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Figuringouthowtoin- stall a new tile floor in the family room paid off big for my friend Mary Brock, who lives in South Caro- lina. A close- out sale of 25 cents each for 12-inch ceramic tiles, basic instal- lation tools and a simple how-to book gave her the confidence she needed to give it a try. She said: "I got a serious physical workout, great re- sults and still enjoy the bragging rights of a do-it- yourselfer. Plus, with the money I didn't spend on materials, we got new fur- niture for the room." While her results are remarkable, Mary is not unique. Homeown- ers are increasingly sav- ing a lot of money by pick- ing up screwdrivers and wrenches, and donning safety glasses to tackle home repair projects. They're finding step-by- step instructions online, which often include big doses of encouragement and confidence, too. Of all the things that need repair in a typical home — and are most of- ten ignored — drippy fau- cets and leaky toilets most likely top the list. They put money down the drain, but calling a plumber can empty your wallet even faster. The solution is sim- ple: Fix it yourself. An online search for "fix leaky faucet" turns up a plethora of instructional sites. Or turn to page 48 in the richly illustrated book "Dare to Repair" by Julie Sussman and Steph- anie Glakas-Tenet for step-by-step instructions on how to do that repair with a couple of washers or a simple valve replace- ment. Leaky toilets are the most common cause of high water bills, says Kay Keating of the free website Toiletology 101 — a site that is as entertaining as it is useful. Take a seat in her online classroom, and she'll teach you how to fix the leak yourself, and even to detect a leak you didn't know you had with inex- pensive replacement parts available at any home im- provement store. Next to drips and leaks, appliances are the house- hold culprits most often in need of repair. Calling a service technician is an option, but you could wait for days and end up spend- ing a fortune. Doing those repairs yourself is a much better option. Chris Hall, president of RepairClinic.com says, "You can expect to chop days off your downtime and cut the profession- al's invoice by at least 75 percent, which is the por- tion of a repair bill attrib- uted to labor, travel and a mark-up on parts." Hall, based in Canton, Michi- gan, along with his staff, offers free repair help on- line and by email. The company stocks parts for nearly every major home appliance in service in the U.S. today, with same-day shipping and an absolute money-back guarantee on returns within 365 days of purchase — no questions asked. According to Hall, most refrigerators, dishwash- ers, washing machines and dryers can be repaired at home by novices. It's all a matter of figuring out what's wrong, ordering the replacement part and doing the repair with the help of an online techni- cian. "No matter the prob- lem, fixing it yourself is al- ways worth a try," says Hall. "At the very worst you'll have to call a pro- fessional, so why not try it yourself first? Chances are great that you'll succeed." While the internet is a great resource for how- to's covering nearly ev- ery home repair challenge, free in-store how-to clin- ics at home improvement centers like Lowe's and Home Depot offer hands- on instruction with a live teacher. Libraries and bookstores are replete with do-it-yourself hand- books and instructional guides, and cable channels like DIY and HGTV of- fer helpful entertainment while building one's con- fidence. Not all home repairs are suited for the do-it-your- selfer. In those rare cases when you simply must hire a contractor, exercise ex- treme caution. Get three bids if possible, and check with your state's contrac- tor licensing board to see whether any complaints have been lodged against the subject. Then, insist on a written contract. A good rule of thumb: Never pay more than 10 percent up-front or $1,000, whichever is less. Pay the balance only after the work is done — and done satisfactorily. 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 Find the confidence to do household repairs yourself Mary Hunt The Red Bluff Garden Club elves are gearing up for their annual Holiday Scholarship Boutique to be held Dec. 8-10. All proceeds from this sale are designated to fund the three $1,500 scholar- ships the club gives to Te- hama County seniors en- tering college and pursu- ing a career in plant and horticultural fields. All wreaths are hand- made with fresh greens, then artistically embel- lished with trim and rib- bon to make them a unique one of a kind décor for your Christmas holi- day. Members also make door swags and center- pieces with fresh greens. Elves are happy to make the fresh green designs to your specifications with your choice of trim and rib- bon. Call 824-5014 or 385- 1328 if you wish to pre-or- der your special wreath for the holiday season. In addition to the fra- grant wreaths, swags and centerpieces the boutique features homemade candy, cookies, candles and many other unique ideas and gifts. Stop by the storefront to browse the selection and enjoy the fresh greens fra- grance that says Christmas. The Garden Club sin- cerely appreciates the community support of this project to help seniors begin their college stud- ies. The three recipients of scholarships for 2016, Mi- chaela Black, Kate Picha- Arndt, and Thalia Souza have all begun their pur- suit of careers in the for- estry field. The boutique will be in a new location for the sale this year, 238 S. Main St. across from Tractor Sup- ply, with plenty of park- ing and easy access. