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OfallthepeopleIknow and love, I can't think of anyone who wouldn't wel- come a small income boost this month — or any month, for that mat- ter. Whether you're be- tween jobs, figuring out how to cover a bill or hop- ing to stash more cash into savings, get your cre- ative juices flowing with these ideas. DON'T OVERINSURE. You need term life insur- ance. The recommended is 8 to 10 times the an- nual income of the single breadwinner; in a two-in- come family, insure each spouse for 6 to 8 times their annual gross salary. But you can confidently cancel duplicate coverage. The boost: Add up what you're paying for credit card insurance, life insur- ance for your kids, mort- gage insurance and ac- cident insurance. What was offered to you for just pennies a day is proba- bly about $100 a month, or more, that you will save. Caution: Get a term life policy first if you don't have one, then cancel the duplicates. Don't leave even the tiniest gap be- tween coverage. CALL YOUR AUTO IN- SURER. Has your teen- age driver brought home a great report card? Most auto insurance companies will knock about 10 per- cent off your premium if an insured teen maintains a 3.0 GPA. Is there an ed- ucator in the family? Mer- cury Insurance and other companies give discounts to credentialed teachers and educational adminis- trators. Discounts also ap- ply if you have a bachelor's degree in engineering or a science-related field. Fi- nally, insurers often give discounts of 20 percent or more when you insure all of your cars with one com- pany. Caution: Don't assume that discounts are auto- matic — you have to speak up. Ask to see a complete list, since companies offer different ones. The boost: Compound discounts can really add up for a big save. FATTEN YOUR PAY- CHECK. If you receive a tax refund, rethink your initial urge to spend it. Save those bucks. Another way to look at it: You're giving Uncle Sam an in- terest-free loan. To have less withheld from your paychecks, file a new W-4 with your employer and increase your number of allowances. Caution: Don't over-ad- just your W-4, or you could end up owing the IRS next year. Pull out your last fed- eral tax return for refer- ence, and go to the IRS website to calculate how many allowances you should. The boost: If you're get- ting a $2,000 tax refund, adjusting your withhold- ing for next year will in- crease your net income by about $163 each month. MOONLIGHT. Tak- ing a second job at a craft store made all the differ- ence for one of my readers, Kathryn. "It was challeng- ing to go to my second job, but I boosted our income enough to get us through a rough patch," says Kath- ryn. Typically, the food service industry, drug- stores and retail stores of- fer part-time work. Caution: Unless you've suffered a loss of income, taking on a second job could push you into a higher tax bracket. Run the numbers before mov- ing forward. The boost: Your earn- ings depend on the jobs available. Kathryn worked 10- to 20 hours a week at her second job, earning just over minimum wage per hour. This increased their household income by up to $400 monthly. FREELANCE. There are three websites you should visit to get a feel for a freelance gig that fits your talents and skills. Upwork an online free- lancing platform where small businesses connect with qualified profession- als. If you are a writer, programmer, graphic de- signer, marketer or have other skills to offer, you can bid on jobs and be contracted for doing what you do best. Fiverr is a global online market- place offering tasks and services beginning at $5 per job performed — from which the company gets its name. TaskRabbit is an online and mobile marketplace that allows users to outsource small jobs and tasks to others in their neighborhood. Users name the task and price they are willing to pay, and pre-approved contrac- tors bid to win the job. Think of TaskRabbit is as eBay for real-world labor. The Internet is filled with reputable freelance com- panies in a multitude of industries. Caution: Make sure your daytime employer has no restrictions on freelancing. The Boost: Jobs at Up- work vary and can pay up to $500 per project for writers and $1,000 per project for programmers. Fiverr and TaskRabbit vary; Check them out for more information. Youcanemail Mary at mary@ everydaycheapskate.com. