2nd quarter cash back is here and it’s focused on restaurants and home improvements this spring! It’s time once again to get all the cards organized, activated and into a regular rotation. Reevaluate Quarterly Cash Rewards It’s our quarterly check-in to reevaluate the cards we are carrying to take advantage of the best 2nd quarter […]
Quitting the Rat Race at Age 39
Posted byMy husband’s office at the university is closing this fall. While he was offered another position (with a raise!), he turned it down and he’s taking this opportunity to finally quit the rat race. He will be 39. Congratulations Scott! Later this year, my husband is finally joining me on a new adventure. Just like […]
The topic of retirement comes up all of the time on the news, in the newspapers and magazines and in personal finance blogs. With so many different people talking about retirement, it not only gets confusing, it can also get overwhelming. Luckily, I am here to help. I will give you the guide to making […]
Claiming Dependents on Your Tax Return
Posted byMost taxpayers are well aware of the deduction that comes from claiming dependent children on their taxes. But what are the rules on claiming dependents on taxes? And what about other relatives? And, when can those formerly claimed as dependents on someone else’s return begin to claim themselves? If someone else can claim you as […]
How to Calculate Compound Interest
Posted byCompound interest is the most powerful force in the universe, which was supposedly said by Albert Einstein, though there is no proof that he actually said this. Nonetheless, compound interest is an amazing thing. Previously, I talked about how to calculate simple interest. Now, I am going to show you how to calculate compound interest. […]
I know many of you who also pick up some side money selling on Amazon have been waiting for these numbers… last year our Amazon business generated over $100,000 in total profits! We had just over $290,000 in sales and sold over 8,400 items last year. Here’s how! Background If you are a new reader, […]
How to Find TurboTax Discounts
Posted byNeed a Turbotax Discount? It seems like every communication I receive from brokerages, insurance companies, and banks recently are for offers for a Turbotax discount. If you missed the offer for Free Federal and State Tax Filing, and you still need to find a discount here is a list of all the discounts I could […]
How to Calculate Simple Interest
Posted byI get many questions about how to calculate interest. If you are trying to figure out simple interest, the calculation is, well, simple – no pun intended. If you want to calculate compound interest, that gets a little bit more involved. I’ll be writing about compound interest soon, so be sure to keep an eye […]
How to Claim College Tax Credits
Posted byBeing a college student is an expensive job. Throughout the year, hopefully you are keeping in mind ways to save money in college and how to avoid student loan debt. You can get creative to save money on food in college, apply for scholarships, and save money on textbooks that can become quite pricey. But […]
I just spent some time cleaning up from one of my previous application sprees last winter. What I found is that I’m actually keeping some of the cards with an annual fee on them! Usually I Convert Credit Cards Instead of Paying Annual Fees or cancel them after redeeming the sign up bonus. Until now, […]