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The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter
Feature Article - Shop in Consignment Stores and Save Money
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Guest Article - Do your own Taxes!
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What a week it has been! I had to go in for an ultrasound because the baby was measuring smaller than he should be - 31 weeks rather than 35. Fortunately he's fine, aside from still being breech. I really want him to turn soon, so I don't have to worry about a C-section, so I looked up some gentle ways to encourage him to flip over. The doctor can do a procedure to try to flip him, but that sometimes results in an emergency C-section, and they don't try that sooner than 37 weeks anyhow, so I may as well see if I can get him to do it on his own.
We may actually have a name for this kid finally. We're considering Gage. This is the only name Ariel has liked, and it's neither too unusual or too popular. No one else seems enthusiastic about it, but then no one seemed to like Ariel's name either, so that isn't really a big problem. It's something of a family name for my husband. He's descended from the last British colonial governor. Yes, he was on the losing side, but it's still an interesting name.
We spent Sunday helping to make Mardi Gras masks for my older sister's wedding reception. She got married a week before Christmas, so she delayed the reception until next weekend. Mardi Gras is her theme, and it was a lot of fun making masks.
Of course, I had even more fun reminding her that I could well steal her show and go into labor next Saturday during the party. I hope I don't, but it's fun to tease.
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Saving money while getting good quality is hard. It gets worse when the time comes to buy furniture or other relatively expensive items.
Of course, you could always just head to the thrift stores. Run by various charities, thrift stores offer used furniture of varying quality. I’ve seen couches as low as $30, although most people probably wouldn’t welcome that particular couch in their living room.
If you want to go a little higher quality, consignment stores can be the answer. They are more picky about what they accept, and many have discontinued merchandise from stores, not just used items.
My husband and I recently bought a couch from a consignment shop. We knew we couldn’t afford much, and it was quickly apparent that even the low end new couches were out of the question. The very few we could consider price-wise we couldn’t stand either in terms of appearance or comfort.
The couch we bought at the consignment shop is amazing. It was about $350 – not cheap, certainly, but much less than just about any new couch. It is in beautiful condition, filled with down, and was more than $2000 brand new. We love how it looks in our home.
When you go to the consignment shop, be ready to ask if the price can go any lower. Our couch had been marked at about $470, but when we hedged, that being more than we wanted to spend, the salesperson went to the computer and discovered that the couch was due for another markdown. Saving $120 on a couch is certainly worth a few minutes. That’s about 25% off the price.
Even if you’re looking to decorate with higher end items, consignment shops can have amazing deals. We had more fun looking at furniture that would fit beautifully in our dream house, whenever we may buy it.
You can find consignment shops for clothing as well. I particularly enjoy buying baby clothes from consignment shops. My daughter’s holiday dresses always come from consignment shops. Why pay $30-100 for a dress she’ll only wear once, and probably has to be dry cleaned if she’s ever to wear it again, when there are beautiful dresses available for $5-15, and many of them have been worn once or never? Everyday clothes for babies are available as well, and are typically in much better condition than you find at the thrift stores.
You may hear grumbles from family members who aren’t struggling with money. My inlaws had a terrible time understanding why I would buy used clothing for my daughter when she was first born, until they took a good look at the quality I was finding and the relative prices. My mother-in-law has gone shopping with me now, and she was one of the most vocal opponents to her first grandchild having just about anything that had been used by another child. I enjoy telling people about my better finds, the new items with tags from the store still attached, the jeans in perfect condition – even those who have plenty of money will be amazed at what you can find.
Stephanie Foster is the owner of Home with the Kids, a resource that knows that there's more to staying home with your family than just business. For more stay at home tips, visit the site at http://www.homewiththekids.com/ and subscribe to the free newsletter.
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So, it’s the second week in February - have you done your taxes yet? What, you don’t do your own taxes? You pay someone else to do it for you? Well, I’m one of those people who can’t stand paying anyone for something I can do myself. Am I a glutton for punishment? Maybe. Cheap? Definitely. And I’m a Jack of all trades and master of none. I’ve dabbled in auto mechanics, small electronics repair, ceramic floor/wall tile, drywall, carpentry, and the list goes on. I’ve even been going by Webmaster as of late. But, getting back to the subject at hand, I’ll put on my Tax Accountant hat for a moment.
