Gambling Winnings & Taxes in US 2021 » Do I have to pay Taxes?
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I am 35 years old, make $56,000 ($231k combined), live in Seattle, and work in higher ed administration
Note: I was technically supposed to post this earlier this week, but noticed that no one was signed up for today (plus I was super busy earlier), so I'm posting a bit late, under a throwaway account! Fair warning: I'm VERY verbose, so this will be long! Section One: Assets and Debt As I mentioned above, I make $56k per year as an administrator in higher education. My husband (K) just got a raise to making $155k per year. He works as a lawyer, has been in the workforce for about 12 years. I won't get into too many details but he works for a small boutique firm, not Biglaw. He also sometimes gets a yearly bonus of around $10k-20k but it's not guaranteed or anything like that. K and I have totally combined finances, so the below numbers are for both of us. I have a humanities PhD but I decided to leave academia and find an alt-ac job. My current position has good work-life balance (I never work past 5 pm), but pays terribly and my university is very badly run. I'm hoping to leave higher education all together in the future and am currently enrolled in a certificate program to try to make a career transition to instructional design. The big elephant in the room is that my husband, K, makes a lot more money than me. When we first met, he was paying off massive amounts of student loans and making much less, and I was debt free with a lot of savings, so we both spent about the same amount. Now he makes 3x what I make and we are both debt-free, so the difference is much more noticeable. We do argue about money sometimes (more in the past), but the reality is that I have a humanities PhD and will likely never out earn him, and he knew that when I married him, lol. Because of all the labor I do around the house and in our lives to support him as he works a much more intense job, I was very clear that I believed we should split our finances equally as soon as we got married. We don't have separate accounts and we generally check in with one another whenever we are planning to spend more than $100. This system works for us for now. I also want to address the question about parental or family support. Although I technically paid all of my own bills since I got my Bachelor's degree, my parents supported me a lot by paying for my flights home to visit at Christmas or in the summer as Xmas presents/birthday presents. My parents also paid for my undergraduate degree (and K's parents paid for his undergraduate degree as well). They also gave us about $15k to pay for our wedding. Finally, my parents recently gave me $20k as an "early inheritance." They told me they plan to do this every year (depending on the stock market). We put this money into a brokerage. I don't consider my parents rich, as they both worked hourly jobs in health care my entire life (as a nurse and respiratory therapist - both with only associate's degrees). We never owned a new car, when we went on vacation we stayed in hostels , and shopped almost exclusively at Goodwill. But they scrimped and saved and now they have over $1 million in a retirement account. So I want to acknowledge my financial privilege in that I came from this kind of background. K's parents are similar. Retirement Balance: $186k (combination of 401k, 403b, 457, 2 Roth IRAs, and taxable brokerage account). Equity: None, we rent. Savings account balance: Approximately $45k. Checking account balance: Right now, around 8k. Credit card debt: Right now, around $3k. But we pay it off each month with our checking account balance. Student loan debt: $0. We finally paid off my husband’s law school loans (around $130k), last year. I didn’t have any student loans from undergrad (parents paid) and my MA & PhD were fully funded. Section Two: Income Income Progression: I’ve been working in my current field for 3 years. I started off making about $53k and got tiny 2% “merit increases” twice. Then in July my payroll title was changed, which triggered a required raise of about $2k. (I am dramatically underpaid). Before my current position, I was in academia. I worked as a visiting assistant professor for one year at my alma mater (made $50k for 9 months of work) and before that I was a graduate student for 7 years. I was paid $18k-21k in stipends each year and my tuition & benefits were covered. Luckily, I lived in a very low cost of living area and this was enough for me to live on without going into debt. I got my PhD in 2017. Before I was a graduate student, I taught English in Japan for three years and made around $36k per year. In high school and college, I had random jobs that provided grocery/spending money, but I was lucky enough to have parents that paid my tuition and my rent in college. I’m currently trying to make a career change (as you will see in my diary) and enrolled in a certificate program which runs from Autumn 2020 to Spring 2021 in order to help with that. Main Job Monthly Take Home: $7,634. This probably seems low relative to our joint income, but we max out our 401k (K) and 403b (me). I work for the state government, which means I’m also eligible for something called a Deferred Compensation Plan (457b). This is basically the same as a 401k but you can withdraw contributions and gains from the account at any age without penalty (of course, you still have to pay taxes). I also max this out, and the limit is the same as a 401k/403b - $19.5k. Also this number is before K’s raise is accounted for. It won’t increase until his end of February paycheck. Other deductions - I have health insurance taken out (about $80 a month for me, K’s firm covers his premiums) and taxes. WA has no state taxes, so it’s only federal taxes. I used to have to pay $50 / month for a bus pass (K's was free), but I don’t pay any longer because I’m working from home during COVID. Final note - the sum I mentioned in the headline includes a variable bonus my husband gets. My base pay is $56k and his is $155k (as of February 1). This year he also got a bonus of $20k, which is set up a bit strangely. About $4k of this was structured as a 3% matching contribution to his 401k and the rest was taxable income. In small law firms, it’s unusual to get any 401k match so this was nice. Side Gig Monthly Take Home: None. Any Other Monthly Income Here: We get some interest from our savings account… like $25 a month. Section Three: Expenses Rent: Rent comes to approximately $2,050 total for a one-bedroom apartment. Rent itself is $1886, then we have pet rent ($25 per month), bicycle parking ($15 a month) and water / sewage / gas, which is usually $120-150 (variable cost). Renters insurance: $157.76, paid annually. $13 a month. Retirement contribution: In addition to the 401k, 403b, and 457, which all come out before taxes, we max out our Roth IRAs. That means $500 each per month per person (for a yearly total of $6k each). As I noted up top, we match out our 401k and 403b (19,500 each) and our 457. My employee also offers a 7.5% match. K's employee offers a 3% match but it is included in his yearly bonus so it's not guaranteed (confusing). Savings contribution: We put $500 per month into our emergency fund. We also put about $860 a month into our “sinking fund,” which covers large and small annual or sporadic purchases such as vacations, gifts, Amazon Prime renewal, car insurance and renters insurance, etc. Investment contribution: $875 per month into a taxable brokerage at Vanguard. In total, we save about 47% of our gross income. We can do this because we keep our housing cost low relative to our high income, we don’t have any debt remaining, we don’t have any kids or parents who need financial support, and we’re very privileged in a lot of ways. We are hoping to FIRE within 10 years. Debt payments: None. Donations: We budget $100 per month for donations, which includes one-time donations as well as some reoccurring donations. My husband does pro bono work as well. I would like to increase this by quite a bit, but I still have a hard time budgeting for donations because I spent 7 years living on approximately $20k a year. To go from that to making more than 10x that amount within 3-4 years is obviously something that I am very privileged for, but it is still hard for me emotionally to comprehend at times. Electric: ~$50-100 (billed every other month) Wifi/Cable/Landline: An extortionate $87.12 for slow internet that only works for Zoom calls about half the time. Do I really live in one of the tech cities of the future? Cellphone: $170 (This includes both service and paying off two new iPhones. We could have paid them off up front, but it was actually cheaper by like $50 to go on a payment plan.) Subscriptions: BritBox ($7.70), Spotify ($16.50), HBOMax ($16.50), We Hate Movies Patreon (my favorite podcast - $8.81). My parents pay for Netflix and my sister pays for Hulu, and we all share. Gym membership: None. K and I both run and do yoga with YouTube videos. Before the pandemic, we went to yoga classes pretty frequently in person. I’d like to do some online synchronous yoga classes but find it hard to make time. Pet expenses: Varies, but I budget $50 per month and also include an emergency fund for my cat’s vet bills in our sinking fund. She’s 11 years old and probably asthmatic, so I know her vet bills are going to increase over time. Car payment / insurance: We own our car outright. Insurance billed yearly is $2,097, about $174 per month. Regular therapy: $0 Paid hobbies: Nothing regular, sporadic language classes and art supplies. Other expenses: Right now I’m doing a certificate to hopefully help with a career change. The total cost for tuition is about $5k and we already saved it up (included in our 'sinking fund') basically through spending less during the pandemic. I’ve paid two quarters so far, and the last quarter (due in March) will be a bit more - about $2.3k. __________ Day 1 Morning: I wake up at 5:30 am. Ever since the pandemic, my sleep schedule has been shot. At first, I was so happy not to have to leave the house at 7:15 for my 45 minute bus commute and I slept in a lot. But the stress (and maybe getting old?) has made me an early riser, no matter how much I try to sleep in. I do value my early mornings with just me, my cat, and my coffee, though. I start work at 8 am and begin by triaging my emails. I have a bunch of deadlines this week, so it’s busier than usual. My job tends to be very seasonal, and sometimes I have a ton of work and sometimes I have none and can work on other longer-term projects. I have a piece of toast for breakfast and place a Whole Foods delivery order for the following day at 10:30 am. We made a meal plan and put everything in the cart the day before ($117.36, including tip). Afternoon: I have my lunch break from noon to 1 pm. It doesn’t really matter when I take my lunch break, since I’m salaried, but the others in my office are hourly so in the before times we used to always close our office during the same time. I have a piece of leftover delivery pizza and some spinach risotto that I made a few days earlier. I also have half a brownie – the last one from a batch I made a few days ago (K gets the other half). He also has leftovers for lunch. I should say at this point that both K and I are lucky enough to have been working almost entirely from home since early March. An area near Seattle was one of the first places to get hit by COVID-19, and my state and both of our employers have been taking it very seriously ever since. Working from home hasn’t always been easy since we live in a 600-square foot apartment. Also, there is a three-story townhouse being built directly next door to us and I can hear the pounding in my dreams at this point. Around 2 pm, I go for a 2-mile run. I feel like some money diarists tend to toss off things like “oh, I went for an easy 7 mile run,” at the drop of a hat, so I want to be clear – running for 2 miles isn’t easy for me; it’s exhausting, annoying, sweaty, and generally gross. Also I am very slow. But it has kept me sane during quarantine. Meanwhile, my husband goes to our local pet store to get an enzymatic cleaner (our cat peed in one of our suitcases… I think it’s probably a lost cause, but it was basically brand new, so worth a try) and special weight-loss cat food. Our cat is an 11-year-old rescue from the Humane Society and she is a chonky girl. We had to sign a waiver when we adopted her, saying that we understood that she was very overweight, lol. Our vet recommended a special diet food, rather than just restricting her intake as we have been doing, so we will give it a try ($78). My husband also stops buy our local wine store and picks up two bottles. We’ve been doing a dry January, so this will be our first drink for a while ($27.53). I have a phone interview scheduled for 4 pm – just a preliminary interview with an internal recruiter. It’s the first ‘corporate’ job interview I’ve ever had, since I’ve been in academia my entire life. I’m trying to make a pivot into instructional design / training and development. I’m just excited to get an interview. It seems to go pretty well, but who knows. They tell me they will probably get back to me by the end of this week. Evening: My husband whips up a random meal of fridge remnants – pesto pasta with sausage and a fridge salad with feta and bell peppers. It’s pretty tasty with a little Sauvignon Blanc. During dinner, we play a card game we call gin rummy, although it bears no resemblance to the actual game. After dinner, I make a chocolate cake with orange buttercream frosting and we watch Cobra Kai. Daily total: $222.89 Day 2 Morning: Up early again, a piece of toast for breakfast (very exciting). We’re out of eggs until our Whole Foods order arrives. I’m working on creating some tedious but necessary spreadsheets this morning. Noon: Our Whole Foods order arrives around noon. Excitement! They’ve given us a half-rotten bag of romaine lettuce and substituted pecans for hazelnuts. I should probably just double mask and go to Trader Joe’s myself (our regular spot, only a 5-minute walk from my apartment). I’m just getting anxious about these new variants. I have leftover meatloaf and spinach risotto again for lunch. Lots of meetings and more organizing spreadsheets in the afternoon. Around 3 pm, I go for my daily ritual - a 20-minute walk around my neighborhood. It’s still raining slightly but I need to get out. Halfway through the walk, I get an email from my apartment manager telling me the apartment will no longer accept debit card payments, direct deposit, or credit card payments for paying rent. In other words, only checks or money orders (?!). Ugh. Our lease is up in 4 months and we will not be renewing our lease. Our last apartment manager was a gambling addict who may have been stealing people’s identities, but by God, he kept things working. Ever since they fired him, this place has been going downhill. Evening: I check my bank statements to update my budget spreadsheet and realize that I have been billed the wrong amount of rent. They actually charged me less than they should have. I don’t trust my apartment manager not to start charging me a late fee or something for this, so I call them up. They are baffled by how to fix this, which you would think would be the one thing you would want to get right, if you’re renting out apartments. K cooks dinner – steak with a Roquefort sauce and glazed brussels sprouts. It’s from a French cookbook we recently bought and it is delicious. I work on classwork for my certificate program while he cooks. After dinner, I do the dishes and buy the 13th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. I watch the first episode – lots of shocking twists and turns! I’m planning