GON Reader Letter #1
Watch for Sneaky Game Update Scams
The Scammer Tips in your February 28th issue are priceless and totally true from my
experience.
Another one I have discovered in a very unexpected place is the games we may play. I have seen this happening in the simple word games and card games that young children or senior people may play.
At the end of every round, we get advertisements. But nowadays I find it is a pop-up saying something like "this version is outdated. Please click here to update." I never click that link, but go back to Google Play to check. Sometimes an update is actually required, but at other times it turns out to be a
fraudulent message.
If I had clicked that link, goodness knows what scam website it could have taken me to. So we need to beware of popups within the games asking us to update something.
Another useful warning is to never look for a customer care number or a business contact in the Google search bar. Call the business directly using a trusted number you already have (such as one on your statement, receipt, product packaging, or membership card) and ask them to confirm their official website.
Of course all of us have experienced so many of the other scams you have described. I truly enjoy your newsletters. Thank you so much!
-- Zee
GON Reader Letter #2
Organization Shines in an Emergency
Maria,
I am a very organized person and love your daily email with ideas and suggestions. I think it is great that you are encouraging and helping people get organized, as I love to do that too. Being organized is so wonderful.
I thought you'd like to hear of another reason why being organized is so important. Here's the long story. We headed out yesterday to go skiing, but never made it to the ski hill as I had a medical emergency. Being in Canada, we have free medical care...but it's not fast. I spent the day and night in
emergency, only to be admitted to hospital today, and will probably be here for a few days.
However, the point of my story is that, last night after my husband left, I sent him a detailed email listing what I needed (socks, undies, pjs, chargers, pills, shoes,
clothes, book, pack of cards, tooth brush, hair brush, etc). In the detailed email, I explained exactly where to find every item.
Everything, everything has a home so it was very easy to explain and for him to pack and bring the items. So wonderful...both his and
my organization.
Again, just another reason why being organized is so smart. And I can't wait to change out of my ski clothes. Hope you enjoyed my long, but fun "being organized is great" story. Thanks for all the ideas and helping so many
people!
-- Barb, Ottawa, Canada
GON Reader Letter #3
The Window Sash Scheduling Solution
Hi Maria,
In your category of Plan Once, Save Time All Week in your February 22nd issue, here’s a good one. My
best friend’s daughter-in-law Val had a brilliant idea when her two children were very active teens but not yet licensed to drive.
Backstory: the family had replaced their old windows so they had 10+ sashes, each with 8 panes, stored in their shed. Val hung a sash
for each child on the kitchen wall, handed out dry-erase markers, and announced that if an activity wasn’t on the board well in advance, there would be no parental driving. Everyone could see at a glance what was going on in the kids’ worlds.
When I saw and
admired this, she gave me a sash which I put on my own kitchen wall. My intent was to support my sweetheart in his memory loss by laying out the weekly plans and it worked wonderfully; now that he’s in assisted living, I use the sash to keep my own appointments and activities straight. I can’t tell you how many people have seen it and said "what a good idea!" It has been a lifesaver.
I love your newsletter! Yours and Carolyn Hax’s column in the Washington Post are my day starters! Thank you!
-- Gail Miller
GON Reader Letter #4
Laundry the Belize Way
I live in Belize, where we don't have access to "smart" washers.
It's:
fill the basin,
wash,
drain the basin,
hand wring out the clothes,
put in spinner,
fill the basin,
rinse,
drain basin,
wring out clothes,
put in spinner,
fill basin,
2nd rinse,
drain basin,
wring out clothes,
put in spinner,
put up clothesline,
hang on outside
clothesline!
Phew!
It's also a
smaller basin so usually 3 loads; whites, lights, darks and within those loads, splitting up the clothes for an efficient spin. Yes, laundry takes all morning, usually 3-4 hours to get everything on the clothesline.
Couple hours later, take the clothes off the
clothesline, fold, put away. Take down clothesline (keeps it cleaner, geckos, wish-willies and bugs aren't on it.)
I use vinegar rinses regularly to get dirt/soap from clothing and keep the washer clean. I also have an RV water filter on the hose that fills the
washer!
Water is often not as clean as it could be. River water and broken water mains are the norm here.
-- Ali Gray
GON Reader Letter #5
Pause Mid-Cycle for Fresher Laundry
Just read the article about the smell of laundry in your February 5th issue. When I bought my last washing machine, I made sure I could open the door mid-cycle. All I have to do is press "Pause," and when I restart it, press and hold for the machine to resume its cycle. -- Patricia
Lorette
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