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Tuesday’s Tip: Break the Bad

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Everywhere I go, I hear new year’s resolutions being flung around as freely as candy from a parade float. People are vowing to make changes to better themselves, their lives, their communities, and even the world. However, the most common goal, by far, was to lead a healthier lifestyle, which encompasses a multitude of different options ranging from losing weight to exercising more to breaking bad habits. And that got me thinking . . .

Breaking a bad habit is tough to do. I know, first hand, how hard it is, but I also know how wonderful it feels to be successful – in more ways than one. I confess that I used to smoke. (There it is, folks.) I tried to quit several times, but always seemed to give in eventually. I was smoke-free for quite a long time before having kids and during my pregnancy, then started again when they were about 6 or 7 months old. It was easy to blame it on stress, of course. Then, when they were almost 2, I finally managed to quit altogether and have been rid of the habit for over ten years. Don’t get me wrong, there are days I seriously wonder why the heck I ever quit! Then I think about all the progress I’ve made as a runner, how much I love it, and how smoking would completely ruin it, and I decide it’s not worth it. So, you could say that I’m enjoying the health benefits of being a non-smoker.

Just recently, I noticed a sign at the corner gas station advertising a sale on cigarettes: $6.85 per pack. Wow! I couldn’t believe it. That’s a lot more than I used to spend over a decade ago. And that got me thinking about the cost of being a smoker now. What would I be paying if I were still smoking? When I got home, I grabbed a calculator and did a little experiment to find out the financial benefit of not smoking. I know the cost per pack varies depending on location, but I live in the Chicago suburbs, so I’m going to use the average for this area, which is about $7.50. Ok. Let’s see. I used to smoke about 10 cigarettes per day. That means it would cost me $3.75 per day . . . times 365 days . . . that comes to $1,368.75 per year. If I smoked a pack a day, then the cost rises to $2,737.50 per year. Really? I was amazed at the numbers starting at me from the calculator. I instantly thought of a few things I could do with an extra $2,700 per year. Then, just for kicks, I multiplied that number by 5 . . . $13,687.50 saved in 5 years. Holy cow! Then I took one step closer to ridiculous and calculated the savings for 10 years. I nearly fell off my chair! $27,375. Amazing! Do you know how much house you could pay off with that money? Or you could buy a nice little car! You could save it for a rainy day . . . or college . . . grad school . . . vacations . . . retirement . . . The list goes on and on.

And what about other costly habits? I could think of a couple. How much could people be saving by kicking those bad boys to the curb? They don’t even necessarily need to be bad for you, like smoking was, for me. What about that iced coffee on the way to work everyday? Or eating out for lunch everyday? Or even twice a week? How about takeout dinners? Shopping every weekend? Blah, ba-blah, ba-blah . . . Please understand that I’m not suggesting we all become hermits, eat ramen and rice for the rest of our lives, deprive ourselves of things we need, and never do anything fun – we gotta live, right?! The trick is to be sensible about it.

Moral of the story: breaking a bad habit, or any habit that drains your pocketbook, could potentially save you more money than you think. Don’t believe me? Pick a habit . . . do the math. See what happens. The truth lies in the numbers. Cutting out a habit, or at least scaling way back, could mean some serious extra cash in our pockets. I don’t know about you, but I like that!

Tuesday’s Tip: D.Y.O.T.

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Tax season is in full swing again, which means it’s time to sort through all of your finances and hope Uncle Sam will be sending you some money for a change. So, today’s tip is to save some cash and Do Your Own Taxes.

If you’ve got tons of money, holdings, businesses, properties, etc., or some complex issues, then hiring an accountant is probably a good idea. But chances are that you’re a lot like me – just trying to get along in this world – which is why we have a Roadmap in place, right? Our finances are fairly simple, and we don’t have money to throw at a personal accountant or even a tax service. Doing your own taxes doesn’t have to be a nightmare though. Here are a few things to help you this year . . .

First, find a file folder and label it with the tax year. This folder is now designated solely for the purpose of holding all of your tax documents. Some typical forms are W-2 wage summaries, 1099 DIV/INT/MISC/G forms, 1098 mortgage interest statements, 1098 E student loan interest statements, 5498 IRA contribution forms, plus any and all paper statements you receive that reflect charitable donations and educational tuition and fees. Anything related to your taxes should go in this folder, including year-end summaries and bank statements, etc.