to watch the rest of the episodes together with my younger sister, M ($22.01). Daily total: $22.01 Day 3 Morning: K has an 8 am dentist appointment, so he takes off early. He already paid for the work last month, so there’s no charge. I have a piece of toast for breakfast and get to work checking my emails. It’s 8:20 am and the construction crew building a townhouse next door is blasting mariachi music. I’m glad someone is having fun. At least the sun is coming out. Someone at work has made a critical error, but it wasn’t me, thank God. I was the one who found out about it, but it’s still going to cause a big old headache for me. I’m ready to be done with this job. K and I go for a run so that I can exhaust myself enough to no longer be furious about said careless error. Noon: I have leftover spinach risotto and meatloaf again – exciting. I’m busy at work but frankly, not a lot going on other than that. Still no word about fixing my rent payments. I’m not really willing to pursue this any further at this point. Evening: I start making chili (Turkey Chili from the NY Times) and cornbread (from my new cookbook, Jubilee). K is doing some work on our investments when he announces that, somehow, a transfer was scheduled from our checking account to our savings account of $55k (?!) We obviously don’t have $55k in our checking account, so we start frantically trying to figure out what’s going on. Numerous phone calls later, we still don’t know if that was a hack, if my husband somehow mistakenly scheduled the transfer himself, or if the bank messed it up. Either way, it doesn’t seem like any harm was done since the bank with our checking account just declined the transaction. But it seems really strange and worrisome. We get to work changing the passwords on all of our accounts, just in case it was some kind of hack. After dinner (and chocolate cake), I have a Zoom happy hour with a local friend. We occasionally see each other outside but it’s nice to have a longer chat from the comfort of our living rooms. We both love murder mysteries, so we signed up for a service where a company sends us letters with clues and we try to solve the mystery together. It’s a fun way to stay connected and look forward to something during the pandemic. The service costs about $15 per month, but I paid for it in lump sum for 3 months, so it’s not included in my budget above. I drink some wine and we vent about work (we work at the same place) before getting started on the puzzle. Daily total: $0 Day 4 Morning: I sleep in a bit, which is nice. Get up around 7 am. My parents are both getting their 2nd vaccine today – they’re both in their 70s and I am so relieved. I send my mom a “congratulations on being vaccinated!” text and we chat for a bit. I have leftover cornbread with honey and butter for breakfast – soooo good. Work is not particularly exciting today, but someone sends me a last-minute request for something that does not need to be so urgent. I feel annoyed. Still no word from the interviewers on Monday, and I’m beginning to suspect I wasn’t selected to move forward. Too bad. K pays for a Wordpress website for the year (it’s a work-related website, but sadly his work doesn’t reimburse him). It costs $92.48. Noon: The mariachi music is particularly loud today. I stand out on my balcony in the sun for a while and watch the workers. It’s been interesting seeing a house go up next door in real time, especially since I’m at home all the time. The workers are balancing on the top of the third story wall without, as far as I can see, anything like a safety line. It seems unsafe, but I presume they know what they’re doing. We booked a cabin for the upcoming weekend in the Hood Canal region of Washington to do some hiking and birdwatching. I want to be as safe as possible and not go to any grocery stores or risk spreading COVID in any way while I’m there, so I place another grocery order with Whole Foods just for some special treats for the weekend. The cabin has a small kitchen and a grill, so we’re planning to make a fancy steak salad on Saturday. I order chips and hummus, some fancy cheese and meats, Tate’s cookies (I’ve heard a lot of good things about these), a baguette, and the ingredients for the steak salad. I also order a few staples I forgot in our last order, like sweet potatoes, more coffee, and half and half. It comes to $87.41, including tip, but that does include like $30 worth of steak. For some reason, I can’t order a small amount of steak online, so I’m planning to freeze half of it for later. (I include this purchase in our vacation fund budget, rather than under our regular grocery budget). Around 2 pm, K makes a quick trip to our local wine store to buy an Oregon pinot noir and some port to enjoy at the cabin ($59.45). This store has an outdoor walk-up counter where you can tell the owner what you’re looking for, and he brings you some options (the store is way too small to allow customers to enter during Covid). It’s fun to chat with another human being, even briefly. Evening: After work, we spend a little time rebalancing our investing and retirement accounts. We decide to put more money into bonds and a little bit into REIT’s as a hedge against a potential crash or recession in the future. Then I start making dinner – Broken Eggs (Huevas Rotas) from the NY Times cooking site. You basically cook the potatoes in a skillet in water, spices, and olive oil, and then sauté them to crisp them up once the water evaporates. Then you add onion, lots of garlic, and finally some eggs. It is delicious. I eat it with leftover cornbread while watching RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13 with my sister – we watch the first two episodes. It’s full of twists and turns. A note about this – we have an elaborate procedure for watching shows together developed during quarantine whereby we start the show at the same with an earbud in one ear, while FaceTiming. I also have chocolate cake, of course. Later, I get an email that I’ve signed up for HBO on Amazon Prime. I definitely have not. I text my mom, who shares my account, and she tells me she signed up by mistake. I cancel right away and luckily they won’t charge us for it. Meanwhile, K is doing an online Japanese language class over Zoom. He’s been interested in learning ever since we went to Japan last January. I lived in Japan for 3 years so I was able to take us around to a lot of more obscure places and he really enjoyed the trip – it was a blast. K starts a YouTube yoga class (from Do Yoga With Me – my favorite channel) and I join him for part of it before bed around 10 pm. Daily total: $239.34 Day 5 Morning: I get up around 7 am and we go for a run first thing. I prefer running early in the morning because there are fewer people to avoid during COVID. We do a different route today – it’s longer (3 miles) but has fewer hills. It’s a slog, as always, but I feel good when I get back right around 8 am. I jump straight onto my computer to start checking work emails and my husband makes us avocado and egg toast for breakfast - it is absolutely delicious. We talk about how our bathroom smells distinctly mildewy (yay for being a grown-up because I guess this is what we talk about now) and we buy two big buckets of DampRid on Amazon ($26.60). I’ve found this to be a necessity in Seattle. Mid-morning, I take a break from work and start packing for our trip to the cabin. Noon: I have leftover potatoes and cornbread for lunch, and my husband has the leftover chili. We finish getting ready to leave and head out right after lunch, taking a half day. The only problem is that I have attend a meeting at 3:30 pm, so we head out hoping to get there in time. Our cabin is near Quilcene in the Hood Canal region of Washington, about a 2 hour drive or a 2 hour ferry ride + drive. We are initially planning to take the ferry both ways, but realize that we mistimed the ferry departure, so we drive