🤓The Ultimate Tax Prep Tool Kit🧑‍💻

Has nothing to do with income, taxes, or Uncle Sam.

Can someone please tell me why we don’t talk more about this quote?

Happy Leap Day!

Are you celebrating by… doing your taxes? Or thinking about your taxes? If so, you’re in the right place. If not, you’re also in the right place because wherever you are in your tax journey, I want you to know I 👀 you.

And since you’re opening this on a Leap Day, I feel like we can play with time and timelines a bit, so let’s go back a few days to when I wrote this email.

It was Monday night when I wrote this newsletter.

I took a walk before dinner to get some fresh air and appreciate the gorgeous 🌄.

I thought the walk and my delicious chickpea tofu and sweet potato leftovers would invigorate me before sitting down to work on what you’re reading.

But do you know what?

I was spent. 🥱

Not from my walk. Not from a weekend of travel. Not because of lack of sleep.🛌

I was exhausted because I spent the weekend getting my taxes ready for my CPA.

And it’s not like my taxes are super complicated… but they’re complicated enough for a writer (like myself). I stress the writer part to remind all the numbers people that my brain works differently than yours.

While you’re creating spreadsheets, I’m writing a newsletter about my theory on Excel. (I try to stay away from it because I feel like it could lead to heart disease. All those columns and formulas. 🫀So. Very. Stressful.🫀)

And I know. I know. Excel spreadsheets would make itemizing everything so much easier. I do use Excel a little bit. But a little bit is not an accounting term, nor an efficient way to run one’s finances. I realize I need to upgrade my current systems (which get the job done, btw) so that tax prep and budgeting is much smoother. And frankly, a little more 2024, shall we say.

Photo by Rubaitul Azad on Unsplash

Alternate Excel theory… there’s a reason the “X” is part of their logo. To warn us.

But this knowledge didn’t help me this weekend when my office floor was full of tidy little piles of files and receipts, as well as three Mac devices (for retrieval, email, and YouTube entertainment), and the steady hum of my printer running strong as I curated the snapshot of this past year’s business.

Isn’t that much more interesting than a spreadsheet?

And wouldn’t you know, it’s What I’d Rather Be Talking About this week:

It seems to me that systems can work for us

until they don’t.

And yes, I meant to emphasize systems as a broad term to include things like tax prep, budgeting, relationships, jobs, living situations, health practices… ETC.

We can skate around doing things the way we’ve always done them, thinking we’re the cat’s meow 🐈

until we finally realize it’s time to change things up.

Personally, that realization hit me while surrounded by a sea of receipts, sitting criss-cross apple sauce 🧘‍♀️🍎 in the middle of my office floor on a Saturday night. #laststraw

This is why I’ll be asking my CPA, “Tell me again about this thing you call Excel.”

(And is there a version for Creatives?)

It’s all about continuous improvement, baby.

But hey, good news for you all… my weekend of tax hell is your win. I’ve put together some resources below to get you through your tax, school, work, colonoscopy, or any other difficult preps you’ve got lined up. Fun stuff to distract or enhance the task at hand.

Let’s go.

✌️&❤️ ,

Abbey

---

Simplicity is the name of the game here because if you’re prepping for something, you’ve got enough on your plate.

PODCASTS:

• I’ve always loved Nate Berkus because he seems so real. (And has amazing taste.) This is confirmed in the Cathy Heller Podcast episode, Nate Berkus in the Small Moments In Between.

• An important episode of So Money with Farnoosh Torabi, Taxes Are Due Soon, Don’t Make These Mistakes.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

STREAMING:

• Feeling overwhelmed? Maybe you need to look at your environment, and declutter a bit. This video will help.

• Don’t forget, Season 7 of Somebody Feed Phil comes out on Netflix tomorrow, March 1!

• Almost as a protest to the whole tax system, while working on mine I listened to Inspirational Music For Creative People. Or if you just want to chill, try this Beautiful Relaxing Music. If all else fails, there’s always the 80s.

Speaking of the 80s… do you have a Walkman laying around? If so, you could get big bucks for it! Retro tech is hot!

Photo by Florian Schmetz on Unsplash

WELLNESS & WOO-WOO

• Wellness: Just a word of advice. Do everything you can to feel good while you tackle your big project - workout before, during, or after (whatever suits you). Take stretch breaks. Hydrate. Play motivational podcasts in the background like this one- and find out what wellness products to buy in 2024.

• Woo-Woo: Since we’re talking taxes, let’s talk money. And how to bring more in. Watch this video to learn how cleaning your house attracts money. (Note: requires more than paper towel and Windex.)

Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash

EAT

• Stay fueled with 33 office snacks to keep you healthy and energized and the best vegan protein bars. And just a question - if you haven’t tried Mid-Day Squares, what are you even doing with your life?

• You can say you hate doing taxes, but you can’t say, “I have no idea what to make for dinner” because here are 51 Set and Forget Slow Cooker Meals.

  

  Photo by Cooker King on Unsplash

ON A SERIOUS NOTE

Whether you’re facing tax prep, a big work or home project, school work, or find yourself in the midst of a health situation and needing to focus on your recovery… the most important key to success is your attitude.

A positive mental attitude not only makes you feel better, it tends to spill over into whatever you’re doing and bring a bit of magic to the challenge at hand.

If you can’t muster up your own magic, reach out to your people and ask them to help.

We’ll get through tax season.

We’ll get through the challenges.

One spreadsheet at a time.

Even without spreadsheets.

See you Saturday,

Abbey