I talked to my accountant and asked him to confirm that Schedule C filer audits were way up. He said for sure, as well as S-Corps and LLCs, and that no small business was immune from increased scrutiny.
So I asked him basically if you were a small business, there is no benefit to incorporate or form an LLC for the sole reason to decrease your chances to get an audit.
Just came back to my office after a short, anxiety-filled meeting, and Googled "when all around you" to find some advice. Your post was the very first hit, and it certainly did the job. I guess you're right--there are people like this in every office, and unfortunately I tend to be a sponge for other people's anxiety.
Your four tips are going to be printed out and posted prominently on my bulletin board to help me stay centered. Thanks!
The time cost is a tough argument. Yes, if women find that their earning power is limited in their child's first year because of breastfeeding and pumping, then that should certainly be calculated as a "cost" to breastfeeding that could exceed the $3k the family may spend on formula.
However, the fact is that babies need to be held and fed and that breastfeeding is an soothing activity, not just a feeding mechanism. Feeding a baby with formula does not as a rule take less time than breastfeeding, although it does take less time than pumping and then bottle feeding the pumped milk.
Personally, I felt that the hours I have spent breastfeeding my children were all time well spent. Since I stayed home, worked from home or came home at lunch to nurse while my children were infants, and during most of those hours I would not have been earning a salary if I were not breastfeeding. Actually, I would have been busy feeding them bottles during the same time, so my earning power would not have increased at all.
The cost to the workplace in inconvenience for pumping mothers would be reduced if our society was more baby friendly. It would be much easier if it was accepted as normal for mothers to simply keep their babies with them physically for the first six months of life, at work and at home. Longer, paid maternity leaves would help too.
I am in the very beginning stages of decluttering, but I like the box method. So say you have a junk drawer. Dump the whole drawer in a box. As you use things from the box, they are allowed to go back in the drawer. After a month or two, you have things in the drawer that you actually use and a box full of stuff that is either seasonal and can be put in a less everyday place or that isn't used and can be thrown/recycled/sold/donated. I hope to soon get past this part to the maintenance part but baby steps.
I have a hell of a time finding a credit union ATM when I need one, even though there are quite a few aorund my region. My credit union does appear to have partnerships with other credit unions in the area, though, so that's kind of helpful.
The ATMs that I DO find, though, are modern. Unlike, say, US Bank, which uses something from the 1970s.
My dog once started to eat a broken lightbulb. He has a tendency to eat rocks (with no apparent side effects - they go right through him) but one day when we were walking around, I hear a more unusual crunching sound from him, and pulled a small broken light bulb from between his jaws.
That's really apropos of nothing - I just had to point out that my dog is really, really stupid.
It sounds like your credit union -- like many others -- is aware of the potential disadvantages and has worked to improve them. Not every credit union has. It's possible to find credit unions like yours that do not have these disadvantages, but since they still exist for many, it's only fair to include them here.
To your point of fewer ATMs, I have found the exact opposite. My credit union membership comes with a system of 30,000 ATMs all across the country. I've traveled from coast to coast and can make a surcharge free withdrawal wherever I am.
Credit Unions are interesting in that they don't always see each other as competition. They know that to compete they need to cooperate with each other.
If you want a good laugh, www.bankerspank.com has some funny parodies of the old Mac/PC commercials.
I use craigslist all the time, especially the free section. I've gotten lots of really nice furniture for free just because people were moving and didn't want to take it with them. I have also used CL to find jobs, one of which lasted for almost three years.
Im sorry but I disagree with just about every disadvantage you list about credit unions. Yes it is true that some lack technology of the larger institutions, but my tiny credit union (and many others) have been using online banking for several years. In fact, some have been using it longer than the big banks, and the credit unions are still the most likely to offer it for free.
Also, if they are part of the Credit Union Family Service Centers, then they probably have a greater amount of ATMs than most banks do. In addition, they are also fee free. Cant say that about other banks.
Almost anyone (in fact, im sure its everyone) can join a credit union. Very few are sticking with their selective criteria these days. Typically if you live or work within 5 miles of one, they will allow membership.