the whole way instead. Luckily, there’s little traffic mid-day, and we arrive at our Airbnb around 3:00 pm. The Airbnb is beautiful! It’s a small cabin handmade by the owner, whose house is next door. It’s very rural, with a beautiful view. It’s tiny, but has a little kitchen and a waterfall-style shower with river rocks on the floor. It’s a great place to get away for a short time. Luckily, it also has good reception and I’m able to sit in on my meeting with no problems. My husband also does a little work, and then at 5 pm we’re free! In our planning, we decided to get takeout on Friday night, since the little kitchen isn’t designed for any serious cooking. We call ahead to a local restaurant to order burgers (one of only 2 restaurants in the whole town). It’s around 5:30 pm and the place is deserted. It’s a microbrewery, but they tell us they haven’t been making beer since COVID-19 hit. None of the workers are wearing masks when I walk in, but they put them on when they see I’m wearing one. I pick up our order - a few bottled beers and burgers and fries ($49.52 including tip). Back at our Airbnb, we watch Big Trouble in Little China and enjoy our very messy, but delicious, burgers (it costs $4.39 to rent). The movie is very campy but fun. I love silly action movies, as you will see with my other viewing choices. We wrap up the night in a very exciting fashion, eating chocolate cake and watching old episodes of the original Star Trek. Daily total: $80.51 Day 6 Morning & noon: When we wake up around 8 am, the weather is looking thankfully clear and even sunny! We were expecting rain, so we’re really glad. We decide to go hiking today, and we head out before even having breakfast, with snacks and lunches packed. Our first destination is a hike called Mt. Zion, but unfortunately, we run into enough snow 2 miles before the trailhead that we decide to turn back. We don’t have any traction for our Subaru and don’t want to risk getting stuck on a very narrow mountain road. Instead, we drive another hour or so to the Lena Lake trailhead, a very popular and less strenuous trail. It’s about 7.5 miles roundtrip with 1200 feet of elevation gain. By this time, it’s around 11:30, but luckily there is still parking. It’s a great hike up, and we run into relatively few people. We always mask up whenever we pass anyone, as does about 50% of the people we meet. The others… not so much. Around a mile from the lake, we start to run into snow. It’s turned into a beautiful sunny day, and I’m loving seeing all this snow! It’s a bit slippery, but not too bad. We make it to the lake mid-day, and it’s super jammed – there’s only a small viewpoint accessible, so everyone is crowded in there. I feel a bit uneasy with all the unmasked people, but we manage to find a spot away from the crowd and sit down to eat our lunch of apples, chips, and energy bars. There are a ton of robber jays there (Canada Jays) which try to eat our chips. It is fun watching them, but I’m annoyed to see some kids feeding them – it’ll just make them that much more aggressive. Bad trail manners. On our way back down, we get stuck behind a group of 5 unmasked adults, who refuse to cede the narrow trail to faster hikers. I’m a slow hiker myself, so, to be clear, I’m not angry at slower walkers being on the trail but have some self-awareness and let people pass! especially if you’re going to go hiking in a big group during a pandemic! We finally get back down and head back to our Airbnb. Evening: Back home, we explore some of the trails our Airbnb host has set up around his extensive property, and then relax on the deck. The sun is breaking through the clouds and it feels wonderful to sit out in nature and feel the sun on my back. We open up a bottle of wine and have a few pre-dinner snacks (more chips and hummus). For this night, we brought ingredients to make a steak salad. Our Airbnb host has kindly set up a charcoal grill for us, so we grilled the steak and toast some bread on the side. We eat dinner while watching the truly terrible Jean Claude Van Damme movie Bloodsport and finish up the very last of my chocolate cake. It’s amazing that anyone ever let Van Damme act… or should I say ‘act.’ I also have a Tate’s chocolate chip cookie or two, accompanied by a little port. My husband and I are truly very old people at heart, so we finish up the night watching a few episodes of Columbo. Daily total: $0 Day 7 Morning: Unfortunately, K had insomnia last night, so he sleeps in pretty late. I drink coffee in bed and enjoy looking at the view out our big windows. Once he’s up, we get packed up and write a thank you note for our host. It was a great stay. One of my big hobbies is birding and K enjoys wildlife photography, so we go out to look for some lifers! (The first time you see a new species of bird). Did I mention we are very old people in (relatively) young bodies? We first go to Dosewallips State Park and see some bald eagles, great blue herons, lots of various ducks, and a flock of Canada Geese, which, strangely, includes a domesticated gray goose. He’s much larger than the Canada Geese and seems to be watching over them. It’s kind of cute. Unfortunately, a lot of the birds are too far from shore to be seen clearly. Our next stop is Point No Point (I love all the sad & disappointed names that early Westerner explorers gave places in the Washington/Oregon coast), a popular birding spot. We see a ton of birds here, and I can understand why it’s so well-known - Red-Breasted Mergansers, Western Grebes, Common Goldeneyes, Pacific Loons, and a few others I can’t identify yet. Most excitingly though, we see a whole pile of otters! They’re lounging around together on a rock just offshore and a ton of people are watching. We watch as they all slip off the rock and go hunting in the shore. It’s my first otter sighting in the wild, and it’s so cool! We also see some seals and possibly a sea lion. It’s a great spot for wildlife. We eat some snacks (hummus, chips, some sliced meat & cheese) before we head out. I really want to come back to this area another time and explore further, but K has decided that we need to get back home in time for the Big Game. We take the 3:00 pm ferry back to Seattle ($16.40) and get home around 3:45 pm. I veg out at home while my husband watches football. He’s a Patriots fan but he still loves Tom Brady (??) so he’s happy to see Florida win. I don’t understand sports team loyalties at all, but whatever, I’m glad he’s happy. We order from a new Indian place called Spice Box and get vindaloo, roganjosh, and vegetables pakora – so tasty ($53.96). Happily, there’s enough left over for lunch the next day, since I have no plans for what we will eat yet! I’m really dreading work the next day, as I know that it will be obnoxious. I want to get out of my job so badly, but it doesn’t look like I’m going on to the next interview stage for the job I interviewed no back on Monday. I’m feeling kind of down about it. I try to stay positive and promise that I’ll apply for at least 2-3 new jobs next week. I bake up some frozen cookie dough I had in the freezer and feel sorry for myself. We end the night by watching another episode of Columbo. Daily total: 70.36 Food + Drink: $395.23 Fun / Entertainment: $26.40 Home + Health: $26.60 Clothes + Beauty: $0 Transport: $16.40 Other: $170.48 Grand Total: $635.11 I think this week was pretty normal for us. Obviously we spent a bit more than usual due to the weekend cabin trip, but nothing outrageous. Our largest consumer spending category is definitely food and drink – we live in a very busy area of Seattle with tons of restaurants and bars so believe it or not, we actually used to spend even more on eating out. We still try to support our local places by getting takeout or delivery during the pandemic and even occasionally getting a few drinks outside. I spent more than usual on groceries due to stocking up for the weekend away.
