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Home > The storm, my taxes and a s***load of work

The storm, my taxes and a s***load of work

February 15th, 2014 at 01:40 am

It started snowing early Thursday morning and finally ended mid-morning today. It was, as they said, a 24-hour event. I worked from home both days; it was quite busy, and since I was working, I didn't have much chance to shovel out my driveway.

I shoveled for an hour last night after my work day ended, in the middle of the storm, getting about 3/4 cleared but leaving the hardest part still to do: the part down by the road where the snow plow packs in the snow. Seeing as how we got about 11 inches, there's a waist-high pile at the bottom of the drive. And then of course it snowed on top of the part I shoveled.

I was also able to complete a 1,000-word article for Connecticut Builder Magazine that I'm ghost-writing. It's DONE. Thank God. It's always a lot of work (I've written at least 8 of these articles before, usually every quarter) and he kept sending me more articles, like around 20, to read and absorb and somehow weave into the story, which is about the outlook for the state's housing market. It's always very data-heavy and involves interpreting a lot of numbers. Anyway, it's done.

Next up was a little two-page sample edit I did for a possible new freelance client, a motivational speaker in Las Vegas who was referred to me by a local author (aka The Author) whose books I've edited.

I finished the sample edit and emailed that just a little while ago. If she likes it I'll quote her a price for her entire book/manuscript.

I have also heard from The Author that she is just about ready to send me her third book, another novel and the sequel to books #1 and #2, for editing.

When it rains, it pours.

Last weekend, I did my taxes and between state and federal should get back a refund of $1100.

I was excited to learn recently that in April I will be eligible to enroll in the health plan of the recruitment agency that hired me for my bank contract job. I was vaguely aware that they had some sort of health plan but hadn't really focused on it since 1. you're not eligible to enroll until you've worked on the job for 6 months and 2) I was doing so much research on the plans available through the Affordable Care Act. They say in the handbook that they pay 50% of the monthly premiums, which sounds pretty good. Usually health plans offered by employment agencies are sub-par.

I had thought I was all set with the new plan I enrolled in via the Affordable Care Act, however, if the agency's plan proves to be cheaper, which I think it must be if they pay 50% of the premium (compared to the $404/mth I'm paying now thru Affordable Care Act), then I will switch plans and then I don't have to worry about whether my income in 2014 will eventually exceed the income cut-off point for the subsidy if the job gets extended past July. If it did, then I'd lose the subsidy (and possibly have to pay back the subsidy I got up to that point).

It would be really nice not to have to worry about the subsidy at all, actually. The ACA plans certainly offer better choices than what was available before to a self-employed or independent contractor employee. If the bank job does eventually end, I will then have a choice between continuing on that plan through COBRA for a while or switching back to a different plan under the Affordable Care Act.

My health insurance has never been so topsy-turvy!

So anyway, after doing an amazing amount of work these last 2 days, all I have to worry about tomorrow is shoveling out my driveway. And buying groceries.

1 Responses to “The storm, my taxes and a s***load of work”

  1. FrugalTexan75 Says:
    1392432403

    Wow! You sure are keeping yourself busy! Smile

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