Hoosier Dad

So, I filed my taxes for 2011.   The federal government saw fit to return about $2000 of my own money to me this year.   Oh, and since it’s all the rage to talk about this stuff lately, I paid an effective tax rate of 0.8% and I’m just barely in the top 50% of income earners.   If you want to know where you stack up check this out: http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/income_rank/index.php Woo Hoo – I’m in the top half!   Don’t sweat that 0.8% rate.   I got to claim my kids this year.   Last year I paid 4.7% and made less money (I was just under the 50% mark last year).    Here’s my current situation.   I’ve got just over $5,000 in Credit Card debt.   A lot of that was accumulated after my divorce (it happens).   I’ve got a $1650 loan against my 401K.   $35,000 Student Loan and a $110,000 mortgage.   Plus about $7,000 I owe family.   So $2000 doesn’t make a very big dent.    Let’s talk about intere...

In 2012 the Affordable Coffee Act (known as Obamafeine) dictates that all consumers of coffee purchase a cinnamon stick in their coffee.   This caused an outcry of people of a certain faith who do not believe in cinnamon and, in fact, believe cinnamon is a sin.   They cried for their religious freedom to not consume cinnamon sticks and there was further outrage at being forced to purchase cinnamon sticks.   In fact, many of them only buy coffee from coffee shops that are 100% cinnamon-free so that they are not indirectly supporting cinnamon. In response to this outcry President Obama declared that people of faith would not have to purchase cinnamon sticks.   Instead, he would force ALL coffee shops to provide cinnamon sticks to anyone who wanted them free of charge.   Congress agrees that the Affordable Coffee Act gives the president the authority over coffee shops to do that.   So, in the end, the anti-cinnamon religious folks were happy and it was...