Other benefits include low APR credit cards...my credit union offer a fixed rate of 7%, I cant even find another credit union that offers a card that low. They are mostly fee free institutions, and the big banks like BOA and Chase are going fee crazy these days!
Getting rid of stuff is liberating! The more things my husband and I sell, recycle or donate, the better both of us feel. It's always nice when the item you don't want can find a useful place in someone else's life. We follow the one new item in, one old item out rule with clothing, and household items. I love to clip irecipes and interesting articles from magazines or the newspaper or print them from the internet, and I was having a heard time letting go of all the paper clutter. By setting up a file on my computer, I was able to store the information from the paper pile and toss the papers. I've never missed anything that I've gotten rid of.
We've used Craigslist to sell, not buy. When we've sold it's been furniture, so they've had to come to our home. Ack! We put things out in the garage and husband interacts and I stay in the house, with phone handy in case something happens. Always be careful when selling/buying on Craigslist. Most people are probably innocent but just use your head.
Great tips - I've always tried to operate on the "one in, one out" rule for clothing and have been using it for other areas of my life too. When you look at life that way, you see that very little actually needs replacing!
One question though: how do you deal with gifts? I inevitably end up with things I don't need or want, but feel guilty getting rid of.
Thanks for the article, but please reconsider the first recommendation. If the majority of sellers repeatedly posted ads every day they failed to sell, it would inevitably disrupt the service. Unsold items would compound each day, forcing buyers to scan through constantly lengthening lists of unsold items. It also would almost certainly drown out competing posts that are listed less frequently- ideally only once.
This also probably violates craigslist's terms of use (see 7.p. and 7.w.) Admittedly, it's unlikely craigslist will fine the stated $100 per re-post, but it will definitely give regular buyers on craigslist reason to dislike and flag them when they see them.
If the author disagrees with this interpretation, could he please solicit a comment from craigslist itself on the point? Thanks again.
I use Craigslist mainly for larger items that I don't want to ship, like ski racks, bikes, etc. Just takes some time, being patient with all those people who look, but don't buy.
I respectfuly disagree with three specific areas covered in this review. First topic... Horizon states their products are 'PRODUCED WITHOUT THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS", this review claims that is not true. It's not just about testing to see whether or not they are present, but rather the effects antibiotics have on any living creature, and the side effects change how milk is produced through a cow's system, which in turn, creates a different taste, and I can definetly tell the difference. When Horizon also states they do not use growth hormones, this review says hormones are always present. WAKE UP! Growth hormones are synthetic, which means they can show up as a totally seperate item. So this author basicaly just told me we can't tell the difference between natural hormones, and synthetic growth hormones. Finaly, because the word access is used,it all of a sudden attains a different interpretation of definition by his opinion of how he uses that word. I for one have personally visited one of their farms in northern Maine, and it looks, and is exactly how it is described on their products. Don't be so quick to sell genuine, hard working americans short.
Many good points in this article, but Im torn on the part about creating better neighborhoods. I live in the metro Detroit area, and I tend to find the older neighborhoods are in poverty stricken areas. Granted this isnt the case across the country, and we still have many subdivisions with smaller homes, but the suburb I live in is predominantly filled with larger homes, 2000+ sq ft. Not to mention that the housing market here is very depressed, and when home prices gain, the larger more expensive homes will create a larger capital gain when you sell it.
Comments like these perpetuate the myth that breastfeeding is "Hard." It's not hard. It does take a bit of work and some patience. We expect babies to come out and be independent and then get upset when they are needy little suckers. UH yeah, they can't do a damn thing on thier own. They are babies. They need you every 2-3 hours for the first few months.
It is not painful unless you have an improper latch which isn't a hard thing to overcome.
What we lack is nurses trained in proper breastfeeding and in the US there is a culture of lack of maternity leave to support breastfeeding.
I talked to my accountant and asked him to confirm that Schedule C filer audits were way up. He said for sure, as well as S-Corps and LLCs, and that no small business was immune from increased scrutiny.
So I asked him basically if you were a small business, there is no benefit to incorporate or form an LLC for the sole reason to decrease your chances to get an audit.
"Nope."
