"Leaves alot to be desired"

My mother used this phrase a lot.  This morning as I was having my usual one-sided conversation with her, reminding her of how she left too quick with so many of my questions unanswered, I ended the sentence with “that left a lot to be desired.  Now what exactly does that mean woman/!”  lol

As much as I remember hearing her say it, I never really thought about what it meant.  Like so many of her little hip quips, I just laughed and said ‘yeah okay mom.  That’s real hip.”  Not realizing at the time just how really hip her quips were…

 

Then I ended by telling her that's the way I feel about this upcoming election.  It leaves alot to be desired.

Education tax benefits can offset college costs

Planning your college course schedule is important — and so is planning for the tax benefits available to help offset the expense of paying for those courses.

For 2012, federal education tax benefits include two credits: the American opportunity credit and the lifetime learning credit. Each has different rules, and you can only take one per student in the same year.

In addition, you're limited to receiving one tax benefit from the same expenses. For example, say your employer provides educational assistance, and you use the money for qualified expenses, such as tuition. The employer-provided assistance is generally tax-free, so you do not include the expenses for which you used the money when calculating your American opportunity or lifetime learning credit.

The one-benefit rule also applies to expenses paid with scholarships, grants, or other tax-free assistance, or that you deduct elsewhere on your federal income tax return.
You can, however, claim whichever credit applies for other out-of-pocket education expenses. That's true no matter whether you pay by cash, check, credit card, or loans.

If someone in your family is headed to college this year, please give us a call. We'll help make paying for the courses a less taxing experience.

*Corporate office: 8000 Old York Road Elkins Park, PA 19027 (215) 782-8833 Fax: (215) 782-8933 Branch office: 6319 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19144 (215) 849-0733 Fax: (215) 849-6130 E-mail: aconner@atconnercpa.com

How to cut car maintenance costs

contact: aconner@atconnercpa.com

Insurance, fuel, loan interest, maintenance, repairs, depreciation — all the expenses associated with owning and driving an automobile can take a huge bite out of your family budget. Some of these are sunk costs. Because the money's already been spent — the down payment to purchase your car, for example — such costs are irrelevant when budgeting for the future. But other costs of owning and operating a vehicle can be pared down substantially. Shopping around for a better insurance rate or discovering a station that sells cheaper gas may save hundreds of dollars over time. Being vigilant about routine maintenance is also a great way to reduce operating costs and avoid major repair bills.
To make a dent in your car maintenance budget, follow these five tips from the pros.

• Read the owner's manual. That little booklet in your glove box is full of detailed information about your car. It also includes a recommended maintenance schedule, which is more reliable than the sticker the auto shop attaches to your windshield after an oil change. If you've lost your owner's manual, maintenance recommendations for your car are often available on the Internet at websites such as www.carcare.org.

• Shop around for repairs. Generally speaking, independent repair shops tend to charge less for repairs than dealerships. But be cautious. Ask family and friends for recommendations, and don't be afraid to get several estimates. If possible, find a shop with at least one certified automobile technician.

• Change your oil regularly. Depending on your car's make and model, as well as driving conditions in your town, "regularly" will vary. Again, the owner's manual should be your first stop to determine how frequently to change lubrication fluids. How long an engine functions without major repairs is often directly correlated to how routinely the oil was replaced.

• Use cruise control. In general, driving at a constant speed improves gas mileage. You'll need fewer trips to the gas station if you keep an even pressure on the accelerator instead of lurching through town like a student driver.

• Check your tires. Another key to better gas mileage is keeping your tires properly inflated. The best place to find proper tire pressure or PSI (pounds per square inch) is on your car's door jamb. Regularly rotating the tires also helps distribute wear and tear and may keep shocks from needing replacement as often.

Participating in a Travel Club has many benefits

If you’re like me, you’ve heard all kinds of reasons why people won’t travel. From the distance of the destination to the expense, I can’t keep up with the reasons why people put off traveling.  But, after having to put off another trip in 2010 because friends & family had backed out, I decided to start my own travel club. Travel clubs are the ultimate way of meeting new people and exploring destinations you once put off because you had no one to travel with. Joining travel clubs opens doors one would have never thought otherwise! Below, I’ve listed the top 8 reasons I feel travel clubs not only broaden your likeliness to see the world, but being an active member of a travel club also exposes you to the many diverse settings us earthlings have to offer!

