Thursday, March 28, 2013

Avoiding the Dreaded Audit


File cabinet and folders
The tax deadline is coming up in a few weeks.  When submitting your taxes, you hope you will not be audited because of a slight mistake.  These are three simple ways to avoid being audited, and making sure your taxes are done correctly.  You can learn more at RealSimple.





  • Report all your income. You must tell the IRS about every penny of income that you make, including stock dividends, cash payments, gambling winnings, jury-duty payments, and unemployment benefits. The amounts must match the forms that are submitted to the federal government by your employer, banks, or third-party payers. If there is even one digit off, the IRS could note the mismatch and generate an inquiry.
  • Be cautious when claiming deductions. Be prepared to back up every deduction—particularly car write-offs, charitable contributions, and business purchases—with written documentation, especially if you are self-employed or make more than $100,000. And be precise: Deductions rounded to the nearest hundred-dollar amount could up your risk. “That signals you are not keeping records,” says Frederick W. Daily, author of Stand Up to the IRS (Nolo, $35, amazon.com).
  • Check your work. A simple math error won’t automatically trigger an audit, but it can give the IRS a reason to revisit your return, which increases the odds that it might find other problems. When figuring your taxes, check your math. Twice. Or hire a reputable tax preparer (but never sign your return until you have reviewed it). You can also use a computer program, like Turbo-Tax. The software won’t make silly mistakes.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Emory's Alternative Spring Break

What did you do on your spring break?  Emory University offered students an alternative spring break full of service and opportunities for other communities.  Students did everything from experiencing homelessness to helping Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans.  Keep reading to learn more, and you can learn how you can participate at Emory University.

Chances are most Emory students spent their spring break on the beach or relaxing at home in preparation for the rest of the semester.

Not the 115 students who participated in Alternative Spring Break trips this year.

Coordinated by Volunteer Emory, the Alternative Spring Break trips are intended to "create new opportunities for Emory students to explore social justice in various frameworks of understanding," according to the Volunteer Emory website.

The six groups went to Kissimmee, Fla.; New Orleans; Charleston, S.C.; Nashville, Tenn.; Bolton, N.C.; and also took to the streets of the city of Atlanta — the latter, quite literally.

An Atlanta service 'staycation'

Now in its second year, the Atlanta trip immersed students in the issue of homelessness, as well as hunger and poverty. The students volunteered at various shelters during the day. They were given a total of $7 for food for the entire week, had to walk from shelter to shelter, many of which were often miles apart, and sleep outside for three nights.

Additionally, the 13 participants were not allowed to shower, change clothes or brush their teeth, as they endured rainy nights in order to experience what living on the street is actually like.

Atlanta trip leader Shyama Appareddy, an Emory junior, said the experience "definitely humbled participants." She acknowledged that while the students had the security of knowing they were safe and could go home after the immersion, they experienced some of the physical discomforts that people have to deal with while sleeping outside.

"We can never really understand the emotional or psychological trauma endured by someone who is actually homeless," adds Appareddy. "A lot of our participants realized their own privilege."

By volunteering and visiting agencies like the Open Door Community and the City of Refuge, participants were able to converse with homeless people and hear their stories of what led to their situation, as well as their aspirations for overcoming them.

"Our goal was — and is — to reduce the distance between 'us' and 'them' by connecting with our homeless neighbors and hearing their stories," Appareddy says.

Natural disaster relief in New Orleans


Alternative Spring Break participants help out in New Orleans.

Over seven years have passed since Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast; New Orleans is still reeling from the devastating consequences of the storm.

New Orleans Alternative Spring Break participants helped various agencies like the Louisiana Boys and Girls Club, Renew Schools, St. Paul’s Homecoming and Green Light New Orleans with tasks that range from installing energy-saving light bulbs in homes to cleaning up a lumber yard.

Emory sophomores Kayla Pak and Jaime Cheung led the New Orleans trip that focused on natural disaster relief.

"The most rewarding experience in New Orleans was getting to know the people in the city," says Pak. "Although some days we made less impact with our service, the residents never failed to express their thanks."

Pak, in an email to Emory Report, attached a letter that one of the agencies sent to the participants that read:

"You have made a big difference to our city and to the citizens that call it home. I only hope that the lives you touched with your acts of kindness pay it forward. Some of the tasks probably seemed mundane and some people may have seemed unappreciative. But know that the people who really care about this unique city called the Big Easy are very grateful to your group. We recognize that you could have gone anywhere for Spring Break but chose to give a big part of yourself to us. Thank u for that. Never feel that what u are doing regarding service work is ever useless Because if it comes from your heart it is the greatest gift u can give."

Cultural connection in North Carolina

Nneamaka Ifeadike spent her break with the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe in southeast North Carolina.

"I had a really fulfilling journey," says Ifeadike of the six days she spent with the tribal community, focusing on community building and cooperation.

The goal of the North Carolina trip was to "connect the Emory community with Native American communities, and to respect and appreciate culture that is different from ours," according to the Volunteer Emory website.

