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Graduatingfromcol- lege is one of life's most thrilling events. Finish- ing my de- gree, walk- ing the aisle and receiv- ing a fancy document in a leather- bound case remains one of the high points of my life. Leaving college life be- hind, I was ready to live life to the fullest, what- ever that meant. I was so over living under cam- pus rules, grueling class- work, never-ending pa- pers, midterms and fi- nals. I was ready to begin life in the real world. Unfortunately, I still had a lot to learn about managing finances. I knew nothing, and worse — I wasn't aware that I knew nothing. What was there to know, anyway? Sadly, I am not alone. Today's graduates are smart but generally fi- nancially ignorant. For college graduates gear- ing up to enter the real world, I offer the follow- ing for starting off on the right financial foot. The decisions and choices you make in the first six months after graduation have the power to set the course of your life, for good or bad. Of course, you've been a poor starving student long enough. You de- serve a new car. And cer- tainly you need a better apartment. And some de- cent clothes. Oh, and who could possibly deny you a European vacation to celebrate this amazing achievement? Followed by a couple of weeks' va- cation to rest and relax. You've been through so much. You reason: Things are looking good in the em- ployment department, you're only young once, it makes sense to do this now before you're tied down with a job, a home and kids. I could go on, but I'll stop. And you should too. Stop thinking like that. Taking on a car loan, the obligation of a lease on an apartment or condo, climbing credit- card balances — all of that may seem innocuous, given the great job you plan to land somewhere, somehow. And that will backfire on you. Instead of launching you into the real world, it will send you into a downward spi- ral that collides with un- paid student debt, nega- tively impacting your life for many years to come. Stop, Drop and Roll. You learned it in elemen- tary school for fire drills. Now apply it to your fi- nancial life. If anyone of- fers you a contract to sign — for a car, an apart- ment, a credit card or other legal obligation — stop. Drop the pen and then roll out of there fast. Keep Driving Your Clunker. Move home. Whatever it takes, do not create any new debt during these critical six months, and possibly much longer. Take a job, any job. You need cash flow, so take the first job you can get. Then keep looking. Perhaps you've heard the term "stepping- stone"? There is noth- ing wrong with this. Keep your eye on the goal and get to work reaching it. Stop whining and feeling sorry for yourself. Make Payments. You need to immediately be- gin paying back your stu- dent loans. Do not lux- uriate in the six-month grace period. That is not some kind of gift. Inter- est is accruing every day (unless you have subsi- dized loans, which al- most no one has these days). That means every day your debt is growing because the interest you owe — but are not pay- ing — is being added to your principal balance. Next month you will pay interest on that interest, too. Ever heard the word "compounding"? Bingo. Auto-Save. Even though in debt, you need to save money. You can- not continue to live on credit. I am a big fan of any kind of auto-pay or auto-save. When you set this up, you eliminate the need to make a decision every payday. "Should I save money this week or go to a movie?" "Should I save this week or get those really cute shoes that are finally on sale?" If you have to make that same decision over and over, pretty soon you won't. You'll get lazy, you'll stop saving and just keep spending. But if you are auto-saving even $25 a week, you've elim- inated that irritating de- cision. You're on autopi- lot and that's a nice way to roll. Soon, you won't miss the money. It will be out of sight, out of mind. I cannot stress just how important this is. If you master this concept and turn it into a lifelong habit, you will be thou- sands of miles (and dol- lars) ahead of your peers. Please accept my heart- felt congratulations on a job well done. You have reached an important goal. I wish you the best of everything in your ca- reer and please let me know when you make that last student loan payment. Create a pay- ment plan to do it in five years or less. Then just do it. Get it done. 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 The most critical six months in a college grad's life Mary Hunt PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER. Thank you! By Jennifer Cooper Social Security manager in Redding On July 30, 1965, Pres- ident Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law with these words: "No lon- ger will older Americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine. No longer will illness crush and destroy the savings that they have so carefully put away over a lifetime." For 50 years, the Medi- care program has provided essential health care ser- vices for millions of peo- ple who are age 65 or older, disabled, or have debilitat- ing diseases. Without Medi- care, many people would not be able to pay for hos- pital care, doctor's visits, medical tests, preventive services, or prescription drugs. Your Medicare card is the most important piece of identification you own as a Medicare beneficiary since medical providers will re- quest it when you seek their services. If you need to re- place a lost, stolen, or dam- aged Medicare card, you can do it online with a my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/ myaccount. Requesting a replacement card through my Social Security is safe, convenient, and easy. Go- ing online saves you a trip to your local Social Security office or unproductive time on the phone. Request your replacement Medicare card the easy and convenient way — online — and you'll get it in the same amount of time as you would if you ap- plied in an office or over the phone — in about 30 days. Fifty years ago, Medicare didn't have as many options as it does today. As the larg- est public health program in the United States, Medi- care includes four parts to keep you covered: Part A is insurance that covers inpatient hospital stays, outpatient care in nursing facilities, hospice, and home health care. Part B includes medical insurance for doctor's ser- vices, medical supplies, out- patient care, and preventive services. Part C is a Medicare ad- vantage plan that allows you to choose your health care coverage through a provider organization. You must have Part A and Part B to enroll in Part C. This plan usually includes Medi- care prescription drug cov- erage and may include ex- tra benefits and services at an additional cost. Part D is prescription drug coverage. There is a separate monthly premium for this plan; however, peo- ple with low resources and income may qualify for the Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs from Social Security. