Heloise, syndicated columnist

Dear Heloise: This is a hint I learned the hard way. For convenience, I have many of my monthly and yearly bills posted automatically to my credit card.

My card was stolen, and although I was able to quickly cancel and replace that card with a new one, I still had to contact each of the merchants whose payments were posted automatically to that card and give them the number of my new credit card. This was a tedious process.

So, I opened another credit card, which I use exclusively for automatic payments, and I keep it at home in a safe.

I carry a different card in my purse for everyday use. Now, if the card in my purse is stolen again, I don’t have to contact all those merchants. — Ann in Houston

Editor’s note: Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.