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Popquiz: Whichisthe better buy — pork sirloin roast for $2.89 per pound or boneless pork chops at $3.79 per pound? If you an- swered the roast, you're in good company (most of us did), but you are wrong. Price-per-pound can be misleading because all cuts of meat and poultry will not yield the same number of servings per pound. You can feed twice as many people from boneless pork chops as from pork sirloin roast because the boneless chops have about four servings per pound, compared to two servings per pound for pork sirloin roast. What you pay for the edible portion is the impor- tant factor. If you want to reduce your food costs and at the same time raise your gro- cery shopping intelligence, start thinking cost-per- serving rather than price- per-pound. If you could use some help figuring out how much meat to buy, cost per serving and serv- ings per pound from all types of meat cuts, go to the University of Nebras- ka's Cooperative Exten- sion. They've done the math and created simple charts you can print to take with you to the su- permarket. For example, a whole chicken yields 2-2 servings per pound, while you can count on 3 to 4 servings from one pound of boneless chicken breasts. Reader Jacquelyn L., North Carolina, has taken the price-per serv- ing idea further. "I've tried clipping coupons re- ligiously and planning meals, but when time runs short these meth- ods fail me." She says she needed a new method; something that didn't require organizational skills she doesn't possess. She now uses the one-dol- lar-per-person-per-meal method. The goal is to feed her family for less than one dollar per per- son per meal. A perfect example of Jacquelyn's principle would be a package of 10 chicken breasts on sale for $7.00, or 70 cents each. Serve each person one breast with an inexpensive but filling side dish such as rice, potatoes, or mac- aroni and cheese. Round out the meal with canned corn or beans to keep the total cost less than one dollar. She goes on, "I don't deny my family an oc- casional steak. I simply make sure that I go well below one dollar per per- son for other meals that week. We don't want to feel deprived so I make up for indulgences by serving less expensive meals later." Make an inexpensive meatless meal such as red beans and rice or potato soup. Or try stretching your meat of choice. Add bread crumbs or cracker crumbs to ground beef. Chop up ham to add to beans or soups. Add pieces of chicken to pasta or cas- seroles. This dramatically reduces the overall cost of the meal so you can easily feed your family for well under one dollar per per- son. Using Jacquelyn's buck- a-meal method, you don't have to worry so much about if you've found the absolute best price. You only have to ask yourself, "Can I feed each member of my family with say this chicken for less than one dollar per person?" This isn't an exact sci- ence. Some meals will be more than a dollar per person, others will be less. The goal is to aver- age a buck a meal. Esti- mate. And don't worry too much about the cost of seasonings or other practically negligible in- gredients. MaryHuntisthefounder of www.DebtProofLiving. com, a personal finance member website. 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 Think cost per serving, not price per pound By Russ Tyndall You may have noticed the temperatures are get- ting warmer. With sum- mer fast approaching and the days soon to be down- right hot, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind all pet owners of the very real dangers of leaving your dog inside your un- attended vehicle. As one of two animal control officers with the Red Bluff Police Depart- ment, I often see dogs left in cars while their owners go about their business running errands. Some of these animals are left without water, with little air ventilation and without any shade. Leaving a dog inside a car under these circum- stances can be lethal. Like people, dogs can easily suf- fer from heatstroke — and it doesn't take long. According to the Amer- ican Veterinary Medi- cal Association in just 10 minutes on a 95 degree day, the interior of a car can heat up to 114 degrees. In 30 minutes, that tem- perature rises to 129 de- grees and at one hour, tem- peratures can get close to 140 degrees. Studies have shown that even with the windows cracked there is little to no difference in temperatures. With our Red Bluff summers well into the 100s, those numbers be- come much higher. Think I'm kidding? Shut your car off and sit in it on a hot sunny day with the win- dows up. You won't last long. Why would anyone subject their pet to that? I have no doubt that pet owners love their dogs very much. After all, it's usually why you bring them with you in the first place — to be with them. In the winter, that's great. But during the summer, if you leave your dog in a parked car, even for just a few minutes, you may just love Fido to his death. You also risk being prosecuted under Califor- nia Penal Code. My rec- ommendation; leave your dog at home. He will be waiting for you healthy, happy and most impor- tantly alive. While we are on the topic of summer time heat and its impact on our pets, I would also like to remind you the best