I've been involved in several direct sales organizations while in college, attempting to make some extra money on the side with companies like Avon and JuicePlus. Being a math nerd, I took meticulous records and every spreadsheet I made showed either a loss or barely breaking even. I eventually quit working on those businesses because of [...]
The first tax season as an entrepreneur can be confusing. On one hand, you are excited about your brand new venture and all the possibilities that come with being your own boss. However, you heard some random information floating around about the IRS and how now you can write off your lunches or that movie you went to see with your husband because “we talked about our business in the car on the way so really it was a business meeting”. You’re not sure what to believe, what receipts to keep, and how to manage all the details. Totally understandable. So let’s clear this up with a question a taxpayer recently asked me about business meals and mileage record-keeping: “How do you simplify your tax records for filing? For example, your mileage or meals if you take someone to lunch for your business or if you and your husband are discussing your business. Can you claim your meal?” […]
A month ago, I had the opportunity to attend The Financial Bloggers Conference, affectionately know as FinCon. As a single person getting her finances in order, I can wholeheartedly say that I am NOT doing this alone. I’ve got an army of great financial bloggers and podcasters that I subscribe to and they been a huge help to me in my journey to get debt-free. I met the majority of this “army” at FinCon, the Financial Bloggers Conference organized by Phillip Taylor (find out more about Phillip and his blog, PTMoney, here). […]
While I’m getting my finances organized, I need a system that is user-friendly, with the simplicity of an Excel spreadsheet but with room to grow as my finances evolve. I also need a system that can “be everywhere”, on my iPad, my Windows PC, my Android phone or even in a file folder. At FinCon14 , I had the honor of meeting Jesse Meacham, a former CPA and the mastermind behind YNAB (You Need a Budget) financial management software. YNAB is a great program for keeping track of my financial goals, seeing net worth at a glance, and giving every dollar a job to do. […]
Root canals. They say budgeting, tax return preparation, and other aspects of financial management rank right up there with root canals. But like a root canal, the work that is done is necessary and vital. So welcome to the dentist's chair. Here at Saidia Financial Solutions, our goal is to bring real change to financial [...]