Next, buy a computer software tax program that you can complete in the comfort of your own home. We use one that walks us through the entire process, tells us which boxes to look at, which numbers to enter, what counts, what doesn’t, and then runs a check at the end to make sure there are no discrepancies. If it detects problems, the program takes us directly to them, highlights them, and helps us correct them. It continues to check for issues and works until they’re all solved. With these programs, you can also file electronically, arrange for a direct deposit of any refunds, and pay securely if you owe money. Plus, when you load the software the following year, it transfers all of your basic, and past tax-year, information so you don’t have to enter everything again and again.

Finally, keep your tax folders for several years. 7 is supposedly the magic number, but you can keep them up to 10 if you wish. If there are ever any questions, your information, forms, and returns are at your fingertips – all together, in one place.

So, if you haven’t picked up a copy yet, I suggest you do – just shop around. Lots of stores offer deals or coupons for tax programs. Once you have it, upload it to your computer and have at it . . . the deadline is just a couple short months away. Good luck!

Tuesday’s Tip: Love is Free

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I’m normally not one to openly broadcast the events in my life, but I feel compelled to bend that rule a bit today. I hope you’ll understand . . .

On Sunday October 28, my mom was rushed into emergency surgery to repair a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurism. She surprised everyone by surviving the ordeal and a second surgery the next day to remove a blood clot in her leg. She fought valiantly for a week and a half, but infection and other complications finally proved to be too much for her and she passed away on Wednesday November 7. And just a few days later I had to say goodbye to the most incredible woman I’ve ever known.

When I think of her, I think of all the things that made her who she was. She was patient (tolerant!), kind, and generous beyond belief. She had a wicked sense of humor, an infectious smile that bordered on impish, and a passion for life. She was down-to-earth and had an amazing ability to make everyone around her feel special. She was a dedicated wife to my dad (they were joined at the hip for all of their 54 years together) and she was, of course, a very loving mom to my sister, brother, and me as well as a wonderful grandmother to all eight who called her “Nana”.

I know she loved us not because she told us all the time; I know it because she showed us.

Her love was in all the meals she made from scratch, from spaghetti sauce and cranberries to cinnamon rolls and Julekage. It was in the handmade Halloween costumes, cross stitched gifts for just about every occasion from housewarming to anniversaries, and the knitted caps for babies in impoverished countries around the world. She showed how much she cared by volunteering in the kitchen on Bingo night, stuffing stockings for soldiers overseas, and taking care of the finances for a community organization. She golfed for charity, could answer just about any computer software question you threw at her, coached youth bowling, and brought the best kinds of sweets to the monthly dinner meetings that made the guys get dessert first (just to make sure they got some!). She chaperoned school functions and class parties, and waited up nights until she was sure we got home safely, which also meant punishing us for breaking the rules. She loved us enough to set us free (even though it broke her heart), then welcomed us home without judgment when it didn’t work out. She gently, but firmly, raised us to be considerate, compassionate human beings. She knew when to give us advice, when to hold back, and when to just hold us and let us cry. She hugged her grandkids every chance she got. She quickly recognized people for a job well done. She kept us grounded and humble while, at the same time, lifting us up, supporting us in all our endeavors.

Her love was in everything she did and said. And for that I am truly grateful.

I’ve long since believed (thanks to Mom) that we should let the people we love know that we love them – all the time. Love isn’t something to be saved only for special occasions like birthdays, holidays, or anniversaries. It’s something to be shared on a daily basis, or at least as often as you can, in whatever way that you can. And I don’t mean with gifts and material things – I mean with simple words and actions.

Whose heart doesn’t flutter when her boyfriend tells her how great she looks in those jeans? What guy doesn’t feel special when his wife surprises him with his favorite meal for no reason in particular? How about when a child’s parents tell him how totally proud they are of him just for finishing the race? Or when a friend takes the time to listen to you vent, and does so without judging or advising? Or maybe doing something kind for a complete stranger? Or bringing a meal to someone in need? Or showing up to lend support to a friend?

Our words and actions have a greater impact on others than we realize. There are countless ways we can show our love, concern, and compassion for others. A few take some effort. Most take little effort at all. And yet those “little” things are what people remember the most . . .