Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/717873
Banksandretailershave benefited greatly the past few decades by promot- ing a cash- less lifestyle. They con- vinced us that it's safer and more convenient to carry plas- tic. They de- clared cash old-fash- ioned and clunky, and plas- tic hip and cool. We grad- ually fell for the pitch and eventually got more than we bargained for — going cashless has turned us into a debt-ridden society. But things are changing on the consumer front, and cash is making a comeback. Some of my readers like Martin B. are using cash to avoid dealing with credit card companies, collec- tion agencies, etc. Susan J. and her husband wrote that they closed their credit card accounts because of past problems with over- draft charges and identity theft. Others like Bill and Jan W. are using money or- ders to pay bills. They cash their paychecks at their company credit union be- cause it doesn't charge a high fee like check-cashing stores do. These readers are switching to cash for spe- cific reasons. But there's another reason individu- als are shifting to a cash lifestyle, and it's per- haps more noble than any other: to reduce spending and increase savings. Countless studies prove that you will spend more if you pay with plastic — anywhere between 30 and 200 percent more, depend- ing on the study. It's a lot easier to make unplanned purchases when you pay with plastic, whereas cash is a fixed amount, so you simply cannot spend more than you have. Making the shift from plastic to cash doesn't necessarily mean clos- ing your credit accounts. It means only using cash for your day-to-day spend- ing; it means planning ahead, shopping with a list, paying attention to prices and making pur- chase choices according to the amount of cash you have at the time — which can be tough. You need a variety of active credit ac- counts to maintain an ex- cellent credit score, but you don't have to use them on a daily basis. There are so many bene- fits to getting out of a plas- tic mindset. You will prac- tice discipline, account- ability and responsibility, and you will learn to ac- cept delayed gratification. Here's a simple way to get out of the plastic mind- set: Get a stack of enve- lopes and label each of them with a spending cat- egories, such as food, gas, dry cleaning, kids, etc. Cash your next paycheck, and deposit some of it into your account — just enough to cover bills you pay online or with checks. Then, divvy up the cash between the envelopes. Leave your credit card at home, and take your en- velopes with you. Once an envelope is empty, that means no more spending in that category until the next fill-up. At first, you'll feel as if you've jumped into the deep end of the pool with- out your water wings. Just take it one day at a time, and you'll eventually ad- just and feel free. 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 Makingtheshi to living with cash Mary Hunt 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 As a person with Medi- care, you have important rights. One of them is the right to appeal. An appeal is the ac- tion you can take if you disagree with a coverage or payment decision by Medicare or your Medi- care health plan. For ex- ample, you can appeal if Medicare or your plan de- nies a request for a health care service, supply, item, or prescription drug that you think you should get, a request for payment of a health care service, sup- ply, item, or prescription drug you already got or a request to reduce the amount you must pay for a health care service, supply, item, or prescription drug. You can also appeal if Medicare or your Medi- care Advantage plan stops providing or paying for all or part of a health care ser- vice, supply, item, or pre- scription drug you think you still need. If you decide to file an appeal, you can ask your doctor, supplier, or other health care provider for any information that may help your case. Keep a copy of everything you send to Medicare or your health plan as part of your appeal! How you file an ap- peal depends on the type of Medicare coverage you have. If you have Original Medicare: 1. Get the "Medicare Summary Notice" (MSN) that shows the item or ser- vice you're appealing. Your MSN is the notice you get every 3 months that lists all the services billed to Medicare, and tells you if Medicare paid for the ser- vices. 2. Circle the item(s) you disagree with on the MSN, and write an explanation of why you disagree with the decision on the MSN or a separate piece of paper and attach it to the MSN. 3. Include your name, phone number, and Medi- care number on the MSN, and sign it. Keep a copy for your records. 4. Send the MSN, or a copy, to the company that handles bills for Medicare (known as the Medicare Administrative Contrac- tor) listed on the MSN. You can include any additional information about your ap- peal. Or you can use CMS Form 20027 and file it with the company that handles bills for Medicare. To view or print this form, visit www.cms.gov/cmsforms/ downloads/cms20027.pdf. Or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to have a copy mailed to you. TTY users should call 1-877- 486-2048. You must file the ap- peal within 120 days of the date you get the MSN in the mail. You'll gener- ally get a decision from the Medicare Adminis- trative Contractor within 60 days after they receive your request. If Medicare will cover the item(s) or service(s), they'll be listed on your next MSN. If you have a Medi- care Advantage or other health plan, read the ma- terials your plan sends you, call your plan, or visit www.Medicare.gov/ appeals. In some cases, you can file an expedited, or fast appeal. If you have a Medicare prescription drug plan, even before you pay for a given drug, you have the right to get a written ex- planation (called a "cover- age determination") from your Medicare drug plan. A coverage determina- tion is the initial decision made by your Medicare drug plan (not the phar- macy) about your bene- fits, including whether a certain drug is covered, whether you've met the requirements to get a re- quested drug, how much you pay for a drug, and whether to make an excep- tion to a plan rule when you request it; ask for an exception if you or your prescriber (your doctor or other health care pro- vider who's legally allowed to write prescriptions) be- lieve you need a drug that isn't on your plan's formu- lary; ask for an exception if you or your prescriber believe that a coverage rule (like prior authoriza- tion) should be waived and ask for an exception if you think you should pay less for a higher tier (more ex- pensive) drug because you or your prescriber believe you can't take any of the lower tier (less expensive) drugs for the same condi- tion. For more information on exceptions and your other Medicare rights, read the "Medicare & You 2016" handbook, at https:// www.medicare.gov/Pubs/ pdf/10050.pdf. Cate Kortzeborn is Medicare's acting regional administrator for Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Territories. You can always get answers to your Medicare questions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800- 633-4227). CATE KORTZEBORN KnowyourMedicarerights It's that time again for crafters and artisans to be invited to join in the Te- hama County Museum's festivities by setting up a booth at the 35th Annual Jubilee Artisan & Craft Fair to be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10. This year's theme is a vintage museum summer social — an old fashioned, fun, free, family day event. As a much enjoyed fea- ture of the Jubilee, ven- dors are encouraged to set up tents or sun shades to display their distinctive talents by offering every- thing from handmade to shabby chic, to vintage, to county related, to re-pur- posed crafts, to yard art, to pottery, to rugs, to jew- elry and candles. It's never too early to offer those uncommon, intriguing and hard to find Christmas items. Crafters of all persuasions whose products and inter- ests run the gamut from the interesting and unique to the practical and hard to find are invited to apply for available booth spaces next door to the museum at Habert Park in Tehama. Single sized booth spaces measure 10' x 14' with a donation of $20. Double and triple sized spaces also are available. Registration is now open with an application dead- line of Aug. 31. For details, maps and applications, call the Tehama County Mu- seum at 384-2595 or write to tcmuse@tehama.net. The museum is open to vis- itors 1-4 p.m. Saturdays at 275 C St. in Tehama. TEHAMA COUNTY Artists sought for the Jubilee Artisan & Cra Fair CONTRIBUTED Shown here is the 2015Jubilee. PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER. 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