Author Topic: Excuses... (Read 1858 times)

Monkeyleg · « **on:** March 24, 2007, 10:22:13 PM »

Tomorrow there will be a surprise 70th birthday party for my MIL at a nice restaurant.

All along, I've said I would be there. I told my wife I'd be there. I told my SIL I would be there.

Well, less than two weeks ago I got hit with $4500 more in corporate taxes than I expected.

Since then, we've put all spending on hold, other than necessities such as cigarettes and groceries.

Even then, it's going to be tough for the next couple of months, as our dear Governor will be demanding his retribution for property taxes on 4/30, the county their fair share on 4/30 as well, and other agents of government their own before then.

IOW, my butt is bleeding, and these SOB's haven't even come to my door. Yet.

Anyway, would it be a real faux paus for me to suddenly come down with some horrible flu tomorrow? Say, a flu that saves me about $30 to $40?

My wife already has suggested that I use any excuse to bow out of tomorrow's dinner, so as to save us $$$. She also mentioned--I think deliberately--that I would be seated with anti-gun liberals.

Laurent du Var · « **Reply #1 on:** March 25, 2007, 12:00:18 AM »

One should not lie !
Go there open-carry, be obnoxious, smoke in the restaurant
and fake sickness before the check comes. grin

Seriously if my wife allowed me to weasel out I'd gladly do
it, not only for the money but especially to avoid bad company,
life is too short to share meals with people you don't like.

The Rabbi · « **Reply #2 on:** March 25, 2007, 04:44:58 AM »

With your own wife pressing you to do it I'd go for it. You could have one of those sudden mysterious illnesses people in books always have, like mal du argent or vapors.

K Frame · « **Reply #3 on:** March 25, 2007, 04:52:16 AM »

"other than necessities such as cigarettes..."

Uhm... yeah.

Art Eatman · « **Reply #4 on:** March 25, 2007, 05:07:11 AM »

I dunno. $40 isn't noticeable in $4,800. I guess I'd suck it up and go. But, I always got along great with my MIL; liked the old gal a lot.

Off the cuff, I'd go to my banker for the $,4800 and then seriously modify my spending habits so that I wouldn't have the problem next year.

A fella's supposed to have a cash-stash of six months' worth of house or rent payments on hand, anyway. Plus other savings, and/or profitably marketable "stuff".

Art

Sergeant Bob · « **Reply #5 on:** March 25, 2007, 06:37:34 AM »

Quote from: Mike Irwin on March 25, 2007, 03:52:16 AM

"other than necessities such as cigarettes..."

Uhm... yeah.

Zactly!

Quote from: Art Eatman on March 25, 2007, 04:07:11 AM

I dunno. $40 isn't noticeable in $4,800. I guess I'd suck it up and go. But, I always got along great with my MIL; liked the old gal a lot.

Art

Art's right. $40 isn't going to make any difference one way or the other.
Maybe just lay off the smokes for a week or so and you can save up that $40 easily.

Unless the case is, you just don't want to go to your MIL's 70th. Maybe this could be her last. You never know

If you really set on not going, just tell them you have to change the air in your tires or something equally important.

Monkeyleg · « **Reply #6 on:** March 25, 2007, 12:12:52 PM »

I decided not to go, and not just for monetary reasons.

My two brothers-in-law really get on my nerves. My sister-in-law, who was down to earth before her husband started making a lot of money, now has an attitude. And the other people that will be there will be people I either don't know or don't like.

I visit with my mother-in-law at her home fairly often. At least I can talk to her there, as opposed to being at this party.

As for the $4500 tax surprise, that was the result of miscommunication between my accountant and me. Won't happen again, I can assure you.

Headless Thompson Gunner · « **Reply #7 on:** March 25, 2007, 12:13:33 PM »

A penny saved is a penny earned. $40 saved is 4,000 pennies earned, and 4,000 of anything is a lot. Or something like that. Tongue

Skip the dinner, save the money. $40 may not be a lot compared to the amount you owe, but it's still $40. Every little bit you can save will bring you closer to the end of your financial woes. $40 here, $30 there, $50 next week, and pretty soon you're talking real money.