8 > Budget friendly when traveling in a group. Traveling with your club members can offer you lots of savings depending on when and where you are traveling to. At most, when I’ve booked my club members on group travel to the Caribbean Islands for instance, we’ve saved a nice $100 per person. That’s enough to grab a few souvenirs to tease those who backed out of traveling with you! Or even better, take the $100 and purchase an excursion!

7 > Invited to come back by city host. Well organized travel clubs whose members are on their “best behavior” are always welcomed back. Group leaders can expect friendly emails from hotel management thanking them for their business and to invite them back again. This is a plus because when you return, you’re almost guaranteed to get all group request fulfilled like room upgrades.

6 > Discover personal interest. Sometimes we think we know everything about ourselves, right? Well, uh…WRONG! Sometimes you have to be exposed to things you wouldn’t do in order to discover that you like them after all. Take snorkeling for example. Being terrified of water higher than a foot, I thought I was literally going to die in Coho Rios, Jamaica this past April when I discovered that snorkeling wasn’t so bad and that I absolutely loved it! Until this very hour, I still thank the crew for “pushing” me in the water after holding up about 20 other people who were ready to jump in the shallow end of the sea.

5> Experience places you never thought you’d go. Travel clubs open the door for endless travel opportunities. Many people seek to fulfill their bucket list while being travel club members. After all, the only reasoned they joined was to travel, right? Being a member is where you discover your interest for South Africa or Costa Rica.  These are places you’ve always turned down because you just couldn’t picture yourself being there.  

4 > Brush up on your social skills. Believe it not, being a member of a travel club also helps you brush up on social and networking skills! Meet and greets are popular in my travel clubs. Knowing how to communicate and get along with others is critical. Good social and networking skills makes it that much easier to choose travel buddies and plan your next adventure.

3 > Exposure to diversity. Knowing who else lives in the world and how they live their lives is, for many, a very high interest, hence, creating a historical and culturist traveler. As a member of a travel club, you are exposed to various cultures and backgrounds worldwide depending on where you are traveling to. Learn how to say hello in Swahili or good bye in Mandarin. How about how are you in Spanish? The locals will love you for it!

2> Make new friends and go places! Travel clubs are all about meeting likeminded people and traveling the world! I’ve met many good people since organizing my own clubs. Lots of people who live and breathe to see the world. They are passionate about traveling and are offered endless travel options as members. No matter if it’s a day trip to our nation’s capital or a 10 day journey to South Africa; you can find buddies and go!

#1 reason to join a travel club…

Endless travel opportunities. That’s right! The opportunities for travel are endless when you’re a member of a travel club! While you may not always be available to travel with the group, there are always options posted for another time. In my clubs for example, I have a large trip which consist of 7 + days and an extended weekend trip posted for each month from January to December. With over 700 club members combined with all of the clubs I organize, there are always options available and it helps keep everyone motivated to travel.

Next time you have the travel bug but your friends don’t, find a travel club and join in on the fun of exploring the world! I invite you to join me and my travel clubs on meetup.com. Below is a list of the clubs I organize and the requirements to join. 

The Philadelphia Single Travelers Connection- Designed especially for those who don’t like traveling alone and who are trying to avoid single rate travel fees. Age requirement is 25 and older. Meet & Greets are held every 4^th weekend. To join us, follow the link > http://www.meetup.com/The-Philadelphia-Single-Travelers-Connection/

The Philadelphia Travel Club – Designed to bring those who live in or near Philadelphia together through travel. The group focuses on seeing the world with endless possibilities. Open to ages 25 and older. To join us, follow the link > http://www.meetup.com/travel-596/

The Globe Trotting Ladies of Philadelphia – Especially designed for women aged 35 years and older. The group focuses on women whose passion is to travel, but fear having to travel with those who aren’t peers. Believe it or not, many people won’t travel with someone who is 5 + years younger than them because they feel the experiences won’t have meaning. This group is new and has a focus of bringing together women who are passionate travelers and who are within the same age bracket, whether it’s a group of 35 year olds or 50 years old, either way, we’re focused on bringing age together through travel.  To join THE GLOBE TROTTING LADIES OF PHILADELPHIA, Click Here!  

The next time your travel desire is turned down, travel with us!

Anita Byers, CEO

Wallet Happy Vacations