Debt Dumpers - 2017

[ruadisneyfan2]

Those people getting 4 or 5 back paid way too much in taxes during the year. I would be really upset if I got a return that large because it would mean that I was financially starving myself each month by $333 - $416. That is huge and could really make a big dent on some debt payments, thus lowering overall interest throughout the year.

Sometimes you just don't know though. Last year (filing for 2015) we were able to get an additional $2500 credit because of ds's college tuition. So our refund was $5K. This year I did a little quickie estimate and got $2100. We did not adjust our w-4s at all.
This is the first year we can't claim ds20 though he is far from independent. He is too old to qualify for a dependent child unless he were still in school. He earned $400-something too much to qualify as a "dependent relative". The cutoff is $4050. Do they really think that people making $5k per year are independent?
My coworkers spend that much just to park and buy lunch.
Oh well. Could be worse I suppose.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Sometimes you just don't know though. Last year (filing for 2015) we were able to get an additional $2500 credit because of ds's college tuition. So our refund was $5K. This year I did a little quickie estimate and got $2100. We did not adjust our w-4s at all.
This is the first year we can't claim ds20 though he is far from independent. He is too old to qualify for a dependent child unless he were still in school. He earned $400-something too much to qualify as a "dependent relative". The cutoff is $4050. Do they really think that people making $5k per year are independent?
My coworkers spend that much just to park and buy lunch.
Oh well. Could be worse I suppose.

I agree. Sometimes circumstances change throughout the year. When big things happen, I try to adjust my withholdings accordingly. For example, when DH got his job, I used the IRS calculator to get an estimate of our tax liability and then adjusted my w4 to make sure we wouldn't owe anything.

And I thought claiming dependents was based on percentage of support rather than dollar amount, meaning if you provide more than 50% of his support, then you can claim him? Though honestly, I don't know much about dependents since I don't have any. It does seem that 4k is not even close to reasonable.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

@Jen and Ashwin hope your work trip went fine and REALLY hoping you get the result you're looking for tomorrow.

My work trip went really well. I didn't really feel in the mood to travel this week given everything that is going on, but once I got there I was super happy I went. Going to geek out for a second, so bare with me. Normally, my boss attends this meeting but she is on vacation in South America. And this was an important one, since the executive secretary of the organization asked me to make a pitch to the board. I was able to convince the organization (a public health informatics group) to include my legal proposal in their list of 2017 priorities! This kind of support should go far in furthering the profile of legal solutions for public health data sharing. So really proud of my work this week.

And thanks for the good thoughts. My appointment is at 8am. They will be doing a blood draw, so I probably won't know the results until later today once they have run the sample through the lab. Once the results are reported, I get a message through my health portal. I will definitely let you all know once I know.

 

[Ngwira]

Welp, forgot about a 1099 misc which pushed us right into the next tax bracket. Refund is now $800 for federal And $600 for state. Oh well...

 

[Ngwira]

My work trip went really well. I didn't really feel in the mood to travel this week given everything that is going on, but once I got there I was super happy I went. Going to geek out for a second, so bare with me. Normally, my boss attends this meeting but she is on vacation in South America. And this was an important one, since the executive secretary of the organization asked me to make a pitch to the board. I was able to convince the organization (a public health informatics group) to include my legal proposal in their list of 2017 priorities! This kind of support should go far in furthering the profile of legal solutions for public health data sharing. So really proud of my work this week.

And thanks for the good thoughts. My appointment is at 8am. They will be doing a blood draw, so I probably won't know the results until later today once they have run the sample through the lab. Once the results are reported, I get a message through my health portal. I will definitely let you all know once I know.

Congrats on a great proposal and everything crossed for you.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I agree. Sometimes circumstances change throughout the year. When big things happen, I try to adjust my withholdings accordingly. For example, when DH got his job, I used the IRS calculator to get an estimate of our tax liability and then adjusted my w4 to make sure we wouldn't owe anything.

And I thought claiming dependents was based on percentage of support rather than dollar amount, meaning if you provide more than 50% of his support, then you can claim him? Though honestly, I don't know much about dependents since I don't have any. It does seem that 4k is not even close to reasonable.

I tried adjusting for big changes in the past when we had our 2nd child and ended up owing over $1000. I would adjust a little more conservatively but honestly between working FT & taking care of kis, hubby, house and bills/budgeting I just don't have time for it.
It's better to just keep it at 0 dependents roll with the waves.

 

[Eoywin]

I'm way behind on this thread *L*

But my husband has submitted our taxes! Hopefully we should get our refund as quickly as possible! Then we'll be able to pay off several things!

