Over the last month, I’ve been newly able to notice rigid thinking in people beyond myself. That’s kinda funny to me… How did I not notice it before? The diagnostic manual talks about it, as do many books on brain quirks, but I’m only newly able to recognize it. (Secretly, I have my fingers crossed… Continue reading Is Rigid Thinking Keeping Me Poor?
A long-time acquaintance in financial straits asked for my help in revamping her money status. I’d love to! The first tip was well-received: apply for disability benefits. She’s been medically eligible for as long as I’ve known her, but has stumbled along through endless short-term gigs instead, each one exacerbating her symptoms. Kudos to her… Continue reading Step 1a: No Cheating!
Jane is thinking about buying a detached house. A mortgage broker, four realtors, and her parents have explained to her that it’s an investment, as “house values always go up.” Do they? We might indeed be able to say that over the course of, say, 50 years, the value of land underneath a dwelling is… Continue reading Is A Home a Legitimate Investment?
To bring in some of my 2017 income, I needed to invest $3891* in taxes, tax return prep, college tuition, and college texts. To bring in yet more, I needed to move money I already had into other accounts. (Weird, hey?) Where does a person with tricky circumstances get that kind of cash to start… Continue reading Does It Take Money to Make Money?
Alright, it’s February 13th and the tax slips have started to arrive. Yay! Even with my rather complex tax situation, soon it will all be wrapped up for another year. My brain was full for a week or so, so I rightly paused. Some weeks, my brain doesn’t let me do stuff like this. I… Continue reading Free Money: Step 5 (24 Minutes)
I was mortified by how much new paper came home with me yesterday. Granted, I collect my mail only about once a week, and yesterday included multiple weird errands I’d managed to put off for some time. At 330pm I dragged through my front door: three cheques (no option for online deposit) one government call… Continue reading 10 Papers Per Day
Because it helps out my kid and me in multiple ways, I created a disability trust for us. What I didn’t know beforehand was that a trust is its own legal entity, thus has its own tax number, requires its own tax return…and has its own tax return deadline. Surprise! The conundrum? The government is… Continue reading Free Money Step 4 (3 Minutes)
Licorice All-Sorts for all of you! When my child had his full diagnostic assessment completed, it explained a lot. A LOT. Having already lived the symptoms for a good forty years I was, naturally, aware of most of the challenges reflected in the documents. At least one point, though, was new to me. Our tricky brains do… Continue reading Free Money: Step 3 (2 Minutes)
About once a week or so, I do a one-click download of all new transactions appearing in my personal bank account, my business bank account, and my credit card account. In my financial software, I glance at each one, ensuring the amounts and categories are correct. The entire process takes 3-5 minutes per week. Regularly,… Continue reading Found Money: $52
I promised Sebastian I would open tax return posts with prettiness and promises. So, butterflies for you, Sebastian, and, “Hey, this only took sixty seconds, twenty six times in a row!” And now to the nitty-gritty. In my money-tracking software, I record personal expenses as well as business expenses. This way, I’m opening only one window… Continue reading Free Money: Step 2 (26 Minutes)