All about taxes, the IMF, the Treasury, the IRS and the ATF!
The International Monetary Fund is an international money system administered by the United Nations. Article IX of the Articles of Agreement make it immune from all laws. On 7/22/1944, the IMF was created artificially under the Bretton Woods Agreement. Harry Dexter White, IMF director and CFR member was a Russian spy. The Department of Treasury can be interchangeable with the IMF as seen in Presidential Documents, Volume 29, #4, pg. 113. The Treasury is under IMF authority. The United States has not had a Treasury since 1921: 41 Stat. Ch. 214, pg. 654. The Secretary of Treasury is not paid by the United States government. He is a US Governor of and paid by the IMF. He is a trustee whose Settler and Beneficiaries are unknown. Public Law 94-564, supra, pg. 5942 U.S. Government Manual, 1990/1991, pgs. 480-481 Secretaries of Treasuries that are U.S. Governors of and paid by the IMF, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Inter-American Development Bank, African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, are unregistered agents of foreign powers, and thus guilty of treason. The official names of the Internal Revenue Service are spelled and capitalized as follows: Internal Revenue Bureau of Internal Revenue Bureau of Internal Revenue Service internal revenue internal revenue service INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE Office Revenue Service Federal Alcohol Administration Director of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Division Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms US Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue US Internal Revenue Service in Puerto Rico On 7/9/1953, G.M. Humphrey changed the name of the Bureau of Internal Revenue to the Internal Revenue Service through Treasury Order 150-06. The IRS reduces public allotment of credit. In 1992, 82% of what the government borrowed went to the interest on the debt. 48 USC Section 1421l(i) defines income tax laws. In 1884, it was accepted that the property which every man has is his own labor (and) as it is the original foundation of all other property, so it is the most sacred and inviolable. Therefore, since wages are received as compensation for labor, it can not be legally taxed. Income, however, is the process of profiting from a business (someone else's labor) or investments, and is taxable, as in a Corporation, which is an artificial entity which is given the right to exist by the State. The Constitution only allows the Congress to collect taxes, and that is limited to a uniform excise tax on gasoline, alcohol, tobacco, telephone bills, firearms, and tires, things revolving in one way or another around interstate commerce. 26-US Code 3402(p) defines voluntary withholding agreements. Labor is not profit. In the case U.S. vs Ballard, it was determined income is not defined in the Internal Revenue Code. In Eisner vs. Macklemore, it was determined that income is the gain come to fruition from capital or labor. It is indistinguishable of income. In Lucas vs. Alexander, it was determined that the 1913 Tax Act refers to income only as profit or gain. Under the Victory Tax Act, income tax for the years 1943 and 1944 were to be paid in the years 1944 and 1945. It expired at the end of 1944. Employees of the Federal Government, residents of D.C., naval bases, forts, US citizens of Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, territories and insular possessions were lawfully required to pay Victory Tax. In 31 USC Chapter 3, Subchapter 1, IRS, BATF or secret service are not listed as agencies of the Department of Treasury. The IRS is referenced to be audited by Controller General in Title 31 USC section 713. Under Delegation Order 115 revision 5 of 5/12/1986, the only delegation of authority to conduct audit, enables the IRS and ATF to only audit themselves and for amounts of $750 or less. Any amount above $750 must be audited by the Controller General according to 31 USC. No other authority to audit exists. Order 191 states they can levy on property but only if in the hands of 3rd parties. 26-CFR 1.6091, explains the Director of International Operations and filing requirements. Nothing is filed with the IRS. There is no regulation pertaining to failure to file. There are no filing requirements. Al Capone was jailed for tax due on alcohol illegally imported from Canada. He did not pay duties and excises on this alcohol. His partner was Edgar Brothman, the owner of Seagrams, who made a deal with the U.S. Government to get off. IRS money spends at least a year in a "Quad Zero" account under an Individual Master File. The Director of the IRS can do whatever he wants with the money. It usually proceeds to the Director of the Service Center. Under Treasury Order 91, IRS money is dispersed to the Agency for International Development, the military arm of the United Nations, which provides for district directors, directors of service centers and assistant commissioners to become members of board of directors of the corporation that doles out money. William Casey, CIA director, and head of AID, funneled millions to the Soviet Union to be spent building the Kama River Truck Factory. Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution forbids unapportioned direct taxes upon citizens of the 50 states. The Constitution forbids withholding tax. In Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co., it was concluded that direct taxes must be apportioned. According to Clause 17 of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, the Federal Government is limited to governing its own property. The federal government can only tax on Federal Government Internal Revenue. The government has no duty to citizens / individuals. The Federal Government's taxation is limited to 5 activities:
domestic corporations charted by the US government
net profits derived within the US by alien or foreign firms
net profits from foreign entities
net profits derived from Federal contracts for government upkeep, excise tax and privileges
net profits derived from wages and salaries of Federal employees