I'm trying to work more hours at work. Hopefully Spring will spring sooner than later - that always help with my chronic migraines.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Ok guys. Positive pregnancy test but the B-hCG level is on the lower side so I am going back on Sunday for another blood draw. Hoping to see some good upward movement in the number to indicate everything is progressing. So now the goal is to try to stay calm and positive until I know more on Sunday.

On another note, the last two tax documents finally arrived so I filed our taxes today. Between federal and state we will get just shy of $1000. This is much more than I thought we would get so I am happy. We have 'ear'-marked it all to our DVC points fund which is now growing nicely.

 

[Ngwira]

congratulations on the positive test. Hoping that your levels continue to increase!

 

[DisneyMandC]

Ok guys. Positive pregnancy test but the B-hCG level is on the lower side so I am going back on Sunday for another blood draw. Hoping to see some good upward movement in the number to indicate everything is progressing. So now the goal is to try to stay calm and positive until I know more on Sunday.

On another note, the last two tax documents finally arrived so I filed our taxes today. Between federal and state we will get just shy of $1000. This is much more than I thought we would get so I am happy. We have 'ear'-marked it all to our DVC points fund which is now growing nicely.

Yes!!! Sending many baby thoughts your way!

 

[MrsTurnerLovesDisney]

Ok guys. Positive pregnancy test but the B-hCG level is on the lower side so I am going back on Sunday for another blood draw. Hoping to see some good upward movement in the number to indicate everything is progressing. So now the goal is to try to stay calm and positive until I know more on Sunday.

I got an alert about a post and I was OMG Jen better have good news!!! Exciting sending prayers for you!!

 

[amalone1013]

Ok guys. Positive pregnancy test but the B-hCG level is on the lower side so I am going back on Sunday for another blood draw. Hoping to see some good upward movement in the number to indicate everything is progressing. So now the goal is to try to stay calm and positive until I know more on Sunday.

On another note, the last two tax documents finally arrived so I filed our taxes today. Between federal and state we will get just shy of $1000. This is much more than I thought we would get so I am happy. We have 'ear'-marked it all to our DVC points fund which is now growing nicely.

Thinking good thoughts!!

 

[disneyduonj]

Wowowo. Sending good thoughts and many prayers for you.

 

[Eureka]

Ok guys. Positive pregnancy test but the B-hCG level is on the lower side so I am going back on Sunday for another blood draw. Hoping to see some good upward movement in the number to indicate everything is progressing. So now the goal is to try to stay calm and positive until I know more on Sunday.

On another note, the last two tax documents finally arrived so I filed our taxes today. Between federal and state we will get just shy of $1000. This is much more than I thought we would get so I am happy. We have 'ear'-marked it all to our DVC points fund which is now growing nicely.

HCG is always lower early on though even though it's higher (than not being pregnant) if that makes sense....I mean, it's only been a few days. I hope it rises quick!!

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

HCG is always lower early on though even though it's higher (than not being pregnant) if that makes sense....I mean, it's only been a few days. I hope it rises quick!!

Hope this isn't TMI. Well, I looked at the range because I wanted to better understand their concerns. You need to have a 25 for the test to be consider positive. I am at 34. And it is based on weeks since last period, so the possible range for 4 weeks is between 5 to 432. So the range is large and though 34 is low, it still within the range. So it really matters if the number goes up between now and Sunday. If it doubled, that would be a good sign.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Positive thoughts coming your way!

 

[Eureka]

Hope this isn't TMI. Well, I looked at the range because I wanted to better understand their concerns. You need to have a 25 for the test to be consider positive. I am at 34. And it is based on weeks since last period, so the possible range for 4 weeks is between 5 to 432. So the range is large and though 34 is low, it still within the range. So it really matters if the number goes up between now and Sunday. If it doubled, that would be a good sign.

Don't worry about TMI...most of us here are ladies who have had kids (sorry @dayvewc ) You are trying to rationalize this...don't worry...you are in the range... (But I completely get it, I would be doing the same thing)

 

[dayvewc]

Totally off of any subject currently but ... I could use some ideas/input.

The Backstory:

• An aunt of mine died last May, and one of her goals (which she accomplished) was to visit every state. My cousins took her in the year before she passed to the last three states and took pictures. They then printed a small coffee table book using the pictures.

• I am in the process of making my own "Book of Accomplished Bucket List Items" inspired by my aunt and motivated by the loss of my dad. Since I can do all of the planning and formatting and whatnot using MS Publisher, I can also use this to avoid spending money somewhere else. So, that counts. If not as debt dumping, then at least as not debt adding.

