Even though money is tight, my health is poor and I need to hire a monthly cleaning service. I’ve always done my own housework so I’m not sure what to do when deciding on a particular company. — Hilda Housework

I’ve just moved to town and, aside from church and work, don’t have a lot of time to make new friends. Since I can’t get a fast response from Dear Abby, do you have any ideas? — Sarah Social

Q: I was contacted recently by an astronomy organization to buy a previously undiscovered star. I paid $75 to purchase a star in memory of my deceased parents, but several colleagues now tell me I was scammed. I know dishonest people try to cheat the public, but even at Christmas? — Susanna Swindled

With an awful lot of us spending “extra” money on gifts for loved ones this holiday season in an already-distressed economy, it’s key to save even a few cents whenever possible.

I’m postponing what would have been this week’s column in favor of some great holiday shopping advice, compliments of the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency.

Mary Hunt, a plain-talking financial adviser, author and an old colleague of mine, offers some of the best guidance around, particularly in these troubled economic times.

I live in Oregon but my sister in Chattanooga sends me some of your columns that have been very helpful in various situations.

Today’s column centers upon Part 2 of Henrietta Hysterical’s question concerning insurance company appeals.

Recently I went through surgery. I couldn’t believe it when the hospital billed me for way too large a sum

While I’ve recently had a problem paying the minimum due on a couple of accounts, up until this point my payment history has been excellent. Still, the two companies have turned me over to a collection agency that’s making my life miserable. Is there anything I can do to stop this persecution? — Gloomy George

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 36 million children trick or treated last Halloween.

I ordered some Microsoft software off the Internet but when it arrived and I tried to load it onto my computer, I kept getting an error message.

Q: I received a gift card for my birthday last year, but when I went to buy a shirt a couple of weeks ago, the store told me the card was expired. Do I have any recourse since I never used any of the credit? — Ricky Resentful

My husband and I receive a lot of “free offer” calls. Sometimes, I’m tempted to sign up but I’m afraid the offers are a scam so I refuse the gifts. Do you think any of these offers might be legitimate for the future? — Victoria Vigilant

Our mortgage, a fixed-rate, low-interest, long-term loan, is held by a bank now under severe crisis. What could happen if this bank fails? Is our mortgage and all its terms safe? — Adam Alarmed