Dear Heloise: When a baby girl is due, I give the grandmother to-be a traveling tea set. It is for a first-time grandmother to congratulate her on her new title and set the stage for special tea times together in the coming years! — Dave and Corrinne Berkland, in Universal City, Texas

SPARE TIRE

Dear Heloise: On a recent cross-country road trip, we had a flat tire. After moving to a safe area to change the flat, I proceeded to jack up the car and remove the flat. I installed the “donut” spare tire and found that it was flat as well! So, tell your readers to periodically check the air pressure in your spare so that this won’t happen to them. Thanks. — Larry P., in Largo, Fla.

END-OF-LIFE PREPARATIONS

Dear Heloise: Howard Zeff, in Mission Viejo, California, gave very good information about creating a detailed list of things that need to be done once we pass away. But he left out one very important thing that I learned when my sister passed:

I did not keep her cellphone active when I was responsible for her estate after she passed. When I came home across the country from where she lived, I used my cellphone to start contacting the utilities, banks, and other important numbers from the list. The first thing they do when you log in from an unknown device is send a text to the cellphone of the now deceased.

I created so much trouble for myself by not using my sister’s cellphone to make all those important calls. Please let your readers know. Thank you. — Beverly Coryell, in Longview, Wash.

CAR MATS

Dear Heloise: When we bought our new car, one of my first stops was at a discount store, where I purchased three inexpensive bath mats and put them down on the floor over the car mats (not in the driver’s area of course!). These are much easier to shake out and wash than it is to clean the fancy rubber car mats that we bought with the vehicle.

I hope this helps some people keep their cars in good order! Keep up the good work. I love reading your hints in the Spokesman Review. Cheers! — L. Russel, in Spokane, Wash.

VALUABLE ROAD TRIP HINT

Dear Heloise: My husband and I just returned from a road trip. My helpful hint is to keep an extra set of car keys in my pant pocket during the trip. Should something happen to my husband’s keys, or if we are both at a rest stop, whoever returns to the locked car first can get in. When we are traveling in our RV, my keyring also has the RV keys.

I enjoy your column in the Kenosha News. — Jean H., in Pleasant Prairie, Wis.

GUM ON THE STREETS

Dear Heloise: I chuckled when I read the message from a reader about chewing gum that gets thrown on the pavement and sidewalks. It seems as though it is more durable than the pavement itself. Maybe used gum should be collected to be used instead of asphalt. Then streets would last longer with fewer potholes! — Jim, in Troy, Ohio

Jim, I get where you’re going with this, but tossing chewing gum on the street is such a dirty habit. Plus birds mistake it for food. Their bodies can’t digest gum, and it can kill the bird that eats it. — Heloise

Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.