what did you do today? (2008-2015) (closed)

[MichaelB]

I pay quarterly estimated taxes four times each year. They said that I hadn't paid as much as I had. So, armed with confirmation numbers and screen captures, it was pretty simple to verify my four payments. Like you, I dislike calling government offices but this time it worked.

Wow. That's a bit scary, not the type of thing you want to hear from the State Treasury Dept.

 

[W2R]

Wow. That's a bit scary, not the type of thing you want to hear from the State Treasury Dept.

Yeah, especially because this was the first year when I paid electronically and had them do automatic deductions from my bank account. Everything went perfectly until I got my refund, which was smaller than expected.

In prior years I had sent checks via snail mail, but thought there would be fewer potential problems if I joined the 21st century. Silly me. I didn't have any such problems at all, when I paid via snail mail. Isn't technology wonderful?

Apparently my 4th quarterly payment on January 15th was applied to my 2015 taxes. When I told her I had a screen capture stating that the payment would be applied to the fourth quarter of 2014, she finally gave up and said she will fix it. She said this shouldn't affect future 2015 payments (one of which will go through in 9 day), but I won't be certain that all of this is over until next year.

 

[aja8888]

Apparently my 4th quarterly payment on January 15th was applied to my 2015 taxes. When I told her I had a screen capture stating that the payment would be applied to the fourth quarter of 2014, she finally gave up and said she will fix it. She said this shouldn't affect future 2015 payments (one of which will go through in 9 day), but I won't be certain that all of this is over until next year.

The above is precisely the reason I submit that estimated 4th quarter payment in late December.

 

[W2R]

The above is precisely the reason I submit that estimated 4th quarter payment in late December.

Yeah, maybe I'd better start doing that. I don't recall hearing of this ever happening to anyone before even once, much less frequently. Oh well. As my dear departed mother used to say about me, it seems like I have to learn everything the hard way.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Today is my first FIRE Monday. I'm traveling with DH who is on some contract work. He left the hotel this morning to do his thing and I've been doing mine. I went for a run, did yoga, shopped at Dick's Sporting Goods but didn't buy anything, and sat out in the sunshine and read for a couple of hours. Now I'm using Slingbox on my iPad to watch the opener for my beloved Phillies. It's been a wonderful day.

Sounds like a great first FIRE Monday!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

One of the kids cleaned out books over spring break So combined with my discards I had a big bag of used books to take to the library for their used book sale. I also ended up with quite a few worth mailing to Amazon's trade-in program for gift cards, so I packed those up and took them to the UPS store. Other than that just household chores and a few more errands. Unfortunately I also bought 2 books in the library vestibule sale. But overall, between the Amazon trade in books and the library donations, it was still a good decluttering day with a mainly net outflow of books.

 

[MBAustin]

Our fish pond's waterfall has been out of commission for a week since we had a major leak last week. First appointment available for the consultant was today. Turns out to have been an overgrowth of roots in front of the bog filter causing water to spill over the edge.

This evening I had practice for a choral performance of Brahms' Requiem (in German). I told the director I really wanted to be home watching the basketball game but even after that he kept us late. Duke was down by 9 when I got in my car to drive home. Got home for the Duke rally to the end. Amazing finish. #goduke


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[MRG]

Went to a Neurosurgeon appointment. I'd seen the same DR. 4.5 years ago. He did use a term I'd never heard used about me before. A spinal (ligament) PLL, he also used the term OPLL. In the past it was all about herniated or bulging discs.

I go back in six months, I didn't want to ask for too many details with DW there (she worries too much). I'll ask more questions in October. From what I've read doesn't sound much different from what I'd been told 20 years ago.

 

[davemartin88]

Yesterday was busy at the house we're building for relatives. Dry wall hangers were on site and got all the drywall hung, about 4 pm, the excavator showed up to cover the newly installed septic tanks and well pipes. They had planned to come out today but were worried about the rain forecast so decided to get everything under ground, didn't want the septic tank to float if we received a heavy downpour. Drywall finishers will be here later this week to get started with the mud.

