photo by Octal
DEAR SARA: How do I transfer a prescription? I found a coupon for a $30 gift card to Rite Aid if you transfer a prescription. Do I just take the empty bottle there and that’s it? It has two refills left. I’ve never done this before! — Angela, California

DEAR ANGELA: Choose a new pharmacy location. Ask them the price for your prescription to be sure it’s worth transferring and whether your prescription can be transferred. Have the phone number and location of your current pharmacy handy. You can bring your bottle in or call and give them the prescription number on the bottle and your insurance details. They’ll call your current pharmacy and handle the transfer.

DEAR SARA: How long does an opened package of lunchmeat keep in the fridge? If it makes any difference, this is packaged, not deli meat. I have some smoked turkey and honey ham. It doesn’t expire until mid-August, but some things once opened spoil quicker, don’t they? Is there a way to tell, or do you just do a “when in doubt, throw it out” thing? — Aimee, Indiana

DEAR AIMEE: On many packages of lunchmeat, it will say “Use within seven days after opening.” I’m more conservative with lunchmeat storage and consumption, and I don’t rely on sniff tests. If it’s bologna, I’ll make an exception and use it within seven days; otherwise, I use or freeze it within four days. I’ll store it in the freezer for up to a month. Food Safety.gov (www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/f01chart.html) says to use it within three to five days for opened packages of lunchmeat. Anytime I answer food-storage questions, I get bombarded with e-mails from people telling me they eat foods far beyond what I advise. I always reply that just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

DEAR SARA: We are in a deer-infested area. Our backyard is woods, and it’s not uncommon for us to eat dinner watching 10 to 15 deer munching on our front yard. They eat grass, they eat bushes. They will definitely eat my garden. Do you garden in a deer-infested area? If so, how do you work around that? These deer are pretty darn bold, as is the rest of the wildlife in our area. — Amy B., New Jersey

DEAR AMY: At my old house, we had herds walk through the yard daily. I still had a garden. I had to put chicken wire around most things. My next-door neighbor had a garden coop. Basically, it was a totally framed-in “gated” garden. His garden was huge, and the enclosure was about eight feet high. I used a lot of plants like holly and pachysandra and planted that around my garden. That helped. However, I’ve had readers tell me that their deer eat through their holly plants. The only advice I have is to overplant to compensate for the amount that will get munched. If you have a sprinkler system or a regular hose sprinkler and can put it either on a timer or use it in regular short intervals, the motion might deter them. I’ve read about tips like using human hair, eggshells, pet urine, Irish Spring soap or a dog to help deter deer, but I haven’t tried those tips firsthand.

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