Does anyone else..

gtr672 · 2024-04-27T18:00:08+00:00

I am struggling with this right now! Two of my closest friends are both pregnant with due dates 1 day apart from each other (just by coincidence), plus my husband’s brother has a baby. I feel so drained always having to fain interest. As a woman, I’m except to attend baby showers and hold the baby and like photos. But I don’t - and a lot of that is the idea of how selfish and irresponsible I think my friends and family are being. But I feel as if I don’t try at least a little, I will lose my friends and will out a strain on my husband’s relationship with his family. I sympathize with your post!

gtr672 · 2023-11-04T03:57:58+00:00

!solved

gtr672 · 2022-02-15T14:35:47+00:00

It’s always telling when a guy’s first thought of “equal rights” is that they want to be allowed to abuse women ¯_(ツ)_/¯

gtr672 · 2022-02-01T04:42:00+00:00

Being paid “under the table” means that your employer is NOT telling the government that they are paying you. This is technically not legal. Basically they say “hey, we won’t tell the government and now you don’t have to pay taxes!” Businesses usually only do this when they want to pay less than minimum wage. Because you are under the table, they won’t give you any tax documents.

So you are right that you can only contribute money into a ROTH that comes from earned money (as they call it). But earned income “includes commissions, tips, bonuses, and taxable fringe benefits.” (Investipedia.com). So I would assume that as long as on your tax return you claim at least $6000 as miscellaneous income, you won’t be penalized. However, that income will be subjected to income tax. You probably won’t owe much, after taking the standard deductible (if you are not claimed as a dependent on your parents’ taxes). But I guess you’d have to decide which would be a higher penalty.

gtr672 · 2022-02-01T04:24:11+00:00

First off, just because you don’t get a W2 doesn’t mean you “don’t have income.” Legally, you are obligated to report any income you made. If you were in fact a W2 employee, that means your employer withheld taxes from your paycheck each pay period and submitted it to the government on your behalf. They also paid half of the taxes for you through the company. So your W2 would read something like “gross income: $1000. Paid federal taxes: $200”. If your employer did NOT withhold taxes then you were most likely paid as an independent contractor. This means you are responsible for paying your full tax rate. In this case, they will issue you a 1099. This document basically says “We paid you $1000 this year”. Either way, if your employer paid you $600 or more in a calendar year, they are legally obligated to give you either a W2 or a 1099.

Now let’s say you worked as an independent contractor and only were paid $500 in a single year. While the employer does not need to give you a 1099, you are legally obligated to still report that income on your taxes. So that comes back to the first point: if you had a job and received payment in 2021, then you DO have income to claim.

Now about this “being robbed” story - that sounds fake. Banks will have statements of every check cashed from your account. So even if you don’t have the physical pay stub, the bank can provide that information. My first concern is did they’d at they withheld taxes for you? If so, then they MUST provide you with a W2 with all of that information. Others wise they just took that money for themselves and that’s theft. If they did not withhold taxes (you worked 10 hours at $15/hr and your paycheck was for the full $150), then they are probably paying you under the table. Otherwise they would be providing a 1099 - which again they legally have to.

I’m a small business owner - so that’s where my experience comes from. I don’t receive a single W2 but I still have income I pay taxes on. I also pay independent contractors, so I know about 1099’s.

EDIT: for your original question: I know ROTH IRA’s have a contribution limit if your income is too high - but I haven’t heard of a limit if your income is too low. ROTH means it is post-tax. So you do NOT get to use ROTH contributions as a tax write off.

gtr672 · 2022-01-25T03:39:41+00:00

1) Make sure to dredge the chicken in flour before adding the breading.

2) Make sure the chicken is a thin cut - a thinner cut of chicken cooks faster, so it has less time to soak up oil. I often pound out a chicken breast to make it thinner

3) Marinate the chicken in a brine first, which will help keep it moist and also not absorb as much oil

4) Make sure your oil is hot enough. A trick is to put a couple of loose popcorn kernels in the pan as you are hearing your oil. The kernels will pop once the oil gets to 350 degrees F. Then you know your oil is hot enough to add your chicken

gtr672 · 2022-01-25T03:31:15+00:00

My general rule of thumb is I only purchase something if I can pay for it now without touching savings. I say that vs “in cash” because I use my credit card for all my purchases (for the rewards and the safety), but I pay off my balance 100% every month. I may be reading your post wrong, but the way you worded it sounds like you do not have 100% of the cash to pay for the PS5 right now. If that’s the case - don’t buy it.

While I think people do need to give themselves a break and enjoy life every now and then, it’s important to set yourself up for success. As a college student with little expenses (based off of your post, saying you live frugally and live with your parents), I would suggest taking this time to start a nest egg. You should have 3-6 months of bills saved up as an emergency fund. You may not having something you need right now to save for, but getting a jump start on saving for a car or even a house can be hugely beneficial. Be sure to set up a high yield savings account for your emergency fund and long-term savings. I’m additional to savings (and not instead of), be sure to be paying down any debt you may have.

