Y’all it’s tax season and my taxes are very complex. Last year DURING THE FUCKING PANDEMIC, I did my own taxes an it almost killed me. Usually I pay hundreds of dollars and still end up owing. I did my taxes the old fashioned way with a pen and 47 blank forms. While my state dinged me by $25 because the mail ran late on the last day (even though I sent the payment on time on the Internet) Uncle Sam actually sent me $95. But I barely got through it and it took weeks. I’m already behind getting started. I get stressed once a month when I have to pay bills. The money is in the bank. I know how much I owe. It takes ten minutes and I keep getting stressed and putting it off. I do not know why. It makes no sense. But the IRS? I have to figure out my own bill? Hell and damnation or worse will happen if I don’t get it right? I can barely function.
In anticipation of those of you who will say, “Just pay someone to do it.” I have to get all the numbers together to give them This was gross income, these are my itemized expenses, this is what I paid in quarterly taxes etc. etc. etc. Basically I am giving them the numbers to plug into their program. Figuring out what all of those numbers are is the hard part! ARGH.
And also, my laptop is a piece of shit so I was trying to delete things that might slow it down and somehow included in that was a folder that had my password clues. I know I know but it was not my passwords it was hints only I would know about which one to use. ARGH. If anyone has bad anxiety that comes and goes, this kind of shit is TERRIFYING.
Anyway, I’m not whining for no reason. I’m whining to tell you I need to put off Below Deck Sailing Yacht until tomorrow. I have the season finale of The Bachelor and Banjo would never allow me not to tape The Voice. It is his favorite show. So I am going to have some wine. MAJOR NEWS ALERT I FOUND SOME BLACK BOX MERLOT AT KROGER! I’m starting to hate Kroger less. I didn’t even have to bag my own groceries. And the kid took my stuff out to the car mostly because I asked and was having a full blown panic attack.
Nanette pulled the photos for me and she promises it is a good show! I am looking forward to it. So how are you holding up?
PS I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE when you guys share these posts on Twitter. But Open Forums are just about us here and not posts that I publish more than once. Ie it goes to Twitter automatically and I send an alert to Facebook, it does not got to IG. So share all you want, but my Tweeps you share all the things can skip the Open Forums. This is just us talking nothing to report unless you read here.
Done and done!
Thanks!
PASSWORD TIP!
I thought you guys might be interested in learning something I was told decades ago that has stood me in really good stead.
Have a formula for creating passwords that goes like this:
1. Use the first three letters of whatever the business’s or site’s name is with the first letter being capitalized. Such as Wal for Walmart.
2. Use a symbol such as @.
3. Use a date people wouldn’t easily know such as an anniversary, for example 11221980. Long series of numbers make a password very strong but using a date (not your birthday) makes it easy to remember.
That gives you [email protected] for a Walmart password. Then for a different site, you just change the first three letters but everything else stays the same. So let’s say your cell phone is Verizon. You have [email protected] This way every site has a unique password which makes it extremely secure. But every password is easy to remember. I still have a document with all my passwords listed as well as security questions, etc in case I keel over and someone has to step in and take care of things. But I rarely have to look at it because every password is easy to remember.
You may come across a site from time to time that has some password rule that you have to modify the formula, like you can’t use a symbol. But that doesn’t happen much these days.
I have never had any account hacked or hijacked and I’m sure it’s the password formula.
Hope this helps!
This is awesome! Thank you!
Another great password suggestion I use without fail, is to spell out a phrase.
For example, when I was kid we used to say Adidas stood for “all day I dream about sex”. You could make it satisfy the requirements by changing it to [email protected]$69 or something similar.
We have to change our password every 90 days at work, so I use a phrase about something current going on in my life or in the news. It’s been really easy to think of phrases the past few years. 😷🌎💉
Have you ever tried TurboTax? I’ve used it for ages. Stores all your documents, easy to use even with complicated returns.
Thank you, I will use this. . My tax guy sold his business to H&R Block this year. He’s been doing my taxes for 20 years. His officially closes on April15 but he’s already reduced his staff and stopped taking new returns.
My taxes are complicated so thanks for the suggestion.