I’m writing this to encourage everyone to do your own personal income tax return. Aside from the fact that misery loves company, there are several legitimate reasons I feel you should join me in performing this annual ritual:
1. It’s fun! (okay, I didn’t think you’d buy that…)
2. It’s easy! (no?)
3. It’ll change your life! (?)
Alright, so the above statements are a little exaggerated - there are elements of truth in each statement. First, while not necessarily fun, doing your own taxes will definitely provide a feeling of accomplishment and perhaps even a boost of confidence. Having tackled this task that is perceived by most to be difficult and daunting at best, you may raise your fist victoriously and cry “Ha!” in the face of the bureaucrats responsible for the current tax code. After trudging through the overly complex and horrendously long and confusing forms, instructions and IRS supplementary documentation, you will emerge brimming with the confidence that having successfully completed your own return, there is not anything you can’t conquer – well, at least anything that comes on 8-1/2 x 11 forms. And hey, what’s more “fun” than staying up until all hours of the morning, fueled by chasing caffeine pills with coffee, with Jay Leno pontificating in the background while you stare at the computer screen and fine print until your eyes throb from the strain?
Now – about it being easy. Maybe that is oversimplifying the process a bit. Still, with the tax return software available, it’s certainly much easier than paper and pen. This is a must – go get a copy of Taxcut or TurboTax, it doesn’t matter which. But, since it doesn’t matter, I’ll tell you that I prefer Taxcut. Not because it’s superior or cheaper than TurboTax (it’s the same price and as for it’s superiority, I’m making an educated guess as I’ve never used Turbotax), it just happens to be the one I’ve always used. I’ve done my returns with Taxcut since 1996. It hasn’t let me down and I’m familiar with their processes, so I’ve stuck with them. Another reason might be that they are typically offered each year with Microsoft Money’s latest version free after rebate. As I have always used MS Money, this allows me to stay current by upgrading to the latest version for free after the rebate included with my Taxcut purchase. Similarly, Turbotax is paired with Quicken, so if you prefer Quicken to Money, go with Turbotax.
Both titles use a process of questions and answers to guide you through filling out your return. Depending on the answers you give, you be taken to different sections as required and you’ll skip over the irrelevant stuff. There’s plenty of help along the way. If your unsure of whether a deduction applies to you or if you should include a certain form in your return, the help files offer great direction and provide several examples where you will find your situation described. If all else fails, there are links to the IRS website where you can access the bulletins that they provide for additional directions to each form in the return.
Taxcut will check your return for all types of errors, both typographical and comprehensive. For instance, if you mis-enter your SSN or forget to enter a value, it will prompt you to go back and correct this. It will also show you any items that are typical “flags” to the IRS. For example, Taxcut might say something like “Your total for charitable deductions is $5,000 – the average donations reported by people in your income range in 2003 was $3,000.” Not necessarily an error, but good to know so that you can make sure you have all the proper documentation to back up something that might raise an eyebrow at the IRS.
While you could probably still not refer to doing your returns as “easy”, these software packages have certainly streamlined the process.
Finally, will doing your own taxes really change your life? Honestly, I think in some small but positive ways, yes. The satisfaction of having completed this project on your own is somewhat uplifting and should give you a slight boost in self esteem. Add “I do my own taxes!” to enhance your resume. This certainly displays your ability to solve complex problems and shows your go-getter attitude. But seriously, preparing your return will definitely force you to pay attention to certain critical aspects of your own personal finance. It’s wise to be familiar with the tax code or at least the portions that pertain to you and effect your return. Arming yourself with this knowledge will allow you to plan and make future decisions with some idea of how your strategy will impact your tax standing. Knowledge is power and all that…
One parting thought – I cannot imagine going through this task, through all of the pain and suffering, questions and answers, receipt hunting, number crunching, gut wrenching process only to find that your refund calculates in the negative. So, if you are one of those unfortunate, under-withheld individuals who ends up owing Uncle Sam every year, then by all means, hire an accountant!
Brian Neuman is a Project Manager for a major construction company in the midwest. His second shift job is being the Webmaster of Honeybeads, Jewelry by Melissa a web site dedicated to promoting his wife's small business selling custom, handmade beaded jewelry.
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