Do you keep a carton of milk or coffee creamer conveniently placed in your refrigerator door? Sure, it may be easier to grab it from the door and use it to add a splash to your coffee or cereal in the morning, but that's the last place you should be storing dairy. Real milk products need to be kept as cold as possible to stay fresh, and the door just isn't cold enough. So where is the best place? Store dairy products in the back of the refrigerator, where the temperature is coldest.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

When washing your hands with soap and water, do your hands feel "slimy" after you've rinsed them? Or when it comes to cleaning clothes, do you have to use more laundry detergent than you have in the past? This might be a sign your tap water is too "hard." When you have "hard" tap water, it means there's a buildup of minerals like calcium and magnesium. And while hard water is not necessarily bad for you, it could be an indication there are things like aluminum, manganese and lead in your water, and you should have your water tested for safety.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

In grocery stores, when certain items like beans, pasta and rice are in high demand, try to do one thing: Avoid food items that are marked as "WIC" eligible. If you can afford to purchase non-WIC items, you're leaving available items that are eligible for purchase by people who are on federal assistance. If WIC items are sold out, people on nutritional assistance might have to go home empty-handed.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION