Comments on: Four Money Saving Do-it-Yourself Jobs http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/four-money-saving-do-it-yourself-jobs/ Frugal, Simple, Debt-Free Living, and Generous Giving Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:06:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Build Your Own Furniture: 9 Helpful Tips For Non-Carpenters | Best Page About http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/four-money-saving-do-it-yourself-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-7541 Build Your Own Furniture: 9 Helpful Tips For Non-Carpenters | Best Page About Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:50:14 +0000 http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/four-money-saving-do-it-yourself-jobs/#comment-7541 [...] many other money saving do it yourself jobs you can save a significant amount of money by building our own furniture. Sometimes you will need [...] [...] many other money saving do it yourself jobs you can save a significant amount of money by building our own furniture. Sometimes you will need [...]

]]> By: Lovely http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/four-money-saving-do-it-yourself-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-6447 Lovely Thu, 20 May 2010 11:48:04 +0000 http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/four-money-saving-do-it-yourself-jobs/#comment-6447 I think most people would agree that saving money is something “easier said than done”. Personally, I believe it’s a mind-set that needs to be developed by creating good money-saving habits. Here are some things I’ve done to help change my spending habits: - Cooking more at home  Eating out is very expensive especially if you do it a couple times a week - Shopping online  You can find better deals than in the store and you save on gas (I recommend http://www.shoptivity.com) - Paying the full balance on credit cards each month  Interest charge is like giving away free money - Don’t forget to pay yourself  Set up an online savings account (they pay higher interest than a normal savings account) - Setting a budget and goals  It’s good to have your goals written down so you see them everyday and don’t lose focus on your ultimate objectives Again, saving money requires a lot of patience and hard work. However, you’ll thank yourself later on in life. Good luck everyone!! =) I think most people would agree that saving money is something “easier said than done”. Personally, I believe it’s a mind-set that needs to be developed by creating good money-saving habits.

Here are some things I’ve done to help change my spending habits:

- Cooking more at home  Eating out is very expensive especially if you do it a couple times a week
- Shopping online  You can find better deals than in the store and you save on gas (I recommend http://www.shoptivity.com)
- Paying the full balance on credit cards each month  Interest charge is like giving away free money
- Don’t forget to pay yourself  Set up an online savings account (they pay higher interest than a normal savings account)
- Setting a budget and goals  It’s good to have your goals written down so you see them everyday and don’t lose focus on your ultimate objectives

Again, saving money requires a lot of patience and hard work. However, you’ll thank yourself later on in life. Good luck everyone!! =)

]]> By: Kathy http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/four-money-saving-do-it-yourself-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-1157 Kathy Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:31:32 +0000 http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/four-money-saving-do-it-yourself-jobs/#comment-1157 Woah - that's bad!! As I said, I'm going to be doing it again this year, and I'll keep in mind the tip about taking the old return and filling in this year's values. One fear about doing that, though, is that I've heard that some of the credits and deductions expire this year or next, so I don't want to screw that up. So while our job situation may be precisely the same, I'm not sure our "tax situation" (thanks to the **wonderful** federal government and their convoluted rules! {sarcasm!}) will be the same. Sometimes I wonder if accountants secretly like and encourage the confusing and ever-changing rules, because it gives us a reason to need them... .-= Kathy´s last blog ..<a href="http://katsyfga.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/oh-wow/" rel="nofollow">Oh, WOW!</a> =-. Woah – that’s bad!! As I said, I’m going to be doing it again this year, and I’ll keep in mind the tip about taking the old return and filling in this year’s values. One fear about doing that, though, is that I’ve heard that some of the credits and deductions expire this year or next, so I don’t want to screw that up. So while our job situation may be precisely the same, I’m not sure our “tax situation” (thanks to the **wonderful** federal government and their convoluted rules! {sarcasm!}) will be the same. Sometimes I wonder if accountants secretly like and encourage the confusing and ever-changing rules, because it gives us a reason to need them…
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Oh, WOW! =-.

]]> By: Craig http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/four-money-saving-do-it-yourself-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-1155 Craig Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:19:12 +0000 http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/four-money-saving-do-it-yourself-jobs/#comment-1155 Kathy, What you did is actually exactly what I suggest (though not in this post). Have a professional do your taxes and you should also do it. Then compare the results. We actually had the exact opposite experience with a tax accountant. His refund was $1,500 less than it should have been and he cost 3x as much as Turbo Tax. As long as your tax situation is consistent most people should be able to do the taxes on their own. Kathy,
What you did is actually exactly what I suggest (though not in this post). Have a professional do your taxes and you should also do it. Then compare the results.

We actually had the exact opposite experience with a tax accountant. His refund was $1,500 less than it should have been and he cost 3x as much as Turbo Tax.

As long as your tax situation is consistent most people should be able to do the taxes on their own.

]]> By: Kathy http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/four-money-saving-do-it-yourself-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-1143 Kathy Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:46:07 +0000 http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/four-money-saving-do-it-yourself-jobs/#comment-1143 One caveat about DIY taxes (even with a computer program) is that you might be missing out on some savings you didn't know about. A couple of years ago, my husband did OTR trucking and was self-employed, so we hired an accountant to do the taxes to make sure we didn't screw anything up. Although he began teaching the next year and didn't have any weird taxes, he insisted on hiring an accountant again. I thought it was a waste of money ($180, I think), so when a TurboTax or similar program was mailed free to our house (I think you have to pay to print it out or something -- not sure what the catch was), I secretly filled out the information to see how much refund we'd be getting, to compare it to the amount the accountant got. I saw that we'd be getting in the neighborhood of $1700 back by going through TurboTax, and I smugly waited for the accountant to finish the taxes, expecting a similar refund, so I could tell my husband -- "Aha! that's exactly what *I* figured out for *much less* than what the accountant charged!!" Instead, my jaw about dropped when the accountant figured that we'd be getting about $3500 back. I don't know if the computer tax program screwed up or it was my error, but we'll be using the accountant again this year. Although I will admit, that I will be phantom-filling out the taxes again, to make sure that it is actually cost-effective to use the accountant every year. .-= Kathy´s last blog ..<a href="http://katsyfga.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/oh-wow/" rel="nofollow">Oh, WOW!</a> =-. One caveat about DIY taxes (even with a computer program) is that you might be missing out on some savings you didn’t know about. A couple of years ago, my husband did OTR trucking and was self-employed, so we hired an accountant to do the taxes to make sure we didn’t screw anything up. Although he began teaching the next year and didn’t have any weird taxes, he insisted on hiring an accountant again. I thought it was a waste of money ($180, I think), so when a TurboTax or similar program was mailed free to our house (I think you have to pay to print it out or something — not sure what the catch was), I secretly filled out the information to see how much refund we’d be getting, to compare it to the amount the accountant got. I saw that we’d be getting in the neighborhood of $1700 back by going through TurboTax, and I smugly waited for the accountant to finish the taxes, expecting a similar refund, so I could tell my husband — “Aha! that’s exactly what *I* figured out for *much less* than what the accountant charged!!” Instead, my jaw about dropped when the accountant figured that we’d be getting about $3500 back.

I don’t know if the computer tax program screwed up or it was my error, but we’ll be using the accountant again this year. Although I will admit, that I will be phantom-filling out the taxes again, to make sure that it is actually cost-effective to use the accountant every year.
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Oh, WOW! =-.

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