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Weddingseasonisin full swing. Tying the knot is getting more expensive every year — for the bride and groom and the guests. In fact, a 2015 Market Watch sur- vey revealed that the av- erage wedding guest would spend $673 to attend a sin- gle wedding, including, but not limited to, costs associ- ated with travel, accommo- dations and attire. And then there's the wed- ding gift. The Knot recom- mends spending anywhere between $50 and $200 or more on a wedding gift. Do you want to cut the cost of a wedding gift and still give the couple something they want and will appreciate? Here are some ways to com- promise. COMPARE PRICES ON REGISTRY ITEMS. It's wise to reference a regis- try to see what the couple wants. But it's even wiser to then compare prices of a registry item at differ- ent stores. Online retailers like Overstock sell popular wedding-registry brands for less than most high-end stores. USE GIFT CARDS. If you're planning to give a gift card, or you're plan- ning to buy an item off the couple's registry, save money by purchasing dis- count gift cards from the Gift Card Granny website. The site offers gift cards for less than face value, such as a $100 Macy's gift card for $80. KNOW WHERE TO FIND COUPON CODES. Most stores offer coupons these days. You just have to know where to find them. By signing up to receive an e-newsletter from Pottery Barn or Williams-Sonoma, for example, you'll get a coupon code for 10 percent off a future order. HEAD TO A WARE- HOUSE CLUB. Big stores like Costco and Sam's Club sell some popular wed- ding gifts like blenders, food processors and other household goods for at least 30 percent less than other stores. GO IN ON A BIG GIFT. If the couple registered for an expensive item that is out of your price range, get a group of friends or relatives together to split the cost. GO TO THE DOLLAR STORE. While the costs of gift wrap and a card seem insignificant, you may tack on another $20 to an al- ready pricey present. Ev- ery dollar counts! Head to the dollar store to buy both of these items for a buck each. OFFER YOUR SER- VICES. If you are tight on money, offer to help the bride and groom prepare for the wedding instead of giving a physical gift. Whether it's doing hair and makeup for the bride and her maids, putting your photography skills to work, or dogsitting while the cou- ple is away on their honey- moon, any offer is sure to please. SPREAD OUT YOUR PURCHASES. Don't feel pressured to purchase a gift right away, especially if your funds are limited. Per- haps you recently bought a gift for the bridal shower, or booked airfare and a ho- tel for the wedding. The bride and groom would never want you to go into debt on account of their nuptials, so you can space out your expenses. Simply follow the traditional wed- ding etiquette rule: Send a gift within one year of the event. Just don't forget! A question for my read- ers: Will you be attending any weddings this year? Do you have any cost-cutting secrets you'd like to share? 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 Don'tgobrokeforaweddinggi Mary Hunt CHICO Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve's 10th Annual Butterfly Count is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday. Join for the North Amer- ican Butterfly Association's Butterfly Count, a citizen science event that celebrates the butterfly diversity of the continent. Participants will gather local data by counting the number of butterflies and species within the count cir- cle, centered on the reserve. This data becomes part of a database that allows scien- tists to answer important questions about butterfly populations and biology in North America. Spend a day with the ex- perts, learn about the but- terfliesandcontributetosci- ence atthebeautifulreserve. Some moderately strenuous walking will be required. Everyone should wear sturdy hiking shoes with lugged soles and long pants, bring food and water and consider mosquito repellent, a hat and sun-screen. Poison oak is ubiquitous on the re- serve. A butterfly guide and binoculars will be helpful. Count is on rain or shine, so come prepared. For more information, or toreserveaspot,writetoJon Aull at jaull@csuchico.edu. For more information about the reserve, visit www.csuchico.edu/bccer/ and find it on facebook. com/bigchicocreekecologi- calreserve. The reserve is part of the CSU, Chico Research Foun- dation, a not-for-profit orga- nization. BIG CHICO CREEK USFISHANDWILDLIFESERVICEPHOTO Monarch butterfly Butterfly count to be held Thursday The following Altacal Audubonprogramandfield tripactivitiesarescheduled for June. All programs and activities are free of cost unless otherwise indicated and are open to the public. If you have any questions or want further informa- tionaboutspecificactivities, call Wayland Augur at 519- 4724 or write to wba@acm. org. Program AltacalAnnualPotluck— 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 20, Chico Creek Nature Center. Come join us and cele- brate friendships and our common love for birds and thenaturalworldattheAn- nual Potluck dinner. Mem- bers will have a chance to visit with old friends and new ones; talk about birds and birding and share sto- ries of recent and future adventures and travels. It's been another remark- able year for Altacal Audu- bon and this will be the last chance to get together as a group until the next pro- gram in September. There are no programs during July and August. Bring a