It's an attitude thing as much as anything else. Are you putting a hold on all non-necessary spending, or aren't you? Is it a priority for you to get out from under your money crunch, or isn't it?

EDIT: Good choice. You saved yourself the aggravation of obnoxious family AND saved some cash. It doesn't get much better than that. grin

grislyatoms · « **Reply #8 on:** March 25, 2007, 12:19:26 PM »

Monkeyleg,

I feel your pain. I have to pay the IRS $3800. Ouch. I sent them $1900 and I am going to pay the rest off monthly. Took a chunk out of my house down payment fund. Then, yesterday, $60 for cab fare, $200 for car rental today and $800(so far) for car repairs.

I want my blankie. And some hot cocoa with a splash of Jameson's. It's going to be ramen noodles and canned tuna for awhile. Glad to hear you're gonna save a bit.

Monkeyleg · « **Reply #9 on:** March 25, 2007, 12:55:23 PM »

Grislyatoms: ouch!

At least we were able to pull $4500 out of savings to pay the IRS. But I don't want to touch my savings again.

The first four months of the year are the toughest for us, because we have property taxes, corporate taxes, sometimes individual taxes, home and car insurance, motorcycle insurance, and other one-time bills to pay.

Add to that the fact that I just lost a search engine optimization client, and April will be a tight month. But we'll make it.

We live very frugally. Pretty much the only non-essential items we spend money on are cigarettes. And, as most smokers will attest, cigarettes are essential.

Art Eatman · « **Reply #10 on:** March 25, 2007, 01:43:18 PM »

Well, the deal with the other in-laws sure makes it okay. The deal is to make MIL happy, but it sure isn't supposed to make you miserable...You can always drop by and see MIL the next day...

Art

Gewehr98 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 25, 2007, 03:53:21 PM »

Quote

And, as most smokers will attest, cigarettes are essential.

True. I tell my pack-a-day stepsons that if they quit, they'd have enough for a car payment each month, especially since cigarette prices jumped even higher recently, and Wisconsin is pushing their cigarette tax increase to $1.25/pack.

I had a buddy in the Air Force who quit, and it covered a new Ford Ranger monthly payment schedule for him.

He was crabby as hell for the first few months, though. There's gotta be a dollar figure for enduring that.

Sindawe · « **Reply #12 on:** March 25, 2007, 04:04:20 PM »

Quote

It's going to be ramen noodles and canned tuna for awhile.

Don't forget the fresh veggies and fruit with that. Chop up some carrots, some celery, tomatoes and radishes, toss it in the Ramen and you've got great soup. Lived for years on that when just starting out.

Tuna and a bit of salid dressing makes a great sandwich spread.

K Frame · « **Reply #13 on:** March 25, 2007, 05:33:34 PM »

"And, as most smokers will attest, cigarettes are essential."

I'm a smoker, and even I don't buy that.

Monkeyleg · « **Reply #14 on:** March 25, 2007, 05:39:29 PM »

OK, Mike. Let me correct my statement.

Cigarettes are an essential for me.

Got a light? Wink

RevDisk · « **Reply #15 on:** March 25, 2007, 06:01:45 PM »

Quote from: Monkeyleg on March 25, 2007, 04:39:29 PM

OK, Mike. Let me correct my statement.

Cigarettes are an essential for me.

Got a light? Wink

Quitting during stressful times is usually unpleasant at best, a bad idea at worst. Financially, sink $20 or $30 into a quality cigarette roller-cranker thingie, buy tubes and bulk tobacco. Very cheap. Pack of smokes will run ya maybe 50 cents if you go with quality tubes and tobacco. With a good machine, you can crank out 20 cigarettes in a minute or two. I found it best to make a week's worth of smokes at a time, toss the rest in the fridge to keep fresh.

Been in bad financial situations myself.

K Frame · « **Reply #16 on:** March 25, 2007, 06:12:06 PM »

Quote from: Monkeyleg on March 25, 2007, 04:39:29 PM

OK, Mike. Let me correct my statement.

Cigarettes are an essential for me.

Got a light? Wink

Yeah, but it will cost you 40 bucks... cheesy

grampster · « **Reply #17 on:** March 25, 2007, 06:23:36 PM »

Got you beat, Dick. I sent a check off to IRS a couple weeks ago for $5160.00.

