Any time I can eliminate or lower my stress level when traveling, I’m a happy camper. I am always on the lookout for travel tips and tricks. Now I can’t wait for my next flight so I can try today’s first great reader tip!
ARRIVALS FOR DEPARTURES
Dear Mary: I travel a lot, and sometimes if I’m in a time crunch getting to the airport, I pull into the arrivals instead of the departures to reach my terminal. This saves a lot of time, even though I may have to take my luggage up the elevator. I figure this is a viable option if the only other choice I have is to miss my flight. — Gary
HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE SQUARES
Dear Mary: Instead of buying expensive baker’s chocolate squares, I mix 3 tablespoons of baking cocoa with 1 tablespoon of oil. Doing this gives me homemade chocolate squares. And since most recipes call for the squares to be melted, not only have I saved money; I’ve saved time, too. — Helen
ABSORBENT TUB BACKREST
Dear Mary: I have the best tub backrest. It’s more comfortable than the inflatable ones, and it’s cheaper than the ones designed for spas. It’s a baby bath sponge! Designed for laying a baby on its back, it’s large enough for my entire back. It sticks to the tub and stays warm as long as the water does. I toss the sponge in the washer periodically to freshen. — Lauren
HANGING SPACE
Dear Mary: My laundry room is long and narrow. I put up a tension shower rod, and now I have the perfect place to hang clothes immediately after I pull them from the dryer. — Betsey
CRYSTAL-CLEAN WINDOWS
Dear Mary: I discovered the best window cleaner. I add 1 tablespoon of Cascade automatic dishwasher rinse agent to 2 gallons of water. I apply this with a new sponge that has no soap residue. Now my windows shine with no spots. When I first started doing this, my windows were really dirty and it took two applications to get rid of the grime. — Debbie
KEEP A SPARE
Dear Mary: One year after living through my first hurricane season, I decided to pay closer attention to essential nonperishable items for our home. We make sure we always keep at least one spare of the following in our stockpile: toilet paper, feminine products, dry pet food, paper and ink for our printer, essential school supplies and an emergency cash stash. — Maggie
PRACTICAL MOVING MATERIAL
Dear Mary: We’re a military family, and we have moved several times in the last few years. After my first move, where I purchased bubble wrap and saved stacks of newspapers, I got smart. Now I pull out sheets, towels, tablecloths and T-shirts. I use them to wrap dishes, knickknacks and other fragile items. Everything is clean to begin with, so I just fold the linens and towels after I’ve unpacked. — Janice
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