H&R Block: Free Federal Income Tax Filing

February 16, 2013 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: H&R Block

With tax season picking up speed and the tax documents arriving, many are gathering their paperwork looking to the prize of their refund check.

Changing the tax laws and adjusting the tax codes, the American government keeps the general public spinning when it comes to the details of the tax system.

I know I am confused and choose not to spend hours trying to figure it out, but rather to turn to someone else for assistance.

Last week, I shared how I use TaxACT for my tax filing choice. As I have only filed with TaxACT and other services offer free federal e-filing, I decided to compare the differences. Today, H&R Block is in the hot seat.

Free Option – Cost $0

The free option is suited for first-time filers and includes preparation for simple federal tax returns and e-filing.

Basic Option – Cost $19.95

Designed for simple returns, the basic option includes federal tax preparation, imports your information from last year (if you used H&R Block), and one federal e-filing. State filing comes at an additional cost.

Deluxe Option – Cost $29.95

Best for homeowners and investors, this package prepares your federal return, maximizes your home deductions and investment options, imports your information from last year (if you used H&R Block), and one federal e-filing. State filing has an additional charge.

Premium Option – Cost $49.95

Created for business owners and rental property owners, this option includes everything from the deluxe package plus assistance and calculators for reporting your investment income. State filing subject to additional fee.

In evaluating TaxACT and H&R Block, I am confident in my decision to go with TaxACT. My family’s filing last year included preparation for our federal return – which is not simple, preparation of our state return, all the calculators and help for our home and small business, imported our information from the prior year, and filed both our returns electronically for a cost of $17.95.

NOTE: To clarify, none of my tax filing posts are sponsored. I am not compensated for any of these posts.

In noticing that more companies are luring customers with free federal tax filing, I wondered how they compared. So, I’m finding out by doing a little research, and passing that information along to you. 🙂

Having looked at TaxACT and H&R Block, I will continue this evaluation next week with TurboTax. Stay tuned to see which option is best for you. Happy choosing!

Question: Do you know of any other free tax filing option? If so, please share in the comments as I will research those options as well.

TurboTax: Free Federal Income Tax Filing

February 23, 2013 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: TurboTax

As so many companies creatively use marketing to lure customers to their products, I wanted to find out how tax preparation companies compare.

Focusing only on the ones that claim free federal income tax filing, I limited my research to TaxACT, H&R Block, and TurboTax.

Among these three options, we have looked at TaxACT and H&R Block. Today, I turn to TurboTax.

Free Option – Cost $0

The free option includes a simple/1040EZ preparation and e-filing. State tax filing is an additional cost.

Deluxe Option – Cost $29.99

Best for those with children, own a home, and have lots of deductions, this deluxe option claims to maximize your tax deductions. Any state tax filing comes at an additional cost.

Premier Option – Cost $49.99

Suggested for investors of stocks, bonds, and/or mutual funds and rental properties, the premier option prepares your federal return and e-files. State tax filing costs more.

Home and Business – Cost $74.99

Designed for business owners, contractors, and consultants, the home and business option combines both into one tax return, including e-filing. Any state tax filing carries an additional charge.

Honestly, I’m thankful that these comparisons are over as the prices continue to escalate. Having only filed our taxes through TaxACT, I really did not know what to expect from the other companies.

Through this research, I am confident in our decision to file with TaxACT. Not only do we get the e-filing for the federal, but also the state preparation and e-file for under $20.

TIP: The only resource I know that can beat TaxACT is TurboTax’s Military Edition offering free federal and free State preparations and e-filings for active military personnel and reservists ranked E-1 to E-5.

During this tax season, most families are looking for every deduction and refund option. Carefully consider your tax preparation service.

Hopefully, this series opened your eyes, like it did mine, that not all companies that claim free federal income tax filing options are equal in comparison. Though I am not changing our tax service, I’m glad to confirm the choice we made two years ago is still the right choice for us. Happy savings!

Question: What option do you prefer to use for filing your taxes?

Stacking Savings: Purchasing 4 New Tires

March 2, 2013 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Last weekend’s events changed my plans for the week. Though I was not planning to spend $800, I was able to stack savings to stretch our dollars while meeting our family’s needs.

Driving on Tires

When we ventured out the previous Thursday evening, the tire indicator light in our van lit up. Paul checked the tires, and everything looked fine – with *looked* being the operative word. (Side note: When we purchased our van, this light came on, and the problem ended up being the spare tire tucked under the van.)

