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2013 Stupid Tax Challenge

3K views 17 replies 12 participants last post by  Zhoen 
#1 ·
Hi y'all,

Ok, so I haven't seen this yet, so I thought it might be fun to do (and if you disagree, that's fine)

This challenge is to track (and thereby hopefully minimize) the "stupid tax" we incur this year. Example-- I hit the wrong
button on Paypal last week, so a transaction was paid from the wrong account, overdrawing it and costing me $29.18 in fees.
Also, I have been meaning to cancel a bank bill-pay service that I no longer use, at $2.95/mo, and I did, but apparently missed
the billing cutoff, so that brings my stupid tax total to $32.13.

Other stupid taxes I have paid in the past:
-expensive lunches and snacks because I failed to plan
-late fees caused by my own absent mindedness (rather than a legitimate lack of money...)
- express mailing something that I could have mailed regular for cheaper if I'd done it sooner
- having to buy something I know I have already because I can't find it

What else?
 
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#3 ·
OH MY GOODNESS!!! A tax on Stupid! I love it!!

I thought this was going to be a thread on how to pay the lowest on stupid income taxes or something.

Great idea!

Here's mine.
I couldn't say no to my 26 year old daughter when she asked me to help her with her car (getting it, putting in the road, etc). Stupid cost to me: $1863.xx. OUCH!

I couldn't say no to my same 26 yo daughter when she asked me to pay for her application fee to grad school. Stupid tax $60.

My stupider tax is $70 when she asked me for another application fee to a reacher college.. like "she'lll NEVER get in - reacher college". STUPID!

I'm still recovering.

Cheers!
 
#4 ·
I'm glad to see this thread. Shades of Dave Ramsey! If nothing else, it makes me feel better about some of my own stupid taxes. You know..... just knowing that I'm not alone in this. I will share some later..... and some were pretty expensive.....
 
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#5 ·
This is a good idea for a thread. Although, fun? I dunno, more like: painful. ;) I have certainly paid the stupid tax plenty of times in my 38 years, but, thankfully, I have learned from some of those times and I don't pay it as often any more.

I honestly can't think of any recent ones. Not because I don't do stupid things, of course, but more because I am superduperextra careful with money these days. If I think of a good example, I will come back and post it.

I did just pay a parking ticket today, but it was seriously not my fault (I had a parking permit posted! I have pictures!) and I even sent in an appeal, but the appeal was denied. So, I paid it because that's the price of modern life, but I ain't happy about it.

Kara
 
#6 ·
This just happened yesterday. Not really my fault though. It's still stupid tax.

Yesterday morning: Ordered a textbook online that I need.

Yesterday afternoon: I get a $150 book voucher in the mail from the college. (I didn't know it was coming)

::facepalm::

It was too late to cancel the online book order but I can return it when it gets here. But it will cost $5.00 to send it back.

Oh well.
 
#7 ·
Another stupid tax.
I got a Macy's card for the first time this year. For the first time I charged on it in Nov. They were having a fabulous sale. I needed clothes (I put on some weight).

Sometime during when I had the card and did not charge, I put 'paperless' billing please.
I forgot I did that and never got the bill for Macys. I got a call two days after it was due..
'you forgot to pay your card'.

"Gee, that was really nice of you to call me and tell me that. You're so nice. Thank you. "

I explained that I never got a bill, I paid the card and requested a paper bill. They sent me one with a stupid tax of $25 late fee. grrrrrrr. I'm NEVER late! it was an accident! grrrrr.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
 
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#9 ·
Several years ago we contemplated putting new siding on our home. We were intrigued by a new product and checked it out. We contacted the manufacturer, talked to home builders, checked out any complaints, etc. It seemed to be pretty good. So we signed for it. The new siding looked great. But a couple years later, it looked awful. It was stripping off! We contacted the manufacturer and was told that they stood by their product claims. They suggested that the company that put it on was at fault. When we investigated that company and tried to contact them, we found that they were out of business. Also found charges against them had been filed with BBB. When we contracted with them, there were no BBB charges at all. And in the space of 2 years, their file was filled with complaints. We contacted our attorney general, who was a bulldog and began an investigation. As it turned out, he nailed them and put them into prison for deliberately doing a shoddy business. The manufacturer was right: the material was good and it was the contractor who was at fault. There were no assets to be found for the now imprisoned contractor, so we were out a LOT of money. Honestly, I'm not sure how we could have avoided this "stupid tax", but we probably should have done more investigating before we signed the contract.
 
#10 ·
The kids were driving me nuts while we were out this afternoon, so when I put something in the cart knowing I had a coupon for it, I forgot to move the coupon to the front of the organizer and give it to the cashier. It was only a dollar, but I'm irritated anyway.

Will update the sig. <sigh>

But I gotta rat out Hubs. True or false? $250+$350=$610 Anyone? Anyone? Because that's the math on the repair receipt for the heat pump, and without reading/checking it, that's what hubs paid. Ah-DUHH!!!
 
#11 ·
But I gotta rat out Hubs. True or false? $250+$350=$610 Anyone? Anyone? Because that's the math on the repair receipt for the heat pump, and without reading/checking it, that's what hubs paid. Ah-DUHH!!!
Looks like $ 600 to me.
 
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#13 ·
Stupid tax for yesterday was more fast food. My son had a basketball game and I didn't remind him 4 times to eat before he left. So what happens there is the dh gets him after basketball. They stop at Dairy Queen and spend $12. Ahhhh!!! I feel like all I do anymore is cram frugal living down my family's throat.
 
#14 ·
I havent been to the video store for 2 years because I owe over $20. because the DVDs shifted under the car seat and i forgot them.

I just threw out 4 boxes of cereal because no one ate them from 2010. Rice krispies get chewy!
I just threw out 4 boxes of pasta that fell on the floor in the pantry so the kids WALKED on them!

My dog just ate the 3rd shoe to three seperate pairs of DH's shoes. Close the door!!!!!

I left the hamb out yesterday I was defrosting and It bled all over the stove because I had flu brain! And fell asleep.

I paid huge amts of interest on the CC to get points for gifts cards.oof.
 
#15 ·
I havent been to the video store for 2 years because I owe over $20. because the DVDs shifted under the car seat and i forgot them.
Chances are, the video store is closed and out of business now!
 
#16 ·
Forgot to leave the faucet dripping during the deep freeze and sure enough the kitchen pipes froze. The good news is they didn't burst... but I had to replace my hair dryer after I burned it out saving the pipes... Fair trade!

$14.57 for a blow dryer is waayyyyyy cheaper than replacing the pipes we just had replaced and the cabinets they aren't even finished installing yet!
 
#17 ·
Love the stupid tax idea.

I have 3 stupid tax we pay on a regular basis...
- Dinner out! I budget $30, but we ALWAYS spend it...if I budgeted $50/wk we would spend it all!
- Lot rent for our camper every year. We love camping, and love having this getaway from April-October. But it really is a total waste of money...that I will continue to pay! LOL
- Alcohol...I love vodka in a Diet Cranberry Sierra Mist occasionally. I love a nice cold beer on hot summer days.

Other than that I can't think of anything else. Oh yes I can...hubby smokes! So there's another stupid tax we pay on purpose regularly.

I'm not prepared to tally this up yet! :stupid:
 
#18 ·
It's not a stupid tax if you get pleasure out of it (with the exception of DH's cigarettes... those are killing him!) Enjoy your occasional drink and your time camping. Life is for living, and those are relatively mild "dirty habits," truth be told :)
 
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