Category: Organize

Get a Head-Start on Tax Season

January 19, 2017MBEhleAdvice, Organize, Saving

While the deadline to file returns may be several months away, getting a head-start allows men and women the chance to organize their tax documents so they aren’t racing against a deadline come April. The following are a handful of ways to start preparing for your returns now.

The dawn of a new calendar year often marks the end of the sometimes hectic holiday season. This time of year marks a return to normalcy for many families, as the kids go back to school and parents return to work.

The beginning of January also serves as a great time to start preparing for tax season. While the deadline to file returns may be several months away, getting a head-start allows men and women the chance to organize their tax documents so they aren’t racing against a deadline come April.

Ways to Start Preparing for your Returns Now

Find last year’s return. You will need information from last year’s return in order to file this year, so find last year’s return and print it out if you plan to hire a professional to work on your return.

Gather dependents’ information. While you might know your own Social Security number by heart, if you have dependents, you’re going to need their information as well. New parents or adults who started serving as their elderly parents’ primary caretakers over the last year will need their kids’ and their folks’ social security numbers. If you do not have these numbers upon filing, your return will likely be delayed and you might even be denied potentially substantial tax credits.

Gather your year-end financial statements. If you spent the last year investing, then you will have to pay taxes on any interest earned. Interest earned on the majority of savings accounts is also taxable, so gather all of your year-end financial statements from your assorted accounts in one place. Doing so will make filing your return, whether you do it yourself or work with a professional, go more quickly.

Speak with your mortgage lender. Homeowners should receive forms documenting their mortgage interest payments for the last year, as the money paid in interest on your home or homes is tax deductible. If these forms are not received in a timely manner, speak with your lender. You might even be able to download them from your lender’s secure website.

Make a list of your charitable contributions. Charitable contributions, no matter how small, are tax deductible. While it’s easiest to maintain a list of all charitable donations you make as the year goes on, if you have not done that, then you can make one now. Look for receipts of all contributions, contacting any charities you donated to if you misplaced any receipts.

Book an appointment with your tax preparation specialist now. As April 15 draws closer, tax preparers’ schedules get busier and busier. The earlier you book your appointment, the more likely you are to get a favorable time for that meeting. In addition, if you have gathered all of the information you need by early February, then booking your appointment early means you can file earlier and receive any return you might be eligible for that much quicker.

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Financial Pointers for Expecting Parents

December 20, 2016MBEhleAdvice, DIY, Growing, Healthy, Organize, Saving

Couples expecting their first child often find that the months leading up to the birth of the baby are an exciting time filled with anticipation. But those months are also a time for expectant parents to make some important decisions regarding their finances.

Raising a child is an expensive endeavor, one that couples must start preparing for the moment they learn a baby is on the way, if not earlier. Expecting parents likely know their lives are about to change, and those changes must extend to their finances. The following are a few financial pointers for parents-to-be.

* Determine your necessary income. Many couples have hypothetical discussions regarding children and their finances, but until they receive the news that a baby is on the way, those conversations have a way of being put on the back burner. Now that a baby is on the way, couples need to revisit those discussions, and determining how much income they need is a great place to start. The dual-income household has become the norm in the 21st century, when the cost of living has skyrocketed. But couples must determine if it’s in the family’s best interest for both parents to keep working once their child is born. The cost of childcare is considerable, and it may be in a family’s best interest for just one parent to work until the child reaches school age. Consider your total income as well as your financial obligations (i.e., mortgage, car payments, etc.) and then shop around for the cost of childcare. If it makes more sense to become a single-income household, even if it’s just for a few years, then you will have another important decision to make.

* Determine who is staying home. Couples who have decided that it’s in their best interests to become a single-income household once their child is born must decide who will be staying home and who will continue working. It’s easy to say the parent who is earning the most should continue working, but that decision is not so black and white. Consider the cost of healthcare offered by each of your employers. Some healthcare plans are significantly more affordable than others, and this might weigh heavily on your decision, especially if both parents are earning relatively similar incomes. Another thing to consider is each of your opportunities for advancement at your current company and within your field. Earning potential should factor heavily into the decision as to which parent will continue working, especially if you plan to have another child down the road. The conversation as to who will continue working should be treated delicately.