Seeing that the tires looked fine, we concluded it was the spare tire, and I planned to get the van into the shop the next week. I drove on Friday with the light on and without any apparent problems. On Saturday, our van sat in the garage, and then we drove to church last Sunday.

Between Sunday school and the morning service, we went to the van to drop off a few items. At that time, we found a member of the security staff at our van as he had noticed our flat tire. Thankfully, this gentleman had managed a tire department and offered to change our tire. After figuring out how to release our spare, he replaced our flat with the spare. Bless his heart!

Upon arriving home, we discovered black tire marks out of our garage onto our driveway which means we drove from home to church on a flat tire. We are amazed at how the Lord protected us as we never felt a thump or inconsistency on the way. From this experience, I have learned that we need to take that indicator light more seriously and get it checked out immediately.

Researching our Options

On Sunday night, I researched the size of tires we needed in our purchasing area. I compared 2 tires verses 4 tires as well as brand options.

I then took our van to our mechanic the next morning. Explaining that we had a warranty on the blown tire, I asked our mechanic for his recommendation, and he initially recommended getting 2 tires. When asked when the front tires would need replacing, our mechanic recommended 6-9 months.

Since the tires would need replacing this year and one of the current tire options carried a $100 rebate, we opted to purchase 4 new tires. Our mechanic then suggested the Michelin tires over the other brand, so I went to our most cost-effective and reliable source, Discount Tire.

Purchasing our Tires

They did a great job helping me on Monday. The tires we needed were not in stock, so they ordered them. Then, they placed a loaner tire on our van and returned the spare under our vehicle. I then made an appointment for Thursday.

On Thursday, I called before coming to verify that the tires were available. Confirming this information, we came and purchased our tires. I purchased one tire with installation and the insurance to submit for reimbursement from our warranty. Then I purchase the other three tires. I was then given the rebate information for purchasing 4 new Michelin tires which will result in a $100 visa gift card.

Stacking Savings Results

For those of you with a minivan, you understand the expense of purchasing new tires. At a cost of $203 per tire, we shelled out $824. However, we are expecting to get back around $300 between the warranty coverage and the rebate, making our purchase for 4 new tires around $524 which is a great deal!

By stacking our warranty coverage with a rebate, we solved our immediate tire problem and prepared for the future. Though we did not anticipate purchasing 4 new tires last week, we researched and stacked savings to stretch our dollars.

When life throws you a curve, stay safe, research, and stack the savings to stretch your dollars. In using time wisely, our research helped us make the best decision for our family.

We could have spent less and purchased 2 tires, but then we would have missed the opportunity to save $100 for purchasing 4 and would still need to purchase 2 more tires later this year. In addition to delaying the cost, we would have spent double the time as another round of research and a trip to Discount Tire would have been necessary.

With our solution, we have 4 tires with the same tread depth and a fresh start. For us, purchasing 4 tires was the best decision, and we stacked our savings by combining our warranty with a rebate. Stretching our dollars was nice, but we are thankful that the Lord kept our family safe. Blessed for sure!

Question: How do you stretch your dollars when purchasing tires?

Partial Family Night: Dinner and a Show

March 16, 2013 by Tracy

Looking through the telescope at the constellation Orion

Date Night in our home does not come as often as it once did. At one point, Paul and I used to have a monthly date night. I still remember one date night before we had children where we went grocery shopping.

Yes, it had been a long week, and Paul willingly joined me aisle by aisle grocery shopping. We had a great time just spending time together and getting food to restock our apartment.

Honestly, our date nights are few and far between because we forget to plan them. Finding a time that works for Grandpa and Grandma and fits within our schedule with an activity to enjoy takes time to organize. I never regret date nights when we have them, but I don’t always remember to plan. (Guess I need to add that to my calendar as well. 🙂 )

Dinner Savings

Last night, Paul and I invited our two older children to join us on our Date Night. With Grandpa and Grandma watching our preschooler, we enjoyed dinner at Olive Garden with this coupon (expiring on 3.21.13) for a free kid’s meal with the purchase of an adult entrée.

The coupon limit is two free kids’ meals with the purchase of two adult entrees per coupon. With Paul and me selecting the 2 for $25 Italian dinner promotion, we received an appetizer, salad for the children and I, soup for Paul, breadsticks, 2 kids’ meals, and 2 adult entrees for less than $40 with gratuity.

