Editor’s Note: Phoenix police remind all residents to leave nothing in your car when it is parked outside. If something must be left in the car make sure it is in the trunk or out of sight. Never leave your car doors unlocked even while leaving the car momentarily. Police have seen a string of these quick crimes of opportunity and say they are preventable.

Phoenix police arrested several people over the weekend accused of stealing purses, IDs and various other valuables from cars left at Phoenix trailheads.

Dear Debt Adviser: I own my home and have no mortgage or note. I have no debts except a student loan of about $11,000, and I can pay that off right now. I’ve always wanted to be debt-free, and I could write a check tomorrow and do that.

Phoenix police are searching for a 25-year-old Valley man who may have gone missing on South Mountain on May 15.

After years in the doldrums, the housing market appears back on track. Home sales and prices are up, and mortgage rates remain near historic lows, reinvigorating the appeal of homeownership.

It’s May. Memorial Day and the end of the school year are in sight. Suddenly, you’re thinking about a summer vacation. A little advance planning — and some insider tips — can save you a lot of money. Whether you’re booking airfare, a car rental or a hotel room, there are questions you should ask first.

Are you interested in cutting costs and saving money?

Our family bought a sofa a couple of years ago. It was a frustrating experience. I won’t go into it other than to say when my wife and I finally agreed on one, I thought a burden had been lifted. Then the salesman forces another decision: “So which protection plan do you want?”

With the housing recovery gaining steam, Americans have more incentives to paint up, touch up and otherwise redecorate their homes. But there’s no need to spend willy-nilly.

• Police took a report of a single vehicle car accident around 8 a.m. on April 9 near the 2500 block of East Thunderhill Place. A 16-year-old driver lost control of her vehicle and crashed into a large saguaro cactus, demolishing the cactus. There were no injuries but the driver was cited for failure to control speed to avoid collision. The saguaro was on the side of the road and was valued at more than $6,000. The driver’s car, a 2008 Ford Mustang, was totaled.
• At 9 p.m. on April 9 near the 9600 block of South 46th Street an adult female was arrested, accused of knowingly striking her mother.
• Police responded to a call of an abandoned motorcycle on April 10 at 5:30 a.m. in the desert near Pecos and 40th Street. The 2011 Honda Sport motorcycle was stolen and abandoned.
• On April 12 at 8:45 p.m. police took a report of an identity theft in the 4600 block of East Lavender Lane. The victim claimed someone had gotten a hold of their Social Security number and information and used their credit cards. At 9:40 p.m. on April 12 police responded to a shoplifting call near the 4600 block of East Chandler Boulevard. An adult female was arrested. Police were called back to the area at 10:52 p.m. for a shoplifter in custody. When police made contact with the suspect they found he was also in possession of dangerous drugs. He was arrested.
• At 11:20 p.m. on April 12 police responded to a hit and run accident. A man is accused of driving eastbound in the westbound lanes on Ray Road near the 3100 block of East Ray Road. His car side swiped by another car. The person in that vehicle followed the driver who went to a home in the Equestrian Estates area. Police responded to the home and arrested the man for suspicion of driving impaired.
• At 12:45 p.m. on April 13 police got a call of a theft in the 5100 block of East Guadalupe Road. The victim said a person had taken furniture they had for sale without paying. Two suspects were identified. Between 1 and 2 p.m. police responded to a call of a theft from a residence near the 13800 block of South 44th Street on April 13. A suspect accused of stealing jewelry from the home has been identified.
• Around 4:30 p.m. on April 13 police responded to a burglary from vehicle near the 5000 block of East Ray Road. A house key and a package of cigarettes were taken.
• Police responded to a shoplifting incident at 8:30 p.m. on April 13 near the 4000 block of East Chandler Boulevard. The suspects exited the store without paying for two bottles of vodka. The suspects were not located.
• Police responded to a call of a runaway 16-year-old around 8:30 p.m. on April 14. The teen lived near the 5100 block of East La Puente Drive.
• Police responded to a domestic violence incident around 11:10 p.m. on April 14 near the 3400 block of East Chandler Boulevard. The incident was between an adult brother and sister. There were no arrests, but an order of protection will be issued.
• Police arrested an 18-year-old man for impaired driving around 2:47 a.m. on April 14 near the 1400 block of East Chandler Boulevard. Police received a report of a vehicle broken into on April 6 at the Pima Mountain Trailhead, 9400 South 48th Street. A 2012 Chevy Malibu was broken into and a wedding ring, purse, wallet and various tools were taken. Police estimate a loss of $1,600. Another vehicle was broken into at the same location on April 17 around 1 p.m. A diaper bag was taken from that vehicle.

Those unwanted text messages for everything from special sales to dating services could soon be a thing of the past.

Chances are, if we had a truly designer handbag in our closet, we probably wouldn’t part with it too easily. But if you’ve got one you’re over, My Sister’s Closet consignment shop is giving 20 reasons to give it up.

Regular spraying of your home and some professional advice could save homeowners a lot of trouble this year as experts are predicting crickets, scorpions and ants to be a big problem this spring.

After all the payments and fees we remit to credit card companies, it would feel nice to get a little something back once in a while.

Q: I saw your video on how to turn off in-app purchases (http://youtu.be/9P4wFB6d7gM), but what if I want to allow my son to buy age appropriate items on his iPod touch, but limit how much he can spend? — Daniel

Not everyone gets one, but it’s always a welcome sight — a tax refund. If you receive a refund this year, how can you best put it to work?

Twenty years ago, accountant Sharon Lechter decided to devote her career to financial education and literacy after her oldest son graduated from high school and soon fell into credit card debt.

When the federal government is low on cash to pay its bills, Congress can authorize the government to borrow money to meet its expenses. The limits to this borrowing — the debt ceiling — are raised periodically. Currently, members of Congress want to see measures put in place to reduce government spending and our national deficit before they agree to raise the limits again. These issues are still on the table, but a recent vote passed legislation to allow more borrowing until May.

Kyrene School District staff and employees could once again see a salary freeze for the 2013-14 school year as district officials plan for the possibility of bond legislation failure that would give recovery in bond capacity.

OK, the big question for most of us — employees excepted — is how will the merger between US Airways and American Airlines affect the price of a ticket?

The Kyrene School District is offering free financial classes for kids, teens and parents in a three-part series this month at Kyrene Middle School, 1050 E. Carver Road in Tempe..

Bashas’ stores were recently targeted by highly sophisticated criminals who gained access to parts of the store’s system to gain payment information. Card information for customers who have shopped at Bashas’, Food City or AJ’s Fine Foods could be at risk.

It seems ironic that the title of the movie is "Identity Thief" when its co-stars have such a firm grasp on their well-established screen personae.

The city of Phoenix is converting 545 coin-operated parking meters to new single-space parking meters that accept credit/debit cards and coins. The new credit/debit meters will be concentrated in the downtown core area, but also in the uptown area and Phoenix College.

It’s not so easy being a college kid these days. The job market for recent graduates has been shaky while, at the same time, students are leaving school with more debt than ever before. If you have children who will someday be attending college, should you be worried?