Today’s Sound Off is about the high cost of getting married:

Dear Heloise: My daughter and her fiance came to us and wanted $30,000 for their wedding. They had also asked her future in-laws for the same amount. They said “no” and so did we.

Why do young people today think they have to have huge, splashy affairs to get married? My husband and I feel that a smaller, more intimate wedding is more appropriate, especially when they still have student loans to pay off.

We told them that when they get ready to buy a house, we’ll give them a nice check to help with the down payment. We think a house is an investment, but a wedding is not.

I guess we’re too practical to think spending that kind of money for one day is appropriate. — Kathy and Sid in Pennsylvania

SEND A GREAT HINT TO:

Heloise

P.O. Box 795001

San Antonio, TX 78279-5001

Fax: 1-210-HELOISE

Email: Heloise@Heloise.com

FAST FACTS

New uses for old eyeglasses:

— Donate to a charity that recycles glasses for people in need.

— Pop out the lenses and recycle the frames.

— See if anyone in the family needs them, especially reading glasses, or maybe someone likes your frames and would like to use them when they update their glasses.

— Without the lenses, use as a costume accessory.

— Take out the lenses and give them to a child as a plaything or dress-up item. — Heloise

GARNISH SOCIAL SECURITY

Dear Heloise: Can my Social Security check be garnished? — Henry in California

Henry, most creditors cannot garnish Social Security benefits. Should you happen to have credit card debt, medical bills or personal loans, your social security benefits are more than likely safe.

But if you owe back taxes, federal student loans, back alimony or child support payments, the government can garnish your Social Security. They might garnish up to 15% of your monthly Social Security payments, but you must be left with $750 each month to live on. — Heloise

FAN DRY

Dear Heloise: It seems that every time I wash the kitchen floor, before it has a chance to dry, someone in my family decides that it’s a good time to check the refrigerator for a snack or to get a glass of water. So now I put a box fan on the floor, and within minutes the floor is dry, and I don’t have to play traffic cop in the kitchen. — Maria in Arkansas

Maria, pets are also notorious for leaving paw prints on a damp, clean floor. Thanks for this time and “energy-saving” hint. — Heloise

PROTECT THOSE NAILS

Dear Heloise: I love gardening, but I also love my beautifully manicured nails. To protect my nails while pursuing my favorite outdoor activity, I put baby powder on my hands and under the nails. I put on vinyl gloves then gardening gloves. After the gloves come off, I clean my nails with a toothbrush, and they are as pristine as ever. — Meredith in Florida