Ask the Readers: Do you Procrastinate? (Win an $89 Tax Prep Prize!)
)
)
Photo credit:
emyerson Do you procrastinate? I admit I put many things off until the last minute (like my taxes). If you have found yourself STILL not done with your return, check out these last-minute tips from HR Block:
- Life changes can mean tax savings. If you bought a home, got a paycheck, invested in higher education or are a parent, you could take advantage of several tax incentives for your 2009 filing.
- It's not too late to impact your taxes by April 15. There are three things you can do now to impact your 2009 return: contribute to an IRA, health savings account or buy a home.
- Filing an extension is not an extension to pay. If you file an extension, you have until Oct. 15 to submit a completed tax return. But to avoid failure-to-pay penalties, taxpayers should estimate their bill and send at least 90 percent of what they owe with the extension by the April 15 filing deadline.
- Don't overlook key deductions.Taxpayers might not realize they can deduct certain medical expenses, job search expenses, charitable donations, and state and local taxes.
- Taxes are complicated, but there's help! With nearly 300 new tax law changes this year, taxpayers may need help figuring out whether they're getting all the credits and deductions they're due.
What other things do you put off? Besides taxes, is there something that you just don't seem to do until the very last moment? We'd love to hear your comments? If you've blogged about this recently, feel free to link to your post or article! Share your thoughts, either below in the comments or on Twitter, and you could be entered to win an H&R Block Premium software product valued at $89 or a $20 Amazon gift card!
Win an H&R Block software product (ARV $89) or a $20 Amazon gift card:
We're doing two giveaways — one for random comments, and another one for a random tweets.
How to Enter:
- Post your answer in the comments below and be sure to tell us which prize you'd like to win, or
- Tweet your answer. Include both "@wisebread" and "#WBAsk" in your tweet so we'll see it and count it. (Please also indicate "GC" or "Tax" to let us know which prize you want.)
If you're inspired to write a whole blog post, please link to it in the comments or tweet it.
At the end of the drawing, we'll update this post to include (and link to) all of your helpful responses.
Giveaway Rules:
- Contest ends Friday, April 9th at 11:59 am CST. Winners will be announced after April 9th on the original post and via Twitter. Winners will also be contacted via email and Twitter Direct Message.
- You can enter both drawings — once by leaving a comment and once by tweeting.
- Only tweets that contain both "@wisebread" and "#WBAsk" will be entered. (Otherwise, we won't see it.)
Good luck!
Tagged: Giveaways, Ask the Readers
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
n/t
but this is in reply to the would you relocate for the perfect job post.
Paying bills - especially medical bills
GC
I never put off taxes but I've also never had to pay (Federal at least...state we've paid once).
Sure I procrastinate but never involving money. Only household things like ironing, putting away laundry and mopping!
I'm writing a musical this month. I should be working on it, but instead I'm writing this comment. That should tell you.
GC
I definitely procrastinate on things especially related to money. I always request an extension for my taxes. I actually put off filing returns for four years. Not a good look. I also procrastinate with cleaning, organizing, and returning calls. A lot of it has to do with being monkey minded and feeling overwhelmed. I know it's not good. Le sigh.
This may be strange but...
I find that when I have a presentation to do for work, it helps to think about it for a while, but not actually do it until one to two days before it is due. All the ideas I have been thinking about come together at the same time and I don't get writer's block!
The Amazon card will certainly get good use.
Housework and Christmas Cards. I do my taxes immediately because I use my return to finance my vacation.
I almost procrastinated answering this question too!
I am a born procrastinator...I clean my house the morning that I am getting visitors and I am always late in paying my Gas Bill...last month it had been about 7 months since I paid it. I just kept putting it off. Its finally paid..IN FULL!
Not too badly with money, but when it comes to home improvement projects and cleaning I'm terrible! I also sometimes put off appointments I dread like going to the dentist.
I always procrastinate. But I'll do my taxes ASAP (this year was in February) if I'm due a refund I file right away, otherwise I wait until April 15...
We always pay bills promptly, no late fees here. Letting the govt USE the interest from the tax return is not an issue, is kinda our contribution to the fight against the federal debt. & then for it to be spent so unwisely & arrogantly just slays us, but we are TRYING to remain good citizens. Have to agree w/most the posters here (yes, we put off housework til the people are less than 1 hr away, the stack of ironing is 3 feet tall), but sometimes it's best in the end, b/c we try not to get upset @ our procrastinating hearts. & the guests don't show up or the ironing is not needed til...so why were we agitated?
Are actually worse procrastinators. You see, while I put off doing things, I eventually get them done. Before that, I get a lot of nothing done. People who don't procrastinate usually move from one task to the next without stopping to do nothing. They never get nothing done, whereas I always get nothing done FIRST.
I used to procrastinate all the time when I was in college. I haven't really continued that trend after graduation except in one area... cleaning. I really hate cleaning and put it off as long as I can stand it.
I procrastinate waking up every single morning. I don't even get out of bed the 4th time my alarm clock blares in my ear; I just hit it and roll back over.