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ prescriptionhelp to see if you qualify. A recent survey to Medi- care beneficiaries asked: Why do you love Medicare? One person stated, "It gives peace of mind not only for seniors, but for veterans and disabled as well." Another satisfied recipient replied, "I most likely wouldn't be alive today without Medi- care." These are just two of the millions who endorse Medicare's half-century strong success story. For more information about Medicare, visit www. medicare.gov. As Medicare celebrates 50 years, Social Security commemorates 80 years. Learn more about Social Security's 80th anniver- sary at www.socialsecurity. gov/80thanniversary. SOCIAL SECURITY HalfacenturyofhelpwithMedicare MINERAL Lassen Volcanic National Park's summer programs explore the rich volcanic landscape and cel- ebrate an explosive history and wondrous night sky. Summertime visitors have the opportunity to join in on nature walks, talks, living history and junior ranger programs by day and can turn their atten- tion to the heavens by night. "There is so much to be seen and experience here at Lassen," said Superin- tendent Steve Gibbons. "We're excited about the upcoming Dark Sky Festi- val with highlights on the New Horizons mission, Ju- nior Ranger Programs for nighttime exploration, and the new Moonlight Pad- dling Tours to experience the beauty of a full-moon evening." The Dark Sky Festival scheduled for Aug. 7-9 will bring NASA scientists, as- tronomers, park rangers and park visitors together to one of the best places to learn about and enjoy the splendor of the dark night sky. Lassen is very excited to celebrate the astounding New Horizons mission as it documents Pluto and other objects in the outer reaches of our solar system. This year's Dark Sky Fes- tival will continue this cel- ebration with special pro- grams focused on this in- credible mission. Junior Rangers from age five to twelve can earn a Night Ex- plorer patch by completing activities in the Night Ex- plorer workbook available at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and Loomis Museum. New Moonlight Pad- dling Tours of Manzanita Lake will be offered by the park concessionaire, Cal- ifornia Guest Services, on the nights of July 30, 31 and Aug. 20, 28, 29 and 30 with the last full moon tours of the season on Sept. 27, 28 and 29. A special tour will be offered during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower on Aug. 12. Each tour is limited to the lake's eight rental vessels — single and tandem kayaks, a canoe and a cataraft. Tours will depart accord- ing to best viewing times, limited to two hours with a return by midnight. Lead by two guides these pro- grams will include basic paddling techniques, safety and night sky viewing of natural phenomena. Cost per person is $65 and res- ervations can be obtained by calling the Manzanita Lake Camper Store at 335- 7557. For more information, visit www.lassenrecreation. com. For program and trail information, campground openings, and current con- ditions to plan your trip, visit the park website at www.nps.gov/lavo or con- tact the visitor center at 595-4480 or lavo_informa- tion@nps.gov. Summer programs highlight the night sky LASSEN PARK CO URT ES Y P HO TO Mo on o ve r M an za ni ta L ak e By Jennifer C. Kerr The Associated Press WASHINGTON More than a decade after No Child Left Behind established a stron- ger federal role in public ed- ucation, the Senate on last week approved a rewrite of the much-criticized educa- tion law that would return much of that power to the states. The 81-17 vote comes a week after the House passed its own rewrite and sets the stage for what could be contentious ne- gotiations over the federal government's influence in education policy. The Senate version would leave in place the law's an- nual testing schedule. But, in a major shift, it would give statesanddistrictsmorecon- trol over whether and how to use those tests to assess the performance of schools, teachers and students. The legislation, spon- sored by Republican Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, would pro- hibit the federal govern- ment from requiring or en- couraging specific sets of academic standards, such as Common Core. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the bill makes progress toward re- placing No Child Left Be- hind, but "still falls short of truly giving every child a fair shot at success by fail- ing to ensure that parents and children can count on local leaders to take action when students are strug- gling to learn." SCHOOLS Se na te O Ks r ev is ed N o Ch il d ed uc at io n la w RUNNINGS ROOFING SheetMetalRoofing ResidentialCommercial • Composition • Shingle • Single Ply Membrane Ownerisonsiteoneveryjob ServingTehamaCounty 530-527-5789 530-209-5367 NoMoney Down! "NoJobTooSteep" " No Job Too Flat" FREE ESTIMATES CA. LIC#829089 STOVEJUNCTION The TheNorthState'spremiersupplierofstoves 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com Over 25 years of experience Tues-Sat 9am-5pm • Closed Sun & Mon Now Carrying! GreenMountainGrills & Accessories Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties Smog Check (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) 527-9841 • 195 S. 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