My tweener was in much a similar circumstance- back in February. For birthdays, we give our older kids the options of big party, small party w/ bigger present, or biggest present. This year, my daughter opted for biggest present- a shopping spree to the tweenie stores she's been dreaming about. Salesgirl had no other customers in the store at the time- so she was keenly aware of trying to upsell and make $$$ off of us. I basically told the girl that my daughter and I didn't need help. My daughter was of course mortified. Throughout our shopping experience, I was able to point out to her how basic stuff was marked way up in places like this. She was keyed into the coming color palattes of spring- lots of turquoise and light green was out at the time. Once I got pointing out to her how basic the clothes really were- just in different colors than she was used to seeing in drab February- she too began to identify the rip offs-- and steered herself towards sales. She ended up doing remarkably well for herself on the money I had budgeted for her to spend (like 3 pairs of shoes, 3 pairs of pants, 2 dresses, 3 shirts and some accessories) versus the one or two things she would have gotten otherwise.
You are doing a great job teaching her about the realities of shopping and business transactions. Salespeople are not friends; there is business involved.
I think you did a great job. I'm fortunate to have a boy (age 5), so he's not much interested in hanging out in the clothing stores. However, when we do go somewhere he likes, such as the bookstore, we set a limit going in, such as today you can get one book or you can spend a certain amount. That cuts down on arguments. I'm also trying to get him to understand that once you spend that money it's gone, so perhaps you'd like to save it to get something you really want in the future. There are only 2 stores I shop in at our mall, and I never go in unless I have coupons, or scouted out something I new was going to be on sale ahead of time. It's taken me a long time, but I've learned that impulse buys lead to debt, and those dollars can better serve my family elsewhere.
I'm a college student without a credit card and no plan to ever get one. I was without no debt at all, but this year I finally had to bite the bullet and get a student loan, about 8 thousand.
While this is a very creative idea, and makes a lot of sense for people who have credit cards, it is possible to get around without one.
Cars: I was extremely bless to be given a car, I've only had to put about three hundred into it so far, and that includes a full check, oil change, and the new lisense plates. But that was a surprise, and my plan was to buy a $2,000 beater that would last me through school till I could save up for a $5,000 one, then a $10,000 and so on. I hadn't planned on going through a dealer. But one of my friend's father recently bought a van that cost about 17,000. He went in with 12,000 cash and walked away with it. They will not let you walk away when you have cash in your hand.
Houses: Since I am not out in the "real world" yet and living in college dorms, I have yet to start on my plan for a house. But next year I'll be renting, and the way to eventually get a house when I am ready is to pay each rent early or on time and keep a record of it. To go to the bank for a loan to buy my house, I would have to have at least 20% saved for and bring in all those records I saved. I think the paperwork is called underwritten manuel loan. Not sure about the title though.
In any case, how else did people survive before credit cards? There are processes still in place for people who choose to not use plastic.
I am expecting a nice tax refund this year. I like getting back a lump sum of money at the beginning of every year (EIC and over withholding). I pay off credit cards and do small home improvements. This year I installed energy star windows and a gas hot water heater, so I may be able to get more back. For me, it is easier this way than forcing myself to put the money into savings. A savings account is too easy to dip into when things get a little rough. Having the IRS hold it ensures that the cards and the house get taken care of. I prepare my taxes myself through turbotax online free file.
I deliver a local weekly savings flyer, and we are all instructed to watch for 'No Flyer' signs. It doesn't hurt me to not deliver to people who don't want flyers; the tiny amount I earn per paper is based on the route, not the number of papers that I put into mailboxes. I can't easily arrange for a smaller number of papers to be dropped off, because most of the places not receiving flyers are due to people having moved out, but I do know that the extras will be used where I can, and will be recycled properly otherwise.
I used to fret about not getting the sales flyers in the newspapers, but I read them online instead. The only thing I'm missing now is the special inserts, and I can live with that.
no chance.. they gave ridiculous excuses about how the economy is in doldrums (surprise!) and they have to use unused credit limits from my account to make it available to others! and my APR CANNOT be reduced under ANY circumstance. so thats that. will keep trying.
How about this: if you can, eliminate withholding from your paycheck entirely. This would mean you are required to pay quarterly estimated taxes. It takes some willpower and discipline, but you can earn three month's worth of interest off that money before paying it to Uncle Sam. No tax refund, no interest free loan to the government.
Instead of changing your withholdings you can file a 2008 amended return and get your first-time homebuyer credit in about 6 weeks (even if you bought in 2009 you can take the credit in 2008). We bought a house in late April and this is what we did.
