Paying Taxes! - A Necessary Evil BUT!

I found out something very interesting about the local tax that I have to pay in my area.  It's bad enough that this tax has to be paid but to add insult to injury it seems that it would be better for one if they are very careful as to how they fill out the forms.  I'm speaking specifically of the quarterly returns that have to be filled out with "estimated" income.  There is a minimum amount that is exempt but lets say that you made under the minimum for that quarter but you want to list it on the quarterly (dare I say be a good citizen and all that).  It turns out that ANY amount that you list as income for that quarter is subject to the tax - regardless of the amount (even if its below the minimum!.  Let's say for example you list a small income source of say $50.  Even though $50 is below the minimum amount subject to the tax if you list it on your quartely you will have to pay the tax on that $50!  Then when you file your yearly that tax amount that you paid will be refunded to you (and not in a very fast manner!). However if you just put $0 (because the amount is under the minimum) then you won't have to pay a tax on that $50.  But you will have to report the $50 for the yearly return but since its under the minimum you won't have to pay a tax on it.

I Can't Believe that the boiler is leaking!

Remember I mentioned that I was able to get a new boiler.  It was from a grant program that provided free repair or replacement and my boiler was in such bad - or should I say that it was just old - condition that they replaced it free of charge!  But when I went down to the basement (for something else) I noticed that there was water on the basement floor - something I thought that I would never see again.  Well I was a little bit rattled by that but I should be grateful that I was even able to get the darned thing for free.

At first, after seeing the puddle of water I kind of panicked wondering if something was going to "blow up" but I do remember the previous boiler when it leaked (and man did it leak!).  But just to be on the safe side I'm going to call the place and ask if there is something that can be done.  This boiler is only a few months old and I surely don't want anything to be wrong with it!

It's not only cold but its windy too!

One of the problems with living in an older house is that you can feel it when the winds are blowing strong!  Right next to me I can feel the cold air from the window.  Of course the window does have a crack in it that should really get fixed and that would probable help my heating bill as well.

The Snow is coming!

How glad I am that I still have some rock salt left over from last time!  Just as it started to snow I went outside and spread the salt.  We're getting a lot more snow though and even though spreading the salt helped at first the new snow is covering it up.  Since tomorrow is Sunday there is not as much of a rush to shovel it up but shoveling I am going to have to do!

Thank goodness I'm pretty stocked up as far as necessities are concerned so I won't have to go out traveling no time soon!

Weird messages on answering machine?

I guess anyone that has an answering machine has gotten a weird message left on theirs at least one time or another.  I don't know if they did it on purpose or if it was just an accident but it was a very weird message!  There was a lot of background noise and other peoples' voices could be heard in the background and to tell you the truth I couldn't even understand what the person was trying to say.  They probably don't even know that they dialed the wrong number.

I just got my heating bill today!

I can't believe that its so high!  It's over $200 and that is a lot!  I so need a fireplace (actually more than one) so badly.  Last month the heating bill was higher than this one!  I know its February and I know its winter but this kind of bill is really so high!  I try to conserve and stay on a budget but I just cannot turn the thermostat down any lower!

I'd be curious to hear about high others heating bills are and how they compare to mine.  I'm in the Philadelphia area by the way.