Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/796887
DearMary:Iamout of money — there won't be a dime left after I pay my bills. I have been consider- ing credit counseling to get some breath- ing room. My credit is shot, and I'm feeling desperate. By enrolling in credit coun- seling, at least the cred- itors would get regu- lar payments and checks that don't bounce. Am I wrong to consider this kind of help? — Sandy Dear Sandy: You're not wrong at all. In fact, credit counseling could be the way out of your fi- nancial straightjacket. I am a big fan of credit counseling, but it is not for everyone. And not all credit counselors are trustworthy. There are lots of sleazy groups out there masquerading as charitable nonprofit counselors. Make sure you are working with a reputable organization you can trust. You want to speak with a credit counselor or agency that is certified by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, or NFCC, such as Consumer Credit Counseling Ser- vices. Go to the NFCC website (or call the num- ber on the website) to be connected with a certi- fied credit counselor near you. Expect an initial in- terview to determine whether you are likely to be successful in the program (that typically means you are unable to meet your current min- imum payments, you are several months be- hind, you are employed and, if you are married, your spouse agrees to en- ter the program). The counselor will work with your creditors to come up with a payment plan you can handle, which could include lower in- terest, waived fees and restructured payments. The tricky part is that instead of paying your creditors every month, you will write one check to the organization and it will make the payments. The last thing you want is to give your money to a company that you have not checked out and that has not proven itself. Even reputable credit counseling does not come without side effects. While your creditors may agree to a scaled-down payment plan, they will likely report you as a deadbeat to the credit bu- reaus. That could blem- ish your credit report for at least seven years, but that's the price you might have to pay to get your- self back on a good finan- cial track. On the other hand, many people report that credit counseling had a positive effect on their credit history. Credit counseling is not going to be a walk in the park. It's hard work to get out of debt. But do- ing the right thing by re- paying your debts will make you a better per- son and give you hope and a future. And it won't cost you a cent to find out whether it can help you. Dear Mary: I wear con- tact lenses, so I am dili- gent to discard mascara after three months of use. What is the shelf life for other cosmetics and skin care products? I want to make sure I don't throw away products unneces- sarily. — Reese Dear Reese: The U.S. Food and Drug Adminis- tration advises that liq- uid foundation can be used for up to two years, or until it begins to sep- arate. Toss face pow- der and eye shadow af- ter three years. Lipstick is OK for three years, but discard it if oil beads up on the sides of the prod- uct. Replace mascara and liquid eyeliners ev- ery three months be- cause they are prime tar- gets for bacteria, whether you wear contact lenses or not. Sealed cosmetics have a shelf life of three to four years, so take advan- tage when you see a great sale. But no matter how great the bargain, don't buy beyond your abil- ity to use the products within a reasonable pe- riod of time. 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 From credit counseling to contaminated mascara Mary Hunt The Rooster Tails Fish- ing Club monthly breakfast will be held at the Auburn Elks Lodge on Pine Street on March 17, open to club members, spouses and non- member guests. Doors to the Lodge will open at 7 a.m. to share fresh brewed coffee. A $13 buffet breakfast is served at 8 a.m. followed by a 9 a.m. guest speaker, trout fishing expert Jack Naves, who will share his expertise on how to tar- get hold-over trophy trout on Lake Camanche. Reservations are not nec- essary to attend the break- fast, but attendees are en- couraged to arrive by 7 a.m. for a good seat. Naves' presentation will provide details on bait and tackle rigging as well as a strategy for fishing likely Camanche hot spots and his presentation will be streamed-live onto a 70" flat screen. Naves is well known and respected by the fishing community for his expertise as a third generation fish- ing prodigy with more than years of fishing for a variety of species on multiple wa- ters. What is unique about Jack's passion for trout fish- ing is that he is not selling anything; he is not asking you to buy anything from anyone, nor is he sponsored by any fishing company. Despite the fact that Naves would certainly qual- ify as a pro fishing guide, he has chosen to provide for his family through other en- deavors. He authors fishing articles, wins tournaments, and is a high in demand guest speaker. His motiva- tion and personal satisfac- tion is that he would like his audiences to benefit from his fishing advice and be- come better anglers. The Rooster Tails Fish- ing Club of Northern Cali- fornia, Inc. is a non-profit organization that meets the third Friday of each month to educate, entertain and enhance fishing experience. Unlike many bass and fly fishing clubs that concen- trate on very specific types of fishing, the club provides a balanced mix of fishing techniques presented by fishing experts targeting a variety of