Bogleheads.org

muddgirl

I've used freefile s/w (fed, state, efile) the past few years and like OLT, it seems to offer the most leeway for a free return for more folks. But have never used the Free Fillable Forms. How does that work? --Do we download them to our PC? How do we link them together? Can we save our intermediat...

muddgirl

I have used Free Fillable Forms for the past several years. I like that it does much of the math for me but otherwise it is exactly like doing it with pencil & paper, but I can still efile. If I have a complicated situation, I can use Turbotax online for free to double-check that my understanding ag...

muddgirl

I I pay $50 a year which is about right. On their website today they state "Billed annually at $83.99". https://www.youneedabudget.com/method/?ar_clx=yes&ar_channel=sem&ar_campaign=36195583&ar_adgroup=1420857373&ar_ad=256856340700&gclid=CjwKCAjwsfreBRB9EiwAikSUHUrStgVBJtLG2lvMyAWJU1GWkfDMDw8l2tcdFt...

muddgirl

It seems to me like they've done one major project per year, along with regular bug fixes and smaller improvements multiple times a week, although not every project is applicable to all users. This year's project was an API which makes it possible to integrate ynab with other apps/programs like IFTT.

muddgirl

I should have added - I also understand the objections to a subscription-based model for payment. I am also wary of them and YNAB is one of my only monthly/annual subscriptions. However, I believe that the auto import of financial data, as well as an actually functional android app, would be impossi...

muddgirl

I never used YNAB4 beyond a trial version and started with the new YNAB subscription model. I pay $50 a year which is about right. I like that my husband and I can both use the app to check our budget, add purchases, and move money so that our budget is accurate and so that it doesn't fall on just o...

muddgirl

I am an engineer (ME) although I went to school on the west coast. I am assuming this is for undergraduate degrees. I would look for a school with a strong liberal arts requirement. I meet many engineers in my job who struggle to craft well-written documentation. There isn't a lot of room for argume...

muddgirl

I agree with others - for our family of two, getting an exam + new glasses every two years, vision insurance does not make financial sense. First of all some medical insurance plans will cover an annual eye exam. An eye exam out of pocket is around $60, or with vision insurance it is $10-$25. Then t...

muddgirl

There is very little federal regulation on how long custodians have between withholding 401k contributions and depositing them into the employees 401k account. I looked into this last year because my employer's payroll service/401k custodian took 7 business days from payday to depositing it into my ...

muddgirl

I have been running this style of DIY filter for a few years in my bedroom. My first iteration just placed the filter against the fan intake. The fan recently started making a loud bearing noise; putting a restriction on the fan intake makes the fan work harder. I recently picked up a 20" box fan fo...

muddgirl

When we bought our first house the A/C went out within the first week. It didn't even occur to us to bother the seller! We knew from our home inspection that the unit was nearly 15 years old and it was factored into the price. I think the buyer got taken for a ride by a shady HVAC contractor and the...

muddgirl

I want to add that Scam Texts are also a thing, although more rare, and they can be reported if you are a customer of a major carrier : If you are an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint or Bell subscriber, you can report spam texts to your carrier by copying the original message and forwarding it to the...

muddgirl

There are two departments you should report calls to, especially if you or a loved one has lost money from the scam. One is the Treasury Inspector General and the other is the FTC . I think it's important to report if possible to help the government track these guys down. There was a big internation...

muddgirl

The more I think about this topic, the funnier it is. "Why would anyone want to live in the SF Bay Area? Rich people pay too much in taxes, and there are so many rich people that middle class people can't afford to live there!"

muddgirl

I think like most recent discourse about Silicon Valley, this is quite hyperbolic. $200k is more than twice the median household income in most cities in SF Bay Area. It is easy to look at the outliers which get a lot of press and think that is the average. As for state taxes, California has the mos...

muddgirl

We bought a hitch mount for $50 from U-Haul. There was a mixup with the hardware package, but once they got us the correct bolts it was very easy to install. On recommendations from the pilot forum, we borrowed a thread chasing kit and a torque wrench from Autozone for proper installation. With the ...

muddgirl

We cut the cord a few years ago and lived with antenna+online streaming services. This year we switched from antenna to YouTube tv when we moved to a stucco'd rental house that defeated our antenna. The channel lineup is great for sports and I love that I get local channels. Beyond that it is hit or...

muddgirl

I typically only use airb&b to book whole units or sometimes guest/carriage houses on an owner's property, and so I don't see it as competing with hotel stays. I see it as competing with resort condo rentals or VRBO. It would be interesting if anyone on boglehead uses airb&b for its original functio...

muddgirl

Int resting? What area? I mainly goto Florida and San Diego beaches. One example in Memphis. I put in a random July date. But if you go back one screen to the listings page, the price displayed for this rental would be $99 per night because AirB&B includes the cleaning fee so that you are making a ...

muddgirl

Additionally, AirB&B does include the cleaning fee in the price shown when you are browsing listings, and it shows both other fees on the listing page itself along with the total price for the requested length of stay.

muddgirl

My understanding is that the cleaning fee is set by the owner, the service fee is set by Airb&b, and the occupancy tax is set by the owner's local authority for short term rentals. It should be the same tax that you pay for a hotel room (which they also wait to disclose until you are on the booking ...

muddgirl

I bought my first home in a LCOL area with help from my in-laws. I had maybe $10k saved up for a down payment after 5 years of working, and my spouse who was starting a (funded) PhD program had $10k saved up from bits and bobs during school (graduation gifts, inheritance, etc). His parents gifted us...