Yes, it's a good way to sell off clutter.
Just came back to my office after a short, anxiety-filled meeting, and Googled "when all around you" to find some advice. Your post was the very first hit, and it certainly did the job. I guess you're right--there are people like this in every office, and unfortunately I tend to be a sponge for other people's anxiety.
Your four tips are going to be printed out and posted prominently on my bulletin board to help me stay centered. Thanks!
Great post. Thanks for the tips. I'm pretty sure 5 or 6 of those apply to me... YIKES.
The time cost is a tough argument. Yes, if women find that their earning power is limited in their child's first year because of breastfeeding and pumping, then that should certainly be calculated as a "cost" to breastfeeding that could exceed the $3k the family may spend on formula.
However, the fact is that babies need to be held and fed and that breastfeeding is an soothing activity, not just a feeding mechanism. Feeding a baby with formula does not as a rule take less time than breastfeeding, although it does take less time than pumping and then bottle feeding the pumped milk.
Personally, I felt that the hours I have spent breastfeeding my children were all time well spent. Since I stayed home, worked from home or came home at lunch to nurse while my children were infants, and during most of those hours I would not have been earning a salary if I were not breastfeeding. Actually, I would have been busy feeding them bottles during the same time, so my earning power would not have increased at all.
The cost to the workplace in inconvenience for pumping mothers would be reduced if our society was more baby friendly. It would be much easier if it was accepted as normal for mothers to simply keep their babies with them physically for the first six months of life, at work and at home. Longer, paid maternity leaves would help too.
I am in the very beginning stages of decluttering, but I like the box method. So say you have a junk drawer. Dump the whole drawer in a box. As you use things from the box, they are allowed to go back in the drawer. After a month or two, you have things in the drawer that you actually use and a box full of stuff that is either seasonal and can be put in a less everyday place or that isn't used and can be thrown/recycled/sold/donated. I hope to soon get past this part to the maintenance part but baby steps.
I have a hell of a time finding a credit union ATM when I need one, even though there are quite a few aorund my region. My credit union does appear to have partnerships with other credit unions in the area, though, so that's kind of helpful.
The ATMs that I DO find, though, are modern. Unlike, say, US Bank, which uses something from the 1970s.
My dog once started to eat a broken lightbulb. He has a tendency to eat rocks (with no apparent side effects - they go right through him) but one day when we were walking around, I hear a more unusual crunching sound from him, and pulled a small broken light bulb from between his jaws.
That's really apropos of nothing - I just had to point out that my dog is really, really stupid.
We have used the one in one out rule for years! That's how I manage to have teenagers with clean rooms!
Yikes! That's awful! I'm sorry that happened to you! :(
It sounds like your credit union -- like many others -- is aware of the potential disadvantages and has worked to improve them. Not every credit union has. It's possible to find credit unions like yours that do not have these disadvantages, but since they still exist for many, it's only fair to include them here.
To your point of fewer ATMs, I have found the exact opposite. My credit union membership comes with a system of 30,000 ATMs all across the country. I've traveled from coast to coast and can make a surcharge free withdrawal wherever I am.
Credit Unions are interesting in that they don't always see each other as competition. They know that to compete they need to cooperate with each other.
If you want a good laugh, www.bankerspank.com has some funny parodies of the old Mac/PC commercials.
I use craigslist all the time, especially the free section. I've gotten lots of really nice furniture for free just because people were moving and didn't want to take it with them. I have also used CL to find jobs, one of which lasted for almost three years.
I like to look at the wanted posts on craigslist.
Im sorry but I disagree with just about every disadvantage you list about credit unions. Yes it is true that some lack technology of the larger institutions, but my tiny credit union (and many others) have been using online banking for several years. In fact, some have been using it longer than the big banks, and the credit unions are still the most likely to offer it for free.
Also, if they are part of the Credit Union Family Service Centers, then they probably have a greater amount of ATMs than most banks do. In addition, they are also fee free. Cant say that about other banks.
Almost anyone (in fact, im sure its everyone) can join a credit union. Very few are sticking with their selective criteria these days. Typically if you live or work within 5 miles of one, they will allow membership.