fish species on multiple types of waters. For more information, call 530-887-0479 or visit www.roostertailsfising- club.org. FISHING LakeCamanchetroutexpert to talk about bait, tackle rigging CONTRIBUTEDPHOTO Lake Camanche trout expert Jack Naves will talk about strategy for fishing and hot spots on the lake. A local author, Lee Mc- Carthy, has just released her first book, "Road to the Innocent." The novel features Arizo- na's beautiful backdrops as one woman's desperate at- tempts to save her parents from criminals unfolds. It opens with Cassie Fletcher, an Arizona-based photog- rapher, who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Af- ter witnessing a horrendous crime, Cassie goes on the run to avoid capture by the culprits and from there, her life is thrown into a tailspin. McCarthy, with her hus- band, lives and works as a cattle rancher and hay farmer on their ranch near Red Bluff. She is for- mer president of Tehama County Cattlewomen and the founder and president of Dos Cheekas, Inc., a wom- en's horseback riding group. She is currently working on her second book, "Uncom- mon Goods." On the way home from a camping trip, McCarthy and her husband made a stop in Page, Arizona af- ter camping and exploring Lake Powell by boat. Feel- ing absolutely inspired and in awe of the beautiful scen- ery, McCarthy felt the need to put the scenery on paper. Crippled by arthritis, barely able to walk, McCarthy sud- denly woke up one day and began writing. "I kid you not, it was like a hand pulled me up and I walked into our study," said McCarthy. "I would start bright and early and before you knew it, it was day's end. The writing poured out of me." "Road to the Innocent" will keep readers guessing as one family's life or death situation unfolds. For more information, visit http://www.leemccar- thy.net/. PUBLISHED Local author releases work of fiction All visitors to the Meriam Library at California State University, Chico are now abletoaccesstheFoundation Center databases, including FoundationDirectoryOnline and Foundation Maps. Theseonlinedatabasesof- fer expanded, in-depth pro- files of grant makers, plus inside looks at the grants they've made and their re- cipients. This resource makes easily available the most exhaustive and up-to- date knowledge and insight on the social sector to fuel any fundraising mission — 140,000 funders and 3.8 mil- lion grant histories updated weekly. A free, hands-on work- shop on the use of these da- tabases will be conducted noonto2p.m.Friday,March 10 at the Meriam Library, Room 226. Space is limited to 25 participants. RSVP to Marc Langston at mlangston@ csuchico.edu or 898-4587. To learn more about the Foundation Center, visit http://foundationcen- ter.org. CHICO STATE Free foundation database workshop set for March You're there for Mom. We're here for you. Connect with experts and other caregivers aarp.org/caregiving 1.877.333.5885 1660MonroeSt. Red Bluff, CA 96080 (530) 727-9495 LAVACharterSchoolishappytoannounceOpenRegistrationforthe 2017-'18 School Year! Students in grades 5-8 have the opportunity to attend Red Bluff's newest middle school: LAVA, the Lassen Antelope Volcanic Academy. We are looking to expand in the next year, but space is already limited. This is a great opportunity for families to be a part of an innovative, new school that offers rigorous instruction, small class size, and real choice. Our core classes include: math, English, history, science, and Spanish. In the afternoon, we offer elective classes in American Sign Language, art, band, computer skills, dance, Genius Hour, guitar, tutorial, and yearbook. LAVA's partnership with Lassen Volcanic National Park gives our kids access to the park and hands-on experience in natural sciences! Registration will be open from March 1, 2017 through May 31, 2017. Returning students from 2016-'17 are guaranteed placement at LAVA next year. Siblings of current students will receive priority placement. Families who meet the registration deadline may be sub- ject to a Lottery Drawing for enrollment, depending on available space. For more information, or if you would like to schedule a tour of our school, please email John Sheffield jsheffield@antelopeschools.org We will host an Informational meeting April 12 @ 5 pm at LAVA. 1660 Monroe St. Red Bluff, CA Visitusat 100JacksonSt. in Red Bluff for details (530) 529-1220 Visit www.redbluffhealthfitness.com for more infomation Monthly Membership as low as $ 28 00 a month! TheConnection/ His Way Church ComeWorshipwithUs Tuesday & Saturday at 6pm WithPastorsJohnandChuck 446 Walnut Street Downtown Red Bluff (across from Post Office) www.hiswayonline.org www.theconnection@vpweb.com wwwnortherncountiesroofingsystems.com FreeEstimates 530-356-0686 Owner on site Lic# 955662 • Residential • Commercial • New Construction 744 Main St., Red Bluff (across from the clock tower) Fine QualityGifts& Accessories GIFTS FOR BIRTHDAY OR ANNIVERSARY! • BEADED BAG/ JEWELRY • SHAWL/ HANDBAG • MURANO PLATE/ VASE • SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL • GLASSWARE/ CANDLE • ESSENTIAL OIL/ SOAP NOTARYPUBLICAVAILABLE COME & SHOP WITH US 25yearsprofessional experience. QualityWork Very Reasonable Rates Red Bluff Transmission • Automatic • Manual • Computer Diagnosis • Clutches • Transfer Cases • CV Axles CALL TODAY! 529-4493 440 Antelope Blvd. #6 Bob's Youcantmissus... Weonly moved 50 feet!! LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, March 9, 2017 » MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6