Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/533409
Recently,lotsoffami- lies in my new neighbor- hood got together to host a colossal neighborhood ga- rage sale. I didn't participate as a seller, but I did my share of browsing. Of course, I was hop- ing to come across a couple of Longa- berger baskets for a buck. Or a lamp with Tiffany's written all over it, but in that secret place only we "Antiques Roadshow" groupies know about. That didn't happen. While I didn't carry anything back to my house, I did pick up some- thing quite valuable: A healthy dose of reality. Gift reality. Most of what peo- ple were trying to un- load that day were not antiques. There were a few pieces of furniture; I didn't see a single col- lectible. Table after table, what I saw were gifts. Not new gifts, but dis- carded gifts. Very recog- nizable items once dis- played on the pages of well-designed catalogs; items that were artfully arranged in department store cases. But they don't look the same once opened and then left to languish in the hot sun on someone's driveway. Beautiful gift baskets filled with lots of little gadgets and trinkets then pulled together with cel- lophane and ribbon lose all their attractiveness when dismembered and tossed into a box marked $.25 each. I saw Chia Pets, kitchen gadgets, stuff still unopened yet proudly an- nouncing "As seen on TV!" There were useless, al- beit whimsical, coffee mugs and singing bass (more annoying than funny). You name it, if it was a popular gift item in years gone by, you can be sure it was well-repre- sented at this sale. Meandering through that gift graveyard made me take a long hard look at this whole matter of gift-giving. I can tell you for sure that, from now on, gifts I give will have to pass more than the price test. They'll have to pass my garage sale test: What is the likelihood this item will end up on a ga- rage sale table? I'll be very happy if the answer is al- ways, "Not a chance!" Now that we are get- ting into the other holiday gift season, consisting of weddings, showers, grad- uations, what better time to visit this matter of gift- giving. If you want to make sure the gifts you give have a low garage sale probability factor, you need a guiding set of prin- ciples to follow. Cards are good. Not ev- ery occasion requires a gift. Sending a greeting card with a thoughtful handwritten message can perfectly convey the sen- timent of the occasion. If you take the time and put out the effort, the mes- sage you write will be the gift. Caution: This tac- tic seldom works with in- dividuals under the age of 16. Avoid the gags. Funny gifts that bring a wild round of laughter when opened and then scuttled off to a closet to become yet another piece of clut- ter are perfect candidates for garage sales. Avoid them. Appeal to passion. When deciding on a gift, your first question should be, "What is this person passionate about?" I can't say I have never received a gift that re- flected the person who gave it to me more than something I'm interested in. I can't say that because the people who give me gifts read this column. But you get the point. Giving a gift that touches what is meaning- ful in the recipient's life will never find its way to the garage sale. Consider consumables. Gifts that are designed to be enjoyed for a limited time like food or flowers are always a safe bet and will never find their way to the garage sale table. Cash and the like. As impersonal as anyone might find a gift of money, if keeping the gifts you give out of the secondary market, this is the way to go. I talked to some of the people at those garage sales last week. Not one of them seemed to be mean- spirited. And I'm certain that each of the gifts I saw were accepted with much appreciation. But not for long. 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 Garage-saleproofthegi syougive Mary Hunt By Jennifer Cooper Social Security manager in Redding Every year, June marks the beginning of two busy seasons: summer and "wed- ding season." With joy- ful expectation, many of us have already marked our calendars and started wrapping up our plans for the vacations, ceremonies, and honeymoons. While brides and grooms work out the details, Social Secu- rity wants to remind them about one detail that's ex- tremely important: the "re- cord" Social Security keeps of your life's earnings. Weddings often mean a name change is in order, and one task the happy cou- ple should have on that to- do list is to contact Social Security. If you are legally changing your name, you need to apply for a replace- ment Social Security card reflecting your new name. If you're working, also tell your employer. That way, Social Security can keep track of your earnings his- tory as you go about living your wonderful new life. If you have reported in- come under your former or maiden name, we might not have received an accu- rate W-2 and your earnings may have been recorded in- correctly. This is easier to fix now — when you first change your name — than years from now when you retire. So, go to our web- site at www.socialsecurity. gov/ssnumber, or call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800- 325-0778) to find out what specific documents you need to change your name and to apply for a replace- ment card. After the honeymoon comes your career, moving to a new home, and