Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/779841
Retailersworkhardto get our money. They offer special promotions and put other tactics into play, even hiring human be- havior spe- cialists to figure out our shop- ping hab- its and how to get us to spend more. By having a few tricks of your own, you can be a smart con- sumer who foils those plans and saves big. GRAB THE LOSS LEADERS, AND THEN LEAVE. A loss leader is something retailers sell so cheaply that they're will- ing to lose money just to get you through the door. Once there, studies show that half of all of your su- permarket purchases will be unplanned. That means this store is do- ing all it can to help you go nuts with unplanned spending and grab any- thing that looks good. Know this going in. Concentrate on get- ting only the loss lead- ers and grocery-list items you need, and then make a beeline for the check- out so you can get out of there as quickly as pos- sible. BUY SEASONAL ITEMS AT CLEARANCE PRICES. Retailers are in the business to make big profits on full-priced items. And they know you can't resist new items to decorate your home or outfit your family. They want you to feel com- pelled to buy new stuff each season and each hol- iday. Doing otherwise messes with their profit projections. The way to beat them at their own game is to practice retail intelli- gence. Buying a new out- door grill in April is not smart. That is the begin- ning of the summer grill- ing season. Waiting until July is the way to get the best deal. By then, retail- ers are thinking back-to- school, Thanksgiving and Christmas. They have to clear their warehouses to make room for the next season's inventory. Stop yourself from run- ning to the store right away, and wait until sea- sonal stuff goes on sale, either at the close of a season or after a holiday. PAY WITH CASH. Even though retailers don't have to pay mer- chant fees when you pay with cash, they hate it. They know that if you pay with a stand-in, like a credit card or debit card, you will spend more and boost their profits. Yes, I realize that shop- ping only with cash on a day-by-day basis is not convenient. It goes against our culture and all that we believe to be true about the safety of plastic. It takes effort to plan ahead, stop by the ATM to get cash, pay attention to how much things cost and keep a running total so you don't become em- barrassed at the checkout by not having sufficient cash. But that's exactly how it should be. Make it very inconvenient and a hassle to part with your hard-earned money, and you'll find yourself keep- ing a lot more of it. Live on cash, except when paying by mail or online. You'll win. 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 Three simple ways to beat retailers at their own games Mary Hunt Country music singer Terri Clark will perform "Unplugged & Alone" at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at Red Bluff's State Theatre. This will be an intimate evening of song and sto- ries by the Grand Ole Opry Member. Hailing from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, Clark got her start playing for tips at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, a honky-tonk bar across the alley from Nashville's his- toric Ryman Auditorium. Clark signed with Mer- cury Records and emerged as a distinctive voice on the country music landscape — driving, passionate, spirited — and every bit her own woman. The 8-time CCMA Enter- tainer of the Year has taken home the CCMA Female Vo- calist of the Year award five times. She has made her mark on radio with more than twenty singles, in- cluding six Number Ones in Canada and the USA — hits such as such as "Better Things To Do," "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me," "Girls Lie Too" and "I Just Wanna Be Mad." Clark has sold more than 5 million albums and achieved Gold, Platinum, Double Platinum and Triple Platinum status as certified by the CRIA and RIAA. She also has the honor of being the only Canadian female artist to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Clark is a dynamic, no- holds-barred live performer and one of the rare female country artists capable of throwing down some im- pressive guitar work. She has toured with such su- perstars as Brad Paisley, Toby Keith, Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire and George Strait. In addition, she con- tinues to headline sold-out tours throughout the US and Canada. For more information, visit www.terriclark.com. Tickets to the Red Bluff show are on sale at www. statetheatreredbluff.com or at the Tehama Country Visitor Center, 250 Antelope Blvd. in Red Bluff. STATE THEATRE Country star to perform her solo acoustic show The Bureau of Reclama- tion has released the Fi- nal Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Long-Term Plan to Protect Adult Salmon in the Lower Klamath River. The Final EIS describes the potential environmen- tal effects of the No-Ac- tion and Action Alterna- tives to augment flows in the Lower Klamath River to reduce the likelihood and the severity of any Ich epizootic event that could lead to an associated fish die-off in future years. A preferred alternative has been identified in the Fi- nal EIS. The document is avail- able at public libraries and online. Library locations and electronic copies are available at http://www. usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_ projdetails.cfm?Project_ ID=22021. If you encoun- ter problems accessing the document online, call 916- 978-5100 (TTY 800-877- 8339) or write to mppub- licaffairs@usbr.gov. The Notice of Availabil- ity (NOA) for the document was published on Jan. 27 in the Federal Register by the Environmental Protec- tion Agency. Reclamation will not issue a Record of Decision (ROD) on the pro- posal for a minimum of 30 days following publica- tion of the NOA. When re- leased, the ROD will state the action that will be im- plemented and will dis- cuss all factors leading to the decision. WATER Documents released for Lower Klamath project Community Action Agency is gearing up for an- other busy tax season. VITA provides free tax preparation and filing ser- vices to local residents who had an adjusted gross in- come of $60,000 or less for the 2016 tax year. VITA tax sites are able to file federal and California state returns for qualifying households and save them hundreds of dollars in filing fees. Mobile sites are avail- able throughout Tehama County in Red Bluff, Corn- ing, Cottonwood and Ran- cho Tehama. VITA is open for services beginning Jan. 31 and will run through April 14. Last season VITA was able to help more than 575 Tehama County house- holds file their taxes free and receive a combined $1,000,000 in refunds. Service locations are able to provide electronic filing, direct deposit options and free debit cards for cus- tomers that may not have a bank account. Community Action pro- vides information for tax- payers that may owe taxes this season, on steps they can take to avoid owing additional taxes in the fu- ture. All of VITA tax preparers are certified by the IRS and every return is verified for accuracy before it is filed. For more information about the VITA program, or to make an appointment, call 527-6159. A full calendar of service times and locations is avail- able at www.tehamacounty- caa.org If you would like to find out how you can become a certified tax preparer with the VITA program, call 527-6159 and speak with Site Coordinator Tabetha O'Quinn. COMMUNITY ACTION Free VITA tax preparation sites gear up for season CONTRIBUTEDPHOTO Country singer Terri Clark will perform Thursday at the State Theatre. You're there f or Mom. We're here f or you. Caring for a loved one can be more than you expected. But you're not alone. Connect with experts and other caregivers aarp.org/caregiving 1.877.333.5885 CALIC#778199 GERBER 385-1153 HINKLE ROOFING & CONSTRUCTION, INC SacredHeartSchool Christ Centered Faith for all denominations Transitional Kindergarten Class available for students who are 4 years old by September 1 Call for an appointment or classroom visit 530-527-6727 2255 Monroe Ave, Red Bluff Ca 96080 www.shsredbluff.org Mercy High School • College Prep Curriculum • FFA • AP Coursework • Full Sports Program • Performing Arts • Personalized College Counseling • All students use digital textbooks 233 Riverside Way, Red Bluff Ca 96080 Interested?ScheduleaTourToday! 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Hoyt-ColeChapeloftheFlowers The Saturday Market SlowFood Shasta Cascade ® 9-12:30, every Saturday Home Depot parking lot Your community YEAR-ROUND Certified Farmers & Artisan Market Sponsoredby FREEGardeningWorkshop withAdamMarley "StartYourSpring Garden in the Winter" January21,10am RSVP to 863-7403 & get a FREE pack of seeds Patrick's Pumping SepticPumpingServices Red Bluff, CA Garet Patrick Owner/Operator 530-366-6899 4patric ks@att.net Available 24/7 LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Tuesday, January 31, 2017 » MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A8