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Yesterday I had the worst headache I can remember ever having. It hit me when I was at class, and I don't know how I made it home. I'm not really sure how I survived it, to be honest. I'll take three days of fever over that in a heartbeat. I can still feel it, lurking at the fringes of my head, but I'm at least functional today.
And since I was still feeling meh... I did our taxes. Panicked for a moment when I read the W-2 wrong and thought we were going to owe $5,000, which would suck. Ends up we owe the federal government $60 and the state $360, so pretty good. I hate getting a refund (why should they get my money interest-free all year?!) but I don't want to have to pay a huge chunk, either. Not the best/closest I've ever gotten it, but with Mr. Smeddley's fluctuating salary there's not much I can do to get it perfect. Plus the $180 I made substitute teaching and had no taxes taken out didn't help.
I took $100 in charitable donations, which might be a slightly low estimate but it's something. And with that? We are $130 over the standard deduction... so next year we probably won't even be able to itemize. Stupid cheap, low-interest house! Whoever told me buying a house would be a *huge* tax advantage was an idiot. We've been here 6 years, sunk probably $50,000 into the house, and our biggest tax savings year was the first one, where we saved.... $400. Of course, our house payment was $400 PER MONTH more than our rent, but hey.
Am I happy we bought a house? Yes, very! I'd do it again. But just know that you can afford substantially LESS in a house payment than you can rent. Because there's always something to fix. And so much I really need to get off my butt and finish, but there's no time. Too many other things to do.
...and I keep signing up for craft swaps, because I like them, but I have projects for me that I really need to get done. I must be strong, and resist.
And I need to read the book I haven't even started for book club tomorrow. So I should probably get on that... though I also have to finish my LV scrapbook and the OTT secret partner swap... O.o
And since I was still feeling meh... I did our taxes. Panicked for a moment when I read the W-2 wrong and thought we were going to owe $5,000, which would suck. Ends up we owe the federal government $60 and the state $360, so pretty good. I hate getting a refund (why should they get my money interest-free all year?!) but I don't want to have to pay a huge chunk, either. Not the best/closest I've ever gotten it, but with Mr. Smeddley's fluctuating salary there's not much I can do to get it perfect. Plus the $180 I made substitute teaching and had no taxes taken out didn't help.
I took $100 in charitable donations, which might be a slightly low estimate but it's something. And with that? We are $130 over the standard deduction... so next year we probably won't even be able to itemize. Stupid cheap, low-interest house! Whoever told me buying a house would be a *huge* tax advantage was an idiot. We've been here 6 years, sunk probably $50,000 into the house, and our biggest tax savings year was the first one, where we saved.... $400. Of course, our house payment was $400 PER MONTH more than our rent, but hey.
Am I happy we bought a house? Yes, very! I'd do it again. But just know that you can afford substantially LESS in a house payment than you can rent. Because there's always something to fix. And so much I really need to get off my butt and finish, but there's no time. Too many other things to do.
...and I keep signing up for craft swaps, because I like them, but I have projects for me that I really need to get done. I must be strong, and resist.
And I need to read the book I haven't even started for book club tomorrow. So I should probably get on that... though I also have to finish my LV scrapbook and the OTT secret partner swap... O.o