I’ve noticed a curious thing when I work with clients who hold on to unread magazines and newspapers for months, sometimes years. These folks get very emotional when you try to convince them that they should let these old periodicals go. They panic at the thought of letting the stories leave their home unread. I call these people “information hoarders”. Once information comes through the front door, it can’t leave unless it has been read. It doesn’t matter how old…
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I consider myself pretty tech savvy for a Digital Immigrant (i.e., someone who grew up when the world was still primarily analog). However, I am not one to jump on the tech bandwagon every time the next big thing comes out. I prefer to wait until it has more stability and until I perceive a personal need for it. That’s why I did not immediately start using Evernote even though many of my organizing colleagues swore by it. When I first heard…
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Have you ever felt stressed because you knew you had bills due but weren’t sure where the bills were or if you had missed the deadline? Have you ever been charged a late fee? Have you ever spent hours on the phone trying to straighten out a bill payment that was never received? If these sound like common occurrences in your life, I have three words for you: automatic bill pay.
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Let’s assume that you dutifully filed your 2013 taxes in recent months. You’ve got to hold on to your supporting paperwork for three years, since that is how long the federal government has if they decide to audit you. (If that number surprises you, see my earlier post entitled “How Long Should I Keep My Personal Tax Records?”) Most states — including my state, New York — also only have three years to audit you. (You can check your state here.)…
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Now that April 15 is safely behind us, it’s time to start thinking about how to make tax time easier next year. I know you’d rather not think about taxes again for another 10 months, but taking a few small steps throughout the year will alleviate much of the pain. The key to simplifying tax time is to keep track of your tax-related income and expenses throughout the year. Throwing everything into a shoe box and then trying to make…
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