Jani is exactly right, the newer sites really offer awesome opportunities to take advantage of sites like this while they are in their budding stages. bidfire.com was one that I found, I watched an auction for a nintendo wii where the same 3 bidders were going at it and then at $3.30... it just stopped. That was it, the winner got the system for $3.30. So I gave it a shot and actually won a game for less than $1. I'd say shop around a bit and check out other sites. It's more fun than anything, but it's a lot of fun!
Definitely going to get a refund this year. I've been paying the same taxes as last year, but furloughs have cut out 8% of my pay. I'm not sure I'm that happy about it.
first year in 6 that I am not self-employed. Hopefully got the withholding right. I would rather pay a few hundred in April instead of getting back a few thousand of MY money. Check back in Feb and we'll see how I did...
I'm afraid I'm a bit skeptical of moisture corroding blades. Your salty skin oils, which would probably take some doing to clean off the blade might be another matter. Which is why everyone's experience with razors are going to be a bit different, because beard toughness and your skin secretions will vary between men. If I let my beard grow, it could be used to scrub pots. That takes its toll on blades. And I suspect my skin oils are a bit harsh as well.
A cartridge blade, be it a Gillette Fusion or a twin blade cartridge, lasts me for about two weeks of daily shaves, including my head. And I can shave very quickly with such blades. A disposable twin or triple blade shaver lasts me about a week. A double-edge lasts me about a week.
I also have to take a little more time with a double-edged, as a lack of attention means cuts. I've been shaving with a double-edged safety razor for about two years now, and I still cut myself if I don't pay attention, so it's not just a question of learning curve and practice. I can only imagine the time and attention factor need to go up for a straight razor.
I like the shave, and the cost savings, associated with using a safety razor, but with disposable time at a premium, I still might switch back to twin blade razors.
I have a tweener, too. Every such teaching opportunity, I am trying to illustrate the differences between the appearances people present, or how she would like them to be, versus the frequently more unpleasant realities. She's a naturally happy girl (may we be spared teenage angst!), and I don't want to make her paranoid, but I do want her to exercise some skepticism in her interactions with the world.
I am a recent grad who has had a hard time finding work after college so I try to concentrate on what I do have. I changed my withholding amount so that hopefully I don't receive much of a refund. I would rather pay a little extra each month on student loan payments then get a lump sum after I file my taxes. It doesn't make financial sense to be accumulating interest for my student loans while I am giving a free loan to the government. Since I live in Nebraska so I also have to pay state income tax but I am unsure if I can change how much they withhold. Does anyone have any ideas?
i just called citi.. i have been with them for 5-6 yrs and have a balance over 20000 (before you post a judgemental reply to this post, it is all business related expenses). my rate was hiked to 29.99% due to one late payment and my interest payments went up by $280 monthly!! I called and they initially reduced to 17.9% and after a little prodding down to 15.4%. awesome.
I am fortunate in that the downturn in the economy has not yet affected my income. As a teacher, I can't say that I haven't been worried that it will affect me, though. Luckily, I learned from parents and a grandmother how to be frugal and never really bought into the "have to have this and have to have that" mentality.
Because of the downturn, I have become more frugal but it isn't because I can't live on what I make. It is so that I can sock away extra cash in the event that I am affected.
Since we just bought our first house and qualify for the tax credit and itemized deductions, we will officially stop withholding on our 2009 Federal taxes on our next paychecks. We might have a $1500 refund from the Feds next year, but we're aiming to get as much as that back in advance by adjusting withholding.
Since we live in California and have no idea what the current tax/deductions are or will be by the time we file, we're going to let our withholding stand and hope for the best.
Taxes are tough in our house. We have one W-2 income and two self-employed incomes. Usually, we just claim zero and have the max taxes taken out of our one W-2 paycheck.
Although this has resulted in a loan to the gov't the past few years, we have found that with fluctuating self-employment income, it gives us a nice insurance policy against huge out-of-pocket tax payments at the end of the year. (We aren't always good at estimating taxes quarterly,mostly due to the self-employment tax penalty and medicare tax, plus our income is so irregular).
That said, I am trying to be more organized this year. Instead of throwing receipts and papers in a shoe box and having a two-week marathon with Turbotax every March, I am writing down expenses and potential deductions in a notebook as they occur. I have a page for charitable deductions, medical expenses, etc. Anything that could be useful.
