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Formanyyears,I wouldn't have anything to do with a budget because I couldn't stand the idea of any- one — or anything — telling me how to spend my money. And where did that get me? Into one big financial mess. Every month, when I ran out of money, I would turn to MasterCard and Visa for a bailout. Really bad idea. What I learned from go- ing through that experi- ence and finding my way back to solvency is that, as much as we may loathe it, a budget is the ticket to fi- nancial happiness — not the straitjacket I feared it would be. I've come to pre- fer to call this a spending plan rather than a budget; but honestly, the terms are interchangeable. It's just a way to spend your income on paper first. A good spending plan gives every dollar a spe- cific job. Once you have it just the way you want it, the plan becomes a handy road map for keeping your finances on track. So take a deep breath and let's walk through the basics of creating a simple budget, or spending plan. Step 1: Write down your total take-home monthly income. This is the easy part. Jot down what you earn. Because many ex- penses are billed monthly, it makes good sense to use monthly income to create your budget. Step 2: Write down your fixed expenses. Start with fixed bills like rent, mortgage, car payment, credit-card debt and insur- ance, then factor in other monthly costs that are al- ways the same. These are your essential fixed ex- penses. Step 3: List your vari- able expenses. You know you'll have these bills, but the amounts vary. Exam- ples are your phone, util- ities, food, household ex- penses, gasoline, medica- tion, public transportation, shoes and clothing. You can assign an estimated amount to each based on past experience, rounding to the closest $10. Step 4: List reasonable amounts for nonessential expenses. This includes entertainment, eating out, hobbies and other ways you spend money on a reg- ular basis. Step 5: Find the extras. Go to your checkbook reg- ister, credit-card state- ments, Quicken reports or what have you, to see what expenses you've left out. You'll likely see items for car maintenance and repair, gifts, vacations, Christmas and holidays. For items that do not recur monthly, determine the annual cost, then divide by 12 to see how much you should set aside each month to anticipate that irregular expense. Step 6: Figure out your totals. Add up your ex- penses, and then subtract that amount from your in- come. Ideally, you'll come out in the black, with at least a little money left over. But if your expenses exceed your income, you'll see a negative sum. Don't panic — this is just the start of an ongoing pro- cess. Step 7: See where you can cut. If you came up short, go back to your monthly expenses and see what you can get rid of. Look first to your nones- sential expenses. Which items can you remove al- together for a while (eat- ing out seems like a fine target; perhaps hobby ex- penses, for a season)? Keep going through the list, making adjustments un- til your total expenses are less than your income. Step 8: Follow your spending plan as closely as possible. Track your spending every day. Take notes and research ways you'll be able to do even better next month. At month's end, add up your actual spending and com- pare it with what you planned. Use this infor- mation to create the next month's spending plan. Even if you find yourself in a particularly tight fi- nancial position right now, take heart. As you pay off debts and find more ways to cut expenses, you'll be- gin to sense a signifi- cant loosening of finan- cial pressure. Soon you'll be ready to add new cat- egories to your spending plan for things like saving for a new car, home im- provements or going back to college. The sooner you get started, the sooner you'll be on your way to reach- ing financial freedom. Youcanemail Mary at mary@ everydaycheapskate.com. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE How to live on a budget and love it Californians love to cel- ebrate the Fourth of July with family, friends, food and fireworks. All too of- ten these celebrations and festivities turn tragic when someone decides to drink and drive a vehicle. The California Highway Patrol wants you to have a safe and enjoyable Inde- pendence Day weekend, but also wants you to make safe and smart choices before getting behind the wheel. The CHP will be out in full force during the holi- day weekend in an effort to reduce roadway deaths and prevent injuries. The Inde- pendence Day Maximum Enforcement Period begins on Friday, July 3, at 6 p.m. and continues through Sun- day, July 5, at 11:59 p.m. All available officers through- out the state will be de- ployed during the MEP to focus enforcement on occu- pant restraints, speed viola- tions, and those driving un- der the influence of alcohol or drugs. "This is a time for cele- bration, not tragedy," said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. "Celebrate this In- dependence Day by hav- ing fun but also by being responsible in the choices you make." According to data from the National Highway Traf- fic Safety Administration, during the Fourth of July holiday period from 2008 to 2012, 765 people lost their lives in collisions involving drivers with a Blood Alco- hol Concentration of .08 or more. These fatalities ac- count for 40 percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatali- ties over this same five-year period. Last year during the In- dependence Day weekend in California 32 people were killed with 70 percent of those killed not wear- ing a seat belt. During that same time, more than 1,300 people were arrested by the CHP for driving under the influence. "We want this year to be different, we want every- one to celebrate responsi- bly and get home safely," added Commissioner Far- row. "Designate a sober driver before you head out to celebrate and do your part to make this a safe hol- iday for everyone on Cali- fornia's roads." HOLIDAY WEEKEND CHPurgessafety,sobriety Mary Hunt WILLOWS The Llano Seco Unit of the North Central Valley Wildlife Manage- ment Area along 7 Mile Road is temporarily closed while improvements and upgrades to the outdated visitor services facilities take place. The closure will be in effect through early October. The unit is managed by the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex