February Side Gigs

My stay at home bride makes extra $$$ now and again by watching others kids a few hours at the time or by tutoring them. She home-schools our kids, so mixing in another one isn't too much stress...I think...

This month's extra $$$

02/06/14 - childcare $40
6 days this month - tutoring $150
02/20/14 - childcare $40
02/27/14 - childcare $25

Total for the month $255

Plus $50 bill found on side of the road while running.

Grand total $305

$305 extra dollars added to the emergency fund.

Running Pays Part 2

Found a dime (the coin, not a bag of weed) while running yesterday. Yes I stopped and picked it up.

Running Pays

I've been a life-long runner. Well since I was 12. I run daily, as in everyday. About once a month I find loose change on the road, usually nickels and dimes. 5 years ago I found a $20 bill one morning.

Today that was topped. Found this on the side of the road. Mushed into some gravel and leftover road-salt. I'd like to put it into one of our retirement accounts. My bride wants me to take her out to dinner.

Curse you Mr. Snow Miser

Average monthly utility bill for last year $350
Average monthly utility bill during the winter $450
January actual utility bills are all that cold and snow $597

As a side insult, the older I get, the more faggy I get about the cold. I need to move to Florida. 

Getting a Tax Refund?

Getting a chunk of money back from the Feds and/or State? What to do with that money? Here is the strategy we use each year. I will use a refund of $5,000 to make the example easier.

10% - $500 to Charity
10% - $500 hers
10% - $500 his (which really means hers)
70% - $3,500 to savings (retirement, emergency fund, regular savings)

So 20% will probably be going for wicker furniture or upgrading a bathroom or new drapes or some other exhilarating project. Sadly it probably won't be going towards a shopping spree at Victoria Secrets. 

If we had any outstanding debt I would use at least half of the 70% for debt repayment.

Don't forget to consider adjusting your withholding with your payroll department so you get more money each paycheck instead of a large refund. The only reason we get a tax refund is because of the EIC (earned income credit) we get because of all the yard-apes. Yeah I know the EIC is basically a commie program to keep crack-heads happy, but as long as the morons in D.C. are giving it out, I'll take it.

Now all I have to do is finish gathering all my 2013 tax docs so I can get my refund. Lame I know. I should have done that by now.

Here is an article from Money Talk News with other suggestions on how to use your refund.

Here are the highlights from the article:

4 smart uses for a tax refund

1. Create an emergency fund

2. Save on insurance

3. Start a business

4. Save for retirement or college

10 dumb things to do with your tax refund

1. Spending it rather than investing it

2. Spending it rather than paying down debt

3. Spending it on something that won’t lower next year’s taxes

4. Failing to create a memory

5. Loaning it to someone

6. Not doing something to improve yourself

7. Using it to create more debt

8. Failing to prevent future big refunds

9. Going to the mall

10. Using it to sustain an unsustainable lifestyle