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Cuttingexpensesisthe way to spend less so you have money to save, but unless you are actu- ally putting that money into a safe place to be held for some future use, you're not really saving at all. You're just spending less. Even if you cannot save a great deal of money right now, that's OK. It's not the amount you save that matters as much as the fact that you make saving money a regular habit. GrabAllThe Discounts Many mortgage lend- ers and student loan com- panies offer incentives for their customers who set up automatic monthly payments. It's worth knowing you'll never be late, and if you can get even -point reduction in the interest rate over time, that will really add up to be significant. Auto- mobile insurers give dis- counts to good drivers, nonsmokers, good stu- dents, cars with particu- lar safety equipment and any number of other sit- uations. But you have to ask. Make the phone call! Set Dollar Limits OK, so this sounds cu- riously like budgeting. It is. Deciding ahead of time the amount you are willing to spend for anything is to impose important limita- tions on yourself. Charge Yourself Fees Banks and credit card companies don't seem to have much trouble socking us with unbe- lievable fees, so take a lesson from them and charge yourself fees. Im- pose a tax equal to one hour's pay each payday. Consider it the price for having a job, and put it straight into your sav- ings account. Give your- self ample warning that upon your next raise, the fee will jump to two hours' pay. Every time you make a withdrawal from the ATM or write a check, charge yourself a set fee of $1 by recording the actual amount plus a buck. Deposits? Charging yourself $10 for each de- posit sounds about right. When you've collected $50 or $100 in fees, set- tle up and transfer the whole amount straight to your savings account. Embrace Cheaper Substitutes Have you given the store brands at the gro- cery store a chance? If not, you should. The pay- off will be significant, and you could be pleas- antly surprised to dis- cover just how many items are identical to the name brand except for the label and the price. Play With Your Money Decide that from now on you will never spend another dollar. That means all your $1 bills go into a stash. Or get really brave and make that $5 bills. Whatever you de- cide, remove that partic- ular denomination from your wallet regularly and save it. Dreamwash Every Purchase Whatever your goal — $1,000 in your savings account, a new house, an all-cash wedding, a trip to Spain — whatever it is, dreamwash your mind so you think of every pur- chase you make in light of this goal. If it's some- thing tangible (like a house), print out a pic- ture that represents it and hang it in a promi- nent place in your home to remind you. Make a copy to keep in your handbag. Make a clever sleeve from construc- tion paper or an envelope that slips over your credit card and requires you to see your dream each time you reach for it. No matter how much or how little you have to save right now, you can develop a saver's attitude. The things we tell our- selves about money and the attitudes we choose have a powerful effect on our behaviors. I've watched people with or- dinary incomes do ex- traordinary things sim- ply because they stopped feeling entitled and be- came habitual savers. That has made all the difference. 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 6 clever ways to develop a saver's character Spring mushroom har- vest season on the Shasta- McCloud Management Unit of the Shasta-Trinity Na- tional Forest will begin a little later than last season due to the amount of snow still present. Permits will be issued starting May 1 and the end of the season will be July 31. While many outdoor en- thusiasts take to the Shasta- Trinity National Forest dur- ing spring to enjoy wild- flowers, hunt or fish, some venture out in search of wild mushrooms such as morels and boletus. Mush- rooms typically grow un- der the cover of leaves, dead wood, and other for- est debris, and emerge as the ground and air warm up in spring. "Forest visitors new to harvesting mushrooms should familiarize them- selves with how to differ- entiate between edible and poisonous varieties," ad- vises Information Special- ist David Wolfe. "The best way to do this is to go with an expert who has hunted mushrooms for years." A personal use permit for up to 20 pounds of mush- rooms is free, valid for 30 days, available once per sea- son, and can be obtained at both the Mt. Shasta and McCloud Ranger Stations. Mushrooms harvested un- der a personal use per- mit cannot be sold or ex- changed. The personal use permits require that mush- rooms with a cap diameter equal to or greater than two inches must be cut or bro- ken into quarter sections as soon as they are picked. Commercial use permits are available for purchase at the McCloud Ranger Sta- tion only. The minimum purchase is 20 pounds for $20 and the permit is valid for four days from the date of purchase. Additional days may be purchased at $5 per day, 1 dollar per pound, up to 30 days, 150 pounds, for $150. All permits are issued on an individual basis and per- mit holders are required to accurately fill out the "Prod- uct Record of Removal" sec- tion on the permit. Permits are not valid on private land and permit holders should follow the harvest regula- tions detailed on the back of the permit to allow for future growth for years to come. "There are rules against raking ground litter as it destroys the mushroom 'beds' and it takes a long time for them to recover," Wolfe said. "Also, please be courteous to other forest users, pack out what you pack in, and avoid driving on wet roads as damag- ing ruts can result. There was much storm damage throughout the region this winter, so please watch for road and trail damage, fallen trees and trees that can fall while you are out in the woods." Forest Service staff are available to discuss har- vesting procedures and monitor harvesting activ- ities in the field. For more information, call the McCloud Ranger Station at 964-2184 or the Mt. Shasta Ranger Station at 926-4511. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. SHASTA-TRINITY Sp ri ng m us hr oo m ha rv es t da te s se t ThefollowingareMt.Las- sen Chapter California Na- tive Plant Society activities for May. All activities are free and open to the public. For more information, see mountlassen.cnps.org or call the trip leader. General Meeting, 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, Chico Public Library, First and Sherman Chapter member Jim Bishop will present "Cali- fornia Desert Plants—Real Beauty and Amazing Life- styles." BigChicoCreekEcological Reserve Wildflower Walk, 9 a.m. Sunday, May 7 Rescheduled from April 7, this will be a hike of about 2 miles through the reserve with long-time volunteer Paul Maslin. This 3-4 hour hike isn't steep but there are some tricky spots. MeetatChicoPark&Ride. Wear sturdy hiking shoes withluggedsoles,long-pants, and bring snack or lunch, water, sun and insect repel- lent and hat. Poison oak is ubiquitous. A flower guide- book and magnifier will be helpful. Participation is limited to 20. For more information or toreserveaspot,writetoJon Aull at jaull@csuchico.edu. North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve, 9 a.m. Saturday, May 13 See how the local wild- flower "hot spot" responded to this year of record-break- ing rainfall. Meet at Chico Park & Ride at 9 a.m. or at the parking lot on Cherokee Road at 9:45 a.m. Formoreinformation,call Woody at 588-2555. Magalia: Colter Way to Middle Butte Creek and L'il Falls, 9 a.m. Sunday, May 21 Meet at Chico Park & Ride to carpool to Magalia. The trail goes over a lava cap, which has numerous species of flowers in spring and early summer. This hike is a little more than3milesroundtrip,with some steep spots and rocky walking over the lava cap. Wear sturdyshoesandbring trekking poles or walking stick, lunch or snacks, wa- ter and sun and insect pro- tection. Call leader Marjorie at 343-2397 for alternative meeting spot. MT. LASSEN CHAPTER Native Plants Society events set for May JULIEZEEB-DAILYNEWS The State Theatre was packed Friday night for the Canadian strings group Everything Fitz, which performed the season finale concert of the Tehama Concert Series. 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