a well- deserved retirement. It hap- pens so fast! We hope some- where in there, you opened your free my Social Security account at www.socialsecu- rity.gov/myaccount. With your personal my Social Security account, you can make sure your earn- ings record is correct and that you have the 40 total work "credits" you need for us to pay you the benefits you've earned. Remember, ensuring your earnings are reported accurately to Social Secu- rity is vital to getting every dollar in benefits you de- serve. If you need to change your name for any reason, go to www.socialsecurity. gov/ssnumber and apply for a replacement card right away. Now, you're all set. Let the celebrations begin. SOCIAL SECURITY Getting married soon? Give us your new name The Marine Corps League, Detachment 1140, Tehama/Red Bluff Honor Guard, performed funeral services Wednesday for a veteran at Oak Hill Cem- etery. The Detachment Honor Guard is available for fu- neral services for all mil- itary veterans. Detach- ment 1140 also marches in parades and is involved in numerous community ser- vice projects throughout the year. Detachment 1140 will be holding a picnic at Cone Gove Park 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on July 12. Marines with Honorable Discharges — including those dis- charged under honorable conditions — Fleet Ma- rine Force Corpsmen and Navy Chaplains attached to Marine Corps units and all their families are in- vited. Veterans from the other services and those interested in information about joining as an asso- ciate member are also in- vited. The Marine Corps League was founded in 1923 by then past Com- mandant of the Ma- rine Corps General John Lejeune and is now a is a 501 (c) (4) service organi- zation and is involved in communities across the country. The league is al- ways looking for a "few good men and women" to join as regular and associ- ate members. For more information about the Honor Guard and its functions and con- cerning memberships, call Commandant Buddy Male at 528-8813. Honor Guard performs at funeral service COURTESYPHOTO Detachment 1140Commandant and Honor Guard Captain Buddy Male, Roy Fansler, Gil Arellano, Ray Valenzuela, David Camacho and Bill Cotter. MARINE CORPS LEAGUE Better Business Bureau If you are planning to buy a house, lease a car or even get a new job, your credit score matters. Scammers know this, and they make a living preying on those desperate to im- prove their score. Lately, BBB Scam Tracker has re- ceived numerous reports from consumers targeted by credit repair scams. Howthescamworks: You get a phone call or see an ad for a company that claims it can instantly repair your credit. The of- fer grabs your attention. Your poor credit rating has been holding you back, so you decide to give it a try. You contact the com- pany, and they promise to remove past credit mis- takes, such as late pay- ments or a bankruptcy, from your credit report. They may even offer to give you a new "credit identity." Don't fall for it. Both of these techniques are scams. Scam credit re- pair companies may per- suade you to contest accu- rate information on your credit report. Others urge you to apply for a new ID number — typically one used by businesses for tax purposes — or provide you with a stolen Social Secu- rity number and tell you to apply for the loan with the new number. Misrepre- senting yourself like this is illegal. How to spot a scam: Not all businesses prom- ising to help you repair bad credit are scams. Watch out for the following warn- ing signs: • You are asked to pay in advance. In the US and Canada, credit repair com- panies can only collect their fee after they perform the services promised. • The company promises to remove negative infor- mation from your credit report. If the information is accurate, no one can re- move it. • You are urged to get a new "credit identity." In the US, some scam compa- nies will ask you to apply for an Employer Identifi- cation Number instead of using your Social Security number. Misrepresenting your SSN is a crime. • Beware of contract red flags. Make sure you sign a contract and that it contains the terms of your agreement, includ- ing the price, the time pe- riod and the services to be performed. • Know you can cancel. If you signed up for a credit repair service and it looks suspicious, you can can- cel. In Canada, you have 10 days, and, in the US, you have three days. For More Information To learn more, check out these tips from the Consumer Financial Pro- tection Bureau at http:// www.consumerfinance. gov/askcfpb/1343/how- can-i-recognize-credit-re- pair-scam.html). SCAM ALERT Scores matter: Don't fall for credit repair scams (530) 529-1220 100 Jackson St. Red Bluff AquaAerobics Classes BeginJune1st Mon.,Wed.,Fri. 10 to 10:45am Mon., Wed. 5:30 to 6:15pm Monthly pool pass $25 adult $15 child Smog Check (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. starting at $ 29 95 + $ 8 25 certificate SERVICESATLOWERPRICES All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K MembersWelcome Areyoumelting? Professional Evaporative Cooler Service & Repair 221 3331 Chimneys • Air Ducts Swamp Coolers • Dryer Vents Residential & Commercial WhiteGloveChimney.com ChocolateIsn'tHappy InTheDesert LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, June 26, 2015 » MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A5