Other benefits include low APR credit cards...my credit union offer a fixed rate of 7%, I cant even find another credit union that offers a card that low. They are mostly fee free institutions, and the big banks like BOA and Chase are going fee crazy these days!
www.moneyistheroot.com (personal finance blogger and Yakezie Challenge member)
Getting rid of stuff is liberating! The more things my husband and I sell, recycle or donate, the better both of us feel. It's always nice when the item you don't want can find a useful place in someone else's life. We follow the one new item in, one old item out rule with clothing, and household items. I love to clip irecipes and interesting articles from magazines or the newspaper or print them from the internet, and I was having a heard time letting go of all the paper clutter. By setting up a file on my computer, I was able to store the information from the paper pile and toss the papers. I've never missed anything that I've gotten rid of.
We've used Craigslist to sell, not buy. When we've sold it's been furniture, so they've had to come to our home. Ack! We put things out in the garage and husband interacts and I stay in the house, with phone handy in case something happens. Always be careful when selling/buying on Craigslist. Most people are probably innocent but just use your head.
Tons of great tips! Throughout University I would bulk buy digital cameras from ebay then resell them locally on craigslist.
Great tips - I've always tried to operate on the "one in, one out" rule for clothing and have been using it for other areas of my life too. When you look at life that way, you see that very little actually needs replacing!
One question though: how do you deal with gifts? I inevitably end up with things I don't need or want, but feel guilty getting rid of.
I use craigslist for everything from buying electronics to meeting new folks. I also had some success in getting interviews posted on there.
Thanks for the article, but please reconsider the first recommendation. If the majority of sellers repeatedly posted ads every day they failed to sell, it would inevitably disrupt the service. Unsold items would compound each day, forcing buyers to scan through constantly lengthening lists of unsold items. It also would almost certainly drown out competing posts that are listed less frequently- ideally only once.
This also probably violates craigslist's terms of use (see 7.p. and 7.w.) Admittedly, it's unlikely craigslist will fine the stated $100 per re-post, but it will definitely give regular buyers on craigslist reason to dislike and flag them when they see them.
If the author disagrees with this interpretation, could he please solicit a comment from craigslist itself on the point? Thanks again.
I use Craigslist mainly for larger items that I don't want to ship, like ski racks, bikes, etc. Just takes some time, being patient with all those people who look, but don't buy.
I respectfuly disagree with three specific areas covered in this review. First topic... Horizon states their products are 'PRODUCED WITHOUT THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS", this review claims that is not true. It's not just about testing to see whether or not they are present, but rather the effects antibiotics have on any living creature, and the side effects change how milk is produced through a cow's system, which in turn, creates a different taste, and I can definetly tell the difference. When Horizon also states they do not use growth hormones, this review says hormones are always present. WAKE UP! Growth hormones are synthetic, which means they can show up as a totally seperate item. So this author basicaly just told me we can't tell the difference between natural hormones, and synthetic growth hormones. Finaly, because the word access is used,it all of a sudden attains a different interpretation of definition by his opinion of how he uses that word. I for one have personally visited one of their farms in northern Maine, and it looks, and is exactly how it is described on their products. Don't be so quick to sell genuine, hard working americans short.
Many good points in this article, but Im torn on the part about creating better neighborhoods. I live in the metro Detroit area, and I tend to find the older neighborhoods are in poverty stricken areas. Granted this isnt the case across the country, and we still have many subdivisions with smaller homes, but the suburb I live in is predominantly filled with larger homes, 2000+ sq ft. Not to mention that the housing market here is very depressed, and when home prices gain, the larger more expensive homes will create a larger capital gain when you sell it.
www.moneyistheroot.com
Comments like these perpetuate the myth that breastfeeding is "Hard." It's not hard. It does take a bit of work and some patience. We expect babies to come out and be independent and then get upset when they are needy little suckers. UH yeah, they can't do a damn thing on thier own. They are babies. They need you every 2-3 hours for the first few months.
It is not painful unless you have an improper latch which isn't a hard thing to overcome.
What we lack is nurses trained in proper breastfeeding and in the US there is a culture of lack of maternity leave to support breastfeeding.