Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/775581
Asfoodcostscontinue to soar, it's a good time to revisit the basics of frugal food shop- ping. Fol- low these tips and, pro- vided you don't end up buying twice as much, you really will see your food costs plummet. GO WITH CASH ONLY. Shopping with cash and only cash is one of the best ways to make a se- vere grocery budget work. If you have the disci- pline of a superhero, good for you. Use your credit card. If you're like every- one else in the world, take cash out of the ATM, and don't let yourself spend a penny more than what you bring. If you're out of cash and there are 10 days of the month left to go, it's time to start raiding your pantry. You might have an odd menu for a few days, but so what? It won't kill you. PLAN IT OUT. Find recipes that fit your bud- get. Anyone with a small background in cooking can learn to make great soups and casseroles. De- ciding on recipes and planning meals in ad- vance will become a fi- nancial lifesaver. SKIP PACKAGED ITEMS. You pay a big pre- mium for packaged items like salad kits, meals in a bag, fruit snacks, presliced produce, chips and vegeta- bles that come in a steam bag. Anything that has been processed and pack- aged comes with an addi- tional markup. Peeling po- tatoes, slicing apples and chopping lettuce might take extra time, but you will be well-rewarded for the effort. And you'll end up with a fresher, tastier result. Those 100-calorie snack packs are convenient, but they'll blow a hole in your budget. Cut up fruit and vegetables at the begin- ning of each week, divide them into single portions, and store. If you just don't want to sacrifice your daily Gold- fish, buy a large package and divide it into sand- wich baggies to save over 30 percent of the cost of single-serving packages. GRIND YOUR OWN COFFEE. Ground cof- fee can be marked up to 30 percent higher than whole-bean coffee. It re- ally is worth your while to grind your coffee at home (not to mention the supe- rior taste). If you do not have a grinder, consider investing no more than $20 on a good basic blade grinder. LOSE THE MEAT. Make your dinner meatless at least three times per week. Think eggs, cheese and vegetables. Try breakfast for dinner with pancakes, waffles, potatoes and so on. You're going to learn that having a meal with- out chicken or steak is a great way to keep the gro- cery bill at rock bottom, since meat is one of the most expensive proteins you can buy. EAT WHAT'S IN SEA- SON. Eating fruits and vegetables during their natural growing season saves you money because those peaches you love don't have to be trans- ported halfway around the world. And not only that: They are more packed with vitamins and nutrients during that time, and they taste bet- ter. SHOP ON A FULL STOMACH. Sure, we've all heard this one before. But it bears repeating. Shop when you're not a vora- cious bear. It will engage your brain in a way that will help you make reasonable and frugal food choices and not load up the cart with junk. SHOP THE SALES. Even if you don't know what will be on sale before you get there, choose the sale version of whatever you need. Do this consistently and you'll cut your grocery tab by at least 40 percent. 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 Frugal food shopping 101 Mary Hunt By Justin McCuin Social Security manager in Redding Social Security is al- ways evolving to meet the needs of the American pub- lic. We're optimistic about the future and the limitless possibilities for progress. Much of the progress we've made together, as a nation, is through the shared responsibility of paying Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax. This federal payroll tax funds Social Security— programs that provide ben- efits for retirees, the dis- abled, and children of de- ceased workers. You help us keep millions of hard working Americans out of poverty. Without your contribu- tion, wounded warriors wouldn't receive the ben- efits they deserve. Chil- dren who have lost par- ents would have no social safety net. Millions of elderly peo- ple would be destitute. In the same way that we take great pride in helping peo- ple who need it, you should take pride in making this country stronger. You can see the many ways our retirement ben- efits help your loved ones and neighbors at www.so- cialsecurity.gov/retire. The strength of our na- tion relies on cooperation and the empathy to under- stand each other's unique struggles. Similarly, Social Security has an obligation to provide benefits quickly to applicants whose medi- cal conditions are so seri- ous that their conditions obviously meet disability standards. Compassionate Allow- ances offer a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify un- der the Listing of Impair- ments based on minimal objective medical infor- mation. This also lets Social Se- curity target the most ob- viously disabled individ- uals for allowances based on objective medical infor- mation that we can obtain quickly. You can view the list of Compassionate Allowances at www.socialsecurity.gov/ compassionateallowances. Our diversity is an asset that can bring us together, making us stronger as a na- tion. Visit www.socialSecu- rity.gov to empower your future, for today and to- morrow. SOCIAL SECURITY Administration is always evolving REDDING The Shasta Historical Society will host a free viewing of "From the Quarters to Lincoln Heights" fol- lowed by discussion with Director and Producer Mark Oliver at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at the I.O.O.F. Hall, 1445 Butte St. in Redding. The film tells the story of how large Afri- can-American popula- tions came to be rooted in unlikely places such as Weed, McCloud and Mt. Shasta. The film ex- plores how these unique communities thrived in multi-racial rural lum- ber towns. This film presents this little-known history, re- vealing the early inter- racial relationships that existed in Northern Cal- ifornia. Comprised of more than 60 interviews this new documentary gives a voice to the many African Americans who lived and worked in this remote part of California. Mark Oliver is an art- ist and filmmaker who has been making films for more than 20 years. The Shasta Historical Society serves as the larg- est non-university center for historical research in California north of Sac- ramento. For more infor- mation, visit shastahis- torical.org. SHASTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Film documents African-Americans in north state CONTRIBUTED Ray Brown and Charlie Hayden are pictured with the Weed Sons of Italy baseball team. www.gummsoptical.com (530) 527-2510 1-800-481-LENS (5367) 910MainSt.,SuiteC,RedBluff DIESEL Regular Haircut $ 2 00 off KWIK KUTS FamilyHairSalon 1064SouthMainSt.,RedBluff•529-3540 ANY RETAIL PRODUCT 20 % off withanychemicalserviceof $50 or more Notgoodwithotheroffers Expires 2/28/17 With coupon Reg. $13.95 wwwnortherncountiesroofingsystems.com FreeEstimates 530-356-0686 Owner on site Lic# 955662 • Residential • Commercial • New Construction LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, January 20, 2017 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B3