I was going to suggest Turbo Tax as well. It allows you to flag items you need to come back to, it will pull statements in from some financial companies, and most importantly, you can’t make a dumb addition error along the way. You still have to pull the paperwork together, but this is where that flag for follow-up comes in handy. You can remind yourself to go look up the cost of something and come back to the item. The first year, you have to get used to the order it asks the questions, but it pays off even more in subsequent years when you are used to it AND when it compares your filing to the year before so you can see if you are on the right track.
I have used Turbo Tax for about 8 years both when I was working and now that I am retired. They are great! They check and double check and suggest things you may have missed thinking about. They have people available to chat with and they also have options for which types of services you want to include as in if you are audited. Well worth the piece of mind.
Good luck TT! Taxes are extremely stressful and doing it in your own is terrifying because one little dot is misplaced the whole thing is messed up. I know your struggles with anxiety mine has always been terrible, but the last 2yrs have been a real struggle, just to get up and take a shower. Take a break, grab a beer, smoke a cigarette and what some reruns of you happy place on TV, something uplifting and happy. We will all be here when you are ready to return and be ready to hear all the tea. Sending hugs and prayers
I was an accountant and hated tax season. Once I retired, I swore I would NEVER DO ANYTHING REMOTELY LIKE THAT AGAIN. TT, get those papers together and take it to someone to sign off on. And TurboTax is also good! GOD SPEED TT!!!
I used to go to HR Block back when I first bought a home and was uncertain about a lot of things. Despite still having to gather documents and sit with the HRB agent as we went over the return, knowing that a certified professional was weighing in on the form and taking responsibility for it was a huge relief. Worth every damn penny.
I have a confession to make. I am finding I just can’t with the RHO franchises, Bachelor or DWTS. I got a Acorn subscription and am binge watching Midsomer Murders, I will be off to Father Brown next.
I will however still watch the Voice as long as Blake Shelton is on it and of course will watch Top Chef. I just can’t with the RHO right now for some reason and I am tired of the DWTS fix where lesser talented dancers win.
Breathe deep, drink some wine, don’t accidentally post your tax return (like your taxes you paid, LOL) & it will work out (they will always let you know if they want more $).
I agree it’s such bullshit!! I hate doing taxes, HATE it!! I’ve used TurboTax for awhile since we know we do all the work for the accountants any damn way and they mostly just plug in the numbers. I think you can also pay for audit protection so they’ll help you out if you get dinged. I just drink and smoke my way through it but le sigh 😔 I know exactly what you mean about how much I’m anxiety it all gives and how easy it is to want to procrastinate on it. Also am a hot mess with my computer, passwords, etc etc. so I guess what I’m trying to say is I have never related to you as much as today TT.
Also below deck sailing is kinda boring IMO all the storylines are just becoming repeats and I’m just not feeling it.. so I don’t think you or the readers are missing much.
Also is anyone here watching the Woody Allen doc on HBO Max? I finished it up last night.. I won’t be watching or supporting any damn thing that sicko does from now on.. it was so sad. I will say I thought the doc was well done though and talked about how “parental alienation” has become a thing that has backfired and unfortunately sent a lot of kids back into dangerous situations. Bringing awareness to that issue I think is an important one.
On a lighter note, I’m looking forward to Jersey this week and seeing Jennifer get shloshed af, also Summerhouse and seeing what happens with Carl and Luke. Omg Hannah is driving me crazy this season and I used to like her!? Wtf?! But when she slacked on taking the trash out I was so annoyed!! But I also just got out of living with an incredibly selfish and lazy roommate situation so I think I still need time to heal lol
Yes I watched Woody vs. Mia documentary. Dylan is so articulate & strong. I believe her & admire her for sharing her story. I also love RHONJ it’s really the only Real Housewives show I look forward to watching. Have you seen Murder on Middle Beach documentary also on HBO ? Highly recommended its heartbreaking yet so riveting & insightful.
I feel for you on the tax issue. You can buy the program and punch in the numbers and it will lead you through it. Just trying to be helpful. It’s like anything else, you dread to do it, but once it’s done feel amazing. And it’s hard not having a partner to bounce things off of. I’ve been single and living alone for the first time in 40 years. 5 years this summer. It’s changed me a lot and definitely for the better. Hang in there kid!
If you need a fill in RHONJ recapper… sign me up!