That includes windfall profits like offshore oil wells, war profits such as income from states and trusts maintained by the Federal Government for people in the military like Marine Killed In Duty trust fund, customs taxes, and the State Department. The power of the Federal Government is limited to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several state and Indian tribes, according to Clause 3 of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. In 18 USC Section 921, the term interstate or foreign commerce includes commerce between any place in a state, and any place outside of that state, or within any possession of the United States, not including the Canal Zone or D.C. but such terms does not include commerce between places within the same state but through any place outside of that state. 28 USC Rule 54(c), Application of Terms: "As used in these rules the following terms have the designated meanings. 'Act of Congress' includes any act of Congress locally applicable to and in force in the District of Columbia, in Puerto Rico, in a territory or in an insular possession." In the IRS manual of 4/21/1989, 1132.72, Collection Division, says: "Executes the full range of collection activities on delinquent accounts, which includes securing delinquent returns involving taxpayers outside the United States and those in United States territories, possessions and in Puerto Rico." page 1100-40.1 Director, Office of Taxpayer Service and Compliance: "Responsible for operation of a comprehensive enforcement and assistance program for all taxpayers under the immediate jurisdiction of the Assistant Commissioner (International) .... Directs the full range of collection activity on delinquent accounts and delinquent returns for taxpayers overseas, in Puerto Rico, and in United States possessions and territories." page 1100-40.2 "the Criminal Investigation Division enforces the criminal statutes applicable to income, estate, gift, employment, and excise tax laws ... involving United States citizens residing in foreign countries and nonresident aliens subject to Federal income tax filing requirements by developing information concerning alleged criminal violations thereof, evaluating allegations and indications of such violations to determine investigations to be undertaken, investigating suspected criminal violations of such laws, recommending prosecution when warranted, and measuring effectiveness of the investigation processes" The United States Attorney's Manual of 10/1/1988, Title 6 Tax Division, Chapter 4, page 16, , 6-4.270, Criminal Division Responsibility, states: "The Criminal Division has limited responsibility for the prosecution of offenses investigated by the IRS. Those offenses are: excise violations involving liquor tax, narcotics, stamp tax, firearms, wagering, and coin-operated gambling and amusement machines; malfeasance offenses committed by IRS personnel; forcible rescue of seized property; corrupt or forcible interference with an officer or employee acting under the internal revenue laws; and unauthorized mutilation, removal or misuse of stamps." See 28 C.F.R. Sec. 0.70. If you volunteer that you are a U.S. citizen you have become a U.S. citizen. If you write your name on a line labeled taxpayer you have become a taxpayer. A return is prepared by a taxpayer to submit to Federal Government taxes he/she collected. A 1040 is an income tax return for non-resident alien citizen of the U.S. Virgin Islands residing in one of 50 states or agent thereof. It's a non-taxable return and the money derived from it doesn't go to the government. A taxpayer is a tax collector who submits taxes as a return to the Federal Government. A revenue agent is any duly authorized Commonwealth Internal Revenue Agent of the Department of the Treasury of Puerto Rico. A revenue officer collects taxes and returns then files the returns with the District Director who files the return with the service center showing the taxes he collected in his district. This goes to the super center which files the return with Washington D.C. or with the Secretary of Treasury of Puerto Rico who is the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. He takes deductions for the cost to collect taxes. An employee is employed by the Federal Government. An employer is the Federal Government. An individual is a citizen of Guam or the U.S. Virgin Islands. A business is a government, bank or insurance company. A domestic corporation is a corporation residing within D.C., Guam, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Northern Mariana Trust Territory, territories, and insular possessions. A resident is an alien citizen of Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico who resides within one of the 50 states of the Union or other island possessions. The Federal Government must trick its citizens into voluntarily paying taxes as U.S. Citizens of Guam or Puerto Rico. Guam and the U.S. are mutually interchangeable. In the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, which is the Internal Revenue Code of 1939, the U.S. and Guam are to coordinate individual income tax. 26 CFR 301.7654-1 explains coordination of U.S. and Guam individual income taxes. Section (e) explains military personnel in Guam. pg. 65 of 26 CFR, created 6/1/1938, pertains to the China Trade Act, administered in the Philippines by the Bureau of internal revenue. 31 USC 1321 is the Philippines Customs Administrative Act passed by the Philippine Commission between 9/1/1900 and 8/31/1902. It merged customs and internal revenue in the Philippines. It is administered under general supervision and control of Secretary of Finance and Justice. Trust Fund #1 is the Philippine Special Fund (Customs Duties). Trust Fund #2 is the Philippines Special Fund (internal revenue) enacted by Internal Revenue Law of 1904 pertaining to alcohol taxes in the Philippines. Article 1, Section 2 created the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the Department of Finance and Justice. The Collector of Internal Revenue is the Chief Officer appointed by the Civil Governor with advice and consent of the Philippines Commission. He is paid 8000 pesos per annum salary. Article 1, Section 3: Collector of Internal Revenue under direction of Secretary of Finance and Justice shall have general superintendence of assessment and collection of all taxes and excises imposed by this act or any act amendatory thereof. Trust Fund #62 is the Puerto Rico Special Fund (Internal Revenue). 