Hubs is back to work today. With having a flight leave right at dinner time, I planned ahead. I packed him a sandwich, chips, mandarin oranges, and a coke to eat/drink while we were waiting for the security area to open. We live over an hour away from the airport, and I knew he would likely be wanting something to eat before his plane departed. Far cheaper and tastier than what the small store in our airport sells. But, his positive send-off actually started when we stopped for our mail before heading out to the airport.
We got our taxes back and (insert snoopy dance) we don’t owe! I was a bit concerned given that under the new tax laws, we can no longer claim Hub’s business expenses. Our numbers in general also seemed a bit all over the board, so I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Between the state and federal, we are getting back a little over $1,000.
And just what are we going to do with this refund? While we still aren’t at our savings goal, we have decided to pay off another $1,000 on our Citi debt. Knowing we only have until the end of May before the 0% interest rate expires, I’ve been feeling under the gun to get it paid off. With the $75 I applied to it last week Friday, that debt is now down to $2,775. Between the $1,000 and restarting the snowball~I paused it until we knew where we stood with our taxes~crossing that debt off our list is within sight!
I think the ten days Hubs had at home did him a world of good. He got a lot accomplished, even managing yet this morning to get our boys to the groomers for nail clipping. We also got together with our neighbors for the builder’s show, went to a St Patrick’s Day snowshoe party that was hosted by a family we knew from our camping days, and met up with a friend from our Bible study for coffee.
Another thing we did was a lot of dreaming and “napkin sketching” with what we want to do with our house someday. I think it is always good to take time to remind yourself of the why behind the journey towards financial peace. While that isn’t our only why, for us, it is a huge one. We also know what is standing in our way and we will conquer it, A Dime at a Time! Safe travels, Hubs!
Woohoo, an unplanned refund. Yay!
Priscilla Bettis recently posted…Getting in the Zone
Totally surprised me! I’m not one for giving the government a free loan, but I also don’t like to owe!
Safe travels Hubs!! And good on you for the unplanned refund! My state refund should be here soon
Good! I know you’ve been patiently waiting for that return!
What a wonderful surprise!!! I think it is a great idea to put the money toward Citi – you’ll feel so much better once it is paid off!! Glad hubby got some down time too!
After being away for so many weeks, he really needed the downtime. I cannot wait until Citi is paid off. These debts have become like a thorn in my side.
Those 10 days went fast, I’ll bet. Your situation reminds me a bit of our friends we lived across the street from in town. He leaves for 2 weeks, home for 2 weeks. That’s great news about not owing. My “boss” at my side job said she was really disappointed on their personal taxes. Last year they got a huge huge refund (like $25,000 – can you even imagine?!) but this year they owe. What a huge swing.
OneFamily recently posted…Brain fog
The time always goes by way too fast. Sigh. What did your friend do for a living that kept him away from home?
Wowza, a $25,000 refund?!?! You aren’t kidding! Talk about an enormous swing. It also shows that they must be earning a decent income. Hubs and I are going to need to discuss contributing more to his 401K as we are extremely close to bumping up into a higher tax bracket. While I understand it is a progressive system, I don’t want any of our money taxed any higher than it already is!
yes, they own the company, so good income and good bonus’s LOL. The friend works out of state as a millwright
The company must be doing very well! Interesting about your former neighbor. I would have guessed trucking or perhaps military.
That is great that you don’t owe more. I wasn’t sure what would happen with ours either. We are getting about $1500 back. Right into the college fund it will go. Now that we know all of the costs(daughter accepted) it is a lot easier to plan. I know what we need to get her through the next 4 years to stay debt free.
What does your husband do for a living, if you don’t mind me asking?
Taxes have always made me a bit anxious. I think it goes back to a year when we did owe. I’d rather avoid that, even if it means having extra taken out of our check. On the other hand, I also don’t like giving the government a free loan. That is great that you have a plan in place for your daughter’s education.
My husband works in cryogenics. He is with a specialty division that delivers to all sorts of places.
That sounds very interesting.
Other than being away from home, he enjoys the job.