DEAR HELOISE: During an insurance review, I discovered that our homeowners’ policy only covered up to $5,000 for jewelry and cash combined. This limit can get exceeded quickly. For an additional rider, I could increase the limit to $10,000, but anything above this would require an individual appraisal of the items that need to be covered.

A safety deposit box is the common solution to this problem, but with fewer bank branches around, there’s not always a bank right around the corner. Plus, it is subject to restricted access in the case of one of the owners’ death.

Unless you need to store some really valuable or oversized assets, a DIY wall-mounted safe is a practical (and economical) option. It might not deter a professional safecracker, but it is adequate enough in case of a random break-in.

Of course, when you discover that your house was built with studs on a 12-inch center instead of 16 inches (like I did), the installation becomes a little more complicated.

— Kim F., in North Plainfield, New Jersey

DEAR HELOISE: I never understood the “left loosey, righty tighty” nonsense to tighten or loosen something. I always use the term clockwise to tighten something and counterclockwise to loosen something. To use this method, I just look at the top of the item whether it is a nut, bolt or jar lid. There is no left or right when dealing with circles.

— Chuck S., via email

DEAR HELOISE: I love looking through junk mail! Ha ha, not really, but I do open every piece of mail that comes out of my mailbox. When there is a flyer or a standard “To Whom It May Concern” letter that is blank on the back, I use it as copy / print paper for all of my business statements, contracts and billings that are sent to me online. This allows me to print whatever I need.

I also keep all the return “window” envelopes that come in any of the mailed billings since I pay for these online; then I reuse them for my personal mailings. What an assortment of sizes I’ve accumulated! It feels like I’m giving them purpose instead of just adding to the landfill.

— Joanie,

in North Carolina

DEAR HELOISE: Like many people, I drink a lot of coffee at home, and so do my wife and adult children. My wife and I prefer milk in our coffee, and occasionally I add sugar to mine. By midday, the messy stir spoons would pile up in my kitchen and make me crazy. It was like I was always out of spoons, and coffee spills were all over the counter.

Then I got the idea of putting the milk or sugar in the cup first before pouring my coffee, and voila! It mixes up together perfectly! No spoons are needed.

— R.J., in Burbank, California