* Discuss your housing needs. Couples who are expecting a child often feel this is a great time to abandon apartment living and buy a home of their own. But chances are you can comfortably manage to live in your apartment for a few more years after your child is born. Those extra years of apartment living can give you the chance to save more money so you can afford a nicer home in a better neighborhood that boasts better schools. Or apartment living for a few more years may give you more time to save and place a larger down payment on your home down the road. The larger the initial down payment, the lower your monthly mortgage payment, so it might be in your best interest to squirrel away a few more dollars before you go house hunting.

* Establish a financial safety net. Many financial advisors suggest both singles and couples have between three to six months’ income saved in case of emergency, such as a layoff or an accident that prevents you from working. This is especially important for expecting couples, who will soon have an additional mouth to feed. This safety net should be big enough so you can comfortably pay all of your bills, including those for housing, transportation and food, for three to six months. If saving that amount of money is not realistic, save as much as possible and continue to do so once your child is born.

* Purchase life insurance. Life insurance is perhaps the most important purchase expectant couples can make once they learn a baby is on the way. It’s understandable if young couples without children have no life insurance, but that child on the way will be relying on his or her parents for financial support for at least the next 18 years. Life insurance ensures you can provide that support even if something happens to both you and your spouse.

The months leading up to the birth of a child is an exciting time for the expecting parents, but it’s also a time to make some important financial decisions.

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How to Stretch Family Clothing Budgets

December 18, 2016MBEhleAdvice, Coupons, DIY, Organize, Saving

Becoming a parent is a life-changing experience unlike any other. As new parents soon find out, children are expensive, and moms and dads are often eager to find ways to save money without sacrificing the quality of care their kids receive.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the cost of nurturing a child to age 18, when adjusted for cost of living, has increased by $40,000 since 1960. While the cost of raising a child depends on a wide range of factors, including geography, being a parent in the 21st century requires a more significant financial commitment than it did in decades past.

Clothing is a considerable expense for growing families. Children grow out of clothes rather quickly, and parents often find themselves on the hunt for new clothing to accommodate their growing children. Parents can expect to spend in the range of $1,500 to $2,000 per year on children’s clothing, and a 2010 study from researchers at North Dakota State University found that the average American household spends about 3.8 percent of their income on clothing. Cutting clothing costs can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. The following are a few ways to curb spending.

* Shop end of season. Take advantage of end-of-season clothing close-outs to replenish wardrobes. Think ahead to what sizes children will be wearing next year and purchase accordingly. Some stores offer discounts that can be as high as 80 percent off the original price in an effort to clear out last year’s inventory and make room for new arrivals. Use an empty closet or set up storage containers marked with clothing sizes to keep clothing organized. When the kids grow into a new size, you will already have a closet full of new clothes ready to go.

* Consider consignment stores. Shopping at consignment and thrift stores can be a great way to supplement a child’s wardrobe without breaking the bank. Consignment shops and donation centers often have extensive inventories, and many items found in such stores are in excellent condition. It’s not uncommon to find popular brand name merchandise and some designer or couture finds at consignment shops. When shopping at donation stores, shoppers are not only finding affordable clothing, but also are helping to give back to the community through their purchases.

* Organize a clothing swap. Organizing a clothing swap can be a great way to save money and make friends by getting to know other parents. Chances are there are many other parents looking for ways to cut expenses. Children who grow out of clothing can pass down these items to other people. A clothing exchange is a way to socialize, recycle and save money in the process.

* Sign up for customer loyalty programs. In a typical loyalty program, a stores offers discounts to loyal customers. These discounts may include percentages off of everyday purchases or special “private” sale days that aren’t available to the general public. Shoppers also can speak to store employees to find out when retailers traditionally mark down clothing or offer specialized promotions. Establishing a good rapport with store employees can be a great way to learn about upcoming sales before your fellow customers.

