GeekSugar

5 Calendar Apps and Tools to Keep You on Time in 2011

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:11:21 PST

You may have already made your list of New Year's resolutions, but one thing we can try to work on all year long is being timely and organized. These calendar apps and notification tools will fit in nicely with your life as it is now, since they can live on the Internet or your phone. Small steps.

Website of the Day: Deadline

GeekSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:00:02 PST

I'm not as obsessive about my online calendars all the time as I wish I were - I would never forget about the occasional appointment or date I made on the fly. Even though I use calendars, sometimes you just need really straightforward reminders - which is what Deadline is great for.

For instance, I have a doctor appointment on my calendar, but what I really need is an alert a half hour before I need to leave for that appointment. I just need to add a deadline from the home screen, set the time and date, and make sure I set when I want to be notified by email so that I can get to my appointment on time (I set it to go off a half hour before). No more sheepish calls about why I'm not where I was supposed to be!

Buzz News Roundup, 6/6

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:45:20 PDT

Hayden Panettiere has signed a deal with Candie's in which the fashion brand will help promote the Heroes star's first single "Wake Up Call", Billboard reports.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Adam Sandler's production company Happy Madison will produce a thriller called Shortcut under the name Scary Madison.
The Associated Press has a report about this weekend's academic conference studying Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Variety has the news that Tucker Max's bestselling book I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell will be adapted for the big screen.
Zap2it has Fox's updated Fall premiere dates, with shows now starting in September, not August.
Brittany Murphy and Thora Birch will star in an indie psychological thriller titled Deadline, ComingSoon reports.
Variety writes that F. Gary Gray will direct a biopic of Marvin Gaye called Marvin.
Van Halen brought in more than $93 million touring with David Lee Roth, Reuters reports.

Source

What It Takes to Buy a Home

Kiplinger — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:14:47 PDT

Do you have what it takes to buy a home? Consider this exhaustive guide from Kiplinger.

Tired of renting? It could be a great time to buy your first home. In many cities, home prices have bottomed, and rents have risen. Mortgage rates are still superlow. In fact, homes haven't been as affordable since 1971. On the downside, in many cities, buyers have fewer homes from which to choose and more competition for the best houses.

In Austin, TX, newlyweds Mark and Ariane Corcoran bought their first home in March. They were renting in a popular downtown neighborhood, where they paid $1,200 a month for a 500-square-foot loft apartment, when they inherited enough money for a down payment. When they began shopping, they expected to buy a classic 1930s Austin bungalow. They found lots of prospects online but drove by most of them. "Agents are really good at taking photos that exclude what they don't want you to see, like the used-car lot out back," says Mark.

They put in an offer on a $225,000, 800-square-foot home. But after the home inspection, they realized that it needed $20,000 to $30,000 in renovations and repairs and that they'd quickly outgrow it. They walked away during the state-mandated rescission period (during which a buyer can back out for any reason and get back any earnest money deposited).

Ariane identified their next prospect within an hour after the listing appeared online. It was a newly built, 1,600-square-foot home with three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a yard for the dogs. The builder asked $270,000, the couple offered $260,000, he countered, and they paid $268,000. They put down 20 percent to avoid private mortgage insurance and snagged a 30-year fixed rate of 3.75 percent from a credit union. Their monthly mortgage payment is $1,524.

Before you take the plunge, consider the answers to questions often posed by first-time buyers. Read on for what to ask yourself.

How to Establish Financial Independence

Kiplinger — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:15:54 PDT

Becoming completely financially independent can be scary, but it's also very liberating. Kiplinger gives advice on how to establish your financial independence.

Not only is it difficult for us twentysomethings to wholeheartedly embrace adulthood, it's often also a challenge for our parents to let us go. Baby-boomer parents are generally known for mollycoddling their children, even after we move out of the house and into our own adult lives. Some parents have shown up for their kids' job interviews, and others have called up human resource departments at their adult kids' workplaces to complain about bad performance reviews or to negotiate salaries on behalf of their children.

