100 DOLLARS A WEEK - Day 11...

I'm pretty much a DIY kind of person but for a few things that I learned, either by personal experience or sufficient anecdotal evidence, come with a severe idiot tax for anyone foolhardy enough to attempt them without plenty of experience and regular practice. Things like plumbing for instance, anything generally mechanical that requires more than a screwdriver, laying tile, remodeling the kitchen, that sort of thing. And beyond a certain level of simplicity, like when you start thinking *Sweet Jesus, this just CAN'T be all the deductions. :/*, also TAXES.

While my tax situation is much simpler now, there was a time not so long ago that it was slightly more complicated due to self-employment and investment related issues. And during that time, one of the best things I ever did for myself as the person who was primarily responsible for my family's finances, was to find myself a good CPA. And now as I'm dealing with some tax issues from that past life that come with ever so subtly intimidating letters from the IRS, I can't tell you how glad I am that I have a good CPA/tax attorney whom I can call and who, through many years of practice and experience, was able to diagnose my problem and provide an effective solution within five minutes, and give me peace of mind just as quickly.

I don't wanna read it. Do you wanna read it???

I'm not talking about "tax preparers" like H&R Block who often charge you INSANE checkbox fees to have your taxes filed by someone who just completed their tax preparation course last month. I mean an experienced, knowledgeable CPA who knows the ins and outs of the tax code (all 16,845 pages of it) and the workings of the IRS and applicable tax boards, and who can set your mind at ease with a mere phone call before you can drive yourself bananas contemplating the hypothetical unknown.

While this has nothing to do with cooking, it is tangentially related to this series on frugal cooking because this is an area of life in which many of us are penny wise and pound foolish. I remember hearing from a friend a couple years ago that they had paid $900 to have an H&R Block tax preparer file their taxes, while my CPA who is also a tax attorney charged a third of that and fielded all my questions in the off-season to boot. While going to a tax preparer is not exactly DIY, it is often marketed as something easier, more accessible, less expensive than the often superior alternative of going to an experienced CPA with a good reputation.

This is not a blind endorsement of all CPAs, nor is it a blanket criticism of aforementioned tax preparers or of actually doing your taxes yourself (I did for many years until it just didn't make sense or cents to anymore). But if you're getting to a point in your finances where the tax code is affecting you beyond the standard deductions, finding a good CPA on whom you can rely for sound tax and other financial advice may be something to consider. Because remember, not even in bankruptcy can you escape the clutches of the Internal Revenue Service... :|

BREAKFAST

Having been awoken midsleep by a very needy wiener (dog), the Man and I both woke up late feeling like this:

So breakfast was an assembly job of yogurt topped with jam and honey and cereal.

   2 servings of yogurt $1.00
+ 2 servings of cereal $1.00
+ 2 cups of coffee $0.40

= BREAKFAST: $2.40 total, $1.20/serving

LUNCH

Lunch for the Man was the remainder of last night's tacos, all accounted for yesterday but for 1/8 of a wheel of queso fresco and some grapes.

For me, since I've been working on domestic financial issues and such, 2 mostly hard boiled eggs and a handful of grapes I'm still working on. And I'm exhausted, so it looks like another 2 cups of coffee in just a bit here.

Love a little sriracha with my hard boiled eggs... :)

   Grapes for 2 @ $1.00
+ 2 hard boiled eggs @ $0.30
+ 2 cups of coffee @ $0.40

= LUNCH: $1.70 total.

Dinner will be that Thai style fried tilapia that I was planning, along with some red cabbage, mint and cilantro slaw, and some steamed jasmine rice. And I'm pretty sure that's not going to be enough food for us today, so I might bust out the chicken livers as a pre-dinner snack. Yummy, delicious, liver-y goodnesssss...

And since I've still got a buttload of limes left, and it makes sense with the meal, I'll probably make more of that ginger-infused limeade we had yesterday.

Dinner and snack together will probably run us about 6 bucks, but I'll be back with the breakdown and pics in a bit.

Here's to Max (my CPA),

shinae

@7:35 PM

SNACK

So snack was chicken livers and onions like I planned. I took half a white onion and sauteed it til it was translucent, added just a pinch of salt and pepper, and a light splash of Balsamic vinegar to give the onions just a little bit of extra sweetness and tartness. Set those aside, and sauteed the chicken livers with just a little salt and pepper until they were just cooked through and still creamy. Just a squeeze of fresh lime and a few dashes of Tabasco, and it was the perfect snack to wash down with a couple of Sierra Nevada Pale Ales.

   1 small container of chicken livers @ $1.75
+ half an onion plus odd seasonings @ $0.25 (beers out of Entertainment budget)

= SNACK: $2.00 total

DINNER

I was thisclose to just clipping a fried chicken coupon and making some slaw to go with, but I made the whole fried generally Southeast Asian style tilapia as planned, and I'm glad I did because it was delicious. Red cabbage, mint and cilantro slaw on the side, both the slaw and the fish dressed with some habanero laced nuoc cham I made a few weeks ago.

nuoc cham with some extra lime and deep fried onions...

   a whole tilapia @ $1.75
+ 1/2 an onion and some fresh mint, cilantro, and ginger @ $0.25
+ 1/4 head of red cabbage @ $0.60
+ 2 green onions @ $0.10
+ 2 cups of jasmine rice @ $0.80
+ 1 small Hass avocado that I ate with the leftover slaw @ $0.60
+ 2 freezer pops we ate after dinner @ $0.10

= DINNER: $4.20 total, $2.10/serving


Saturday:  $15.00
Sunday:  $23.00
Monday:  $8.00
Tuesday:  $10.00

$56.00 spent so far with three days left to go. I don't know what I'm going to pack for the Man's lunch tomorrow, but it'll probably have something to do with the leftover steamed Jasmine rice and a fried egg. Maybe a raw veg bibim bahp.

Til tomorrow...