Reading (For Dummies)

Uncle Sam's Saving Account

I love spring for a lot of reasons. The days get longer, the weather gets warmer. Thoughts turn to mating with nubile nymphs in the woods; tax season rolls around.

Most people groan at the fabulous April deadline, but I made a choice many years ago that I will not regret for the rest of my life. Every time I get a job, I request that an extra $10 be taken out of each paycheck as income tax, and claim 0 deductions. So, every year in the spring I get back between $500-1000. I call it my interest free savings account. Thanks, Uncle Sam.

Not only is it nice to get this bonus in the spring...money I'd probably waste on useless crap throughout the year...it also helps out the government as a short-term interest-free loan...the government gets to do something useful with my $~750 over the year without having to pay me until later. Kind of nice. Who knows if it really helps them, though.