They may mean well, but such extreme helicopter parents are actually hindering their children from growing into independent adults. "If a child is receiving too much help, then they have no incentive to succeed or become independent," says Erin Baehr, of the financial planning firm Baehr Family Financial, in Stroudsburg, Pa. "They may also be setting themselves up for some possible financial trouble down the road."

We certainly don't want that. At the same time, as young adults, we shouldn't be so dead set on finding our independence that we end up punishing ourselves by turning down valuable financial guidance and support from Mom and Dad.

So how about meeting in the middle? You can stay open to your parents' assistance but also set limits on how involved in your life you want them to be. For example, when it comes to parental career advice, Marty Martin, a financial psychologist at Aequus Wealth Management Resources, in Chicago, suggests you say, "Mom and Dad, I would really appreciate any advice you may have before I go to my job interview, and I will contact you after it happens. But I really need to do this on my own."

Read on for more.

11 Ways to Love Yourself More

Laura Marie Given — Wed, 09 May 2012 03:05:52 PDT

There's no magic recipe for self-confidence, but there are certainly a few everyday habits that can set you on the right path. Whether you're stressed, overcommitted, bored, or simply insecure, we've come up with some quick tips to help you boost your self-esteem and maintain a positive attitude. Struggling to feel good about yourself? Here are 11 simple ways to love yourself more:

Surround yourself with positive people. Moods and attitudes can be contagious, so if you're hoping to boost your self-esteem, it's important to keep confident company. Steer clear of the Debbie Downers: people who are constantly rattling off their insecurities will only prompt you to acknowledge yours.
Be a planner. Organization is key to feeling good on a day-to-day basis, so do what you need to do to stay on top of your schedule. Rushing around, running late, and missing deadlines puts you on the fast track to anxiety, but you can avoid these common culprits by simply tackling your to-do list.
Make time to do the things you enjoy. To be your best self, you need to set aside plenty of time for the hobbies and passions that fulfill you. Whether it's long walks, a good book, or a few minutes of art each day, you need to prioritize the simple pastimes that put you at ease.
Get plenty of Z's. If you're exhausted and run-down, your mood - and your confidence - is sure to plummet. You need energy to be social and productive, so try to avoid burnout by balancing your work with plenty of R&R.

Keep reading for more confidence-boosting tips.

Don't Make These 10 Tax Mistakes When Rushing to File

Emily Co — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:19:17 PDT

And the countdown begins . . . four days until Tax Day, which is on April 17 this year. Seems like most of you have already filed, but for those of you who haven't, Kathy Pickering, executive director of The Tax Institute at H&R Block, names some of the most common tax mistakes that people make. Here they are:

Failure to take into account new tax laws.
Recording an incorrect filing status, such as Head of Household, when it should be Married Filing Separately or Single.
Social security numbers are incorrect, missing, or don’t match the names on the return.
Filing with incorrect or missing forms, schedules, and supporting documentation for your return.
Forgetting to sign a paper-filed return.
Claiming ineligible dependents.
Missing valuable tax credits and deductions.
Math errors.
Not allowing enough time to prepare the tax return, and rushing through the preparation process.
Recording incorrect financial institution routing and account numbers for a direct deposit of your refund.

Bankrate has a nice roundup of how the new tax laws will affect your 2011 tax returns, so be sure to check it out. To prevent most of these common tax mistakes, the IRS recommends to file your tax returns online, which you can easily do through Turbo Tax or IRS Free File. You should also double check all your figures to make sure that you're not doing the math wrong and that you're not inputting the wrong information.

If you're really rushing through your taxes, perhaps filing at the last moment might not be a good idea because you'll be more prone to making errors. You can opt to file an extension - our friends at H&R block say they are offering free extension filing from now until April 18, so you might want to take advantage of this freebie! Keep in mind that the extension applies to just the return and you can't delay your payment.

