yesterday morning i walked out the door and there was snow on the ground. yes, this is still february but it's the portland metro area, it should only snow ONCE A YEAR! it has been such a crazy winter and i am so ready for spring. i've never had spring fever like this before. it's such a tease because the sun keep peeking out and some days are clear as can be (but cold). it hasn't rained much this year and so it's just been strange.
i am totally ready for spring. i want to go on bike rides, have picnics, take a hike, enjoy the sun, be outside and feel healthy/good. the winter has been long! winter is a good excuse to stay inside and do indoor things. i am a wimp and realize that i can do all those above things (except maybe picnics and sun) during the winter...i just don't want to. it is sunny today and may get warm but i am ready for some consistency. maybe the same weather for two days in a row...it may be a reach but hey, that's what i want!
i'm working on and finalizing my taxes right now. i've had them almost done for awhile, just been putting them off. had a big test (which i bonked on), clinicals, school and a bunch of other stuff (dodgeball) so i just didn't finish. i've been playing dodgeball a lot, 3 nights a week of team play, not just pickup. it's such a huge commitment and has become kind of a drag. once i am there it's fun and cool but some days it takes an hour to get there and an hour home so it gets to be long days. still, i enjoy hitting people with rubber balls.
i've been a little under the weather for the past couple weeks too so i think if it were sunny i would be feeling better. plus right now i am at the library sitting next to some smelly dude. i wanna hurl. so i think i'll end this here, now. please....sun....soon!
Showing posts with label taxes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taxes. Show all posts
27 February 2009
03 February 2009
#168 - taxes
yikes, it's tax time again. i look at my W-2s and see how much (or little) i made this year. i realize (cause i forget sometimes) that i live at a level just slightly higher than the US poverty line. in terms of money i do not make much, i only work part-time and i go to school. i work as much as i can, which is only about twice a week, but i am always busy. i feel extremely grateful that i have a job in this economy. everyday i hear about people who have lost their jobs or have less hours than expected. even at my job, we have less hours because our residents move out or die. if we don't get more coming in, less CNA's are needed to work. since i'm "on-call" then i get shafted first.
despite knowing how little i make and knowing that i am close to that line of poverty, i do not feel like it. i am able to eat healthily (a lot) and eat out (too much), i have a place to live that i love, i play dodgeball and do other fun things, and i am very comfortable. i buy mostly organic and local produce at a fancy local supermarket that i know is pricey. i am willing to pay more for that. i know the worth of my earnings because i have to watch it carefully. sometimes i do feel like i am walking the line.
all this is fine and good, i am ok. i also know that in about 5 months i will be done with school, taking my RN exam (and passing), and finding a job which i will most likely be making twice as much per hour and working 36+ hours. this is gonna make me so much more money i am not sure how i will handle it. i will probably eat out a little more but other than that i don't think my lifestyle will change, much. i might move out of the basement apartment that i like, just because i cannot have pets there. i want to eventually have a doggy.
i am a little concerned though for all my money that goes to social security and medicare taxes. by the time i am ready to collect on this, i am sure there will be no money for us. we are paying for the baby boomers! also all that federal income tax goes to the government and they decide what happens to it. supposedly we have a say, but it's pretty indirect. voting for your politician, writing to your senator or representative, etc, is how we decide. i guess i need to be more vocal to my representatives so that i can have my taxes be used how i want, or at least pretend my voice is being heard. the spending in this country is pretty horrendous, especially in the last 8 years. the economy is in the toilet right now and the gov't is bailing everyone out. where is that money coming from?! my social security, that's what! so i am a little worried...but i have hope! it's going to take a long time to put everything back together and get things going in the right direction. i don't mind paying taxes as long as it's going to good purposes, such as social programs and education, and not wars!
as for the government bailouts, all it teaches people (in my opinion) is that you can go into debt and be irresponsible with your spending and then get bailed out. that is not the case. we need financial responsibility. all these credit card companies have people by the balls, release yourselves! stay out of debt, i think that is one of the best things you can do for yourself, is to live within your means.
despite knowing how little i make and knowing that i am close to that line of poverty, i do not feel like it. i am able to eat healthily (a lot) and eat out (too much), i have a place to live that i love, i play dodgeball and do other fun things, and i am very comfortable. i buy mostly organic and local produce at a fancy local supermarket that i know is pricey. i am willing to pay more for that. i know the worth of my earnings because i have to watch it carefully. sometimes i do feel like i am walking the line.
all this is fine and good, i am ok. i also know that in about 5 months i will be done with school, taking my RN exam (and passing), and finding a job which i will most likely be making twice as much per hour and working 36+ hours. this is gonna make me so much more money i am not sure how i will handle it. i will probably eat out a little more but other than that i don't think my lifestyle will change, much. i might move out of the basement apartment that i like, just because i cannot have pets there. i want to eventually have a doggy.
i am a little concerned though for all my money that goes to social security and medicare taxes. by the time i am ready to collect on this, i am sure there will be no money for us. we are paying for the baby boomers! also all that federal income tax goes to the government and they decide what happens to it. supposedly we have a say, but it's pretty indirect. voting for your politician, writing to your senator or representative, etc, is how we decide. i guess i need to be more vocal to my representatives so that i can have my taxes be used how i want, or at least pretend my voice is being heard. the spending in this country is pretty horrendous, especially in the last 8 years. the economy is in the toilet right now and the gov't is bailing everyone out. where is that money coming from?! my social security, that's what! so i am a little worried...but i have hope! it's going to take a long time to put everything back together and get things going in the right direction. i don't mind paying taxes as long as it's going to good purposes, such as social programs and education, and not wars!
as for the government bailouts, all it teaches people (in my opinion) is that you can go into debt and be irresponsible with your spending and then get bailed out. that is not the case. we need financial responsibility. all these credit card companies have people by the balls, release yourselves! stay out of debt, i think that is one of the best things you can do for yourself, is to live within your means.
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