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Post by grasshopper on Apr 13, 2014 4:47:25 GMT -5
2012 taxes done. I haven't made copies and put in envelopes etc, but the forms are filled in.
I am not as emotional now, though it took me days to calm down.
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liza
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Joined: March 2014
Posts: 62
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Post by liza on Apr 13, 2014 21:58:38 GMT -5
Good for you! Grasshopper
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liza
New Member
Joined: March 2014
Posts: 62
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Post by liza on Apr 13, 2014 22:09:15 GMT -5
This weekend I took a lot of time off and pretty much ignored the state of the house.
I did manage to sort through a handful of paper from the front hall. And started to sort through another handful while talking on the phone. I don't recall who it was on this thread that kept mentioning taking handfuls of paper to work on. But I'm finding that's a great technique for me. A handful isn't overwhelming or frightening. And a handful doesn't trigger the feeling that I have to do all of it (whatever IT is.)
Wishing you all the best,
Liz A
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Post by cando on Apr 14, 2014 2:38:11 GMT -5
grasshopper -- Wow! You are caught up with your taxes as of this moment, it sounds like!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Excellent! liza You're doing great with the handful method! Keep it up! Today, April 12th, I worked in little sessions: Spent 15 minutes shredding - 95 papers shred, emptied shredder. 15 min. Spent going thru purse. - 1 paper "to be shred". 2 receipts into recycle bag 20 min. Organizing things & putting together a box. Put away keeper receipts in organized fashion 15 min. Working on 2013 taxes. Collating & organizing. 1 paper into recycle bag 15 min. Filing - Papers from bag on top of Buffet in Dining Room. Not nearly done with this bag. These papers that I filed were from 2012. 1 paper "to be shred" 1 catalog put in recycle bag 25 min. Sorted & filed receipts from purse. 4 into recycle bag 20 min. Spent going thru papers from top of Dining Room table -- 1 bill into Office in a Bag, 2 coupons where they go, 1 paper "to be shred", Filed several papers, 42 papers into recycle bag 20 min. Spent going thru papers from top of Dining Room table -- 1 bill into Office in a Bag, 4 coupons where they go, 3 papers filed, 10 papers & 1 paper bag into recycle bag 45 min. Going thru papers on Dining Room table - 7 coupons put away, 2 magazines put in my bedroom to read, Filed 12 papers, 4 bills put in Office in a Bag, 1 CD & 8 papers "to be shred", 3 papers into trash, 50 papers/magazine/catalog into recycle bag. Took extra long because I couldn't find a folder. *sigh* CD
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Post by grasshopper on Apr 15, 2014 3:43:02 GMT -5
You really persevered today, cando! It seems like you're a bit mentally tired from all the sorting, but I bet tomorrow will be easier. The little sessions seem to be working for you. They really work for me too. Thanks for reminding me. I think I'll try that tomorrow.
Thanks Liza. I think it's great that even though you needed to rest, you did a little bit anyway. Way to not fall into the 'all or nothing' trap! I am really working on that myself.
I finished my 2013 taxes yesterday. All the numbers and figuring are done, I just have to make good copies and put in envelopes and all that.
I really came face to face with my perfectionism when realizing I did not properly plan for deducting all the things I could have. I will have to let those deductions go because I wasn't organized enough. I tortured myself with that for a while, but the whole time I could see that this critical perfectionist itch is the source of my problems, creating a painful feeling of helplessness and failure. Eventually the feeling abated.
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Post by RoadRunner on Apr 15, 2014 8:16:56 GMT -5
GOOD WORK Paper Busting over the past week Taxes done, Shredding, Filing and Sorting. "Ya'll Rock" I have fallen off the paper clutter wagon over the past 6 days. I will play catch up over the next 3 days, which will be a total of 2.25 hours. Will be current by Friday. While it is not paper clutter I have been trying to get my Digital Life Organized. It is so hard. I have 3 hard drives, 5 computers, and to many jump drives to count of digital files. Personal as well as work related. I have been tackling just a little bit a day. I have not work on my digital files in 6 days. So I will play catch up with digital files as well. ONWARD -- Reaching for the Brass Ring
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Post by RoadRunner on Apr 15, 2014 21:12:49 GMT -5
Woot Woot -- Worked my backlog time and got caught up. DD had a Volleyball game to night actually 2 back to back. She is helping to coach a younger girls team. So I packed up enough paper clutter to work in the van while she was coaching. Total of 2 hours.
Organized medical and dental, purged coupon and clipped coupons, purged 1 bag of paper.
ONWARD
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liza
New Member
Joined: March 2014
Posts: 62
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Post by liza on Apr 15, 2014 21:31:21 GMT -5
I worked on taxes for several hours yesterday, Discovered a large error in the receipt for an annual pledge I paid monthly.
It seemed to take longer than usual to find simple facts needed to complete the forms. End result was that I figured out the maximum I'd be paying to federal and state. Today I decided to ask for an extension for both. Then it took several hours to get the forms and checks ready for the post office. I have major hang-ups about filling out forms; I check them over several times. And my stationery supplies and equipment are quite disorganized. But it got done.