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Boostyourincome The Red Bluff High School Athletic Depart- ment is sponsoring its in- augural Mattress Sale fund- raising event set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20 in the Field House Gym on the Red Bluff High School campus. The department has com- bined forces with CFD Fun- draising to allow local res- idents to support the Red Bluff High School wrestling team by purchasing a brand new mattress set at a dis- counted price. "We see this as a real win-win-win for every- one involved," said coach Ty Minto. "We will be pro- viding the opportunity for people to purchase some- thing that they need at a discounted price. In return wrestling teams at Red Bluff High School will earn much needed funds to help the student-athletes get the best athletic experience possible." The event will be fun. Anyone that wants to par- ticipate can come to the Field House Gym at Red Bluff High School at their convenience on either day. A wide variety of mattress sets from national brand name sources will be set up for people to try out. Trained personnel will be on hand to answer ques- tions and help in the selec- tion process. In addition to new mat- tress sets, there will be mat- tress covers, bed frames and pillows available for purchase. All of the pur- chases will be delivered to the buyer within the Red Bluff area at no additional cost. Cash, local checks, credit cards and debit cards will be accepted. For more information call 529-8837. RED BLUFF HIGH Wr es tlin g te am t o hol d mattress fundraiser Mary Hunt I heard from a casting director last month who encouraged me to try out for a new, brutal obstacle course show. There was a fitness test portion that I thought sounded pretty easy. If you feel like chal- lenging yourself, this is the test — which must be done without a break: 2 minutes of jumping rope, 2 minute plank, 5 pull- ups, 5 push-ups, 4 pull- ups, 4 push-ups, 3 pull- ups, 3 push-ups, 2 pull- ups, 2 push-ups, 1 pull up, 1 push up. That's it. Sounds easy, right? I got to the plank and after a min- ute was shaking like a leaf. Then the dang pull-ups. Very hard if it's not part of your rou- tine. I had my husband videotape my test, but I would be shocked if they picked me after my lack- luster performance. It was nice to be asked to try out, and it gives me a new fitness goal. And you can bet we've been doing some long planks and lots of push-ups in class. I have continued to apply for grants for our new non-profit and am looking forward to get- ting some funding to help us expand our ser- vices. I have received generous donations from one student who asked to remain anony- mous and my longtime friends, Joe and Amy Ball. Thank you all for your support and help- ing us keep our doors open. If anyone is looking to donate, and get a sizable tax write off, we are look- ing for funds to help pay our liability insurance, which is coming due next month. It is $1,500, and we typically have paid it with our tax refund. Un- fortunately, we won't be seeing much of a re- fund this year as the IRS granted our 501(c)3 status in February of 2015, even though the state didn't recognize it until Decem- ber 2015. Any help would be greatly and publicly ap- preciated. Part of our expanded services is our monthly free self-defense class. My judo coach, Greg Blanco, is even offering a more comprehensive free class 9 a.m. to noon March 19. He will be accepting do- nations for the gym to help defray the cost of running the non-profit. It is open to anyone, and I guarantee you will come away a lot wiser and with some sweet moves. My monthly self-de- fense class will be 5:30-6 p.m. March 29; Damsel in Defense with be there selling self-defense items. Another free commu- nity service we are rein- stating is our monthly "Just Move It." This is a free fitness ac- tivity to promote health and fitness in conjunction with Indian Health Ser- vices. It is a nationwide movement to promote physical activity for Na- tive Americans. Ours will held 5:30-6 p.m. March 25. It is also open to ev- eryone. Amidst all this, and the excitement that comes with running a non- profit, we suffered a mild set back. On March 10 our yoga instructor, AnnElyse Hays, contacted us first thing in the morning to let us know that some- one broke one of the win- dows at our gym. Just smashed it. They didn't appear to take anything. Just a senseless act of de- struction. Across town another gym, Vitality, had its win- dow busted out. A friend of mine told me the secu- rity cameras at his church were stolen. Several other businesses and residences have been hit. It really saddens me that our hometown is suf- fering from this increase in crime. All we can do is watch out for each other, call the police to report suspicious activities and pray. Speaking of praying, I attended an excellent Lay Servant training that my church offered last month. It has spurred me on yet another journey. I am feeling called to purse training to become a lay pastor. I would love to become an ordained minister, but that requires a master's degree and the ability to memorize large amounts of material — a gift that has probably become di- minished from my many years of getting punched in the head. I would be content to glean a greater