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Somepeople think the word "cheapskate" is an insult. Not me. I enjoy being called a cheapskate. It re- minds me that I'm not what I used to be: a credit-card junkie. There was a time I used plas- tic to fill the gap between my pathetic income and the life I so richly de- served. When my six-figure bridge collapsed (yes, you can take that to mean more than $100,000 in non-mortgage debt), I had two choices: change my ways or lose ev- erything. Knowing I wouldn't do well with the latter, I opted for change. I could fill several books with all that happened and what I've learned (wait! I have), but I'll cut to the chase. We didn't go bankrupt; we paid back every penny and now I live to tell. Yeah, you can call me a cheapskate any day and I'll take it as a compliment. So, you may be think- ing, how did she do that?! I stopped spending every penny I had and all we hoped to have. Bottom line: I learned how to live on less than our income. A lot less. The steps are simple: Rein in your brain. You have to stop believing you are entitled to have it all now and then pay, and pay, and pay for it later. The truth is you can't have it all, but you can have enough. Embrace frugality. I was repulsed by the word until I understood it. Fru- gality is just doing what- ever it takes to spend less than you earn. What a novel concept. Fru- gal doesn't mean tacky, frumpy or stingy. The truth is we cheapskates (see? I called myself a cheapskate!) actually fix stuff instead of running out to buy new stuff. An- other novel concept. We figure out how to use this for that when that costs more than this. We drive paid-for cars, we challenge every- thing and ask if there's a better way. Here's an example: I used to get my hair cut every four weeks. Then I fig- ured how to stretch that to six. That's four and a half fewer haircuts a year, which translates to, well, you do the math. Apply this kind of thinking to all areas of spending and just watch the dramatic results. Being a cheap- skate is less embarrass- ing than you'd think, (un- less you count that half haircut — ha-ha)! 3. Never pay retail. As cliche as that may sound, it's a principle to hang onto. With so many dis- count stores and Ameri- ca's gigantic garage sale (also known as eBay.com and Half.com) you may never pay retail again. And how about that food? Let me tell you, I was a major coupon-snob un- til I learned how to make those suckers work for me. Now I save around 60 percent off my gro- cery bill every week. I swallowed my pride and learned how to do it right. That's going to be one entire column in the near future, and you can count on it. I could go on and on, but I'll close with this: If you apply even a few of the things in this daily column you will end up with extra cash. You'll begin to notice changes both in your bank account and your attitude. Wouldyouliketosend a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@eve- rydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheap- skate, P.O. Box 2099, Cy- press, CA 90630. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Cheapskate, who, me? Mary Hunt DAILYNEWSPHOTOBYRICHGREENE A group of Ford Model A enthusiasts stopped for the night in Red Bluff along with their vintage rides Wednesday as they headed toward Puyallup, Washington for the Model A Ford Club of America 2014National Convention. They spent the night at America's Best Value Inn on South Main Street. CLASSICS ANTIQUE CARS STOP BY Whether you like to play the ponies, roll the dice or pull the slots, your gam- bling winnings are tax- able. You must report all your gambling income on your tax return. If you're a casual gambler, odds are good that these basic tax tips can help you at tax time next year: 1. Gambling income. Gambling income includes winnings from lotteries, horse racing and casinos. It also includes cash prizes and the fair market value of prizes like cars and trips. 2. Payer tax form. If you win, you may get a Form W-2G, Certain Gam- bling Winnings, from the payer. The IRS also gets a copy of the W-2G. The payer issues the form depending on the type of game you played, the amount of your winnings and other factors. You'll also get the form if the payer withholds taxes from what you won. 3. How to report win- nings. You must report all your gambling winnings as income. This is true even if you don't receive a Form W-2G. You normally report your winnings for the year on your tax return as 'other income.' 4. How to deduct losses. You can deduct your gam- bling losses on Schedule A, Itemized Deductions. The amount you can deduct is limited to the amount of the gambling income you report on your return. 5. Keep gambling re- ceipts. You should keep track of your wins and losses. This includes keep- ing items such as a gam- bling log or diary, receipts, statements or tickets. For more on this topic see Publications 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income, and 529, Miscellaneous De- ductions. Both are avail- able on IRS.gov or by call- ing 800-TAX-FORM (800- 829-3676). TAX TIP IRS tip sheet on gambling income and losses Today REDBLUFF Bingo: doors at 5p.m., early birds at 6p.m. Community and Senior Center, food available Celebrate Recovery: 7 p.m., Bethel Assembly of God, 625Luther Road, 527- 0445or 366-6298 Red Bluff Rotary Club Sunrise: 7a.m., M&M Ranch CORNING Car Show: 5-9p.m., Bar- tels Giant Burger, 22355 Corning,Road, local car clubs welcome, 824-2788 Nutrition Classes: 11:30 a.m. to 1p.m., 175Solano St., 824-7670 Saturday RED BLUFF Airplane Display Days: 8 a.m. to 1p.m., Red Bluff Airport. Chamber Certified Farm- ers Market: 7:30a.m. to noon, River Park, 527-6220 Frontier Village Farmers Market: 8a.m. to 1p.m., 645Antelope Blvd. Tehama County Young Marine Drills: 9a.m. to 3p.m., 1005Vista Way. TEHAMA Tehama County Museum: 1-4p.m., 275C St., groups by appointment, 384-2595 Sunday RED BLUFF AA Live and Let Live: noon and 5:30p.m., 785Musick St., seven days a week except Thursday meets at 8p.m. Airplane Display Days: 8 a.m. to 1p.m., Red Bluff Airport, 1760Airport Blvd., 527-6547 Al-Anon New Comers At Heart: 6:30-7:30p.m., Presbyterian Church of Red Bluff, 838Jefferson Road, Room 2, 690-2034 Kelly-Griggs House Museum: 1-3p.m., 311 Washington St., group tours by appointment, 527-1129or 527-5895 TEHAMA Tehama County Museum: 1-4p.m., 275C St., groups by appointment, 384-2595 Monday RED BLUFF Antelope 4-H: 6:30p.m., Antelope School, 527-3101 Community Band Concert: 8p.m., River Park, free English as a Second Lan- guage class: 5:30-8:30 p.m., 1295Red Bud, 736- 3308, same time Tuesday and Wednesday and 9a.m. to 12:20p.m. Thursdays, free childcare, classes in Richlieu Hall, 900Johnson St. CALENDAR 12149 Highway 99 W, Red Bluff www.southmainstorage.com NEW MOVE-IN SPECIALS! 888-820-7250 SOUTH MAIN MINI STORAGE • Low Price Guarantee! • No Deposit or Admin Fees! • Drive-up Units. • RV Parking $25 TOLL FREE SHOESALE HOT SUMMER CLEARANCE BIGSAVINGSTODAY 100's of Shoes - Select Styles DANSKO • ECCO KEEN • CLARKS MERRELL • RIEKER ALEGRIA • SAS • BORN TEVA • EARTH VIONIC • REEF (limitedtostockonhand while quantities last) A Good Fit for 100 Years Johnson's SHOES NORTHVALLEYPLAZA 343-8923 COMFORT SHOES CHICO MALL 342-2310 Reg $ 120 Sale $ 79 Celebrating 20 years June 30-July 19 Everythinginthe store on SALE upto50% off Gold Exchange 413WalnutStreet,RedBluff 530 528-8000 Mon.10am-4pm•Tues.-Fri.10am-5:30pm • Sat.10am-4pm Register to Wi n 50" HDTV LED MongolianBBQ Mongolian BBQ K K ahunas ahunas AmericanStyle It's all about the choices! 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