Happy Tax Weekend, USA! Remember that Tax Day this year is April 18th.
Anyone expecting (or already received) a refund?
Showing posts with label taxes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taxes. Show all posts
Friday, April 15, 2011
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Holiday Catch-up*
I'm alive, promise.
Belated Happy fourth to you. Hope you had a fun and safe holiday weekend! (If it was a holiday for you. If not, well, still hope it was relaxing and safe!)
We were away this weekend, visiting family, so my poor tomatoes didn't get watered. On the way back, we noticed that the river by town is lower than it was. This means that not only did I not water the plants, but neither did the sky. The poor branches were a little droopy, and some of the leaves looked burned up. I hope that they will have perked back up after being watered yesterday. Killing a total of 6 tomato plants would neither be green, nor frugal.
You know what is pretty awesome, though? Leftovers for lunch. I brought in leftover spaghetti today, and as always, it didn't disappoint. Last night, I didn't do anything fancy, just browned meat, added sauce and boiled noodles (whole wheat ones, thank you very much). I could have made may own sauce, but didn't. (Maybe I'll have enough tomatoes to try my hand at it!) Could have doctored up the sauce, but didn't.
We spent a good portion of the afternoon getting home from work, via the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Sounds daunting, huh? Well, aside from finding the necessary documentation amid our boxes, the process here is relatively painless, especially when compared with previous states where we've lived. The efficiency of this state's motor vehicle/licensing division must save them money. We have been to a few different locations, and when I switched my license over to this state, I braved the branch location on a Saturday morning. I had to wait, but (a) it was Saturday, and I was ready to wait and (b) the line still moved. I don't think that this state is employing significantly fewer people (based solely on what I've seen on the front-end, customer service side of things), but they still move people through efficiently (and politely).
What was fun about it? Since we moved to a different county, our vehicle taxes were lower. It was only $10-20, but, hey, we'll take it!
* I titled this after writing. Please tell me you chuckled a little bit at a "catch-up" post about tomatoes....
Belated Happy fourth to you. Hope you had a fun and safe holiday weekend! (If it was a holiday for you. If not, well, still hope it was relaxing and safe!)
We were away this weekend, visiting family, so my poor tomatoes didn't get watered. On the way back, we noticed that the river by town is lower than it was. This means that not only did I not water the plants, but neither did the sky. The poor branches were a little droopy, and some of the leaves looked burned up. I hope that they will have perked back up after being watered yesterday. Killing a total of 6 tomato plants would neither be green, nor frugal.
You know what is pretty awesome, though? Leftovers for lunch. I brought in leftover spaghetti today, and as always, it didn't disappoint. Last night, I didn't do anything fancy, just browned meat, added sauce and boiled noodles (whole wheat ones, thank you very much). I could have made may own sauce, but didn't. (Maybe I'll have enough tomatoes to try my hand at it!) Could have doctored up the sauce, but didn't.
We spent a good portion of the afternoon getting home from work, via the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Sounds daunting, huh? Well, aside from finding the necessary documentation amid our boxes, the process here is relatively painless, especially when compared with previous states where we've lived. The efficiency of this state's motor vehicle/licensing division must save them money. We have been to a few different locations, and when I switched my license over to this state, I braved the branch location on a Saturday morning. I had to wait, but (a) it was Saturday, and I was ready to wait and (b) the line still moved. I don't think that this state is employing significantly fewer people (based solely on what I've seen on the front-end, customer service side of things), but they still move people through efficiently (and politely).
What was fun about it? Since we moved to a different county, our vehicle taxes were lower. It was only $10-20, but, hey, we'll take it!
* I titled this after writing. Please tell me you chuckled a little bit at a "catch-up" post about tomatoes....
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Death and Taxes
The only two things for certain in life, right?
I got a new job in 2009. A good job with amazing benefits, making a bit more money. This meant that when the husband and I set out estimating our tax bill, we were convinced we had under-paid throughout the year, and would end up owing money. Enough money that we would started a separate "Tax Bill" savings account right then and there.
Well, since that day, our taxes have actually been done, and we can expect a refund! Sweet! much prefer to get money back, as opposed to owing.