I was at the new house most of the day and was able to get the well pump electric wired and the pump started, will have to let the water run out through a garden hose for a while to get rid of the drilling sediment before I open the pipes to the house. I also wired the hot water tank and some of the basement lights in areas where drywall isn't going up.

Still a lot to do but hoping to have it ready by early May.

 

[ls99]

After my usual Tues. workout, at breakfest read the newspaper.

From a long article I learned that woman's breast sizes have gotten significantly larger in the last decade. To address that problem a couple of women who graduated from Carnegie Mellon U. with degrees in structural engineering started a new company. For making bras using truss structural engineering concepts. They base their design on breast volume, as opposed to some of the current linear circuferential measurement. Talk about curve fitting!

It was nearly a page long article in the Pittsburgh paper. Most informative, yet totally useless for my physical structure. Maybe someone will create a structurally engineered dance belt. Very useful for male figure skaters.

 

[HFWR]

After my usual Tues. workout, at breakfest read the newspaper.

From a long article I learned that woman's breast sizes have gotten significantly larger in the last decade. To address that problem a couple of women who graduated from Carnegie Mellon U. with degrees in structural engineering started a new company. For making bras using truss structural engineering concepts. They base their design on breast volume, as opposed to some of the current linear circuferential measurement. Talk about curve fitting!

It was nearly a page long article in the Pittsburgh paper. Most informative, yet totally useless for my physical structure. Maybe someone will create a structurally engineered dance belt. Very useful for male figure skaters.

A PhD in boobs!

 

[M Paquette]

Played HVAC/mechanical engineer. Worked up a study to demonstrate that for the size of range hood selected, exhaust ducting installed, and options enabled in the hardware, that no makeup air system was needed and flow ratings would not be exceeded, to make the city permit office happy. Also found and checked my Dwyer pressure gauge in case I need to demonstrate the result to the building inspector once we get to construction later this year.

I suspect they've had one too many stupid homeowner install a commercial vent hood and launch their vent ducting into low earth orbit, or reverse the draft on their furnace.

 

[Philliefan33]

Spent the morning at the Fredericksburg Battlefield. Since then I've been thinking about the courage and discipline (and perhaps stupidity) necessary to follow orders when those orders are "walk across that open field, and take that hill with the Confederate infantry behind the wall at the bottom and artillery on top". Tens of thousands Union men followed that order, resulting in 12,500 casualties. I'm pretty sure I would've made a bad soldier.

 

[Meadbh]

FYI, you might want to try a rice cooker for Sous Vide, they heat up faster and the heat from the bottom works better than side heating elements as in a crock pot.

You can find like new rice cookers in most thrift stores. You want a basic unit with manual high low switch, so your controller is in charge verses a digital rice cooker(won't work). I was using a 10" Aroma 750 watt rice cooker, but recently picked up an Aroma 12" 1000w, much better for large cuts.

I have not tried sous vide, but if you have a beer cooler and a blowtorch...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h_y3svpNiw

 

[MichaelB]

I installed Quicken 2015. Tried it in the past, never could seem to get the hang of it, but now, managing DM's accounts I see a future need to provide spending reports and updates to other family members, and figured Quicken would help. It does take some learning and getting used to.

 

[steelyman]

what did you do today?

I installed Quicken 2015. Tried it in the past, never could seem to get the hang of it, but now, managing DM's accounts I see a future need to provide spending reports and updates to other family members, and figured Quicken would help. It does take some learning and getting used to.

It sounds like the install went well. I grudgingly "upgraded" from 2012 to 2015 earlier this year and for the first time in a while I didn't encounter ridiculous errors and time on the phone with a "support" person who spoke something vaguely resembling English.

