Yeesh. On that $1600 family tax rebate thing? Insane. I already get to keep like 90% of my paycheck and now I get to keep even more when you consider the rebate.

Yeah I am on the side (the one I don't see so much here) that I am SO WAY undertaxed. The government wants to subsidize my mortgage and my kids. Which means to some pretty measly income tax bills for us this last decade.

I don't think this would push us to a year where we were paid by the government instead of taxed, but it will be close, and we have had a couple of those.

I would never mortgage my future like this though, so it peeves me to no end. I'd gladly send back my last 5 years of child tax credits for some more responsible government spending. GLADLY.

Likewise, what we could do as concerned citizens is write our representatives and GRIPE. They need to know this is not just a free re-election card. Many of us are not happy as they expected we would be.

Anyway, I am extra peeved as already I said we pay zilch in taxes BUT the government is pushing AMT down our throats (the tax for the insanely rich). They don't have enough money to fix AMT but they can send every family a $1600 check? Sounds like it's just a more popular thing to do. (Well and just a one-year thing). It's just, crazy...

What am I going to do with my $1600? Unfortunately I owe the Feds about $1100 on a ROTH conversion. Some bad miscalculation I haven't figured out yet. But yeah, I am just going to send it back. Might be my "get out of jail free" card. If not for that I would invest it in a fund called "Future Taxes." I would save it for when I start having to pay AMT or we get a responsible government who starts taxing enough to pay all the bills. Just stuff like that. That is all I really could do, save it for future taxes. That is the only thing I could do that would give me any peace of mind.

If I have to send $1100 to the IRS? I don't know. I don't know if I will bother saving the rest. It might round out my vacation fund pretty well. I am just weird like that. Hand me $1600 and I will pop it in savings. Hand me $499 and I will probably just spend it. Eh. It would actually help a lot. LM orthondontics, is nothing else. Vacation. Work we need to do around the house.

Then again if money feels tight now, wait until we have to pay income taxes again. I almost forget what it is like.

Better save it.

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Anyway, today was a very nice day.

The weather seemed a little chilly but it was nice and sunny for our drive to San Jose. Oh, I am so done. I think that was a good 7-8 drives in 2-3 months. I am out. I am not going anywhere for 4 more months. & that sounds divine!

Of course today was gorgeous and I actually enjoyed the long drive. Go figure. But I am happy to see our gas bill go down.

Dh is going to San Jose one more time this month. Then I think we will rest our cars for our So Cal drive in May. Well, I hope so anyway.

Dh made out well. He got $75 in gift cards for movies and such so he didn't want me o add any money to his allowance. So no gift after all. Zilch/nada for him. He also go a movie and a book from his grandma.

My mom gave him $50 and his GrandDad gave him $20. I am just depositing those for bills. Well needed. Bummer.

On the flip side, so far, January is not near as scary as I thought it would be with the whole preschool thing. We are holding our own. It may not be the financial ruin for 6 months, that I imagined. (Oh sure I exaggerate). But overall, end of year is very spendy and this time of year is usually pretty slow for us. Less driving, less getting out, more income. win win win. IT seems to be working out. (knock on wood). Of course I was stressed until I remembered dh was getting birthday cash. But oh yes February is always an easy month too since it is a short month. Yeah, things are going well.

Anyway, today we went to lunch and treated. MIL dug up a $25 G.C. so we ended up paying about $80. It wasn't bad. Was a GREAT lunch. I had a really pleasant day with MIL too. I don't remember the last time I had. LOL. I think she is over the holidays. Oh, well, until next November or so. Blah. I almost forgot why I could even stand her. But like I said, today was SO pleasant. Phew.

We actually had such a nice lunch. With MIL and my parents too.

The kids went to the zoo afterwards and I went home to work. Dh called to say the zoo will be closed for about 18 months for renovations. What a bummer! Oh the kids love it there and we have a membership. They said they would honor the remaining months we were owed upon reopening. I wonder if they knew this why they just didn't sell a 1/2 year membership or whatever. Well they close in July so we will get our money's worth before then, for sure.

I tackled my taxes again. Since I got a bunch of 1099s and my W-2. Oh, blech, nothing has changed. Still owe $1100 has mentioned. I need to dig up my estimates and figure what I did wrong. I still don't know where my error was. But my withholding still looks okay, so that is what matters I guess. Should be more breakeven next year, all else equal. No more ROTH conversions. Yay!!!!!!!

Anyway, I dollar cost averaged my gas. LOL. I was in a terrible hurry yesterday on my drive to san jose and stopped at an expensive place. It was $3.25/gallon. I was dissapointed to hear dh paid $3.03 at our regular place with discount. It was a mile away (maybe less) but I was rushed. So I got 5 gallons. I forgot to fill up and popped on the freeway after lunch. Traffic was horrid. (For the big city living funny to admit I don't do traffic. Just hate it. Little patience for it. I spend my life avoiding it). Anyway, gas light came on rather soon, no doubt with all the traffic which reduces the van to a paltry 15mpg. I stopped and filled up 5 gallons to get home, $3.30. *cringe* Of course a mere 15 miles later was my usual gas stop and $3.15. Figured. (I thought I was much further out). I could have just waited 15 miles. But oh well.

I got home and still had a good couple of miles. I figured I would wait to empty to refill, though it was still only $3.03 here. We drag out our discounts by using them primarily in the van (bigger gas tank) and only filling when empty. So maybe I will fill up tomorrow after work.

I am just so spoiled by that gas station. It is hard to suck it up and pay another 25 cents - 30 cents on the road like that.

Dh called me on the way home to remind me we had no bread. So I went to the store. It feels so foreign to me. I just never go grocery shopping. & rightly so. I bought bread, pepsi, cookies and chicken nuggets. I love to eat a little too much. I figured I would treat myself to some nuggets and treats since I would eat alone. Spent around $10.

Yes this is why I am forbidden from the grocery shopping. Which is fine by me. Actually I was terribly sick when pregnant with my first and dh wasn't working so he started getting big on home cooked meals and all the shopping and cooking. It has just evolved that way. Which pretty much means I never have to go to the store. I am calling dh and asking him where the bread and the soda and the cookies are and everything so I don't have to waste time looking around. Otherwise I just feel lost. Phew.

So yes that is my long entry for the day.

I do not know how much work I will get done tonight. But I am working most of tomorrow and most of next weekend. Busy busy busy busy. I just feel behind.

I can't believe it is the 19th though. Seriously? This tax season will be over in a blink. So what is the big deal anyway? LOL. It's like 1/4 over. I just can't believe how fast 2008 seems to be flying!