Blog Brigade

Evy

Ben Franklin said, “Nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” Why can’t it be,“Nothing can be said to be certain except vacations and chocolate?” Oh well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right? Preparing for tax time is something you can do little by little, throughout the year so you’re not completely frazzled by April 15. The easiest time to get ready for tax time is way before it arrives. Here are some tips to help you prepare well before tax day is here.

• Start now to collect everything you’ll need. Keep everything tax related — such as your W-2 forms, medical and dental expenses, moving expenses, mortgage interest payments, child care costs and more — in a safe, convenient place. The more organized you are now, the less stressful April will be.
• Everything will be easier if you create a system that works for you. Create a checklist and put it on the front of a file folder. Check them off as you collect them so you will know what you have left to gather and won’t miss anything.
• You don’t have to be a tax expert. There are tax professionals available to you. Be sure take advantage of the no-cost tax preparation and filing services available to you and your family through Military OneSource.
• Remember that service members may qualify for special tax benefits, including a filing extension and military pay exclusions.

Tax time doesn’t have to be difficult. Getting organized can help you have the easiest tax-filing experience yet. By the way, you’re welcome.

Kristi

Each morning I wake up before anyone else in the house. I sneak into the kitchen in the dark and make a cup of coffee and a healthy breakfast with nothing but muscle memory and the light from the refrigerator.

Nourishment and caffeine in hand, I tiptoe to my office and start my morning by checking my email. Without fail, I have nothing short of 20 emails. Nothing pressing usually happens overnight with work, and no one I know ever emails me between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

My inbox is overflowing with bargains.

Flash sales, holiday and end of season sales, clearance markdowns, coupon codes and even the occasional valued customer private sale invitation – they’re all there to tempt me before the coffee has awakened the part of my brain dedicated to math and dividing wants from needs.

I delete these emails without even opening them 90 percent of the time, but I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for a good deal. I’m the type to focus on the amount I saved versus how much I actually spent. In fact, anytime a website or store clerk alerts me to how much I saved at checkout, I feel like throwing my fists in the air and taking a victory lap like I just won an Olympic gold.

Ah, if only bargain shopping was an Olympic sport.

It’s no secret, though, that if I never bothered to click on those sale emails or open that junk mail with the 20 percent off coupon that’s only good until Friday, I probably wouldn’t even bother browsing a website or battling the crowd at the mall.

So this begs the question: if we didn’t know we needed an item before realizing it was on sale, did the sale really save us any money?

Yes and no. If there is an item that you’ve been eyeing and you’ve been waiting for the price to drop, it’s worth taking advantage of the sale. If you know that you will be in the market for an item in the future, it might be worth clicking on that flashing sale banner. If you aren’t sure whether or not you should add it to your virtual or tangible shopping cart, here are some things to consider from one compulsive shopper to another:

1. Do you need it now or later? If you can honestly say you’ll benefit from it now or in the near future, it might be worth shelling out the cash. Use caution with sales on groceries. Quick sales might be because of quick expiration dates. If you can’t use it before it goes bad, opt out.
2. Did you want or need it before you saw the sale? If a new appliance, a piece of furniture, new shoes, etc. was on your wish list before the sale, then this might be the time to make the move.
3. Can you afford it? If your weekly or monthly budget doesn’t afford you enough wiggle room for an unplanned purchase, the sale isn’t worth it (no matter how fantastic it is).
4. Do you already have something comparable? Unless you need a new and improved version of something – as in, you can see your toes through the bottom of your running shoes – you need to really think about whether you already own the item you’re considering. I refuse to admit how many navy-striped tops or black dresses I have because I have an embarrassing amount. Instead of thinking, “Do I already have a black dress?” I think, “You can never have too many black dresses; they’re classic and versatile.” That’s only true to a point that I’ve lapped several times.
5. Is the sale really a “deal?” Before you hand over the cash (or your card), compare prices. What is the difference between the sale price and the usual price – a dollar or less or 80 percent off? The difference makes a difference. You can also easily compare one store’s sale price to current prices at other retailers. If shopping online, search the product name and compare prices on other websites. If shopping in store, you can shop around or use smartphone applications to search for the same item from another retailer.

After you’ve run through these questions, channel Jiminy Cricket and “Let your conscience be your guide.” If you can justify spending the money, but you’re going to feel guilty afterward, then that’s a good indication that you should pass. Think about the big picture – would that $20 you’re about to spend benefit you more as a new shirt or as money in the bank?