and the popular viewing area receives over 21,000 visitors annually. "The facility upgrades will improve the wildlife viewing experience for our visitors, comply with state and federal safety regula- tions, meet current ADA standards and reduce the refuge's overall mainte- nance backlog," said Ref- uge Manager Kelly Mo- roney. Replacement and up- grades will include a new viewing platform, new ADA restroom, and a solar security light at the park- ing area. In addition, the second platform along the trail will be removed and staff will be constructing an elevated earthen mound to view wildlife on the inte- rior of the unit. The parking area and unit will be closed for pub- lic safety during the con- struction period. Construc- tion work to remove and re- place facilities at the Llano Seco Unit parking lot, bath- room and viewing plat- forms should be completed by early October. Staff anticipates reopen- ing the new facilities prior to wetland flood up which occurs in late October or early November. For more information about the auto tour, visit http://www.fws.gov/ref- uge/North_Central_Val- ley/. The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and en- hance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Parking area to close for improvements WILDLIFE REFUGE COURTESYPHOTO The Llano Seco Unit of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. By Jennifer Cooper Social Security manager in Redding General Question: What can I do at www.socialsecurity.gov? Answer: There are many things you can do on Social Security's website. You can conduct most of your Social Security business with us online at www.socialsecu- rity.gov/onlineservices. You can get an estimate of fu- ture benefits, find out if you qualify for benefits now, and even apply for bene- fits. You can complete a number of other tasks on- line, too. You can estimate your retirement benefit us- ing our Retirement Estima- tor, which allows you to get an instant, personalized es- timate of your future ben- efit based on different re- tirement ages and scenar- ios. You can even open your own my Social Security ac- count to plan for and man- age your benefits at www. socialsecurity.gov/myac- count. Question: Can I refuse to give my Social Security number to a private busi- ness? Answer: Yes, you can re- fuse to disclose your So- cial Security number, and you should be careful about giving out your number. But, be aware, the person requesting your number can refuse services if you don't give it. Businesses, banks, schools, private agencies, etc., are free to request someone's number and use it for any purpose that doesn't violate a fed- eral or state law. To learn more about your Social Se- curity number, visit www. socialsecurity.gov/ssnum- ber. Retirement Question: How can I check the status of a pend- ing application for retire- ment benefits? Answer: If you applied for retirement or disabil- ity benefits online, you can check the status of your application at www. socialsecurity.gov by se- lecting "Benefits" and "Check Application Sta- tus" under "Apply." You will need to enter your So- cial Security number and the confirmation code you received when you filed online. Your application status will show: The date we re- ceived your application; Any requests for additional documents; The address of the office processing your application; and If a decision has been made. Question: What is the maximum Social Security retirement benefit? Answer: The maximum benefit depends on the age you retire. For exam- ple, if you retire at full re- tirement age in 2015, your maximum monthly bene- fit would be $2,663. How- ever, if you retire at age 62 in 2015, your maximum monthly benefit would be only $2,025. If you retire at age 70 in 2015, your maximum monthly bene- fit would be $3,501. To get a better idea of what your benefit might be, visit our online Retirement Esti- mator at www.socialse- curity.gov/retire/estima- tor.html. Disability Question: How do I ap- peal a decision on my ap- plication for disability ben- efits? Answer: When we make a decision on your applica- tion, we'll send you a let- ter explaining our decision. If you don't agree with our decision, you can ask us to look at your case again, or appeal it. You must appeal within 60 days from the date you get our decision letter. You can: File a disability appeal online with our new, im- proved process and elec- tronically provide doc- uments to support your request, even if you live outside of the United States; or Visit your local Social Security office. For more information, call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To learn more about Social Security's disability pro- grams, visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov/ disability. Question: How do I know if I meet the eligibil- ity requirements to get So- cial Security disability ben- efits? Answer: To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must have worked long enough in jobs covered by Social Se- curity (usually 10 years). You must also have a medical condition that meets Social Security's strict definition of dis- ability. We consider an adult disabled under our rules if he or she has a medical condition, or combination of medical conditions, that are expected to last for at least one year or result in death, and that prevent the performance of any type of work. If you think you may be eligible to receive disability benefits and would like to apply, you can use our on- line application at www.so- cialsecurity.gov/applyford- isability. Supplemental Security Income Question: What do I need to report to Social Se- curity if I get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) pay- ments? Answer: You need to report any changes that may affect your payment amount. This includes changes in your income or re- sources. You must re- port changes of address, changes in your living ar- rangements, and changes in your earned and un- earned income. To learn more about SSI, visit our website at www.socialse- curity.gov/ssi. Question: How can I become a representative payee? Answer: If you know someone who receives So- cial Security or Supplemen- tal Security Income (SSI), and who needs assistance managing his or her pay- ments, contact your lo- cal Social Security office about becoming his or her representative payee. 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