• The book will be in at least 3 sections - part 1 is visiting every state and state capital. part 2 is visiting international destinations. part 3 is kind of catchall miscellaneous.

• Every state gets a 2-page spread. There is a map of the state in the upper left corner, in the middle third of the page bleeding into the gutter will be a picture of me in front of the "Welcome to <State Name>" picture, and in the bottom left corner will be a picture of me at the state capital. The space left has the state & capital name and date of visit (top), and basic descriptions of the pictures (who is in them, any special/unique circumstances, etc.) The facing page of the spread will be an accumulation of pictures from travel through the state.

My solicitation for input and ideas -

1. As a watermark behind the table of contents, I can't think of a good picture that I can use. I am already using a map of the US for the front cover, so I was thinking maybe a state flag? or the US flag? Picture of me in full "explorer" gear?
2. Do I set up the table of contents alphabetically, or in the order I visit?
3. Should I wait until the book is "finished" (It'll probably never be completely done, as I can always find something else to add to it, but the Whole 51 and International 15 are kind of sets to themselves) to print and bind it? Or should I forgo binding and get a really good quality binder and print pages as I accomplish them?
4. Should I approach this as a single large book? Keeping all the info digitally will be pretty easy to keep for a long time, so I could wait until I'm locked away in a nursing home to print it to remind me of all the stuff I'll have done. Or, should I take each current section and make it a mini book, printing them as they are done?

Anyway, just wondered what other people might thing.

P.S. I was working on writing this out when ...

Ok guys. Positive pregnancy test but the B-hCG level is on the lower side so I am going back on Sunday for another blood draw. Hoping to see some good upward movement in the number to indicate everything is progressing. So now the goal is to try to stay calm and positive until I know more on Sunday.

... happened. Lots of congratulations and pixie dust being sent your way!! You do realize that the peanut has like a built in extended family of aunts and at least 1 uncle that are going to want to know everything. I wouldn't worry about TMI, we want details too!!

Don't worry about TMI...most of us here are ladies who have had kids (sorry @dayvewc ) You are trying to rationalize this...don't worry...you are in the range... (But I completely get it, I would be doing the same thing)

Hey, I love kids. I just don't want one of my own. Now, if I could figure out a way to always have someone else to change the diapers, I'd reconsider. ;-)

 

[amalone1013]

Time for an update... We made it back from our 4 day WDW trip with $148 left in the trip budget! I think that will go back to our honeymoon budget, since that's technically where the trip budget came from anyways... Though as I type this, I'm realizing I never did adjust down our funding goal in YNAB when I made a line for this trip budget, and we're still on track to save the original honeymoon budget - oops...

We got the last of our tax paperwork while we were gone, so we filed our taxes over the last two days. Combined, DF and I are getting back a little over $1000. I found out our Q4 bonus from some coworkers, since the meeting was while I was gone and it's around $500... I think it will be on my check next Friday. We get quarterly bonuses based on how our location performed on certain goals, scored 0-5, and your bonus is that percent of the wages you earned that quarter. Q4 was a lower score, but I worked a lot, so it balanced out. We also are getting an extra PTO day for having to work so much that quarter

I think our biggest thing was we ended January with green categories in YNAB (meaning they had money left in them), which was a first. Usually I end up moving money from categories we don't spend as much in to cover eating out, DF's gas, groceries... We technically went about $35 over our eating out budget, but we have an entertainment category and we consider the two pretty interchangeable so I just pulled from there. I'm going to let the leftovers rollover into the February categories (for the first time ever!).

Tonight we will budget out our extra income for this month. We ended up making about $1900 more than we had budgeted for February, even after an extra $600 budgeted to student loans. I'll be paying off a loan tonight that's around $450, and then we have to discuss what to do with the rest. I've got my car registration due this month, but the money's already set aside. I've mentioned before DF wants to switch to a car loan, but he's said before that he doesn't think we'd be able to keep up the extra payments if we end up buying a house later this year, so I've adjusted a debt snowball spreadsheet to show him the numbers. He's more visual, so I want him to see that if we keep up the extra $600 a month and funnel it into a car, it would be paid off in about 18 months.. but if we do that for about 9 months, then have to stop because of buying a house, we won't be opening any breathing room in the budget, vs opening ~$160 if we paid on student loans... decisions to make. I think we could probably figure out a way to keep up the extra payments, even if they had to go down a little.

 

[disneyduonj]

Love that book idea. Here's my 2 cents. I think table of contents should match order of book, and I think it should be order you visit them. You can do an index in the back alphabetizing it with page numbers so if you want to look by state it's easy.
Watermark could be DC capital or constitution or declaration of independence.
I would wait til its all done to print .