Students on other Alternative Spring Break trips spent time learning about food production and consumption in South Carolina; community-building in Florida; and focusing on various aspects of poverty and social justice in Tennessee.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Organizing Your Closet By Season

Do you have small closets, or do you just have a lot of clothes?  Separating your clothes by season can be a great way to save space. It also gives you the ability to periodically go through your clothes and clean out what items you do not want anymore.  Keep reading to learn three great reasons about organizing your closet by season.  If you want some tips or more information, you can check out apartment therapy.

2013_3_7-packing.jpgWhen I was a kid growing up in New York, it was a spring ritual to go through the box of summer clothes my mother had packed away the previous fall, trying them on to see what fit and what was, and wasn't, usable.

Now that I live in Los Angeles where it's always sunny and 70 degrees (not really), I'd fallen out of the habit of packing away summer clothes. After all, a particularly hot day in February might encourage a spontaneous trip to the beach, when I'd need a bathing suit. But, recently, I've picked up the habit again, sucking everything meant for three digit temperatures into Space Bags for the winter.

Now that the temperature's starting to warm up (seriously, it does get chilly here), I've started unpacking my stuff while making a mental list of the wintery things that will be the first to be packed away. Besides a closet in which I can actually see what I own, I've discovered a few other unexpected benefits to this childhood ritual:

• I'm forced to go through my clothes with a critical eye, discarding what no longer works or fits, or is beyond repair. The forced examination of my wardrobe has resulted in its considerable thinning. Unexpected benefit: a smaller wardrobe but one which actually works better (which means getting dressed in the morning — getting dressed period — takes half as long as it used to. No more clothes tornadoes. Another benefit.).

• With a few modifications, my closet can hold everything I need in one place: By keeping only the present season's wardrobe in my closet, I discovered that I didn't need a dresser after all. Unexpected benefit: more room in my bedroom, no money spent on storage furniture.

• Grouping clothing by season and by activity, it's easier to assess what works for my wardrobe and my life and what doesn't. Now I can look at a catalog and quickly figure out if I need something or not. Turns out, I have enough black tie dresses to last me an entire awards season (if anyone needs a date). Unexpected benefit: saving money.

Do you pack away clothes when the seasons change?

Thursday, March 7, 2013

An Organized Home Office


Kvissle-desk-organizer__0161877_pe302260_s4_rect540Do you like to keep an organized off and work area?  These tools are designed to help you maximize your space, and it will help you keep everything in the proper place.   Keep reading and check out apartment therapy for more organization tips.
  

The perfectly coiffed office doesn't have to cost a fortune. Some of the best storage solutions — the ones that keep office clutter sorted, numbered and at-arms-reach — are right under your nose (or a short drive away). Here are our favorite finds from popular retail chains across the country.

KVISSLE
It holds your pens, rulers, cell phone, binder clips, mail, and anything else you can find space for on your desktop. Here's your one-stop command station.
KVISSLE desk organizer, $5.99, IKEA

FLYT
Organize magazines, books, user manuals, warranty info, or any other pamphlets or paperwork into these holders. They're so inexpensive you can afford to fill up your shelves with dozens of them.
FLYT magazine rack, $1.99/5-pack, IKEA

Multiples Pencil Holder
Don't let the name mislead you. This colorful desktop piece can corral more than pencils. Stash other tools and trinkets in here, or roll up paperwork that you need at an arm's reach. And you can always leave a tube or two open for a fresh bloom. Organization can be pretty, too.
Multiples Pencil Holder, $48, Anthropologie

SPONTAN
Mount this on the wall to catch magazines and mail as they come into your workspace. Or keep it propped against the side of your desk to keep current docs or reference materials handy. The metal surface means you can also tack up notes and memos with small magnets.
SPONTAN magazine rack, $9.99, IKEA

Box Box
Storage boxes will always rule supreme in office organiztion. And these mismatche Scandanavian paper boxes are gorgeous enough to leave out on the shelf.
Box Box Small, $56/7 boxes, Design Within Reach

KASSETT
If it fits, it stores. Keep paper, cords, computer peripherals, photos, printer ink, extra tape and staples—literally anything!— out of sight but top-of-mind with these easily-labeled colorful storage bins.
KASSETT box with lid, $6.99/2-pack, IKEA

Chalkboard Office Accessories
Keep paperwork, periodicals and pencils in perfect order with these conatiners. This file box, magazine holder and pencil cup are covered in a chalkboard surface, so you can label, erase, and then label again.
Chalkboard Office Accessories, $4.50-$39.95, CB2

ALGOT
Four deep drawers, plus an extra desktop surface area. If you need a one-stop office storage solution, this is it. The Algot system is endlessly customizable, too, if you ever want to add-on or switch pieces out.
ALGOT frame with 4 mesh baskets and top shelf, $42.99, IKEA

Bounce Doodad Cup
These cylinders with stackable red silicone bases make quick work of organizing a desktop or drawer. And glass sides mean that you can see everything inside at a glance.
Bounce Doodad Cup, $4.95, CB2

Tag Store Bins
Plastic bins? Old news, we know. But they're still one of the best tools for keeping your office—or any other space—organized. These stackable, color-coded bins from Crate & Barrel feature a small dry-erase panel on the front for easy labeling.Tag Store Bins, $6.50-$19.95, Crate & Barrel
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