Clothing expenses for children continue to rise. But cost-conscious parents can corral their clothing expenses in various ways.

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The Benefits to Buying Local this Holiday Season

November 29, 2016MBEhleAdvice, Organize, Saving, Seasonal

Holiday shopping dominates many people’s free time between the day after Thanksgiving and the final days before Christmas. While many people may shop ’til they drop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, those days still account for a relatively small amount of the hundreds of billions of dollars that are spent each holiday season.

Shoppers now have a bevy of options at their disposal as they embark on holiday shopping season. Traditional in-store retailers are still around, and online shopping continues to grow in popularity with each holiday season. But many holiday shoppers are looking to buy local this holiday season, and such a decision can pay a host of dividends for both shoppers and the communities they call home.

· Buying local benefits your local economy. Studies from Civic Economics, an economics and strategics planning firm, found that independent, locally-owned retailers return a far greater percentage of their revenue into their local economies than national chain stores. One such study examined the disparity between revenue recirculation among independent, locally-owned businesses in Raleigh, North Carolina, versus four major national chains in the city. The former recirculated 51.1 percent of revenue into the local economy, while the latter recirculated less than 14 percent. Similar results were discovered in many cities, indicating that buying local not only benefits local business owners, but also the communities those owners and their customers call home.

· Buying local creates jobs in your community. One of the biggest ways local business owners in Raleigh recirculated their revenue in the local economy was job creation. While national chains also create jobs, such jobs only benefit your community if the chains are located within your community. If your local mall is a considerable drive away, chances are the chains within that mall are not employing many of your fellow community members. Local businesses in your community are more likely to employ residents of your town.

· Shopping local may provide access to more unique gifts. In addition to the economic benefits of buying local, shoppers may find merchandise made by local craftsmen is more unique than mass-produced items found on the shelves of national retailers. Recipients may cherish more unique items that they cannot find on their own, and that appreciation may even spur them to visit more local retailers after the holiday season has come and gone, benefiting their own communities in so doing.

· Local business may provide a more personal touch. Buying from national chains has its advantages, but customer service is not always one of them. Should your loved ones encounter problems with their gift that requires assistance, they might be forced to wait on the phone for extended periods of time as they and thousands of others wait for customer service representatives to answer their calls. Local businesses do not deal with nearly the volume of customers as national retailers and, therefore, are capable of addressing concerns more quickly and personally than large chains.

Buying local not only benefits small business owners, but it also pays dividends for their customers and the communities they call home. GG159480

How to Manage Credit this Holiday Season

November 27, 2016MBEhleAdvice, Home Improvement, Organize

Holiday shopping takes up a considerable amount of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Shoppers who scour in-store and online retailers in the hunt for the perfect gift annually spend hundreds of billions of dollars during such pursuits, and what they swipe when making purchases could go a long way toward how their new years begin.

Overreliance on credit cards to make holiday purchases can prove crippling once the calendar turns to January. According to an analysis of statistics from the Federal Reserve, the average household consumer debt in the United States was more than $15,700 as of June of 2015. That’s roughly one-tenth the average mortgage debt, suggesting that many consumers are relying too heavily on credit cards when making their purchases.

This holiday season, consumers concerned about swiping their credit cards too often can take the following steps to more effectively manage their credit.

· Know what you can afford. Swiping now and dealing with the consequences in January is a recipe for a rocky new year. In some cases, it can benefit consumers to make purchases with their credit cards as opposed to their debit cards. For instance, when making purchases online, it’s often safer to use a credit card rather than a debit card linked to your checking and savings accounts, as using the latter can make your life’s savings vulnerable to hackers. But don’t start swiping your credit cards until you know what you can afford. Examine your finances and only use your credit card if you know you can repay the balance before it incurs any interest. If you can’t pay the balance in full at the time the payment is due, use a debit card so you are only spending money you already have and not taking out what amounts to a high-interest loan on your holiday purchases.