Show Savings

With full tummies, we left the restaurant and headed for our local science center. Upon creating our own parking space, we walked to the planetarium for the evening performances. Using our science membership, we gained free admission to the show which included:

Feature presentation about how near-Earth asteroids are explored
Live sky talk including how to locate the different constellations partially visible in the night sky
Digital Mars roller coaster “ride”
Visit to the observatory with very large and powerful telescopes focused on the constellation Orion, the planet Jupiter, and our moon

Our daughter’s favorite event of the night was the Mars roller coaster though she felt a bit dizzy at the conclusion. The presentation gave the illusion you were on the coaster though we were not actually moving.

Seeing the rings on Jupiter via the telescope fascinated our son which was his favorite part of the evening. For Paul and I, we enjoyed the time with each other and our children.

By using our annual membership on the show, we enjoyed a fun-filled evening spending less than $10 per person for a dinner and a show. Had we chosen to eat dinner at home, we could have enjoyed our family night for free.

In stretching our dollars and building relationships, we chose a dinner and a show allowing our children to join us on our special date night. Though both children had a great time during our 4 hours together, they prefer spending that time with Grandpa and Grandma. Yay! Paul and I still get to enjoy our date nights alone – as long as we remember to plan them. 😉

Keep stretching your dollars as you enjoy fun family activities. Though no money needs to be spent on family night, you can enjoy a nice dinner with a show without paying full price. Happy saving while using time wisely!

NOTE: This post was not written to encourage elaborate family nights, but rather to show how to use the resources you have to create a fun evening staying within your family budget. Without our science membership, we would not have visited the planetarium or observatory. 🙂

Question: What strategies do you use for saving on family night activities?

Medical Expenses: Payment Plans

March 23, 2013 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

With the rising cost of living, higher taxes, and cuts in the job market, most families are looking for ways to stretch their dollars.

With every little bit helping, spreading out payments gives you time to recover from those expenses.

Back in 2010 when Paul discovered that he had 100% blockage in his nasal cavity, we chose the immediate solution of out-patient surgery.

Having delivered our third child that year, I along with my daughter had maxed out our family deductible, so the surgery cost us 20% with our insurance paying 80%.

Payment Options

Even with the insurance paying the majority, we were still left with a $3,000 bill that was not originally in our medical budget. In working with the doctor’s office, we were not offered any additional discounts for paying in full. So, I asked if there were other options for payment.

The billing specialist immediately offered the following two solutions:

1. Full payment, or

2. Partial payment – with half due after surgery and the remainder due the next month

After she finished explaining these options, I waited. About 20 seconds later, she offered a payment plan whereby we pay $100 per month until the balance was satisfied.

When asked about any additional fees or interest cost, I was informed that as long as we made the full $100 payment within the month, then we would not incur any fees. Satisfied with this option, we agreed to $100 per month until the balance was paid in full.

Payment Plan Option

I found the payment plan best for our family for these reasons:

1. Allowed us to spread out the payment without draining our medical spending account in the middle of the year;

2. Gave us time to save for the final payments; and

3. Payment was taken over the phone with a receipt mailed for verification.

In 2011, we made our final payment which was close to a year past the original due date.

Paying the Bill

To pay this medical bill in full, we had to get creative. We did not have the money sitting around, so we used the following resources:

1. Used our medical spending account to make as many $100 payments as possible for 2010.

2. During the months we used the medical spending account, we shaved $20 to $30 dollars from our monthly food budget.

3. Kept family nights at home with fun activities and date nights with a Netflix movie and popcorn.

4. Planned errands to limit making multiple trips saving on fuel costs.

5. Deposited any extra money into our savings account for these payments.

With a little creativity and much patience, we were able to make the full payment without dipping into our emergency fund. I treasure that emergency fund in that I do not like to touch it. For me, it is a safety net. If we still have resources and options available, then we don’t touch that account.

If you are looking at a medical procedure with large dollar signs, try to relax. Contact the billing supervisor and ask for a discount. If none is available, ask for your payment options. If no payment plan is offered, request one.

If it works for you, then use your resources to make payments without incurring any additional charges. In using time wisely, making that phone call will help you access your options for stretching your dollars. Happy savings!

Question: How do you save on medical expenses?

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