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Safe
& Sound
Bulk
Buying: The More, the Merrier
Five-pound
blocks of cheddar cheese, boxes of 12 dozen cookies, crates of 50
oranges -- warehouse stores are filled with supersize temptations,
especially during the holidays. But are they really bargains? Maybe
… if you shop smart.
-
If you're eyeing a perishable food, think twice about how much
of it your family actually is likely to eat. If you eventually
throw half of it away, it isn't such a great deal after all.
- Cut
fresh meats into smaller serving sizes and
immediately freeze what you won't use within a few days.
- Check
the expiration dates,
even on non-food items. Are you sure you'll ever use 1,000 aspirin
tablets?
- Holiday-themed
paper goods often are the best deals
because it's easy to store whatever you don't use until next year.
Home
Work: Fall cleanup checklist
Before the cold weather sets in, get the yard in shape with these
smart tips:
- Clean your
gutters. Be careful when using a ladder -- don’t overreach, which
is a common cause of falls. Get down and move the ladder.
- Shut off
water to all outdoor spigots to prevent pipes from freezing.
- Start filling
your bird feeders now to attract birds to your backyard over the
winter. Many birds are scouting out good food sources for the
coming months.
- Test-drive
the snowblower.
- Plant some
spring color. Now is a great time to plant many bulbs and shrubs.
Be sure all new landscaping properly drains water away from your
home’s foundation.
Hot
Holidays
Don’t burn your tree, wreath or evergreen branches in
the fireplace. Dry trees burn hot and fast and often shoot off sparks.
It takes only one spark to ignite curtains or carpeting. Instead,
take advantage of the recycling pickup and disposal services offered
by most towns.
Traffic
Roundabouts: Coming to an intersection near you?
Circular intersections
with center islands have long been popular in Europe. Now, thanks
to their excellent safety record, more of them are popping up in
the United States. A 2000 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety shows that when a traditional four-way intersection is replaced
by a roundabout, the number of crashes goes down 39 percent and
the number of those involving injuries goes down a whopping 76 percent.
What’s their secret? Roundabouts keep all traffic moving in the
same direction, and cars have to slow down to navigate the curves.
Road
Rage: The Fast and the Furious
The average American
spends 100 hours a year commuting to work. Add in trips to the grocery
store, the kids’ soccer games and the mall, and all that driving
could make you -- or maybe the driver in the next lane -- more than
a bit cranky. Are you an aggressive driver? The Iowa Department
of Transportation says you might be if you race to beat a yellow
light, tailgate to force another driver to speed up or get out of
your way, make obscene gestures or use your horn unnecessarily.
Taming your
feelings of impatience and anger takes practice. Put in a favorite
CD to improve your mood and give yourself plenty of time to get
to your destination so you aren’t rushing.
But what if
it’s the other driver who’s got the anger issues? In that case,
slow down and put some distance between the two of you. Avoid eye
contact. And don’t make the situation worse by honking your horn
or being aggressive in return.
Deer
In The Headlights
Like ice cream and ketchup, deer and traffic just don’t mix. This
dangerous combo causes thousands of crashes each year at an average
cost of $10,000 each. During deer season this fall, follow these
driving tips from the Insurance Information Institute:
- Watch
the clock. Deer are most active from sunset to midnight and
during the hours just before and after sunrise.
- Be vigilant.
Deer don’t run alone. If you see one, there are likely others
nearby.
- Don’t
swerve. If a deer is suddenly right in front of you, sound
your horn to frighten it away. Brake firmly but stay in your lane.
Serious crashes happen when drivers swerve to avoid a deer, only
to hit other vehicles or lose control of their cars.
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