· Resist retailer cards. When making in-store purchases, chances are the cashier will invite you to sign up for a retailer credit card, even offering an immediate discount if you do so at the registers. While this discount may seem too tempting to ignore, keep in mind that many retailer credit cards come with considerably higher interest fees on balances that are not paid off in full. So that discount at the register may end up costing you more money if you get to January and can’t pay the balance in its entirety.

· Try not to juggle cards. Many shoppers juggle multiple cards to avoid building up too big a balance on one particular card during the holiday season. But that’s an easy way to lose track of how much you have spent. Rather than juggling cards, use only the one with the lowest interest rate.

· Monitor your balances. Swiping a credit card is easy and hassle-free, and many retailers both big and small now accept various types of cards. Keep a close eye on your balances, checking them online after each shopping trip. This can help you control your spending and also can alert you to any fraudulent activity.

Shoppers who must use their credit cards this holiday season can employ several strategies to ensure they don’t dig themselves into a financial hole by the end of December. GG159504

How Families Can Cut Screen Time

November 10, 2016MBEhleAdvice, Healthy, Organize, School

No matter where you look, screens are everywhere. The proliferation of easily portable tablets and smartphones means many people, adults and children alike, are never too far from the nearest screen. While that accessibility has dramatically changed the way many people live their lives, excessive exposure to screen time can produce a host of unwanted side effects.

Steven Gortmaker, a professor of the practice of health sociology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has studied the negative effects of excessive screen time on children since the 1980s. According to Gortmaker, such effects include higher rates of obesity among kids who watch too much television and difficulty sleeping among youngsters with access to small screens, such as the screens of smartphones. In addition, a 2012 study published in the journal Psychiatry Research linked screen time with impaired cognitive function in young males.

But adults are not immune to the effects of excessive screen time, either. Spending significant time being sedentary and staring at screens can increase adults’ risk for cardiovascular disease. An Australian study published in the December 2012 issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that, compared with persons who watch no television, those who spend a lifetime average of six hours per day watching television can expect to live 4.8 fewer years.

So what can families do to cut back on their screen time? While it likely won’t be easy to put down smartphones and tablets and turn off laptops and televisions, the following are a handful of ways for families to spend less time staring at screens.

· Remove televisions from bedrooms. Parents may find it impossible to gauge, much less control, how much time their kids spend watching television when youngsters have TV’s in their bedrooms. Though this will likely be met with considerable resistance, remove televisions from bedrooms in your home. Set a positive example for kids by removing your own bedroom television as well. Come kids’ bedtimes, make sure all devices, including smartphones and tablets, are left in common areas of the home rather than bedrooms so kids are not tempted to watch videos instead of falling asleep.

· Institute a “no screens” rule during meals. Many parents grew up in households that did not allow televisions to be on during meals, and while the times might have changed with respect to the technology, similar rules can still prevail today. A “no screens” rule during meals gives parents and their kids time to catch up, bond and foster stronger relationships.

· Do not use the television for background noise. Turn the television off when it’s serving as just background noise. If you need background noise, turn on some music instead.

· Log screen time. Logging screen time for each member of the family can provide an estimate of just how much time the whole family spends staring at screens. Encourage each member of the family to spend as much time being physically active as he or she spends staring at screens. Set goals for each member of the family to reduce their screen time, even rewarding those who reach their goals.

Reducing screen time can improve overall health and help family members reconnect with one another. FP165050

Planning for a Fun, Successful Celebration

August 14, 2016MBEhleAdvice, DIY, Organize, Projects

Celebrations are a large part of people’s lives. Many people commemorate key moments – from birthdays to anniversaries to graduations – with parties. While celebrations may seem like a fine idea, there’s no denying that throwing a party where everyone has fun requires a lot of work.

When planning a party, hosts must consider a number of factors, including their budgets. While guests are a key ingredient to fun, successful parties, hosts can take the following steps to further increase their chances of throwing a bash to remember.