times to walk your dog are dur- ing the early morning or evening. During the day when it is hot, concrete and asphalt temperatures can get hot enough to cause burns on the pads of a dog's foot. If you have any ques- tions about proper care for your pet, please con- tact your veterinarian. If you want to report a dog left in a vehicle under con- ditions detrimental to its health, call the Red Bluff Police Animal Control Unit at 527-3131. Outside the city limits, contact Tehama County Animal Regulations, at 529-7900, ext. 1. Take care of your dog and remember to have it licensed through City Hall, if you live within the city limits of Red Bluff. May your summer be a safe one, for you and your pet. Russ Tyndall is the animal control officer for the Red Bluff Police Department. PET CARE Do n' t le av e yo ur d og i n th e car Better Business Bureau It's back. According to BBB Scam Tracker, many people are seeing the gov- ernment grants scam again. It's a classic con where scammers pretend to offer victims free grant money, but they are really after bank account infor- mation. Howthescamworks You get a phone call, get an email, or spot a post on social media. No matter the medium, the message is similar: the government is awarding "free grants." Your application is guar- anteed to be accepted, and you'll never have to repay the money. You can use the "grant" to pay bills, make repairs, or pay education costs. Sound too good to be true? That's because it is. If you reply to the ad or take the bait on the phone, scammers congratulate you on your eligibility. Then, they will ask for your checking account informa- tion. They will claim that they need to "deposit your grant directly into your ac- count" or cover a one-time "processing fee." Whatever the story, two things are for sure. You will never see the money, and you've just given scammers access to your bank account. How to spot this scam The government typi- cally doesn't call, text or email. Government agen- cies normally communi- cate through the mail, so be very cautious of any un- solicited calls, text mes- sages or emails you re- ceive. Don't pay any money for a "free" government grant. If you have to pay money to claim a "free" govern- ment grant, it isn't really free. A real government agency won't ask you to pay a processing fee for a grant that you have already been awarded. Phone numbers can de- ceive. Some con artists use Internet technology to disguise their area code in Caller ID systems. Al- though it may look like they're calling from Wash- ington, DC, they could be calling from anywhere in the world. Be wary of look-a-like government agencies. Just because the caller says he's from the "Federal Grants Administration" doesn't mean that he is... or that such an agency exists. When in doubt, do a quick online search and... Pick up the phone. If you receive a suspicious call or email, call the local govern- ment agency to check its le- gitimacy. Look for the phone number on previous corre- spondence or the official government website. Don't call a number in the email. For More Information Read more about govern- ment grant scams on the Federal Trade Commission website. To find out more about other scams, check out BBB Scam Stopper (bbb. org/scam). SCAM ALERT Free grant offers are really a phishing scam Mary Hunt Staff reports Next on the Kelly-Griggs House Museum calendar of events is special guest speaker William Wong Foey, local artist, author and educator. Foey is scheduled to speak at 10 a.m. Satur- day, May 16, at the mu- seum, 311 Washington St. Foey will share his work and offer a book signing. The public is welcome to attend. The Kelly-Guides will hold their annual potluck picnic at 11 a.m. Friday, June 5 at Sycamore Grove, and would like to invite all current and past guides and volunteers of the mu- seum to attend. Bring your own camp chair. Call 527- 1129 for further informa- tion. Museum Tours are avail- able 1-3 p.m. most Sundays and Thursdays. KELLY-GRIGGS COURTESYPHOTO John Humphries and Director Sharon Wilson study a painting while guide Mary Perkin looks through reference materials at the Kelly-Griggs House Museum's recent successful Appraisal Day. Museum to present William Wong Foey 10DamonAve.,RedBluff 530-527-3262 • www.tuscanpools.com TuscanPoolSupply 50lb.ClearviewTabs on SALE $ $ 140 14 0 .00 .00 thru end of June OPEN YEAR ROUND GOLDENRULE SMALL ENGINES (530) 526-8121 796 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff (Enter from Trinity Ave.) Come by and see us today! YourLocalToroDealer! Parts and Sales! 604 Main St., Red Bluff (530) 529-5154 www.redblufflosmariachis.com Goodthrough May 31, 2015 Onitemsofequalorlesservalue Cannot be used with other specials Limit to one per party per day Breakfast Special Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Breakfast (mustpurchasetwodrinks) Breakfast: 9am-11am • 7 days a week Mention or present coupon ad to receive offer Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers 816Walnut St., Red Bluff, CA (530) 527-1174 www.chapeloftheflowers.net Funerals • Cremations • Prearrangements FD652 22755 Antelope Blvd. Red Bluff, CA 96080 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK!! 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