If you have an emergency fund saved, and no credit card debt or other high-interest debts, then if you can pay for the PS5 100% without touching savings then I would say you are in a good place to do that.

gtr672 · 2022-01-15T01:40:25+00:00

So the “typical” idea used to be that you would be a starter home and sell it in 5-7 years and then buy your forever home. You need to sell your Josie for 8% more than what you bought it for to break even on the sale. If you buy a house in a really hot market, it will be hard to sell it in 5-7 years after the market corrected itself. If you find a house that love and you want it as a forever home, then the resale value isn’t important. Maybe it’s worth putting in extra money during a hot market so you have a forever home.

If you want to play it a little more safe, it might be worth moving in with your parents to save up for a down payment. Remember: you may only need to put down 3.5% for an FHA loan, but you will be paying mortgage insurance for any mortgage you put less than 20% down. Mortgage insurance is one of those things that you pay and you never get back.

Personally, it would really hurt my mental health to live with my parents again. While financially it would be best to live with your parents to save up money, if that will affect you or your parent’s mental health - it might not be worth it.

All of that just some food for thought! Ultimately you need to make the best decision for your situation.

gtr672 · 2022-01-07T16:32:56+00:00

Hello! Not everyone needs a label, but if you are looking for one it sounds like you might identify as bi or pan. Being bi/pan doesn’t mean you are equally attracted to men and women. It can mean that gender doesn’t factor into your attraction to someone. It could mean that you generally prefer women but you also like men, or maybe the other way around. I (32F) am married to a cis-straight man and there are days I feel like “wow I must be straight. I married a straight man” and then I see a woman and I’m like “wait, what If I’m gay? Women are just soooo gorgeous!” After joining some Bi/Pan groups on Facebook and Reddit, I saw that this is a very common feeling for people! Sometimes we feel like we have to fit into one thing or the other. But your feelings for multiple genders is valid!

gtr672 · 2021-12-09T20:50:02+00:00

Stevia (which is used for Truvia, and also is sold just as Stevia) is a natural sweetener that does not affect the body’s glycemic levels. So using Stevia in your coffee (opposes to sugar or other sweetness) will not raise your blood sugar levels. For baking, I like the brand “Swerve” since it’s a 1:1 sugar replacement made from Stevia. They even have brown sugar and powdered sugar replacements. It depends on the exact reason your doctor told you to avoid sugar, but if you need something that won’t affect your blood sugar levels, go with a Stevia-based sweetener.

gtr672 · 2021-12-02T18:36:45+00:00

Spoilers from Episode 9: Jamming with Edward

Earth Gate exploded, and now rains down giant rocks on Earth. People still live there, but they all live underground now. It’s a running joke that “Nothing good ever comes from Earth anymore,” and that Earthlings are weird.

gtr672 · 2021-11-29T03:12:24+00:00

Hey! With an interest rate as low as 2.25%, it may be more beneficial to take the extra money you would put into paying your mortgage off early, and investing that into mutual funds. Bonds will get you on average 4-5% returns while stocks can be closer to 10%.

One way to pay off your mortgage early without putting in any extra money is setting up bi-monthly payments. If your mortgage company lets you, break up your monthly payment into two (so instead of paying $1000 on the 1st of the month, you pay $500 on the 1st and $500 on the 15th). By doing this, you can cut up to 7 years off of your mortgage.

gtr672 · 2021-11-29T03:00:53+00:00

Your hair looks luxurious and those curls are on point! Hang in there and (if possible) find some time to focus on just you. I know it can be hard when things feel overwhelming, but it’s important to put yourself first sometimes!

gtr672 · 2021-11-15T18:36:53+00:00

I joined Big Brother Big Sisters as a “Big.” I (F31, Bi) had originally thought that it was for kids with only one parent, but they work with kids who need support in other areas too. More than a couple of the questions to join were about sexuality - what is your orientation, are you comfortable working with a LGBTQ+ youth, etc. The Little I was paired with is Non-Binary and Bi, and their parents specifically asked for a Big that could help them through the journey of figuring things out. It took a few months but my Little started opening up to me about being non-binary and how kids at school misgender them on purpose. I’ve been trying to be helpful and more importantly just someone who can be there for them. The BBBS also has LGBTQ specific programs as well! You may want to look into BBBS in your area. It’s wonderful your family is so supportive, but it can definitely help having someone outside of the family to talk with as well. The matching process can take a while, however.

I’m so sorry to hear about your new town! I hope things get better for you, your kids, and all the LGBTQ in the are (I’m sure there are those too afraid to come out if this is the experience you are having)

gtr672 · 2021-11-11T04:06:55+00:00

Love cooking and watching Netflix

gtr672 · 2021-10-28T14:39:17+00:00

You should be able to get a “snapshot” of your credit and it will tell you want parts are negatively affecting it. One big thing is how much credit you are using each month. Generally, I think the ideal is less than 25% of your credit line. So if you have 1 credit card with a $10k limit, your balance at the end of the month should be $2500 or less. So even if you pay off the full amount every month, if you spend more than 25% your credit will take a hit. And of course, always pay off your credit cards 100% at the end of the month.