· Start planning early. A party-planning checklist can help hosts stay organized and ensure that even the smallest detail isn’t forgotten. Writing ideas down on paper and having a tangible checklist can make it much easier to organize a party.

· Pick a theme for cohesion. Party themes need not include something over the top, such as costumes. The right theme can be as simple as choosing a color scheme or uniting element that connects all of the components of the party. Once you have a theme in mind, you can start compiling all of the details and supplies, which can make shopping easier and more efficient.

· Create a festive atmosphere. Think about the ways you can enliven the atmosphere to make it more inviting for guests. Appeal to guests’ senses by employing lighting, sound and scents. One easy way to set the tone for the party is to have a well-thought-out playlist that’s timed to coordinate with the elements of your party. Keep music low at the start of the party and during the meal to facilitate conversation. As the party progresses, increase the volume of the music and select music with an upbeat tempo.

· Create a guest book. Give guests the opportunity to share their sentiments no matter the event. Place a guest book where guests can easily see it, and encourage them to jot down a few words for the guest(s) of honor. This can serve as a nice memento in the years to come.

· Offer a self-serve bar. A self-serve bar cuts down on the work hosts must do. Be sure to keep an eye on guests’ alcohol consumption, and have a plan in place to help guests who might overindulge. Keep the contact information for local taxi companies handy just in case a guest needs a ride home.

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7 Ways to Make Mornings Less Hectic

July 1, 2016MBEhleAdvice, Cleaning, Cookout, Home Improvement, Organize, Projects

Many families find the rush is on to make it to school and work on time each morning. Feeling rushed in the morning is a recipe for added stress. Rushing through things is a poor way to begin a day, and those feelings of uneasiness can put a damper on the rest of the day ahead.

Making mornings less hectic involves a few different strategies that parents and kids can easily incorporate into their daily routines.

· Wake up slightly earlier. Getting up earlier than normal, even if it’s just 15 to 20 minutes before you’re accustomed to getting out of bed, can help reduce morning stress. Resist the temptation to hit the snooze button over and over again. A few extra minutes each morning can make you feel more relaxed and make for a smooth, stress-free start to the day.

· Get some work done the night before. Prepare lunches the night before and have them ready in the refrigerator. In addition, lay your clothes for the following day out each night. This saves time and takes a couple more things off your morning to-do list.

· Ease back into a routine. As a new school year dawns or a long vacation comes to an end, begin going to bed earlier and start waking up earlier as well. This can make the transition from carefree mornings to busy mornings go more smoothly.

· Prep backpacks in the evening. Look through folders, sign paperwork, check assignments, and do whatever is you need to do the night before to save your family from having to scramble in the morning. This ensures those permission slips get signed and items make it back into school bags.

· Opt for school lunch a few times. Look ahead on the school lunch menu and speak with children about which meals they enjoy. Let kids purchase school lunch on those days to give yourself a day off from lunch detail.

· Have quick breakfast foods available. Smoothies, cereal bars, oatmeal, and whole-grain cereals are fast and nutritious ways to start the day.

· Carpool whenever possible. Busy families can save themselves extra work by proposing a neighborhood carpool. Sharing school dropoff detail frees time up for parents once or twice a week, and kids may enjoy traveling to school with their friends.

Mornings can be tricky when family members are getting ready for school and work at the same time. By practicing a few daily rituals, it’s possible to curb the rush and start the day happier and more relaxed.

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Travel Can Be Fun & Eco-Friendly, Too

June 5, 2016MBEhleAdvice, Healthy, Organize, Projects

Many people go to great lengths to adhere to eco-friendly lifestyles at home. That devotion to the environment may or may not continue when those same people travel, but it is entirely possible for travelers to take their eco-conscious behaviors with them on the road.

Whether traveling for personal or professional reasons, travelers can implement a handful of simple strategies to reduce their carbon footprints while away from home.

