Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/354332
COURTESYPHOTOBYROSSPALUBESKI Red Bluff Fire and Cal Fire were dispatched around 3:30p.m. Friday to a reported vegetation fire on Lay Avenue near James Avenue. The first unit at scene reported a 100- foot by 100-foot spot fire with no structures threatened. The fire was contained in about 10minutes. VEGETATIONBURNS FIRE CHARS GRASS Youknowwhat irks me? Rebates. Take the vacuum cleaner for exam- ple. I bought it because with the $30 rebate, the final price beat all the competi- tion. And I'll ad- mit I was quite proud of myself when I crammed the receipt and rebate form into my purse. The problem is I completely forgot about it. Just this morning I was looking for some- thing else when I ran into it. I was stunned to discover I have only a tiny 30-day window of opportunity to claim my rebate — and 25 have passed. That got me thinking: How many people don't remember just in the nick of time? How many $30 vacuum cleaner rebates will never be redeemed? Why are they making it so dif- ficult for me to get my money? The rebate theory is simple. Manufactur- ers and retailers offer re- bates to stimulate sales. We buy, we mail and they send us money. At least that's the way it's sup- posed to work. But the conditions can be so rigid that it becomes nearly impossible for the aver- age consumer to comply. And that's exactly the way they want it. Manufacturers have a vested interest in making the rebate process difficult. They're hoping we won't bother — that we'll lose our proofs-of-purchase and miss our dead- lines. They're hop- ing to return as lit- tle money as possi- ble. If they really wanted to give us the great deal, they'd just reduce the price on the shelf and be done with it. The Federal Trade Commission, whose job it is to police and oversee consumer matters, esti- mates that at least half of all rebates go unclaimed because consumers lose the form, fail to comply with the rigid conditions or just plain forget to file. Unredeemed rebates be- come a windfall for the manufacturer. So, does all this mean we should become rebate- phobic, doing all we can to avoid them in the first place? No. Just that we need to increase our re- bate intelligence and then decide to bite the bullet, follow the rules so we al- ways win at the rebate game. Know the terms. Read the fine print before you make the purchase. Know the exact conditions and assess your chances of complying with them. Don't procrastinate. Apply for your rebate at the earliest possible time, not the last minute. Follow the rules. As- sume that the company is trying to trip you up. Approach filling out the form and providing the required proof of pur- chase as you would an important test. Keep a paper trail. It's a pain, but you need a copy of everything. If you have not received your re- bate within 30 days of submission, go to work. Follow through. If you are not satisfied, file a complaint with the man- ufacturer and the retailer, sending copies to your state's Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau. Above all, file a complaint with the FTC online at ftc.gov or call toll free 877-372-4357. Save the windfalls. In- stead of letting them evaporate into your daily spending, stash your re- bates in a special ac- count. Watching the bal- ance grow will give you a greater incentive to make sure you collect every dime of every rebate to which you are entitled. As for my $30 rebate, I sent it in. Sure hope it doesn't get lost in the mail. MaryHuntisthefounder of www.DebtProofLiving. com, a personal finance member website. You can email her at mary@eve- rydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheap- skate, P.O. Box 2099, Cy- press, CA 90630. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE Rebate or rip-off? When it comes to filing a federal tax return, many people discover that they either get a larger refund or owe more tax than they expected. But this type of tax surprise doesn't have to happen to you. One way to prevent it is to change the amount of tax with- held from your wages. You can also change the amount of estimated tax you pay. Here are some tips to help you bring the amount of tax that you pay in dur- ing the year closer to what you'll actually owe: • New Job. When you start a new job, you must fill out a Form W-4, Em- ployee's Withholding Al- lowance Certificate. Your employer will use the form to figure the amount of federal income tax to with- hold from your pay. Use the IRS Withholding Calcula- tor on IRS.gov to help you fill out the form. This tool is easy to use and it's avail- able 24/7. • Estimated Tax. If you get income that's not subject to withhold- ing you may need to pay estimated tax. This may include income such as self-employment, inter- est, dividends or rent. If you expect to owe a thou- sand dollars or more in tax, and meet other con- ditions, you may need to pay this tax. You nor- mally pay it four times a year. Use the worksheet in Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals, to fig- ure the tax. • Life Events. Make sure you change your Form W-4 or change the amount of estimated tax you pay when certain life events take place. A change in your mar- ital status, the birth of a child or buying a new home can change the amount of taxes you owe. You can usually submit a new Form W-4 anytime. • Changes in Circum- stances. If you receive ad- vance payment of the pre- mium tax credit in 2014 it is important that you re- port changes in circum- stances, such as changes in your income or family size, to your Health Insur- ance Marketplace. You should also notify the Marketplace when you move out of the area cov- ered by your current Mar- ketplace plan. Advance payments of the premium tax credit provide financial assistance to help you pay for the insurance you buy through the Health Insur- ance Marketplace. Reporting changes will help you get the proper type and amount of financial assistance so you can avoid getting too much or too little in ad- vance. For more see Publica- tion 505, Tax Withhold- ing and Estimated Tax. You can get it on IRS.gov, or call 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676) to get it by mail. TAX TIP A summer adjustment can prevent a tax-time surprise Mary Hunt Thank you! PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER. Today REDBLUFF Childbirth Class: 6:30- 8:30p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Co- lumba Room, 529-8026 Cribbage Club: 6p.m., Cozy Diner, 259S. Main St., 527- 6402 Fun Senior Aerobics: 8-9 a.m., $1, Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. 