Tonight the paper and other recycling go out for tomorrow's pickup.
Liz A
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liza
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Joined: March 2014
Posts: 62
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Post by liza on Apr 15, 2014 21:42:34 GMT -5
Roadrunner,
WOW! I just scrutinized your rows of tulips and the books and equipment.
Congratulations on your progress and achievements 82 items beyond your goal! And about 95% of the space completed!
I am impressed.
Liz A
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Post by catcat on Apr 16, 2014 0:13:05 GMT -5
Spent about 2 hours on phone with Health Ins. Co. & co. who set me up with them. Have spent HOURS & HOURS in 3-way conversations, begging for needed papers, etc. with both companies since January. Have been unable to file even ONE CLAIM because of incompetent, slow people at these places--well-known. Have complained nicely & bitchily both. One third of a year has passed & I have no satisfaction. I am owed this money, a widow on a fixed income & it is totally unfair. Have to wait each time they switch me to a different dept. about 45 minutes listening to a hideous repetitious violin classical piece of music. Some classical music I love; this one I hate. I am a captive audience b/c at any moment , the person can return to the phone. Seems like no dept. knows about anything but their small amt. of the picture so I keep getting changed around. Meanwhile the money that is due me cannot be obtained as the one co. demands a form that an Ins. Co. , name starting with C, cannot seem to send to me. I told someone today that if I had been this inept at my job, I would have been fired. I am usually a pretty nice person. catcat
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Post by Louie on Apr 16, 2014 2:23:21 GMT -5
love reading all this paper decluttering thats going on! good work! I completed my 2012/13 tax and finally submitted it all... phew! I'm going to start getting my papers prepared for this years tax which is due 1st July, it's going in on time from now on. I've also been puttering away at the shredding and filing.
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liza
New Member
Joined: March 2014
Posts: 62
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Post by liza on Apr 16, 2014 23:16:17 GMT -5
After dealing with taxes, I felt like I was going back to work when I grabbed a handful of papers from the front hall and began sorting. Then I did another handful. About half or a third went into recycling bag.
Liz A
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Post by cando on Apr 17, 2014 1:23:20 GMT -5
grasshopper -- Great job getting 2013 taxes done!!!! I can't get over how you just got down to it, got caught up with the past years taxes & then even tackled the most recent 2013 taxes!!! Louie - Congrats to you on getting your 2012/2013 taxes done!!! liza -- Congrats to you and me both on getting the extension filed & going ahead and making payment. As you will read further below, I did the same as you, on the 15th, and am only hoping that i got the extension and the payment in on time. RoadRunner , BetsyMarie , catcat -- Fantastic on all y'all have done!!! Frustrations, catch up & sturdy shredders -- read your posts and so impressed by the perseverance, motivation & determination. April 13th -- Found a couple tax forms that I knew that I had somewhere but was having trouble finding. Also, went thru yesterday's mail - Put away 2 coupons, 1 paper into Office in a Bag. 14 papers into recycle bag Tossed 1 paper April 14th --20 min. Spent going thru my purse (almost finished with it) - Filed lots of receipts, wrote one note in address book. Tossed 1 paper Put 9 papers/receipts into recycle bag Paid 2 bills & filed a few papers 4 papers into recycle bag April 15th --Worked on taxes most of the day. At 9pm, ended up having to go to H & R Block... Went to H & R Block just so we could get the application for Extension & our payment in time this evening. No late post office around here, as are in some areas. Filed automatic extension and paid HUGE tax payment... unexpected until DH & I got into it & really saw what was going on with our taxes this year -- Our accountant from last year misadvised us! Aarrgghh! We will not be going to them, again. This will be difficult as they are acquaintances/friends. They sent a text message to DH the day before yesterday saying they went ahead and mailed our extension application with some others that they had to mail. DH had already requested in text message just before that on Friday NOT to file for the extension as we would be doing that ourselves. We are more than aggravated with them... we are downright angry now because they misadvised us about estimated taxes. In the past we've always paid them. 2013 was the first year that we didn't and that was because they told us we didn't have to since we got a big refund last year. Usually we do not get a refund, last year was a rare occurrence and we had told them that. At H & R Block... there was no accountant but they went by our figures just to file the extension in time & make payment. We were charged $42.00 for this... and if it makes it in time, as they said it would.. then it is well worth that fee. Put 10 papers into recycle bag -- from tax stuff. CD
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Post by grasshopper on Apr 17, 2014 3:45:09 GMT -5
I worked on sorting and purging papers for over an hour. Momentum has returned after exhaustion from taxes.
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Post by imamess on Apr 17, 2014 5:39:46 GMT -5
Spent about 2 hours on phone with Health Ins. Co. & co. who set me up with them. Have spent HOURS & HOURS in 3-way conversations, begging for needed papers, etc. with both companies since January. Have been unable to file even ONE CLAIM because of incompetent, slow people at these places--well-known. Catcat, I was reading this thread and the thought popped into my head that you might go to your doctor's office and talk to the person who files insurance there. Tell them what is going on and how you can't get the forms you need and can't seem to talk to a person who knows anything. Many times they have phone numbers of people at insurance companies who know what they are talking about and can get what you need.
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