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Couldyouuseanextra $25 or $50 next week? If you get motivated, there's a big chance you can slash your family's food bill by that much — maybe more — each week, without sacrificing health and nutrition. And that will be tax-free cash you have in your hand, not money that requires more overtime or a garage sale before you can get your hands on it. There's not one single way to reduce food costs significantly and consis- tently. It has to be a com- bination of strategies: buy right, eat out less and cook at home more. COUPONS. You know that couponing can be very effective. But you have to do it right, or it will just be a big waste of time and money. Check sites like The Gro- cery Game (my favor- ite) and Coupon Mom. The secret is to combine a manufacturer's cou- pon with a sale. That re- quires that you keep your eye on sales and also hold onto coupons, but not so long that they expire. THINK SEASONAL. We know that fresh fruits and vegetables are neces- sary for a healthy diet — five servings a day for op- timal health. Pound for pound, fresh produce can be much cheaper than fast food, chips, cook- ies, candy, soda pop or any prepackaged, pre- processed convenience items. There is a catch, though. You have to buy what's in season. How do you know? Look around the produce department. If it's $4.99 a pound, chances are good that it's not in season. When ap- ples are 3 pounds for 99 cents, bananas are 69 cents a pound and red Flame Seedless grapes are $1.77 a pound, you know they're in season. There are always bar- gains in the produce de- partment. Adjust your tastes and expectations to fit them. KNOW YOUR PRICES. Devise some kind of sys- tem that will let you be- come intimately familiar with the shelf price and sale price of food items you buy on a regular ba- sis. It might be a small notebook you carry with you or a spreadsheet you maintain in your com- puter. Marketing cam- paigns take advantage of the ignorance of the buy- ing public. You need to be smart enough to know a real deal when you see it and also detect a counter- feit. It's difficult to find the humor in a sign that an- nounces "Two for $2" un- less you know the regular price is 89 cents each. SET LIMITS. Based on what you learn from knowing your prices, de- termine the per-unit price above which you will not spend. For instance, I've learned I don't have to spend more than $2 for a box of cereal. It's not al- ways available at that price — but when it is, I stock up to last until the next time. CONTROL PORTIONS. Dr. Dean Edell of ra- dio fame and the author of "Eat, Drink and Be Merry" says the healthi- est diet is not one that is low-fat or high-carb. The healthiest way to eat is to eat less — small amounts of a large variety of foods. It's hard work for our bod- ies to digest and convert food. Dr. Edell maintains that we wear our bod- ies out prematurely when we overeat. You can learn what constitutes a "por- tion" on the package label. A single portion of break- fast cereal is 4 ounces. To- morrow morning measure out cup. Get prepared for that single serving to look a little puny. Chances are great that you've been having seconds and thirds. Hint: Rather than serving dinner fam- ily style (passing the food around the table), try res- taurant style where the food is "plated" in the kitchen. Now the cook controls portion sizes — a great first step to revers- ing overconsumption. GET CREATIVE. If you set your mind to it, you will be amazed how many ways you can prepare rice or how you can stretch a pound of ground beef to feed a group. Use up the items in your refrigerator before dipping into your stockpile or buying a new supply. 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 Morewaysto slash your food bill Mary Hunt COURTESYPHOTO Nor Cal Jr. Clay Busters. FUNDRAISER The Nor Cal Jr. Clay Busters will be holding the second annual Gerald Sanders Memorial Sport- ing Clay Tournament at 8 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, at Clear Creek Sports Club in Corning, with a raffle and awards luncheon to follow at Carlino's event center. This is a 100-round tour- nament. Registration fee is $75, which includes lunch. Non-shooters can join for lunch for $15. There will be a station set up to shoot for a chance to win a pheasant hunt, $5 for 2 pulls, each broken clay gets an entry. There are still gun raffle tickets available for $10. This tournament is the club's main fundraiser for the year. The proceeds are used to buy ammo and pay range fees for this youth organi- zation. For Information, call Holly at 526-0591, see Face- book @ Nor Cal Jr. Clay Busters or send an email to norcaljrclaybusters@ gmail.com. MemorialSportingClayTournamentset CHICO More than 220 charities have signed up for the ninth annual An- nie B's Community Drive of the North Valley Commu- nity Foundation that raises funds for participants of nonprofits and charitable funds. The drive is the largest grant program of its kind in the region, support- ing nonprofits in four counties – Butte, Colusa, Glenn and Tehama, ac- cording to the press re- lease from Director of Strategic Philanthropy Laura Cootsona. During the last eight years of Annie B's, the grant program has gener- ated more than $8 million for local charities, includ- ing $800,000 from foun- dation matching funds. The drive allows local do- nors the chance to work as a community and support their favorite charities. Tehama Together, Sa- cred Heart School, The North State Symphony and the Red Bluff Vineyard are all organizations in the Te- hama county area that par- ticipate and use the help given by the Annie B's Community Drive event to continue their services and to thrive. Tehama Together is a group of individuals who came together to iden- tify the needs of the com- munity and to meet those needs, according to the an- niebs.org. The organiza- tion also came up with the 211tehama, a phone infor- mational and referral ser- vice to help those in need with the right community resources. Through Sept. 30, par- ticipating organizations actively seek donations for the community. Donors are encouraged to give with the incentive of a percent- age grant made from the Annie B's Grant Pool. Last year the percentage grant was 7 percent: meaning that for each dollar raised by a charity, the Annie B's Grant Pool gave an addi- tional seven cents. The grant pool is expected to be $100,000 again this year. "By making a donation to your favorite organiza- tions and causes, you di- rectly invest in the ongo- ing quality of life here in the North State. Your do- nations strengthen non- profits who support our community," Coostsona said. "Through the Annie B's Community Drive, the foundation supports and strengthens the non- profit sector, which in turn takes care of so many as- pects of our life together: at risk youth, small busi- ness loans, access to clean water, services to seniors, people with disabilities, research for diseases, great events and enter- tainment." For more information or to make a gift online, visit anniebs.org. FUNDRAISER Ni nt h an nu al A nni e B' s co mm un it y dr iv e be gi ns "By making a donation to your favorite organizations and causes, you directly invest in the ongoing quality of life here in the North State." Laura Cootsona IT only T A K E S A S P A R K . O N L Y Y O U C A N P R E V E N T W I L D F I R E S . s m o k e y b e a r . c o m Please www.tehamafamilyfitness.com Tehama Family Fitness Center 2498SouthMainSt.RedBluff• 528-8656 Yesterday You Said Tomorrow, Become A Better YOU Today! Finish2015feelingandlookingamazing! GettherestoftheYEARforonly: $159SingleMembership • Couples $239 Family of 3 $279 • Family of 4 $319 • Family of 5 $449 The sooner you enroll the better the savings! Children must be under 18 to be included in family specials. (530) 529-1220 100 Jackson St. Red Bluff AquaAerobics Classes Mon.,Wed.,Fri. 10 to 10:45am Mon., Wed. 5:30 to 6:15pm Monthly pool pass $25 adult $15 child BACK TO SCHOOL PROJECT PRESENTS Sunday, August 9, 2015 2:00-6:00 pm Red Bluff Community Center 1500 S. Jackson, Red Bluff •Freehaircutsfor school-age children providedbylicensedhairstylists • Free food donated by Cornerstone Community Bank • Free professional photographs by Studio 530 Photography • Live music • Children's games • Information booths P.O. Box 292 Red Bluff, CA 96080 530.529.4074 www.backtoschoolproject.com LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, August 5, 2015 MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A5