muddgirl

At the mon and pop pace my daughter worked with counter service only, the owner kept 100% of tip jar. That's illegal but unfortunately no employee is going to complain. What they can do is mandate to their employees how the tip jar is divided, but owners and supervisors can't be part of the tip poo...

muddgirl

I have no first-hand experience (yet) but I have heard good recommendations for the local chapters of the non-profit Funeral Consumers Alliance. Here is the website of their national organization: https://funerals.org. My local chapter offers pre-negotiated rates for direct cremation or simple buria...

muddgirl

When I was a first-time homebuyer, I found this guide to be very helpful and thorough . Real estate is extremely local. What is usual in one city could be strange and off-putting in another, so it is difficult to get good advice online. I know that when I sold my house and I accepted the buyers offe...

muddgirl

This must be one of those family traditions passed down as law, like the woman who cuts off the ends of the roast to fit her grandmother's pan. If I only had two pairs of underwear (one to wear while the other is washed and drying), they'd certainly wear out faster. But I have at least a week's wort...

muddgirl

When I have done partial year resident returns in the past, I look at it from a cash basis perspective (don't know if I'm using that term right). I make a spreadsheet showing the date of receipt of income, interest, dividends, capital gains, etc. Then I can divide it between the dates I was in one s...

muddgirl

Have you looked into the rules for Solo 401(k) or SEP IRA? Do you qualify for either of these? Or can you have your contract restructured so that you do comply? Other options are (1) HSA - I don't think you need earned income to contribute to an HSA, (2) Tax-efficient investing in taxable accounts, ...

muddgirl

I eat leftovers with rice for lunch. This is another great point. Someone else in this thread calculated that $1200 a month is "only" $6 per person per meal if you cook three meals a day, but my husband and I don't cook three meals a day. We normally eat a cold breakfast (which costs $6 per person ...

muddgirl

Organic/non-GMO meat is expensive. We shop almost entirely at Trader Joe's and we eat on average 1 meat dish per week. Our grocery bill for two people is about $100 weekly. Now we don't always buy the organic produce so to upgrade to organic, let's add $20 per bill. That's still half your budget. Ea...

muddgirl

The tax bill ended the ability to recharacterize Roth conversions back to traditional IRAs, but I believe it is still allowed to recharacterize a contribution.

muddgirl

I have just signed up for Lemonade for renter's insurance, but I don't think I would have made the same decision for homeowners insurance. I could quite easily "self-insure" all of my home goods but I am required to have renters insurance per my lease so premium cost is very important. I have never ...

muddgirl

Even AT&T's pre-paid account (used to be called GoPhone) is only $45 per month for 6 GB of data, $60 per month for "unlimited" data. It is $5 per month cheaper if you sign up for autopay but I get a bigger discount by using an online calling card broker. Even at the $60 per month level you'll make u...

muddgirl

I live in PA. My understanding is that PA taxes contributions to 401k, traditional IRA, TSP, etc etc. However, they do not tax qualified distributions. This means that you could get double-taxed if you contribute in PA and retire in another state, or you could pay zero state taxes if you contribute ...

muddgirl

I read the link to the general faqs provided, but- 1). The faqs state that one is only to receive a 1099-K if one has over 200 transaction and over $20,000 in transaction receipts- Does this preclude me from reporting any of these transactions, even though the MA DOR does? It seems because MA DOR h...

muddgirl

General FAQs on Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions " I received Form 1099-K. How do I report it on my tax return? Separate reporting of these transactions is not required. However, you should follow the return instructions on the form you are completing to report your gross receipts ...

muddgirl

On schedule C, under "Part I Income" in the mini worksheet for gross receipts/sales, line C asks for the total from Forms 1099-K. So my concern is if I just ignore it I'm going to get an audit letter. I'm curious as to what mini-worksheet you are talking about. I don't see one on the 2017 schedule ...

muddgirl

You cannot deduct student loan interest if you file separate, along with a host of other restrictions.

muddgirl

Yes you've got it. This is called the Spousal IRA or Kay Bailey Hutchinson IRA.

muddgirl

11% - two incomes, no kids, renting a 3 BR 1.5 BA rowhouse in a rust belt city. Anecdotally we are paying lower than average rent for our area because we live in a home that has not had significant upgrades since the 1950s. That means no dishwasher and no central air. If we lived in an upgraded mult...

muddgirl

I think that there are very few drivers who would agree to do this through the Uber/Lyft app: (1) it may be against their contract with the car hiring service (2) they will be getting paid Uber rates but will be missing out on fares. However, it is normal to meet a good driver, get their card if the...

muddgirl

It sounds like you are confused because you think that you report both your income and your dependents income on the same tax return. I don't think that's ever true. Dependents still file their own tax return when they are required to or when they want to get a refund. But you will list them as a de...

muddgirl

If you are covered but your spouse is NOT they can contribute fully and you can do a Roth. Which is what we do, Less complicated If one person is covered but their spouse is not, both people have a phaseout range, but the spouse's is higher - from $184-194k. Source: https://www.irs.gov/retirement-p...

muddgirl

I worked for a large R&D firm that did this kind of thing as part of their business. Usually for much larger businesses (IE, we were the "little guy" who helped out a GE or a Toyota or a municipal electric company), but it can work on a smaller scale too. The trick is to go into a meeting with one t...

muddgirl

I worked for many years as a government contractor. A few years ago there was a new policy and we had to start spelling out or defining all "uncommon" abbreviations on expense reports. Yes, "uncommon" is poorly defined. Yes, there is little room on an expense report. But a policy is a policy. Here a...

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