This year is also a bit different because we are having a baby in November. the last one cost us at least $5,000 out of pocket for hospital, lab tests, etc. (Pretty standard fee, sadly). We are tracking all medical co pays, lab tests, expenses, etc. to see if we have enough to qualify for the medical tax deduction this year.
My hubby is also getting the "Snip" to avoid any more accidental babies, and we are moving the date of that procedure to this tax year, so we can potentially deduct those expenses as well.
The upside is we will also get a deduction for the baby this year as well.
We also replaced several old windows in hopes of getting the energy efficiency tax credit.
Overall, we are trying to be more diligent and organized. We haven't always been so in the past, and have probably ended up paying more than we should because of it. Let's face it. every penny counts now more than ever, so diligence is the safest route.
My puppy saved me money. Coming home every night to a puppy that needed 0:30 walking, 0:15 training, and 0:30 playtime REALLY cut into my hockey-viewing time so I cancelled my Center Ice subscription.
I'd also contend that NOT training your pets is the hidden cost, while training them helps to lower costs. A well-trained pet also helps you out with #9. :-)
I had a friend who started out on her own young and wasn't the nine to five type. She became a dominatrix and starting earning cash to pay the bills. The only problem was that she was afraid of depositing it into a bank for fear that Uncle Sam would take a good chunk of her earnings, which she needed to survive. So instead of the old hiding it under a mattress thing and having the insecurity of cash lying around in her house, she placed it in an account overseas (as you stated can be done).
It's easier than one might think and these days, it seems no one can survive off of income that is 100% legit. You gotta have fallback.
With the right balance, too - of course the clerk likes your daughter, but that's not the point of the relationship at all.
I grew up with salesmen - my grandfather could sell anything to anyone, he literally started out selling refrigerators to people who didn't even have electricity yet (start your payments now and when the line hits your town, you'll have an electric icebox to plug in!). So I knew the difference between a friendly client relationship and a real relationship early, and it's been good for me overall.
Not just for sales-resistance (though after six years selling advertising myself, i'm pretty immune to it) but because looking at how that clerk works might help your daughter learn a valuable skill - she's going to be selling herself to schools, employers, potential friends, mentors, etc for a long time.
I've probably been there!
My tweener was in much a similar circumstance- back in February. For birthdays, we give our older kids the options of big party, small party w/ bigger present, or biggest present. This year, my daughter opted for biggest present- a shopping spree to the tweenie stores she's been dreaming about. Salesgirl had no other customers in the store at the time- so she was keenly aware of trying to upsell and make $$$ off of us. I basically told the girl that my daughter and I didn't need help. My daughter was of course mortified. Throughout our shopping experience, I was able to point out to her how basic stuff was marked way up in places like this. She was keyed into the coming color palattes of spring- lots of turquoise and light green was out at the time. Once I got pointing out to her how basic the clothes really were- just in different colors than she was used to seeing in drab February- she too began to identify the rip offs-- and steered herself towards sales. She ended up doing remarkably well for herself on the money I had budgeted for her to spend (like 3 pairs of shoes, 3 pairs of pants, 2 dresses, 3 shirts and some accessories) versus the one or two things she would have gotten otherwise.
You are doing a great job teaching her about the realities of shopping and business transactions. Salespeople are not friends; there is business involved.
I think you did a great job. I'm fortunate to have a boy (age 5), so he's not much interested in hanging out in the clothing stores. However, when we do go somewhere he likes, such as the bookstore, we set a limit going in, such as today you can get one book or you can spend a certain amount. That cuts down on arguments. I'm also trying to get him to understand that once you spend that money it's gone, so perhaps you'd like to save it to get something you really want in the future. There are only 2 stores I shop in at our mall, and I never go in unless I have coupons, or scouted out something I new was going to be on sale ahead of time. It's taken me a long time, but I've learned that impulse buys lead to debt, and those dollars can better serve my family elsewhere.
I'm a college student without a credit card and no plan to ever get one. I was without no debt at all, but this year I finally had to bite the bullet and get a student loan, about 8 thousand.
While this is a very creative idea, and makes a lot of sense for people who have credit cards, it is possible to get around without one.
Cars: I was extremely bless to be given a car, I've only had to put about three hundred into it so far, and that includes a full check, oil change, and the new lisense plates. But that was a surprise, and my plan was to buy a $2,000 beater that would last me through school till I could save up for a $5,000 one, then a $10,000 and so on. I hadn't planned on going through a dealer. But one of my friend's father recently bought a van that cost about 17,000. He went in with 12,000 cash and walked away with it. They will not let you walk away when you have cash in your hand.