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 8-10. GARDEN CLUB Christmasboutique,greenssaleset CONTRIBUTED A sample of the greens available at the Red Bluff Garden Club's Christmas Boutique. Better Business Bureau The act of sending money to friends, family and people you trust has grown extremely conve- nient with apps such as PayPal and Venmo. The way these apps work is you first create an ac- count that has access to your credit card or debt card. You are then able to easily transfer funds to someone who also has an account with the app. Now, when one friend buys movie tickets for the group or you owe the com- missioner of your fantasy football league dues for the year, it's very easy to get money to the appropriate party. Of course, funds are not transferred in the blink of an eye. It can take a few days for the money to transfer from account to account. This is where the scam artists take aim. Scammers are using Venmo for business trans- actions with victims who are expecting payment for something they have sold. The way it works is, you're trying to sell some- thing online, perhaps an old TV. You receive an in- quiry from someone who says they will send you money through Venmo for the item. You get an alert from Venmo saying the buyer sent the money, so you ship him the product. However, it takes a few days for the funds to trans- fer and in that time the scammer has canceled the transaction, leaving you with no money for the item sold nor the actual item. With new technology comes new conveniences, but it comes with new risk too. Both Venmo and BBB suggest when using these apps, only exchange money with friends, family and those you trust. For more information about the scam, as well as ways to detect it, visit BBB Scam Alert at www.bbb. org/council/news-events/ bbb-scam-alerts. SCAM ALERT Scammers using Venmo to fool sellers By Patricia Mrofka Social Security, Redding "Black Friday" is the busiest shopping day of the year, with people lin- ing up at midnight for deals as they begin the busy holiday shopping sea- son. More people than ever are taking advantage of on- line holiday deals. "Cyber Monday" is the day Inter- net-savvy people search for deals, all online. You're smart, and you probably already know there's more than one way to find value on the Inter- net. For example, Social Security offers many on- line services to the public — and they're free and se- cure. Doing business on- line with Social Security will also save time. The feeling of instant gratifi- cation is like clicking sub- mit on that online shop- ping cart. Here are some of the most popular online ser- vices you'll find at www. socialsecurity.gov. Each site is safe and secure. Need a replacement So- cial Security card? You may be able to request your re- placement card without visiting a local Social Se- curity office. Still working and wondering what future Social Security benefits you might receive? The online Social Secu- rity Statement is a smart service that is a hit with the millions of people who've used it. Your on- line Statement provides you with a record of your past earnings along with projected earnings for fu- ture years to give you esti- mates of future Social Se- curity benefits. Do you al- ready get Social Security benefits? You can use your online account to man- age your benefits, such as starting or changing Di- rect Deposit, getting an in- stant proof of benefits let- ter, and much more. Just go to www.socialsecurity.gov/ myaccount. The Retirement Estima- tor is another easy way to get an instant, personal- ized estimate of your fu- ture Social Security bene- fits. Just enter some basic information and the Esti- mator will use information on your Social Security re- cord, along with what you input, to give you a benefit estimate on the spot. You can even experiment with different scenarios, such as changing your future earn- ings and retirement date. Check it out in English at www.socialsecurity.gov/ estimator or in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov/cal- culador. The online Retirement Application is the most convenient way to apply for Social Security retirement benefits. You can apply from the comfort of your home — it's convenient and secure. In fact, you can ap- ply online in as little as 15 minutes. In most cases, af- ter you submit the applica- tion electronically, you're done. There are no forms to sign and, usually, no docu- mentation is required. So- cial Security will process your application and con- tact you if any further in- formation is needed. When you're ready to retire, apply at www.socialsecurity.gov/ applyonline. Business Services On- line is our one-stop shop for small business owners. SOCIAL SECURITY While shopping online, check out our services 2DaysONLY December 2nd - 3pm-6pm & December 3rd - 10am to 2pm On Site Printing, $20 per sheet, you decide! ★ ★★★ No Appointment Needed ★★★★ Just stop in, meet Santa and leave with your photos!! Location: 625 Walnut St, Red Bluff 529-3333 Why drive to the mall? One Pose Per Sheet 8x10 8 Wallets 2-5x7's is coming to NO Checks Accepted GiveTehamaCountyStores and Businesses a shot this Weekend! ★ ★ ★ SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY ® NOV.26 Sat.10-5&Sun.11-4 250 Sellers in 3 Buildings Free Admission Glenn County Fairgrounds Sponsored by the Orland Historical Society 38th Annual Orland Craft Fair Nov. 30 & Dec. 1 38th Annual Orland 41st 26 Nov. 30 27 Dec.8,9&10,2016 Thurs, Fri, & Sat. 9:30am-6:00pm For custom orders or pre orders 824-5014 or 385-1328 ALL FRESH WREATHS, ARRANGEMENTS, HOME MADE CANDY, CANDLES & COOKIES MANY GIFTS AND IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS ProceedsForHighSchoolScholarships 238 Main Street, Red Bluff (across the street from Tractor Supply) Holiday Scholarship Boutique Red Bluff Garden Club's www.gummsoptical.com (530) 527-2510 1-800-481-LENS (5367) 910MainSt.,SuiteC,RedBluff prescriptionsavailable Regular Haircut $ 2 00 off KWIK KUTS FamilyHairSalon 1064SouthMainSt.,RedBluff•529-3540 ANY RETAIL PRODUCT 20 % off withanychemicalserviceof $50 or more Notgoodwithotheroffers Expires 12/31/16 With coupon Reg. $13.95 Wilcox Oaks Golf Club Social & Pool Family Membership $ 312 00 annually 527-6680 or 527-1020 604MainSt. Red Bluff Now Offering Catering For Your Special Event Weinviteyoutocheckoutourwebsite for our complete menu & photos www.redblufflosmariachis.com 530-529-5154 NoJobToBigorTooSmall LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, November 25, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4