Taxes

We filed our taxes this past weekend, and we're expecting a huge refund.  A five-digit refund.  Yeah, a certain someone needed to adjust his withholding last year.

I'll be shaving off about $2k (my usual refund amount) to bring my E-fund up to $10k, a number it hasn't seen in about 4 years.  He'll take a portion for his savings/loans, and the rest will go into our joint account for moving expenses, and a little vacation.

I'm glad I'll finally be hitting my E-fund goal so that I can concentrate on other areas now.  I'm still working on my goals for this year, but I'm thinking I'm at a pivotal point right now in my work-life, and I need to shit or get off the pot, as it were, with regard to further education.  Depending on the direction I go, I'll need anywhere from about $10k to $34k.  Oy.

Speaking of oy, I was a bit confused about reporting my ebay sales.  While I took in about $1k this year on ebay, I took a loss on nearly everything I sold, except for a few things I purchased cheaply off ebay and resold.  Remember with me for a moment all the clothes and jewelry I purchased over the past few years, and how that affected my bottom-line, and you'll see why $1k should not be considered income.  Even though it's clear to me that I didn't make a profit,  I'd be hard-pressed to produce receipts for everything on both ends.

I know I'm not the first one in the PF community to use ebay to recoup some losses.  Can anyone share their tax-reporting strategy?

February 2012 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $7,659.74
Checking: $87.30

Travel: $239.00
Medical/Dental: $485.85

School: $337.03

Roth IRA: $9,528.40

401k: $7,102.85
Sharebuilder: $239.68
____________
Total Positive: $25,679.85

Rent: PAID
Groceries/Utilities: PAID
Phone: $60.00

Subway: PAID

Credit cards: $695.25
Student Loan: $4,555.91 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $5,311.16


Net Worth: $20,368.69

Tickle Me Pink

I try to make an effort, about quarterly, to find new-to-me music so that I’m not stuck in 2006 perpetually. This time around it’s been all Laura Marling, Lisa Hannigan, and Johnny Flynn. I know I’m about 4 years late to the Nu-Folk train, but in case you are too, here's a sampling of what I've been listening to this fall/winter season:

Theory of Everything

In our downsizing kick, I sold most of my books last year, and did another round several months ago.  I had made far too many well-intentioned purchases that would eventually just end up lingering on the shelf, unread. 

But I’ve been reading a lot lately, more now than ever.  I’m lucky to work within walking-distance of the Boston Public Library. I started with safe genres, like jewelry and simplifying.  And then, a happy accident a few months ago: the internet was broken at work, so I did the work I could do without a computer and was dismissed after only an hour.  I spent the next few hours wandering the stacks.  And now my new pet topic is string theory. For laymen, of course, so a lot of Michio Kaku.

What are your favorite call numbers? J

January 2012 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $7,104.73
Checking: $83.82
Travel: $218.27
Medical/Dental: $485.52
School: $352.79

Roth IRA: $9,053.75

401k: $6,722.25
Sharebuilder: $207.17
____________
Total Positive: $24,228.30

Rent: PAID
Groceries/Utilities: $200.00
Phone: $60.00

Subway: PAID

Credit cards: $437.84
Student Loan: $4,675.27 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $5,373.11


Net Worth: $18,855.19


Ew, a little bit down this month.  I bought a computer and a plane ticket, so all things considered, it could be worse.  I did get a few hundo for a bonus, so that was nice, but quickly gone.  Any holiday spending tends to trigger shopping binges for me, a la this:



So my goal right now is damage control.  Total abstinence.

And more ebay listings.  Do I need 3 J.Crew velvet jackets?  YES!!!  No.  No?  No, I do not.  

December 2011 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $6,453.97
Checking: $211.95
Computer Fund: 656.06
Travel: $336.76
Medical/Dental: $353.31
School: $352.54

Roth IRA: $9,037.98

401k: $6,777.64
Sharebuilder: $152.90
____________
Total Positive: $24,333.11

Rent: PAID
Groceries/Utilities: $200.00
Phone: $60.00

Subway: PAID

Credit cards: $126.93
Student Loan: $4,675.27 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $5,062.20


Net Worth: $19,270.91


Is it really December already?  Can't deal.  *ETA: Looks like I was exhausted when I was running numbers last night, because I left out a whole savings category.  See above for corrected numbers.  Thanksgiving was insane, and work now is even crazier.  Slaving away all weekend, too.  Oy.

November 2011 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $5,999.44
Checking: $416.96
Travel: $336.56
Medical/Dental: $586.98
School: $352.28

Roth IRA: $8,916.43

401k: $6,862.70
Sharebuilder: $197.09
____________
Total Positive: $23,668.44

Rent: $250.00
Groceries/Utilities: $200.00
Phone: $60.00

Subway: $PAID

Credit cards: $582.24
Student Loan: $4,783.58 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $5,875.82


Net Worth: $17,792.62


I made a lot of extra money this month by selling off a lot of pieces I found stagnating in my jewelry box and closet -- about $760.00 worth.  After ebay and paypal fees, plus a couple small refunds, that's still over $600 or so right into my E-Fund.  Work is crazy right now, so more later!