27 CFR Chapter 1, section 2050.11 of 4/1/1994 defines: Revenue Agent as any internal revenue agent of Treasury of Puerto Rico, Secretary as Secretary of Treasury of Puerto Rico, and US ATF Office as Puerto Rico operating under compliance with the North Atlantic region. Tax Class 6 are violations of alcohol, tobacco or firearms in Puerto Rico. In IRS publication 6209, IRS computer code "TC 150" is for Virgin Islands Returns. Codes 300 - 398 are listed as U.S. and UK Tax Treaty claims involving taxes on narcotics financed in the Cayman Islands and imported into the Virgin Islands. Form 8288 is a backup withholding form for when you import narcotics into the Virgin Islands. Withhold 20% and pay to the Commissioner of Narcotics. The Internal Revenue Manual, Handbook of Delegation Orders of January 17, 1983, page 1229-91 outlines the alleged Internal Revenue Service's system of monetary awards "of up to and including $5,000 for any one individual employee or group of employees in his/her immediate office, including field employees engaged in National Office projects; and contributions of employees of other Government agencies and armed forces members" with the approval of the Deputy Commissioner, "of $5,001 to $10,000 for any one individual or group" with approval of the Deputy Commissioner, "of $10,001 - $25,000 for any one individual or group" with the Commissioner's concurrence, "an additional monetary award of $10,000 (total $35,000) to the President through Treasury and OPM" with the Commissioner's concurrence. The Federal Alcohol Administration Act, 27 USC 201, was created under the National Industrial Reconstruction Act, creating the Federal Alcohol Administration which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the 1930s. Under 1940 Reorganization Plan #3, 5 USC 903 Subsection 8 and 9, its office abolished and functions directed to be administered under supervision of Secretary of Treasury through Bureau of Internal Revenue. It was transferred to the Philippines Bureau of Internal Revenue. Reorganization Plan 26 of 1950 transferred the duties of the IRS related to alcohol, tobacco and firearms. See 26 USC Chapters 51 - 53, Chapters 61 - 80, Section 7652, and 7653 in relation to tax and 27 USC Chapter 8. On 6/6/1972, Charles E. Walker issued Treasury Order 120-01 to establish the ATF without legislation or knowledge of the people. It created the Director, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms division. The ATF is an international police organization made up of the Philosophers of Fire exempt from the laws of the USA. Their jurisdiction is Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The Regional Director of Compliance is the Puerto Rico BATF. The only illegal arms are ones imported from Puerto Rico and taxes not paid on them. In 1975 it was named the Internal Revenue Service. In the 12/15/1976 edition of the Federal Register, Director, ATF replaced by IRS. Title 26-USC Chapters 61 to 80 doesn't pertain to the public. Regulations apply to officers and employees and the ATF / IRS. It explains procedures that include: keeping records, examination of records, determination of district director whether required to file return, internal audit, IRS can audit if under $750, if over $750, it must be conducted by the Inspector General, filing requirements, record keeping, examination assessment, how to pay, tax court, criminal investigation and prosecution. These are delegated to the BATF in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rican and the Virgin Islands tax agency. They are only relevant to Puerto Rican product. Not permitted to obtain records pertaining to Chapters 61 and 80. Reference: https://www.nationallibertyalliance.org/files/docs/DocumentsEssays/Cooper%20File.pdf
With lots of first-time travelers posting to this sub with questions, I thought I’d put together information about what you should know before you get started. This is based on my personal experience, so your experience may vary and this isn’t a definitive way things are in the travel world. I’ve been a traveler for six years, worked with many companies/recruiters, lived in (almost) every time zone, and have learned a lot through experience. I hope this helps someone. The basics: As a traveler, you’re expected to have a minimum of 1-2 years of experience, depending on your specialty, the company you chose to travel with requirements, and the hospital’s requirements. . This is the most common question new potential travelers have. If you are a current student or a new grad nurse and you’re considering traveling in the future, you need to pick a specialty now. School likes to tell you that you need 1-2 years of med/surg experience to be an effective nurse. This isn’t true. Sorry, it just isn’t. If you know you want to work in the ER, ICU, CCU, OR, do it! Network with staff and managers in the departments you’re interested in while you’re in clinicals and see if they offer new grads employment opportunities. Once you’re in a specialty, you can’t typically change that as a traveler. Example: you work med/surg as a perm staffer, but want to work in the ER, you’ll need to get that experience first because you’re expected to be an “expert” in your field as a traveler. I see a lot of questions about certain hospitals and people wanting other people’s opinions based on their experience there. A great resource is travelnursingcentral.com. There are rankings of travel companies and hospitals across the country! All are listed alphabetically and you can read about people’s experiences. Take it with a grain of salt though because sometimes people are just unhappy based on personal issues or personality conflicts while on the job. If a consistent complaint by multiple travelers is made about a specific department, chances are it’s a legitimate issue. Again, do with the information what you will, but it can sometimes be insightful. Now onto the good stuff... Identification: It's normal for your recruiter or compliance officer to ask for your SS card and DL via email. They have to have it for tax purposes and to verify your identity. It is 100% okay to tell them you don't feel comfortable sending that over until you have a contract to sign and you'd prefer to send it via an encrypted email. Some companies have you upload it into a secure site. Depends on the company. Contract timing: The furthest out you might see a traditional contract is approximately 4 weeks, if that. Things have quickly changed due to COVID, of course, but those crisis contracts being advertised are for immediate/rapid deployment. You have to take them as they post or you miss out and have to wait for the next ones. It's a crisis, meaning they need you now. If you want a traditional contract, yes, the non-crisis companies are still posting those, but you won't find a need any sooner than about a month out from when you want to start. Housing
Furnished finder: caters to traveling healthcare workers. You have either an entire place or room option to rent, just like on airbnb but without all the service fees. These landlords are very familiar with travelers and their needs so it’s a great option to explore.
Airbnb: sometimes you can talk with the host and work out a paypal or venmo deal to save the service fees. They get more money in their pocket and you pay less in fees.
VRBO: works for tropical places like Hawaii
Extended Stay Hotels: sometimes have kitchenettes and offer discounted rates for nurses staying for longer than one month. Speak to someone in sales when you call the hotel to inquire.
Craigslist Sublets: can be useful because they come furnished more often than not.. I’ve used this option and “rooms shared” often without issue.
