2012 Taxes!

So, I don't want to jump the gun or anything.... but I may not owe on my taxes next year! I received an email today that Turbo Tax opened up their 2012 tax forms online. I had already calculated out what my W-2 "should" look like by the end of the year, so I had the basic numbers all set to input. Imagine my surprise when the top right corner, where a possible refund could be, actually had green numbers up there!

I have been dreading, planning, and anticipating seeing the evil RED numbers showing how much I would owe. We have it budgeted to set aside around $4K for taxes next spring. Holy crap, we may not need to do that! I would honestly be happy to break even and just not owe, that would mean we are doing it right. I was so nervous because of the fiasco we had earlier this year where we ended up owing for the first time ever - $7K in taxes! Because I had to play with my deductions so I could come up with the money to pay those taxes, I was sure I screwed myself into having to owe again. It looks like that may not be the case.

I won't count my chickens before they are hatched though, my quick calculations didn't include the hubby's income from this year. I'll have to play around with what he made at each job (3 of them) and enter that in too. That could be a game changer if it bumps us up to a higher tax bracket. We'll see though. For today, I have a smile on my face, thinking of other things we could do with that $4k instead!

Hubby is an "official employee" now!

The hubby has had quite a year of transitions with his career. He's finally in a full-time job that he truly enjoys! I am so happy for him. The company converted him from a temp to perm hire yesterday. That's wonderful news in our world. We can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing he's "official" and will soon be eligible for the benefits that many of us take for granted.

Way to go!

So far, so good!

I did a little holiday shopping over the last week or so. The other night my best friend asked where I got her boxwood tree for Christmas a few years back. She was thinking of ordering one. Well, since I hadn't come up with her gift for this year yet, I decided to call and order her another small tree. She received it today and was pleasantly surprised by her gift which should - hopefully - last through the holidays.

Today I went to the mall at lunch and had a 25% off coupon for Macy's. My mom mentioned last week how she lost one of her old leather gloves, so I purchased a nice new pair for her. I got them at a deal for only $38, fully lined and all.

Then I stopped at Victoria's Secret and got my niece a gift set with yoga pants and a tank top for $49. I think she'll love it but if she doesn't, she can return it for something she'll enjoy more.

Just chatted with my Mom and she recommends cash for my Sister and Dad. My Dad fell recently and broke his eyeglasses so he could use some cash towards a new pair and my Sister is disabled and can always use some extra money. I'd rather send her a present and I asked if she needs anything but she said "no".

That only leaves my hubby and maybe a token of appreciation for my employee at work. The hubby's Christmas money will come out of my paycheck on 12/15, so I'm not worried about that yet and I'm sure I can find something perfect for my employee at the right price.

So far, so good with staying on track with my holiday spending. Now, let's hope this girl's weekend in Vegas goes just as well!

My Weekly Money Check-Up : 12/5/11

Here's my Weekly Money Check-Up, courtesy of My Pretty Pennies :)

1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on a keyboard for my hubby. He recently decided that he wants to learn to play the piano. We went to Costco for ham and ended up leaving with a keyboard for about $100. I asked if he wanted it to be a gift from Santa, but he declined. He decided he wanted to use his "fun money" over the next 3 weeks to pay for it. I'm proud of him! In the past, he wouldn't give a second thought to where the money came from and now he has it all thought out.

2. Today I am thankful for friends. Although I don't have a ton of them, the handful of people that I would truly call "my friends" bring me such happiness.

3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free thing I did last week that made me happy was decorated our Christmas tree! I just love doing that each year. After we bought our tree, we made a quick stop for a peppermint hot-cocoa (a necessity for me when decorating the tree) and home we went for hours of Christmas music and tree decorating... what fun!

4. I will consider this week a success if I stay on target with my budget for Vegas. Because I splurge so infrequently, sometimes things get a little out of control when I do. I'm hoping I keep a level head and do other fun stuff with my girlfriend, other than blow all the money we bring with us. Vegas is a blast for sight seeing and people watching - two of my favorite free things to do!

5. My favorite Christmas gift as a child was my dollhouse. I had hours of fun decorating and rearranging the items in the house.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!