I do like the new features of credit score reporting and integrated access to Morningstar's Portfolio X-Ray (simple to use because Quicken already "knows" about my holdings).

The reports should be fine as long as spending is categorized correctly.

I don't trust Quicken's downloading transactions as I have experienced some pretty big mistakes. Quicken only got the very minimum about me that I could get away with to complete the install.

 

[MichaelB]

The reports should be fine as long as spending is categorized correctly.

I don't trust Quicken's downloading transactions as I have experienced some pretty big mistakes. Quicken only got the very minimum about me that I could get away with to complete the install.

Yeah, that's the thing. This first round, about half the transactions are "uncategorized", and it seems the credit card transactions were duplicated. I'm still asking myself if it's worth the effort.

 

[Ronstar]

Flew my drone for a while, started making side stakes for my new garden tractor trailer, blew out the switch on my table saw, and spent the rest of the day trying to order a new switch. Frustrating.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We set out to buy a pot for a large plant I won in a raffle and ended up with 2 pots, a birdbath, auxiliary cable, French press, and a patio umbrella and stand. We also made a stop at the UPS store to sell some more books to Amazon for gift cards.

I used my pasta express to make pasta tonight for dinner. That was a cool thrift shop find. It makes pasta in a thermal container with water from an electric kettle so it is a lot less time, electricity and labor than making pasta in a pot on the stove.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

Got started stripping 30 year old wallpaper in recently deceased dear FIL's house.

Anyone got any idea how many calories I might be burning ?

 

[powerplay]

Started working on my taxes today using Taxact. Looks like I will owe some $$ to the state and get some $$ back from the feds. Expect to get them filed electronically this week.

 

[FIREd]

Worked on my tax return some more. I am in the process of simplifying my investments and I am looking forward to the day when all I will have to input is a handful of 1099s... It was a rainy day, so we spent it watching TV and geeking around - DW on her astrophysics notebook and I on tuning a new fountain pen.


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[Hermit]

Yesterday was busy at the house we're building for relatives. Dry wall hangers were on site and got all the drywall hung, about 4 pm, the excavator showed up to cover the newly installed septic tanks and well pipes. They had planned to come out today but were worried about the rain forecast so decided to get everything under ground, didn't want the septic tank to float if we received a heavy downpour. Drywall finishers will be here later this week to get started with the mud.

I was at the new house most of the day and was able to get the well pump electric wired and the pump started, will have to let the water run out through a garden hose for a while to get rid of the drilling sediment before I open the pipes to the house. I also wired the hot water tank and some of the basement lights in areas where drywall isn't going up.

Still a lot to do but hoping to have it ready by early May.

Hi Dave,

What kind of filters will you have on the incoming water in the house?

Your project is going much faster than mine. I'm hoping to get the trusses on and the roof sheathed by the end of May.

 

[simple girl]

Yeah, that's the thing. This first round, about half the transactions are "uncategorized", and it seems the credit card transactions were duplicated. I'm still asking myself if it's worth the effort.

I gave up on Quicken this year. I summarize our budget expenditures by hand in an excel sheet monthly anyways, as I never trusted downloading our data to Quicken, nor how it would categorize our credit card expenditures. I'm just too particular in how I want to track our budget. I was essentially using Quicken just to track my checkbook expenditures and balance it. I found an online Excel spreadsheet template for that purpose instead. Works great!

 

[W2R]

I gave up on Quicken this year. I summarize our budget expenditures by hand in an excel sheet monthly anyways, as I never trusted downloading our data to Quicken, nor how it would categorize our credit card expenditures. I'm just too particular in how I want to track our budget. I was essentially using Quicken just to track my checkbook expenditures and balance it. I found an online Excel spreadsheet template for that purpose instead. Works great!

I got Quicken a couple of years ago, because so many forum members that I respect and admire do use it and seem to love it. Like you, I found that I just feel happier with Excel and do better with it. I think we each have to figure out what works best for us.