Quote:
Originally Posted by FloatThruThis
Checking in. Making baby steps. I’m thinking of updating this thread at least monthly with my progress, or lack thereof:
1) I ended up recycling one very small 3”x5” homemade notepad I made from scratch paper, so I’m down to 52 notebooks, sketchbooks, & tablets to be used up now.
I’ve been thinking of ideas for the rest, including copying my favorite coloring book pages onto them with some carbon paper I bought years ago at a thrift shop & never used.
2) I’m starting my tax goal by trying to get 2022’s taxes out of the way via freetaxusa.com. It was free for federal; state was $14.99. I’ve never used them before.
Last year I used TurboTax & it was perfectly fine (if I remember correctly). Federal was free & I think state was $50, I don’t remember. This was after trying trying & failing to do it for free from the sites either irs.gov or my state’s website suggested.
Well, I’m having a problem already. My federal return is getting rejected for an “Identity Protection Personal Identification Number” (IP PIN). I don’t know it. So I’m trying to get it from irs.gov & it’s a real pain in the buttocks.
I would be tempted to go back to TurboTax, but freetaxusa.com already charged me. Of course. My taxes are very straightforward though, so there’s that. I will try again tomorrow to get the IP PIN from irs.gov.
In looking through my accumulated tax documents, it could be I didn’t file 2018, 2019, or 2020? It’s okay I think, since I had no income, but I don’t think I got my stimulus checks either?
I have w2s & tax returns dating back to 2002. I think I can shred most of them. I had thought you were supposed to hold onto them for 7 years, but I’m getting conflicting information from the internet. Imagine that.
3) Looking at my library system’s website, I found 2 books about death planning & put them in my to be read pile. I already have a binder & (maybe) plastic sheet protectors I can use for this.
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March update:
1) I’m currently reading a library book about different journaling techniques. Some ideas I’ve had are: copying coloring pages into empty sketchbooks (artprojectsforkids.org & supercoloring.com both have the fine art/famous painting coloring pages I love for free), a daily dream diary with room for notes & drawings, & a daily doodle book. I’ve made more in depth notes about format based on previous attempts of the last two ideas in my current dot journal.
2) I successfully retrieved my IP PIN from irs.gov & filed my 2022 taxes. Both federal & state refunds are showing in my checking account as of 2/28. I determined, of my previous years’ unfiled returns, only 2020’s needed to be filed in order to get my missing stimulus checks. I filed for 2020 & see that my missing stimulus checks are pending deposit in my checking account with a possible deposit date of 3/8. I shredded tax records from 2014 & back. A lot of feelings came up looking through the old paperwork, but I think this just about puts this goal to rest?!
3) I found & gathered together binder, plastic sheet protectors, and dividers I already owned so I didn’t have to buy anything. I checked out one book from the library about death planning, but I haven’t started reading it yet.
I’m feeling good enough about my progress so far.