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If you are or ever have been plagued by consumer debt, I can almost guaran- tee expenses related to C hr istma s have contrib- uted greatly to that mis- erable situ- ation. You know I'm right, and unless we do something to stop that pattern things are about to get much worse for you. Christmas is right around the corner. The problem is procras- tination. Face it: When it comes to Christmas, the longer you wait, the more you'll spend. The opposite is also true. The sooner you get started, the less you'll spend. There are simple things you can do to stop procras- tinating. Get started. Do some- thing to get moving. Once you are in motion, it will be easier to keep going. Write it down. Reduce your plans to paper. See- ing things in black and white eliminates the un- known and provides a real- istic playing field. Set rea- sonable limits on time and money. Work with the time you have. Make a simple time- line, then break the proj- ect down into small man- ageable parts. Five minutes is enough time to get some- thing done when you have a plan. Set a series of small dead- lines. As an example, give yourself a date of one week from today to have your gift list written. Share your deadlines with someone who will keep you account- able. Find the simpler way. To minimize the powerful emotions of the season, de- termine ways you can rea- sonably scale back and sim- plify. Make room in your holiday plans for relaxation and enjoyment. Be realistic. A big part of the problem is that the De- cember holidays aren't just about gifts. There are dec- orations, holiday clothes, parties, trips, special con- certs, plays, postage for cards and parcels, and, of course, all that food. The obvious solution is not to spend a lot of money on any of these things. Think about alternative ways to make the holidays a happy time. Any time of the year is the best time of the year to start thinking about the most wonderful time of the year. The pressure is off, so you can think clearly. A stress-free Christmas is likely the very best gift you can give yourself and your family. If you are really serious about an all-cash Christmas this year, you need specific ideas, tips, tricks and direc- tion. No matter how much cash you have to spend Christmas (even if you're sure it's zip, nothing, nada), I can show you how you can still give gifts — won- derful gifts that cost noth- ing for you to give. It's all in my book "Debt-Proof Your Christmas," which is called "The Affordable Christmas" on Kindle. This book is packed tighter than Santa's sleigh with everything I know about how to stay out of debt without sacrificing the joy of Christmas. Debt-free holidays are the best holi- days of all. My publisher and I recently updated this book to make sure all re- sources and information are current. Wouldyouliketosend a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate. com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Do Christmas without debt Mary Hunt PLEASERECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER. Thankyou! The Tehama Concert Series is proud to present the North State Sympho- ny's annual Holiday Con- cert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16 at the State The- atre in Red Bluff. The baroque ensemble of the North State Sym- phony, led by conduc- tor Scott Seaton, will be joined by guest artists Car- rie Hennessey, soprano, and the Red Bluff Master- works Chorale directed by Steve Ackley. This annual commu- nity event is a festive per- formance of a variety of sa- cred and popular Christ- mas music. Ring in the holiday season with these artists and top it all off with a carol sing-along. Bring the entire family to enjoy and celebrate the season. This concert is free to Tehama Concert Series season ticket members. Non-members may pur- chase tickets at the door. Single-concert ticket prices are $30 per per- son and $10 for students younger than 25. Memberships and sea- son tickets for the Tehama Concert Series, which in- cludes admission to this performance, will be avail- able for purchase in the lobby. For more information, call 727-8727 or visit www. tehamaconcertseries.org. Find the Concert Series on Facebook at www.face- book.com/TehamaCon- certSeries/. NORTH STATE SYMPHONY An nu al H ol id ay C on ce rt s et f or S ta te CONTRIBUTED North State Symphony TheTehamaCountySenior NutritionProgramwouldlike to invite the public to a spe- cialeventatnoonFriday,Dec. 16 at the Red Bluff Commu- nity and Senior Center. Enjoyspaghettiandmeat- ballsalongwithashowingof IrvingBerlin's"WhiteChrist- mas" at the Take-A-Senior to Lunch and a Movie day. GetintheChristmasspirit bywearingyourmostfestive attire and enjoy door prizes, popcorn, hot cider, punch and coffee. All are welcome. There is a suggested min- imum donation for lunch of $3.50 for seniors 60 and older and a charge of $8 for guests younger than 60. Reserve your lunch at least 24 hours in advance by calling 527-2414. SENIOR NUTRITION Lunch with a movie event scheduled Gleaners will distrib- ute food as follows in De- cember: Corning, 8 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, Dec. 21, Corning Senior Cen- ter, 1015 Fourth Ave. RedBluff,8a.m.tonoon, Wednesday, Dec. 21, Food Bank, 20699 Walnut St. Rancho Tehama, noon to 2 p.m., Monday, Dec. 19, Recreation Center. Los Molinos, 9 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, Dec. 20, Masonic Hall, 25020 Te- hama Vina Road. Paynes Creek, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, at 30100 State Route 36E. Ponderosa Sky Ranch, 2-6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, at 18889 Juniper Ave. Manton, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, at 31555 Forward Road. Paskenta Community Center, Thursday, Dec. 15. Applications for food bank cards may be on the day of giveaway. Bring large paper or plastic bags if possible. New applicants please bring Rent Receipt, PG&E bill or something with a physical address. All income must be re- ported. Income is gross monthly per household not net. Only one card will be issued per house- hold. GLEANERS Food distribution schedule announced The National Weather Service is predicting a storm system will move in this week and snow is ex- pected in the mountains. Rain is predicted for the valley and freeze warn- ings are in place. Take a moment to pre- pare before heading out on the roads with these helpful reminders. Carry chains. Many stores will let you return them if you don't use them. Watch local weather reports before leaving home. If you must travel in extreme weather con- ditions, let others know your route and when they should expect you. Pack a flashlight, ex- tra batteries, cell phone charger, warm blankets, food, water and any es- sential medications in your car if traveling long distances. Make sure your wind- shield wipers and de- frosters are in work- ing order and turn your headlights on in the rain. You can find real-time weather, chain control and road closure infor- mation on our website at www.caltrans2.info. CALTRANS Storm coming; winter driving safety tips offered PROGRAMWILLINCLUDE: CHILDREN'S CHOIR ORCHESTRA SANCTUARY CHOIR HAND CHIMES MARIMBA STRING ENSEMBLE ANGKLUNG FLUTE TRIO HARMONICA ReddingSeventh-DayAdventistChurch 2828 Eureka Way, Redding Saturday, December 10 4:30 p.m. Red Bluff Seventh-Day Adventist Church 720 So. Jackson Street, Red Bluff Saturday, December 17 10:30 a.m. HeistheSonofGod! You are invited to the 10th annual Red Bluff Seventh-Day Adventist Church Christmas Musical Program. Truly, 25yearsprofessional experience. QualityWork Very Reasonable Rates Red Bluff Transmission • Automatic • Manual • Computer Diagnosis • Clutches • Transfer Cases • CV Axles CALL TODAY! 529-4493 440 Antelope Blvd. #6 Bob's Youcantmissus... Weonly moved 50 feet!! La Corona WILL BE CLOSED starting Dec. 1, 2016 & re-opening Jan. 2, 2017 914WalnutSt,RedBluff 528-9496 Authentic Mexican Food La Corona Fromourfamilyhereat La Corona, we would like to wish you and your family HappyHolidays We look forward to seeing you in the new year. www.gummsoptical.com (530) 527-2510 1-800-481-LENS (5367) 910MainSt.,SuiteC,RedBluff prescriptionsavailable LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, December 8, 2016 » MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6