527- 8177 PAL Kickboxing: 6p.m., 1450Schwab St., 529-8716 or 200-3950 Penny Bingo: 9:30a.m., Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Pinochle for Seniors: 12:30-3:30p.m., 1500S. Jackson St., free, 527-8177 Red Bluff Derby Girls open tryouts and practice: 6:30 p.m., Tyler Jelly building, Tehama District Fairgrounds Red Bluff Rotary: noon, Elks Lodge Take Off Pounds Sensi- bly - TOPS: 10a.m., First United Methodist Church, 525David Ave., 824-0556 or 529-1414 Tehama County Board of Supervisors: 10a.m., board chamber, 727Oak St. Tehama County Tea Party Patriots: 6p.m., Grange Hall, 20794Walnut St. WWE self defense train- ing for women: 5:30-7 p.m., 1005Vista Way, Ste. C CORNING Corning Alcoholics Anony- mous: noon and 7p.m., 783Solano St., behind the church Dance with Juana: noon to 1p.m., Family Resource Cen- ter, 1488South St., 824- 7670ESL, 9a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Parkinson's Support Group: 2p.m., Corning Health District, 175Solano St. Pay It Forward: 1p.m., Edward Jones, Solano and Sixth streets,824-4290 Soccer training: 4-6p.m., except for holidays and rain, Woodson School Soccer Field, 150N. Toomes, 824- 7680 LOS MOLINOS School Readiness Play Group: 10-11:30a.m., up to 5 years, free, First Steps Family Resource Center, 7700Stanford Ave., 384- 7833 Wednesday RED BLUFF Al-Anon: noon to 1p.m., Presbyterian Church, Jef- ferson and Hickory Downtown Farmers Mar- ket: 5-8p.m., Washington Street between Pine and Oak streets Nurturing Parenting Dads Program: 10a.m. to noon, 1860Walnut St. #D, Shasta Room, call Keith at 527- 8491, ext. 3012 Nurturing Skills for Teen Parents: 9to 10a.m., 1900 Walnut St., 527-8491, ext. 3012 PAL Martial Arts Women's Self Defense: 5:30-6:30 p.m., 1005Vista Way, Ste. C, 840-0345 Penny Bingo: 9:30a.m., Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Red Bluff Kiwanis: noon, Elks Lodge Red Bluff Derby Girls open tryouts and practice: 6:30 p.m., Tyler Jelly building at Tehama District Fairgrounds Senior Dance: 7p.m., Westside Grange, Walnut Street Team Kid: 5:30p.m., First Southern Baptist Church, 585Kimball Road, 527- 5083. TeenScreen Mental Health appointments: 10a.m. to 2 p.m., free, by appointment only, Youth Empowerment Services, 1900Walnut St., 527-8491, Ext. 3012 Waterbirth Class: 6:30 p.m., St. Elizabeth Com- munity Hospital Columba Room, 529-8026 Weight Watchers meet- ing: 9a.m., Hampton Inn, 1-800-651-6000 Widowed Persons Break- fast: 8a.m., call 384-2471 for location Y-FI Middle and High School Youth Group, 6:30-8p.m., North Valley Baptist Church, 345David Ave., 527-0543 CORNING Corning Rotary: noon, Rolling Hills Casino: Timbers Steak House, 2655Barham Ave., corningrotary.org School Readiness Play Group: 10-11:30a.m., up to 5 years, free, Family Re- source Center, 1480South St.: 824-4111 Spanish Adult Education: 5p.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Strategies for Success, Life Skill classes: 1:30 p.m., Family Resource Cen- ter, West and South streets, 824-7670 VFW Charity Bingo: 6p.m., Veterans Memorial Hall, 1620Solano St., 824-5957 LOS MOLINOS Bible Study: 1p.m., Sherwood Manor, 7975 Sherwood Blvd. All wel- come., Pastor Clyde Brant, 347-1330 Chamber of Commerce: 6:30p.m., 7904State Route 99E Narcotics Anonymous: 7-8p.m., 25204Josephine Ave, Wednesday and Friday Take Off Pounds Sensibly -TOPS: 8:30a.m., 25160 Josephine St., 385-1068 COTTONWOOD Cottonwood Library Story Time: 11:30a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Cottonwood Library, 3427Main St., 347-4818 Thursday RED BLUFF California HEAT Chorus - Sweet Adelines: 7p.m., Meteer School multipurpose room, 695Kimball Road, 895-0139 Childbirth Class: 6:30p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Columba room, Anita 529-8377 Fun Senior Aerobics: 8-9 a.m., $1, Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. 527- 8177 Grief Support Group: 3 p.m., St. Elizabeth Commu- nity Hospital, Coyne Center, 528-4207 Imagination Train story hour: 4p.m., Tehama County Library Kelly-Griggs House Mu- seum: 1-3p.m., 311Wash- ington St., Group Tours by appointment,527-1129or 527-5895. CALENDAR Saturday, August 2 nd 6:30 p.m. Bethel Assembly 625 Luther Rd. Call 530-527-0445 for more info Saturday, August 2 nd 6:30 p.m. Bethel Assembly 625 Luther Rd. Call 530-527-0445 for more info Free Movie Event Free Movie Event Regular Haircut $ 2 00 off KWIK KUTS FamilyHairSalon 1064SouthMainSt.,RedBluff•529-3540 ANY RETAIL PRODUCT 20 % off withanychemicalserviceof $50 or more Notgoodwithotheroffers Expires 8/31/14 With coupon Reg. $13.95 744 Main Street, Red Bluff SOAP SALE 5 for $25 (IndividualPrice:$6.99) www.lassenmedical.com lassenmedical.com 2450 Sister Mary Columba Drive Red Bluff, CA 96080 530 527-0414 Lassen Medical For the Expected, Unexpected and Everything in Between LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Tuesday, July 29, 2014 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A5