Last year, our taxes were split between Texas (no state income tax, or car-as-property tax) and North Carolina (state income tax, and car-as-property tax). Receiving the car property tax bill in NC at the end of November was a rude surprise, but shows the importance of knowing tax laws where you live/are moving and of having some sort of a cushion or reserve money. Also, last year, our federal refund roughly equaled our state bill. So, we came out even. Not bad. Even is still preferable to owing.
Now, I am quite happy about the prospect of getting a nice little chunk of change back sometime in the next 4 to 8 weeks, but it reminded me of something a professor I once had said. No, not a business or econ professor (two subjects I happily, although stupidly, managed to avoid in college), but a music professor.
Before my gen. ed. music class started one day in April, those of us who were early got to talking about taxes. I don't remember much of the actual conversation, aside from my professor stating that he tried to work it so that his refund was around $100 or less each year. I asked why. His reason was that way he knew he wouldn't owe money, but he would also be able to actually use his money during the year.
In the years since, that is hardly the only place I've heard the argument for arranging to receive a smaller refund. I've heard about, and read articles that call tax refunds "interest free loans for the government." Or this article, which does also address the "refund as savings plan (bad idea)."On the other hand, receiving a sizable refund check allows people to make substantial student loan payments, put money down on a home, start an emergency or retirement fund, or go on vacation.
Really, I am of two minds: 1) I really could use the money I earn as I earn it. Kind of need it, actually. (2) As much as I think I need the money as I earn it, I really, really don't want to owe money come April.
In years past, I was a student, or transitioning to or from being a student, or working different jobs, or moving with such frequency that it was difficult to plan out what my annual income would be, and therefore what my taxes owed would actually be.
Now, though, with the aforementioned good job, we are more stable, and have the luxury of being able to tell in advanced what paychecks will be, and annual income. As I think about it, my music professor had a good idea: work it out so that you get a small refund, that way, you know you won't owe.
I still have the mammoth compilation CDs from that class, but aside from said CDs, that brief conversation is about all I really remember of the class.
In which camp do you fall: do you want to receive a big refund, or no refund?
I got a new job in 2009. A good job with amazing benefits, making a bit more money. This meant that when the husband and I set out estimating our tax bill, we were convinced we had under-paid throughout the year, and would end up owing money. Enough money that we would started a separate "Tax Bill" savings account right then and there.
Well, since that day, our taxes have actually been done, and we can expect a refund! Sweet! much prefer to get money back, as opposed to owing.
Last year, our taxes were split between Texas (no state income tax, or car-as-property tax) and North Carolina (state income tax, and car-as-property tax). Receiving the car property tax bill in NC at the end of November was a rude surprise, but shows the importance of knowing tax laws where you live/are moving and of having some sort of a cushion or reserve money. Also, last year, our federal refund roughly equaled our state bill. So, we came out even. Not bad. Even is still preferable to owing.
Now, I am quite happy about the prospect of getting a nice little chunk of change back sometime in the next 4 to 8 weeks, but it reminded me of something a professor I once had said. No, not a business or econ professor (two subjects I happily, although stupidly, managed to avoid in college), but a music professor.
Before my gen. ed. music class started one day in April, those of us who were early got to talking about taxes. I don't remember much of the actual conversation, aside from my professor stating that he tried to work it so that his refund was around $100 or less each year. I asked why. His reason was that way he knew he wouldn't owe money, but he would also be able to actually use his money during the year.
In the years since, that is hardly the only place I've heard the argument for arranging to receive a smaller refund. I've heard about, and read articles that call tax refunds "interest free loans for the government." Or this article, which does also address the "refund as savings plan (bad idea)."On the other hand, receiving a sizable refund check allows people to make substantial student loan payments, put money down on a home, start an emergency or retirement fund, or go on vacation.
Really, I am of two minds: 1) I really could use the money I earn as I earn it. Kind of need it, actually. (2) As much as I think I need the money as I earn it, I really, really don't want to owe money come April.
In years past, I was a student, or transitioning to or from being a student, or working different jobs, or moving with such frequency that it was difficult to plan out what my annual income would be, and therefore what my taxes owed would actually be.
Now, though, with the aforementioned good job, we are more stable, and have the luxury of being able to tell in advanced what paychecks will be, and annual income. As I think about it, my music professor had a good idea: work it out so that you get a small refund, that way, you know you won't owe.
I still have the mammoth compilation CDs from that class, but aside from said CDs, that brief conversation is about all I really remember of the class.
In which camp do you fall: do you want to receive a big refund, or no refund?
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