dish to share, a beverage for yourself or to share, a plate and fork and a chair if you like. Fieldtrips Saturday,June4—Colby Meadows A special tour of a less traveled portion of Colby Meadows with help of the Sierra Club. Meet 9 a.m. at Chico Park & Ride west lot, caravan up to the Butte MeadowsSnowmobilePark, and caravan the rest of the way.Thegroupwillbelook- ing for Northern Goshawk, White-headedWoodpecker, PacificWren,andMountain Chickadee. Contact: Larry Crisman at 513-8425. June 10-12 — Sierra Val- ley and Yuba Pass This trip covers a vari- ety of mountain habitats, marshes and open fields at the headwaters of the FeatherRiver,thesagebrush lowlands of the Sierra Val- ley, the conifer woodlands of Yuba Pass and the Lakes Basin area. The group will meetatthecampgroundon Fridayafternoonorevening andcampoutonFridayand Saturdaynights.Thecamp- ground will be Wild Plum Campground in Sierra City. The weather should be nice this time of year, but rain or snow cancels. To reserve a space, call Jennifer Patten at 345-9356 or write to jp- chico@sbcglobal.net June 11 — Kayaking on the Thermalito Afterbay Join on a leisurely kaya- king trip on the beautiful Thermalito Afterbay. The group will be in search of WesternandClark'sGrebes, Least Bittern, Osprey, Dou- bleCrestedCormorant,and Yellow Headed Blackbird. Launching at 8:30 a.m. off Wilbur Road south. This is the dirt road that leads to a large clump of trees. There is plenty of parking, shade, and easy access to put in the kayaks. The group will be out on the water for 3-4 hours, so bring your sun- screen and plenty of water. Contact Matthew Forster: findforster@yahoo.com or 619-347-2269. June 18 — Butte Mead- ows Hike Enjoy a leisurely Sat- urday afternoon explor- ing Butte Meadows and Colby Meadows for moun- tain birds. Birds of interest will be Evening Grosbeak, Townsend's Solitaire, Pile- ated Woodpecker, White- headedWoodpecker,Pacific Wren and Mountain Chick- adee.Therewillbeachance to see Mountain Quail and American Dipper along the way. The group will meet at 8a.m.,ChicoPark&Rideon west lot. Pack a lunch. Con- tact:MatthewForster:find- forster@yahoo.com or 619- 347-2269. June24-26—LassenVol- canic National Park Camp- ing & Birding. The group has enjoyed the birding and camping at the Lost Creek Group Campgroundovertheyears. Group Camp Site #5 has been reserved for Friday, June 24 and Saturday, June 25.Theparkroad shouldbe freeofsnowbylateJuneand ideal for observing nesting birds. Wintu, Redwood Re- gion and Altacal Audubon Society are invited. Folks can camp at Lost Creek or drive up for Saturday and Sunday.Camperscanarrive at the campsite at a time of their choosing on Friday af- ternoon. Saturday day trip- pers should meet, 8 a.m. at the Redding Civic Au- ditorium to car pool. The group will bird Manzanita Lake and vicinity on Sat- urday morning. The rest of the itinerary is open and willdependontheinterests oftheparticipants.Daytrip- perswillmeetat9a.m.Sun- day, June 26, at the camp- site. Lost Creek has primi- tive facilities; pit toilets and no electricity. Potable water is available. Contact Jenni- fer Patten for more details, jpchico@sbcglobal.net,530- 345-9356. June 26 — Feather Falls Feather Falls Loop Trail is a 7.6 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Oroville that features a beautiful waterfall. At the falls, the group will be able to see the splendid Black Swiftsastheysoarthrough- outtheskies.Alongthetrail thegroupwillbelookingfor Chestnut-backed Chicka- dees,CanyonWrens,Pacific Wrens, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Band Tailed Pi- geons and many more mid- elevationbirds.Becausethis trail can get pretty hot dur- ing the summer days, the group will leave at 6 a.m. from the Chico Park & Ride on west lot. Bring plenty of water, a lunch and mos- quito spray. Contact Mat- thew Forster: findforster@ yahoo.com or 619-347-2269 for more information and interest in joining. ALTACAL Audubon Society events planned forJune REDDING This marks the fourth year of the California 100, a one day, 100-mile pad- dling race down the Sacra- mento river on June 11, with events on June 10 and 12 to celebrateandprepareforthe epic ultramarathon. The Cal 100 is the longest paddling race in California on the longest river in Cal- ifornia and is a major fun- draiser and outreach event for the non-profit organiza- tion Rivers for Change. Only 200 spots are avail- able to paddlers of any craft including canoes, kayaks, surfskisandstanduppaddle- boards. Registration is open at https://paddleguru.com/ races/2016California100. The race begins in Red- ding under the Sundial Bridge and continues down- river for 100 miles, stopping briefly at three mandatory checkpoints along the way, including River Park in Red Bluff and Woodson Bridge State Park east of Corning. It's organized into two ma- jor classes, the competi- tive class and the adventure class. Classes are then bro- ken into divisions based on paddlecraft,gender,solorac- ers, teams or relays. More details can be found at calriver100.com. Leading up to the race, there were three pre-race training clinics to help rac- ers prepare for the challenge in Oakland, Sacramento and Redding. For paddlers and adventurers wanting to take part in the race, but not ready to tackle 100 straight miles, they have the option of forming or joining a relay team. The course record of 9 hours46minutesand27sec- onds is held by a relay team of women called Paddle Like a Girl. 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