When you bring groceries home from the supermarket, be certain your freezer is working properly to keep frozen food frozen. Keep your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

If the temperature is fluctuating, it will cause frozen food to lose moisture, dry out or go bad. So take these steps to protect the food.

• Keep the freezer full to maintain the temperature.

• Do not add too many nonfrozen items to the freezer at one time, because the heat given off might cause the freezer temperature to rise.

• Put food in moisture-proof containers with an airtight seal to preserve nutritional value and taste. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: I am writing 30 minutes after a phone emergency precipitated calls from 911 and my emergency contacts.

What happened is my iPhone froze and I couldn’t shut it off as my friend had shown me. I started pushing all the buttons; nothing worked except 911. I couldn’t call my friend because her number was in my contacts. 911 proceeded to call my emergency contacts, who all called me to see if I was all right, but I couldn’t answer. My phone was frozen and I couldn’t use the land line because everyone’s phone numbers were in my contacts.

My hint is to go back to keeping your phone numbers in a physical address book, not just your phone’s contacts. — Zack Chewy, via email

Dear Heloise: I wanted to add some great advice to your article regarding a stolen purse or credit cards in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Everyone should take a photocopy, front and back, of everything in their wallet or purse and keep it in a safe place.

That way, if the wallet or purse is stolen or lost, you have the information all in one place at your fingertips.

It only takes a couple of minutes to do and could save you lots of time. — Peggy, via mail