· Rent a hybrid or eco-friendly vehicle. If you will be renting a car during your trip, book a hybrid vehicle or a small, fuel-efficient model to cut back on fuel consumption. Many vehicles are now equipped with “eco mode,” a feature that typically forces the transmission to upshift sooner than it normally would in an effort to conserve fuel. Cars in eco mode may seem somewhat sluggish, but that sluggishness is actually the eco mode doing its job. It might take some getting used to, but driving in eco mode can help travelers reduce their vehicles’ fuel consumption.

· Reuse towels at the hotel. Many hotels now ask guests to reuse towels in order to conserve water. Guests who want to make their hotel stays as eco-friendly as possible should work with hotels and reuse their towels for as long as possible. If visiting a resort, try to use the same pool or beach towel for as long as possible as well.

· Patronize restaurants that offer locally grown foods. Another way to be eco-friendly when traveling is to eat your meals at restaurants that use only locally grown foods and ingredients. Eating local reduces the need to transport foods across long distances, cutting back on fuel costs as a result. In addition, proponents of eating local foods insist that locally grown foods taste fresher than foods brought in from afar.

· Use mass transportation. When possible, use mass transportation rather than relying on taxis or car services. Take a bus or train from the airport to your hotel, and ride the subway or just walk when sightseeing. Many travelers insist that riding mass transportation when visiting a city provides a much more realistic experience of life in that city than traveling by cab or driving alone.

Travelers need not leave their eco-friendly sensibilities at home when traveling.

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Find the Right Father’s Day Gift

May 29, 2016MBEhleAdvice, DIY, Organize, Seasonal, Shopping

Father’s Day is an annual celebration of fathers and the contributions they make to their families. Dads get their due on Father’s Day, when sons, daughters and wives typically give dad a few gifts to show their appreciation for all he has done for them and how much he means to them.

Finding the right Father’s Day gift is not always so easy. No two fathers are the same, so while a silk necktie might bring a smile to one father’s face, such a gift may fall flat with other dads. By asking themselves a few questions in the weeks before their dads’ big day, Father’s Day shoppers can narrow down their options and find gifts that Dad will appreciate.

What are Dad’s hobbies?

Even if your father or husband loves what he does for a living, a gift that indulges one of his favorite hobbies may be just the thing to make this Father’s Day extra special. Outdoorsmen may prefer some new camping or fishing gear, while fathers who have an artistic side may prefer some new paint brushes and canvasses. If Dad’s a car guy, book a day at a nearby racetrack where he can race around the track and embrace his inner race car driver.

What does Dad need?

Sometimes the best gifts are what a recipient needs as opposed to what he wants. If you no longer live at home, ask your mother if there’s anything your father needs that would make his life easier or more enjoyable. If you live at home, pay close attention to your father to see if there’s anything that could lighten his load. For example, if Dad loves spending time in the garden, take a sneak peek at his gardening tools and replace any that have grown dull or rusty.

What does Dad want?

For the Dad who doesn’t seem to need anything, consider something he may want that he’s never had before. If Dad loves to cook but has never had formal training, enroll him in a cooking class. If Dad loves a local sports team but hasn’t been to a game in years, purchase tickets to a game and go with him to make the day even more special.

Is Dad a techie?

Dads with a love for technology are living in the golden age of gadgets. Father’s Day shoppers looking to satisfy their fathers’ love of technology have a host of possibilities at their disposal. Even if Dad is an early adopter who tends to get all the latest gadgets before anyone else, the tech industry evolves so rapidly that you’re bound to find something new on Dad’s wish list that he hasn’t purchased yet.

Finding the right Father’s Day gift can be challenging. But shoppers who stop to think about their father and what makes the family patriarch happy can unearth a host of gift ideas that Dad is sure to love.

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Ways to Start Preparing for your Returns Now

Couples expecting their first child often find that the months leading up to the birth of the baby are an exciting time filled with anticipation. But those months are also a time for expectant parents to make some important decisions regarding their finances.

Becoming a parent is a life-changing experience unlike any other. As new parents soon find out, children are expensive, and moms and dads are often eager to find ways to save money without sacrificing the quality of care their kids receive.

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