DEAR HELOISE: I’ve been reading your (and previously your mother’s) column since I was in grade school. I’m 77 now, and I currently read it in the Abilene Reporter-News.

I am short and often have trouble reaching things on the top shelf or at the back of the freezer shelf when grocery shopping. I often look around for a taller person to ask for help, but I found a solution by bringing my collapsible back scratcher with me. It’s small enough to easily fit in my purse, and I expand it and just pull the item I want forward.

Hope this helps another short person!

— Marjorie R.,

in Abilene, Texas

DEAR HELOISE: I found out recently that Walmart will recycle any collapsible plastic. My question is, are the bags in cereal boxes considered plastic?

— Rich M., in St. Louis

Rich, as far as we know, yes, cereal boxes contain plastic bags.

— Heloise

DEAR HELOISE: Often I will use the comic strip pages from the newspaper to wrap gifts, particularly children’s gifts. It is very colorful and cheap! I save all the comic strip pages from the Sunday newspapers for this purpose and any other purpose that might arise!

I enjoy your column, which is full of such good advice, in the Lincoln Journal Star.

— Marian P.

in Lincoln, Nebraska

DEAR HELOISE: My daughter and I have been using full-fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream for years. The trick is to find the right brand. Yogurt is so much more nutritious and delicious.

— Petra H.,

in Richmond, Virginia

Petra, I like to use Greek yogurt as a dressing for my fruit salads. It cuts the sweetness and provides calcium and other friendly bacteria for the gut.

— Heloise

DEAR HELOISE: I’ve traveled all over the world. When I arrive back home, after wiping my suitcase inside and out with a disinfectant, I leave a small bar of soap in the suitcase so that it will smell fresh the next time I use the suitcase.

— Heidi N., New Orleans

Heidi, I’ve done a lot of traveling, too, and I would often use the perfume inserts in magazines to keep my luggage smelling nice. Or I would spray a ball of cotton with my favorite perfume and toss it in my suitcase.

— Heloise

Heloise@Heloise.com