It's very taxing!

Another tax season ---- done! (well, except for my state taxes)

I like to get it done as soon as possible. We always plan on an amount, have it all allotted to go to different things, and then have nothing left over. Well, not this year. I allotted some of it for savings--novel idea I know. It's hard though when you end up living off it to make ends meet and you can't always save some. And when you earn half as much this year as you did last year it makes for a nice return.

Except when they rob you for a "business" income done with Schedule C. My helping my friend clean is not a business, but that is how I have always had to enter that kind of income into my taxes. And I think we have only filed 1 year where we just had w-2's and didn't have to worry about "other" income.

Why is it so hard to add a section for people to enter "I worked with my friend and she paid me cash." It took me forever to figure out how to figure that income. A lot of people do side jobs like that that are not considered a business. But there is never a category specified for those types of income. It's crazy. The paper routes we did for years were the worst!

Anyway, my mood is elevated now as I look forward to actually having a little nest-egg and we get to do the family vacation we have been trying to do for the last 5-6 years.

I'll give you a hint: A mouse started it all. It's the only time we get to pay for Emma as a child, not an adult and not pay for the twins.