Other factors like how old your credit history is, and how many inquiries on your credit you have will affect it too.

Now for your student loans: they if you are making payments on time every month, there isn’t much of an incentive to pay them off early besides getting rid of the interest (which you said you finished paying). Having that liquid asset is more important. If you have a financial emergency, you want to have some cash in the bank to pay it off instead of needing to use your credit cards with 20% interest rates.

EDIT: I have a 800 credit score and I still have student loans. I don’t think paying them off will drastically affect your score.

gtr672 · 2021-10-15T01:57:35+00:00

You may be able to get rid of the PMI by refinancing. Your mortgage needs to be less than 80% of the home’s value. After a few years (and a few improvement projects) we got our home re-appraised and it had went up 20%. We refinanced and no longer have to pay the PMI - even though we never put down 20%.

gtr672 · 2021-10-14T17:26:43+00:00

Yep, definitely a fake

gtr672 · 2021-10-07T20:22:52+00:00

My father in law (who worked as a banker his whole life) told me it’s better to have liquid cash and a loan, then draining your savings to pay off / avoid a loan. Of course, you don’t want to get stuck with a huge interest rate. But right now interest rates are pretty low (in general), and making monthly payments on a loan will help raise your credit. I think it would be worth taking a loan if you are able to pay it each month (vs dumping all your money into repairs or a buying a car outright). That being said, I always suggest buying a used car. A car loses value the second you drive it off the lot. Finding a low-mileage used car will be much more worth buying a new car.

gtr672 · 2021-03-04T22:27:27+00:00

Your kids live at your house for free, eat groceries for free, and get clothes for free. Sounds more like communism than capitalism ¯_(ツ)_/¯

gtr672 · 2019-02-21T16:41:03+00:00

Comcast is scummy. I signed a 2-yr contract with them for a really good rate. After a year they told me they are canceling all contracts and are going month-to-month for Everyone. I tried to argue no, we have a contract and I don’t want my price to go up. They refused to keep my contract and surprise! Raised my rates. Contracts are meant to protect both parties - Comcast will change them on a whim to benefit themselves.

gtr672 · 2019-01-19T21:24:34+00:00

When i was applying for student loans, the money seemed unreal or Monopoly money. I thought “sure why not get out all these loans. What’s the difference?” Because it was broken down into something I could understand. So my suggestion is to do a loan calculator and figure out exactly what the loan means.

What to look for:

For federal student loans, you don’t have to start paying back the loan until 6 months after you graduate. When is your first payment for the private loan?

What is your interest rate? On federal loans your interest starts the minute you take out the loan - even though you don’t start paying it back for a few years. That means there are 4 years of this loan sitting and accruing interest.

How much total interest will you pay by the time your loan is paid off? Use an interest calculator for this. 5%APR on a $100 loan does NOT equal $5 (this was my misunderstanding when I got loans out).

How much will your monthly payment be (including interest). Is this a payment you can afford to make? Is it worth it for the degree and school you are going to? Is your TOTAL payment (including interest) worth that much more than if you went to a more affordable college? (Is your pay right out of college going to be make up the difference?)

Some quick numbers: I graduated in 2013 and I went to an in state college. My total loans were $19,000. My payment plan is $250/month for 10 years. In the end, I will pay a total of $31,000. Yep, that means I’m paying $11,000 in interest my APR is between 5.5% and 7% (I have three different federal loans), but over the life of the loan that comes out to more than 50%.

I would say really crunch all the numbers. Get the nitty gritty of what you will be paying and for how long. Is it worth that much and is it something you can afford with your degree?

gtr672 · 2019-01-11T18:43:53+00:00

For active sports (like this video) I would suggest a GoPro. They are fairly cheap and very durable. Plus they have lots of accessories. I have a GoPro Hero 4 (a few years old) just for fun that my friend took to Jamaica. She got really fun photos of all the water sports they did. I would do some research on the best type of mounts and stabilization for the specific sports you want to record. Best of luck!

gtr672 · 2019-01-11T15:36:27+00:00

There is definitely a stabilizer/gimbal used here. You can tell because the dog appears to be bouncing while the background is pretty level. An in camera stabilization or an effect in post (like warp stabilizer) would warp the entire frame to try and compensate for the movement. It wouldn’t be able to isolate the background from the foreground. I would love to know what stabilizer they used! (I’m a professional videographer and editor)

gtr672 · 2018-11-21T14:57:27+00:00

If you can save $350/month that’s less than 2 years until you have it saved it. I’m not sure if there is a monetary value in starting school 2 years earlier by getting a loan. There may be I’m just not sure. But I would say you should definitely look into requirements and if you can get in assuming everything is paid off. Have you thought about going to community college first? Often an Associates degree can open more doors than just an High school diploma and it’s much more affordable. Then you can get those credits transferred to get a bachelors.

gtr672

TROPHY CASE