And it works! —Faye L. Cosma, Howland Corners, Ohio
FLOOR CARE
Dear Héloïse: The best care for all the floors in your home is the “no shoes” to reign. If everyone in the family takes their shoes off when entering the house, all the floors stay in much better shape and the rest of the house has less dust and debris. — Billy Landry, via email
AUTONOMOUS CHILDREN
Dear Heloise. Parents should try to instill autonomy in their children. I see that many children today receive everything from their parents who have accumulated their own wealth. From cars to education to homes, children never learn to be independent. This has created a sad situation for many families. — Cindy Moore, via email
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Héloïse’s advice is sometimes published in Lifestyles. Readers can send a hint to Heloise, PO Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE, or email: Heloise@Heloise.com. Letters will not receive a personal response.