Fortunately, I get to breast feed off'n SS on Wednesday and the pension check comes in Friday. Did I mention I'm a Democrat now? Keep yer filthy hands off my SS. I want it in a lock box, my lock box.

I'll send you $40.00 for ah, umm, er, maybe 12% per day shall we say? angel

Monkeyleg · « **Reply #18 on:** March 25, 2007, 06:31:17 PM »

RevDisk, I haven't rolled my own since I was in college. I guess the technology has advanced since then, as it took me near an hour to roll 20 cigs.

One of our members here--Strings--rolls his own one at a time. Of course, I can smoke three cigarettes in the time that it takes him to roll one by hand.

Reading that last sentence makes me realize that I am one sick person. Wink

Grampster: $5160? I'm surprised the IRS hasn't required you to file quarterly estimates.

As I've mentioned in other threads, the worst IRS surprise I had was when my former accountant handed me my tax papers for the first year I was incorporated. I looked at the amount due for my personal income tax return and saw a number that was somewhere around $32,000.

I thought maybe it was a typo. But, nope, this dolt wasn't paying attention, and obviously didn't give a rat's *ss about me.

It was pretty hard to come up with $30K+ in a couple of weeks.

RevDisk · « **Reply #19 on:** March 25, 2007, 06:42:06 PM »

Quote from: Monkeyleg on March 25, 2007, 05:31:17 PM

RevDisk, I haven't rolled my own since I was in college. I guess the technology has advanced since then, as it took me near an hour to roll 20 cigs.

One of our members here--Strings--rolls his own one at a time. Of course, I can smoke three cigarettes in the time that it takes him to roll one by hand.

Reading that last sentence makes me realize that I am one sick person. Wink

I have a Premier Supermatic somewhere. You put a tube on one end, fill a tray with tobacco, and then pull a lever to load the tobacco into the tube. Couple seconds. I used to experiment with different tobacco blends. Pipe tobacco mixed with regular cigarette tobacco gives you many different options.

Quote

As I've mentioned in other threads, the worst IRS surprise I had was when my former accountant handed me my tax papers for the first year I was incorporated. I looked at the amount due for my personal income tax return and saw a number that was somewhere around $32,000.

I thought maybe it was a typo. But, nope, this dolt wasn't paying attention, and obviously didn't give a rat's *ss about me.

It was pretty hard to come up with $30K+ in a couple of weeks.

Uhm, ouch? I assume former, as in, the poor gentleman had an unfortunate accident?

HankB · « **Reply #20 on:** March 27, 2007, 03:58:49 AM »

Quote

. . . necessities such as cigarettes . . .

When you're seriously strapped for cash, these are just as necessary as cable TV, restaurant meals, a cleaning lady, lawn service, commercial car washes, and movie rentals from Blockbuster.

Strings · « **Reply #21 on:** March 27, 2007, 08:34:25 AM »

What Dick fails to realize is that, given it takes me SOOOO long to roll a smoke, I also smoke a lot less...

Times are fairly stressful for me right now: dad's sick, April is hell-month for our BACA Chapter, I'm still looking for a new job... and I spend a total of MAYBE $20 a month on smokes. What'd you spend last month, Dick? Wink

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #22 on:** March 27, 2007, 09:02:30 AM »

My accountant has me on the 25% rule....right off the top 25% goes into a savings account to pay taxes. After deductions I bet I've got a few grand leftover.....

Monkeyleg · « **Reply #23 on:** March 27, 2007, 05:54:31 PM »

Strings: "What'd you spend last month, Dick?"

Probably less than you did on tattoos and leather skirts. Wink

This is a particularly stressful time, even moreso than in past years. It isn't just taxes or bills. It's everything at once, from concerns over my parents' (they're 90 now), to really getting heated up over the way my SIL is treating my wife, to political issues affecting CCW in WI, to so-called business associates selling me out, to any number of other things. There's just too much to list, and really, too much to bore people with.

Yes, I know I mentioned in a thread months ago that my wife and I were going to try to stop smoking.

Right now, though, I'm just trying to restrain myself from doing some bodily harm to people who have it coming.

News:

Author Topic: Excuses... (Read 1858 times)

Strings