I put off unpleasant phone calls.
Okay, I put off most any phone calls as I tend to find all of them unpleasant.
And looking for a new job.
The worst.
Already did my taxes, so I'll go with the $20 gift cert.
I need to get better at not underestimating the time it takes for certain tasks involving paperwork (taxes) and not assuming I'll do them flawlessly right before the deadline.
Gift card please.
Yes, definitely on pretty much everything. Except doing taxes this year because my husband already did it. But wait until next year when it's my turn to do it!
GC
I promise I'll post a reply soon...hopefully before the deadline. I really want to win that amazon giftcard for a water filter I've been meaning to buy. Thanks!
Sadly, I have only procrastinated twice in my 62 year life. The one occasion was a colonoscopy issue, and the other situation I can not remember.
GC
I live by the Procrastinator's Creed. I procrastinate on everything, except bills and arriving somewhere on time. I can't seem to get things done if I don't have a deadline looming over me.
Gift card please since the taxes are done.
I wrote something about this a while back on Queercents.
Frugality is one form of Procrastination....some people hate to clean so put it off...the Frugal hate to spend money so we put off buying things.
While WE don't call it Procrastination, instead mainly "delayed gratification", to many of my friends they think/say I procrastinate when I need to buy something or something needs to be replaced.
I'm just looking for the best price/deal while making sure the "thing" that needs replacing is truly worn out or perhaps even deciding if its something I really need to have in the first place.
If there's an important email, I'll procrastinate until the last minute because I'm afraid of saying the wrong thing. I'll write part of it but then it will sit in my drafts folder FOREVER! Not good since this happens with IMPORTANT emails.... *sigh*
I never procrastinate. I just get things done in the order of importance, and let the work lie fallow until it's needed.. teehee.
Any housework is put off for as long as possible.
I procrastinate all the time - as I did before finally posting this comment! Fortunately, I have done my taxes, so I would love the Amazon gift card.
I am still working on graduate school applications; it has been three years so far... =)
No use saving for later something that's usually unpleasant. I like to get things done and out of the way so that I can move on to the next task.
I procrastinate, but I always stay on schedule I give myself a "to be completed date" on most projects and I usually wait longer than I'd like to complete them, but I always do before my date.
Seems like half of the comments above are just there to win the prize.
What a shame....
I actually got my taxes done early, and usually do unless I'm waiting for W-2s and 1099s... but I tend to procrastinate most frequently about cleaning my apartment.
Only if I am a little burned out. So far I have been able to overcome it once I recognize what is going on.
I consider myself a pretty driven person.
I am so good at procrastination! (Trust me, I have a sewing project for my bedroom curtains--the material has been laying on my ironing board--ironed--next to my sewing machine in my bedroom for 11 months straight! Still no curtains.) If there is something that has to be done, I can eventually get it done. But if there is something I'd rather do, I find a way to do what I'd like to do first!
(Mostly that "something" is reading, which is why I LOVE Amazon and would like to enter that contest--more reasons to procrastinate!)
I procrastinate when it comes to house maintenance. Right now, the bathroom is calling to me for recaulking (has been calling for months). I'm just horrible at it and would utterly fail any sort of home ec/housekeeping class.
I already did my taxes, so gift card!
I really don't intend to. I help two of my sons w/ their taxes & mine always seems to get done at the last minute... I always say that 'next year will be different, I will be first'.... Then life happens & I am last, again.
I just don't like checking voicemail. I'd rather read an email. I love Google Voice for its voicemail transcripts. But now I'd better check my work phone, where I think I have three messages.
I've never put off my taxes. I always have them figured approximately by January 31 using end-of-year pay stubs and info from websites (mortgage interest, etc.). Then I file as soon as I get my W-2 forms.
GC
... and I usually put that off till tomorrow or the next day.
In all seriousness, I'm with #34 - I HATE checking VM. I blame that on my visual learning bias, and it's a primary reason for wanting a Droid or Nexxus One - they have visual voicemail. I may love hearing my husband's voice, but sometimes I just don't process the information well when I'm listening to him over the phone.
And in classes, I put off reading to no end. Oh, and papers. I'm notorious for writing papers the night before or morning of their due date.
Moneywise, the only thing I procrastinate is balancing the books. I like doing it, but I need a chunk of time, which can be difficult to find. Almost all of my bills are on automatic pay - otherwise, I KNOW I'd find ways to procrastinate on that. No me gusta late fees!
GC
I'd like to win the Amazon giftcard. That'd be awesome!
I am a terrible procrastinator - exhibit a, I am not working right now.
I *did* manage to buy tax software, so I am in for the Amazon - thank s;)
Hi, Last fall I was in Half Price bookstore and saw a fun daytimer for 2010 called The Procrastinators Daytimer, did I buy it that day? NO. And when I went back all gone and they don't reorder out-of-stocks so out of luck! I would be lucky if I won a gift card. Maybe Amazon has the daytimer for 2011 then I could get a jump on it. Do not put off taxes if am due a refund but if I owe will wait til funds are in the bank account closest to 4/15.