understanding of the bi- ble and be able to de- liver a sermon now and then. Until next time, my friends, may God bless and keep you. Avery Vilche is the CEO of Psycho Fitness & MMA, Inc., a non-profit organization that focuses on fitness and self defense for everyone at any level. You can reach her at 200- 0526 or vilcheavery@ yahoo.com. AVERY VILCHE March madness in the fitness world CONTRIBUTEDPHOTO A window at Psycho Fitness & MMA was smashed earlier this month. Whether you draw a pay- check, are self-employed or own a small business, you can use all available tax forms you need for free with IRS Free File. If you make $62,000 or less, you qualify for free brand-name software of- fered through a partner- ship between the IRS and 13 leading tax software providers. Some of these providers offer free fed- eral and free state return preparation and electronic filing. If you made more than $62,000, you can use Free File Fillable Forms, elec- tronic versions of IRS pa- per forms best for some- one experienced in return preparation. Free File offers all fed- eral tax forms for free. That goes for the Form 1040, Form 1040EZ and Form 1040A. For exam- ple, all forms are free if you have mortgage inter- est deductions, children in college or made money in the stock market, among other things. Also for example, all forms are free if you have a Form W-2, or a Form 1099 or an EIN for your own business. February marks a high- point in the tax filing sea- son when the IRS experi- ences many calls to its cus- tomer service line from taxpayers with questions. Free File software prod- ucts can help answer many of your questions by walk- ing you through a step-by- step process to complete your tax return. And if you can't find answers from your tax software product, there are many other online tools at IRS.gov that can help you find the answers you need when you need them. To start your Free File tax return, you first need all your documents in- cluding your income state- ments such as Form W-2. Businesses are required to provide their employ- ees with their Forms W-2 by Jan. 31. If you did not receive your Form W-2, now is a good time to contact your employer or former em- ployer and put in your re- quest. If you do not receive your Form W-2 by the end of February, contact the IRS and the agency will send a letter to your em- ployer. If, for whatever reason, you cannot meet the April 18 tax deadline this year, you also can use Free File to submit an extension to file. Just look for the com- panies that are offering free extensions. The ex- tension will give you un- til Oct. 17. But remember, it's an ex- tension to file, not an ex- tension to pay. If you think you will owe, be sure to make any payment by April 18. TAX TIPS All tax forms free with IRS Free File Some 41.5 percent of in- dividuals who have experi- enced a stroke and 23-65 percent of individuals who have experienced traumatic brain injury will have trou- ble with their speech. Additional causes of speech difficulty are asso- ciated with a progressive disease such as Parkinson's or muscular dystrophy. Most often, the speech dif- ficulty manifests itself in slow, weak, imprecise and uncoordinated movements of the tongue and muscles around the mouth. The resulting trou- ble with articulation, vol- ume, and respiration is of- ten troubling both to the speaker and to the listener. The frustration of not be- ing understood, may re- sult in depression for the person who has suffered a stroke or is living with disabling progressive dis- ease. Everyday tasks be- come more difficult. Thankfully, through speech techniques much of the communication skills may be regained and im- proved. In addition to the loss of communication skills, stroke sufferers, and those with progressives dis- abling diseases may also have problems swallow- ing. Something as simple as eating a breakfast of granola, a meticulous lack of peanuts causes the pa- tient to choke. The muscles in the throat, which nor- mally work automatically have become impaired. Over time, appears to be a nuisance can become life- threatening. The good news is that there are techniques that can be learned easily and quickly to protect individ- uals from choking. Dr. Shelly Von Berg, a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the Par- kinson's Voice Project, has agreed to share these tech- niques free of charge at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 2 at 275 Solano St. in Corning. Theeventwillbeginat10 a.m. and end at noon. Light refreshmentswillbeserved. For more information call Elaine at 528-7949 or Shirley at 824-5451. CORNING HEALTH-CARE DISTRICT Free seminar on speech to be offered Weofferfast,efficient, reliable, and confidential services at a more affordable cost to our clients. 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