Kindle Deal

This is an great price on an awesome book!
 Kindle Daily Deal

The Kindle edition is FREE to Amazon Prime members and ONLY .99 for non-prime members. And if you are a "hands on" reader, the paperback copy is less than $10.00

FREE tax filing

You may be eligible to file your taxes FREE!!! The IRS offers free e-file for certain age and income ranges. If you prepare your taxes or if you hire a tax professional, go the the IRS site to see if you qualify for FREE e-file.

Some of the companies participating in the IRS's free e-file program include: H & R Block, TaxAct, and Turbo Tax. Each company has different qualifying income amounts and age restrictions, but incomes up to $57,000 per year may qualify for FREE tax filing.

Go to www.irs.gov/freefile to see a list of participating companies and to find out if you qualify to file your taxes FREE!!!

Choosing a Tax Preparer

Choose your tax preparer wisely. Steer clear of tax preparers who are only available during the prime tax season of January to April. Tax laws are ever changing and you need access to your tax professional year round. A good tax preparer can assist you in changing your withholding amounts so that you're not having too much or too little taxes coming out of your paycheck.

When choosing a tax preparer, ask for references from family or friends. You may also want to consider getting information from the Better Business Bureau.

Tax Season Tips

As tax-filing season begins, I will be providing some tax Sanity And Money Saving (SAMS) tips. The first and most important tip is make sure you say NO to “Rapid” filing. With upgrades in electronic filing, there's no reason to pay a fee to get YOUR money back fast. The IRS processes all payments at the same time and generally refunds are available in 10-14 days.   Filing “Rapid” is actually a loan you are getting from the tax preparer. Your “loan” amount is based on your estimated refund amount. Because this is a loan from a private company, your refund amount is not guaranteed by the IRS. If, after reviewing your tax information, the IRS determines a different refund amount, you are still liable for repaying the “Rapid” refund fee.

Make sure you don't fall for scams that can COST you money.

January Shopping Tips

If you're in the market for new appliances, January is the month to shop.  Whether you're looking to upgrade or remodel, you'll find cheaper prices on appliances during the month of January. Stores need to sell older models to make room for new models coming at the end of the month and in February. Other big ticket items on sale in January are:

Bed linens (think Big White Sales)
Video Games (new ones came out in Nov and Dec for holiday sales)
Christmas wrapping paper and cards

With all purchases, shop around to find the best price.  But remember, don't sacrifice quality to save a few dollars.

Travel Sanity Saver

Here is my best travel sanity saver:



A power inverter for your car.  With this handy gadget, you can plug "house" plugs (DC plugs) into your AC (car) plug.  It also has an I-Pad/Pod outlet also.  So if someone's batteries die or the toy/game doesn't have a car plug, this tool will allow you to use your regular plug for continuous power.

This was not only a sanity saver, but a life saver on our recent 850 mile trek across country.

Sorry for my absence

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Let me apologize for being away for so long.  I thought after completing grad school I would have more time to do the things I enjoy.  My family had other plans for me. I've attended parties, practices, performances and somehow managed vacation in all of that.  Nevertheless, I'm back with Sanity And Money Saving tips for you. 

Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to your comments.