How to File Your Taxes on Your iPhone

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:46:25 PDT

Tax Day is here! Today is the deadline to file your taxes, but there's no need to panic if you've got simple forms to file as the task can be easily completed using your iPhone. Both H&R Block and TurboTax offer iPhone apps to help you prepare and file your 1040EZ forms before the deadline. What are you waiting for? Get more info on each below.

H&R Block at Home - This app makes it easy to file your federal and state taxes on the go. Snap a pic of your W2 and import it into your return, even get alerts when your return is accepted and on its way to your bank account. Plus, your information can be transferred over from your federal to your state return for easy completion. The upside to this app is that it's free to prepare and free to e-file.
TurboTax SnapTax - File both your federal and state taxes by snapping a photo of your W2s and answering a few questions. You can e-file both federal and state returns, but it'll cost you $25.

6 Tax Breaks For Science and Technology Enthusiasts

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:26:42 PDT

The tax man is sneaking up; with this year's deadline to file income taxes on Tuesday, April 17, don't spare one second to get your finances in order. If you're in fear of owing money, there may be some deductions you never realized were available just by being your science- and tech-savvy self! Check to see if you qualify for any of the six possible tax breaks below, and include them when you file your taxes.

Science museum memberships - As a member of a museum, a portion of your membership contribution dollars should be tax deductible. Check with the museum staff to see how much the membership donations can be claimed with Uncle Sam.
Science education - If you're currently in school there are major tax breaks to be had to offset college costs. There is some upside to cramming all night for the biochem final after all.
Buy a raffle ticket to space in support of charity - As io9 explains, you can buy a raffle ticket for a suborbital ride with Trans Lunar Research, which is a tax-exempt nonprofit. If you don't win, that gamble can be written off as a charitable contribution; if you do win, the value of the journey would need to be reported to the IRS as income.
Computer costs - Had to buy a computer for use in your everyday work life? If that computer is a requirement of your company, then its value can be added to your list of tax deductions.
Science or technology magazines - In any career you'll want to stay up to date with the happenings of your field, and IRS-approved tax deductions on relevant magazines in your industry make it that much easier to do so. Lucky you for getting to keep up with the world of science in and out of the office!
Volunteering at your child's science fair - Just kidding, as far as we know taking an interest in your kid's school science programs won't affect Tax Day, but just having a child will earn you a tax credit.

Source: Flickr User 401K

Don’t Forget These 5 Tax Breaks

Kiplinger — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:44:21 PDT

Tax Day is nearing and when you're rushing to file, don't forget these tax breaks cited by Kiplinger for a bigger tax refund.

With the tax-filing deadline coming up very soon, I'm still getting a lot of questions from people about potential tax breaks. Before you file, see if you’re eligible for the following deductions and tax credits.

Tax breaks for college costs. The American Opportunity tax credit can lower your tax bill by up to $2,500 if you spend at least $4,000 in tuition, required fees, books and course materials for the year. It applies to the first four years of postsecondary education. To qualify, your modified adjusted gross income must be less than $160,000 if you are married filing jointly, or $80,000 if you are single (the credit phases out completely at $180,000 for married couples, or $90,000 for single filers). The Lifetime Learning Credit applies to all years of postsecondary education (including graduate school) and can lower your tax bill by up to $2,000 per return. To qualify for the full credit, your modified adjusted gross income must be less than $100,000 if you are married filing jointly or $50,000 if you are single. The size of the credit phases out until your income reaches $120,000 if you are married filing jointly or $60,000 if single. See Tax Breaks and Credits For College Costs for more information.

Extra credit for saving. If you contributed to a traditional or Roth IRA, a 401(k) or another retirement savings plan, you may qualify for the retirement savers' tax credit, which can reduce your tax bill by up to $1,000 per person. To claim the savers' credit for 2011, your adjusted gross income must be $28,250 or less if you're single; $42,375 or less if you file your tax return as head of household; or $56,500 or less if you are married filing jointly. See A Tax Credit For Retirement Savers for more information.

Read on for more.