Houses: Since I am not out in the "real world" yet and living in college dorms, I have yet to start on my plan for a house. But next year I'll be renting, and the way to eventually get a house when I am ready is to pay each rent early or on time and keep a record of it. To go to the bank for a loan to buy my house, I would have to have at least 20% saved for and bring in all those records I saved. I think the paperwork is called underwritten manuel loan. Not sure about the title though.
In any case, how else did people survive before credit cards? There are processes still in place for people who choose to not use plastic.
I am expecting a nice tax refund this year. I like getting back a lump sum of money at the beginning of every year (EIC and over withholding). I pay off credit cards and do small home improvements. This year I installed energy star windows and a gas hot water heater, so I may be able to get more back. For me, it is easier this way than forcing myself to put the money into savings. A savings account is too easy to dip into when things get a little rough. Having the IRS hold it ensures that the cards and the house get taken care of. I prepare my taxes myself through turbotax online free file.
I deliver a local weekly savings flyer, and we are all instructed to watch for 'No Flyer' signs. It doesn't hurt me to not deliver to people who don't want flyers; the tiny amount I earn per paper is based on the route, not the number of papers that I put into mailboxes. I can't easily arrange for a smaller number of papers to be dropped off, because most of the places not receiving flyers are due to people having moved out, but I do know that the extras will be used where I can, and will be recycled properly otherwise.
I used to fret about not getting the sales flyers in the newspapers, but I read them online instead. The only thing I'm missing now is the special inserts, and I can live with that.
no chance.. they gave ridiculous excuses about how the economy is in doldrums (surprise!) and they have to use unused credit limits from my account to make it available to others! and my APR CANNOT be reduced under ANY circumstance. so thats that. will keep trying.
I split my deductions throughout the year. I claim 0 for half the year and 1 for the other half. I should get something back, but it will be small.
How about this: if you can, eliminate withholding from your paycheck entirely. This would mean you are required to pay quarterly estimated taxes. It takes some willpower and discipline, but you can earn three month's worth of interest off that money before paying it to Uncle Sam. No tax refund, no interest free loan to the government.
Instead of changing your withholdings you can file a 2008 amended return and get your first-time homebuyer credit in about 6 weeks (even if you bought in 2009 you can take the credit in 2008). We bought a house in late April and this is what we did.
Jani is exactly right, the newer sites really offer awesome opportunities to take advantage of sites like this while they are in their budding stages. bidfire.com was one that I found, I watched an auction for a nintendo wii where the same 3 bidders were going at it and then at $3.30... it just stopped. That was it, the winner got the system for $3.30. So I gave it a shot and actually won a game for less than $1. I'd say shop around a bit and check out other sites. It's more fun than anything, but it's a lot of fun!
Definitely going to get a refund this year. I've been paying the same taxes as last year, but furloughs have cut out 8% of my pay. I'm not sure I'm that happy about it.
first year in 6 that I am not self-employed. Hopefully got the withholding right. I would rather pay a few hundred in April instead of getting back a few thousand of MY money. Check back in Feb and we'll see how I did...
I'm afraid I'm a bit skeptical of moisture corroding blades. Your salty skin oils, which would probably take some doing to clean off the blade might be another matter. Which is why everyone's experience with razors are going to be a bit different, because beard toughness and your skin secretions will vary between men. If I let my beard grow, it could be used to scrub pots. That takes its toll on blades. And I suspect my skin oils are a bit harsh as well.
A cartridge blade, be it a Gillette Fusion or a twin blade cartridge, lasts me for about two weeks of daily shaves, including my head. And I can shave very quickly with such blades. A disposable twin or triple blade shaver lasts me about a week. A double-edge lasts me about a week.
I also have to take a little more time with a double-edged, as a lack of attention means cuts. I've been shaving with a double-edged safety razor for about two years now, and I still cut myself if I don't pay attention, so it's not just a question of learning curve and practice. I can only imagine the time and attention factor need to go up for a straight razor.
I like the shave, and the cost savings, associated with using a safety razor, but with disposable time at a premium, I still might switch back to twin blade razors.
This is actually the first year where I won't be getting one. I worked at a work-study job and am now at an unpaid internship.
I have a tweener, too. Every such teaching opportunity, I am trying to illustrate the differences between the appearances people present, or how she would like them to be, versus the frequently more unpleasant realities. She's a naturally happy girl (may we be spared teenage angst!), and I don't want to make her paranoid, but I do want her to exercise some skepticism in her interactions with the world.
I am a recent grad who has had a hard time finding work after college so I try to concentrate on what I do have. I changed my withholding amount so that hopefully I don't receive much of a refund. I would rather pay a little extra each month on student loan payments then get a lump sum after I file my taxes. It doesn't make financial sense to be accumulating interest for my student loans while I am giving a free loan to the government. Since I live in Nebraska so I also have to pay state income tax but I am unsure if I can change how much they withhold. Does anyone have any ideas?
i just called citi.. i have been with them for 5-6 yrs and have a balance over 20000 (before you post a judgemental reply to this post, it is all business related expenses). my rate was hiked to 29.99% due to one late payment and my interest payments went up by $280 monthly!! I called and they initially reduced to 17.9% and after a little prodding down to 15.4%. awesome.
I am fortunate in that the downturn in the economy has not yet affected my income. As a teacher, I can't say that I haven't been worried that it will affect me, though. Luckily, I learned from parents and a grandmother how to be frugal and never really bought into the "have to have this and have to have that" mentality.
Because of the downturn, I have become more frugal but it isn't because I can't live on what I make. It is so that I can sock away extra cash in the event that I am affected.
Since we just bought our first house and qualify for the tax credit and itemized deductions, we will officially stop withholding on our 2009 Federal taxes on our next paychecks. We might have a $1500 refund from the Feds next year, but we're aiming to get as much as that back in advance by adjusting withholding.
Since we live in California and have no idea what the current tax/deductions are or will be by the time we file, we're going to let our withholding stand and hope for the best.
Taxes are tough in our house. We have one W-2 income and two self-employed incomes. Usually, we just claim zero and have the max taxes taken out of our one W-2 paycheck.
Although this has resulted in a loan to the gov't the past few years, we have found that with fluctuating self-employment income, it gives us a nice insurance policy against huge out-of-pocket tax payments at the end of the year. (We aren't always good at estimating taxes quarterly,mostly due to the self-employment tax penalty and medicare tax, plus our income is so irregular).
That said, I am trying to be more organized this year. Instead of throwing receipts and papers in a shoe box and having a two-week marathon with Turbotax every March, I am writing down expenses and potential deductions in a notebook as they occur. I have a page for charitable deductions, medical expenses, etc. Anything that could be useful.
This year is also a bit different because we are having a baby in November. the last one cost us at least $5,000 out of pocket for hospital, lab tests, etc. (Pretty standard fee, sadly). We are tracking all medical co pays, lab tests, expenses, etc. to see if we have enough to qualify for the medical tax deduction this year.
My hubby is also getting the "Snip" to avoid any more accidental babies, and we are moving the date of that procedure to this tax year, so we can potentially deduct those expenses as well.
The upside is we will also get a deduction for the baby this year as well.
We also replaced several old windows in hopes of getting the energy efficiency tax credit.
Overall, we are trying to be more diligent and organized. We haven't always been so in the past, and have probably ended up paying more than we should because of it. Let's face it. every penny counts now more than ever, so diligence is the safest route.
My puppy saved me money. Coming home every night to a puppy that needed 0:30 walking, 0:15 training, and 0:30 playtime REALLY cut into my hockey-viewing time so I cancelled my Center Ice subscription.
I'd also contend that NOT training your pets is the hidden cost, while training them helps to lower costs. A well-trained pet also helps you out with #9. :-)
I'm not getting a refund this year. My income was not high enough for taxes (still a student...).
I had a friend who started out on her own young and wasn't the nine to five type. She became a dominatrix and starting earning cash to pay the bills. The only problem was that she was afraid of depositing it into a bank for fear that Uncle Sam would take a good chunk of her earnings, which she needed to survive. So instead of the old hiding it under a mattress thing and having the insecurity of cash lying around in her house, she placed it in an account overseas (as you stated can be done).
It's easier than one might think and these days, it seems no one can survive off of income that is 100% legit. You gotta have fallback.
With the right balance, too - of course the clerk likes your daughter, but that's not the point of the relationship at all.
I grew up with salesmen - my grandfather could sell anything to anyone, he literally started out selling refrigerators to people who didn't even have electricity yet (start your payments now and when the line hits your town, you'll have an electric icebox to plug in!). So I knew the difference between a friendly client relationship and a real relationship early, and it's been good for me overall.
Not just for sales-resistance (though after six years selling advertising myself, i'm pretty immune to it) but because looking at how that clerk works might help your daughter learn a valuable skill - she's going to be selling herself to schools, employers, potential friends, mentors, etc for a long time.
The fruit presnt fantastic Home Improvement Ideas for my dining room area. Theres something about the fruit that makes the ambiance more refreshing.