Pay Packages: Bottom line about pay packages: what is your take home weekly pay? Companies will break things down by stipend, taxable rate, non-taxable rate, meals and incidentals. As nice as it is to know the breakdown, what you should be concerned with is what should you expect to be the total dollar amount deposited into your bank account each week? That way, you can do tentative math to know the total take home for the month/length of your contract. You can decide on housing budgeting that way, too. Most companies know what the taxable dollar amount is, but most will not know the actual percentage of taxes you will pay. It can vary from 15% (super low end) to 25% for federal taxes. Always just do your math on the 25% rate for good measure and if it’s less than that, cool! Most companies also offer travel reimbursement between $500-$1000 depending on where the contract is. If a recruiter tells you you’re making a low weekly rate because you are a first time traveler, find a different company. That isn’t a thing. That just means that the company doesn’t offer higher paying contracts because they’ve low-balled the hospital or accepted the hospital’s lowest offer of pay to the potential traveler. Hospitals have varying pay rates they’re willing to offer and the companies submitting travelers bid on the position(s). Example: hospital A says they need a traveler and are willing to pay between $30,000 - $50,000 for the contract. Company A says they’ll submit a traveler at the $30,000 billable rate in hopes of getting someone placed and collecting an easy commission. Company B may submit a traveler for the $40,000 rate, and Company C will submit a traveler for the $50,000 rate. Big companies like Aya, Travel Nurse Corps, Cross Country will usually bid the lower rate in hopes of placing a nurse. For the most part, bigger companies tend to pay less because they have a big applicant pool and hospitals will have to pay out less by staffing one of their travelers. Don’t sell yourself short is what I’m basically saying with that. Companies: There are a lot of companies out there. Let’s start with that statement. This can be overwhelming when trying to get started because you don’t know if the company you’ve chosen is going to work in your best interest or not. There is nothing wrong with recruiters, however, you need to look out for yourself. Think of a recruiter as a car salesman. I don’t mean that in a negative connotation, simply, they work off commission. You do what’s best for you. If a contract won’t work for you, don’t take it. Don’t feel pressured into going somewhere you aren’t comfortable with. The right contract will come along and sometimes you just have to be patient. I didn’t get my first contract until six months after I first inquired. As a new traveler, it was hard to get my foot in the door, so to speak, so I took what I could get and it worked out perfectly. Anyway, here are some good companies that I can confidently recommend from experience:
Emerald Health Services: absolutely hands-down the best company I’ve worked with. They do compliance, minus the drug screen, upfront, then they start submitting for jobs. This is the right way to do things because it makes the process less stressful on the backside. Hospitals will always want/need something at the last minute...flu shot updated, TB skin test/t-spot, etc., but because you’ve done everything else on the forefront, these are minor things to have to complete. Feel free to DM me and I will be happy to refer you to a recruiter I can personally vouch for with Emerald.
Republic Health Resources: they’re very good to their travelers and have never left me hanging or feeling like I was just a number to them. They love to send gifts, so if that’s a perk you’re interested in, they’re good for that. I can refer you to a recruiter with Republic if you’re interested in them.
Trustaff: good balance between pay and cool locations. Not the best, but a good option to go with.
Trusted: great company to go with after you’ve got some experience and know your way around things. They require a minimum of 2+ years of nursing experience before you can be considered for any open position. They DO NOT have recruiters. They have nurse advocates to support you when needed. You set up your profile and request your own interviews. They pay very well for standard contracts because the recruiter commission is eliminated. I don’t recommend them for first-timers, but do recommend them for travelers with a couple contracts under their belts. I can offer a referral code if you choose this route.
COVID/Crisis Response Companies: For rapid deployments, it is best to fill out profiles with these companies listed below ASAP before you start looking for jobs with them. It makes the process quicker and is more likely to land you an offer because you’ve done the paperwork in advance. The best advice I can give you is to follow these companies on FB and IG and turn notifications on. These jobs don’t last and fill up very quickly, so you may miss out if you aren’t quick enough with submitting.
Nuwest: AMAZING company! They contract with FEMA often for crisis relief related to COVID. If you get on a FEMA contract with them, be aware that they will tax you as a normal employee and not as a traveler, so you will have significantly more taxes taken out, however, you’re still making exceptional pay, so it isn’t all terrible. They do require rapid deployments though, so you must be willing and able to arrive at your destination within a few days-one week. However, their contract lengths are typically 4-8 weeks for crisis. They have cool locations, like Guam! So you can get some neat experience while adding COVID relief to your resume. I am happy to refer you to a great recruiter with Nuwest.
Krucial: very very rapid deployments! Like one day notice to arrive at the location they send you to. You’re considered a “reservist” and as such contract lengths are approximately 2-4 weeks and you can either be put on standby (and not work one day of that) or end up working the entire contract length. Their contracts are to work 6x12s in a row with one day off. So, it’s a gamble with them in what you’ll get/be required to do. They will generally send you to a specific area with multiple hospital sites and assign you to one if you indeed have to work. They pay exceptionally well, but the 6x12s in a row for a couple weeks can be A LOT for most people. They also post a lot on IG on their stories with a number to call into to put your name in the bid to deploy. It can be difficult to get through because their lines get busy immediately with all the calls, but keep trying!
Prolink Staffing: another great crisis company with exceptional pay packages. Most contracts are for 4-8 weeks. They’re focused on the hardest hit areas with major surges in COVID rates right now. They’re easy to work with and the compliance is straight forward. However, be aware that if they extend a verbal offer, you’re held accountable for signing the written offer and they will blacklist you for backing out. If you’re interested in working with them, I can refer you to a great recruiter.
Insurance: Some companies, like Emerald, provide day one insurance coverage. Others do not, so you'll have to ask about that when you talk with the recruiter. Personally, we carry our own. We are members of Christian Health Ministries. It's a Healthcare sharing network, not insurance. You are considered a self-pay patient. They cover anything over $400. It does take a little bit of effort to fill out the itemized bill paperwork to submit to them, but it isn't bad to do and they pay your bill once you've negotiated for discounts with the hospital for being self-pay. You typically set up a payment plan (can be as low as $25/month, depending on the facility's rules) while CHM is reviewing your paperwork. My dad cut his arm nearly all the way off. His medical bills with the reattachment were almost $400,000. Got his bills reduced to $80,000. Submitted the paperwork with CHM. He set up a payment plan of $100/month and CHM paid off his bill within a few months of him submitting the paperwork. He paid a couple hundred dollars out of pocket on an $80,000 bill. They're amazing and beneficial for travelers as you can use it anywhere. We pay $150/month for unlimited coverage. We've had zero issues with them and it's far more cost effective than traditional insurance. Also, hospitals don't offer the kinds of discounts they do for being self-pay, FYI. So, if you have a $25,000 bill AFTER insurance has paid their part, you're on the hook for it. This isn't the case with CHM. If you're RELATIVELY HEALTHY and don't use a ton of medical services, it's definitely worth looking into. If you take medication, you can look at the goodrx app and see what your medications would cost out-of-pocket and do a cost analysis to determine if CHM and goodrx would be cheaper than monthly insurance offered by your company. Transportation: Unless you're going somewhere that heavily relies on public transit, like NY or Chicago, you will need your car. Part of the fun of traveling is road tripping to your destination and getting to explore places along the way. If you don't like driving long distances alone, take a buddy and offer to fly them back. That would even be cheaper than shipping your car. Cross-country car shipping starts around $1200 one way. In almost seven years, I've driven across the country east-west and north-south over 14 times. It's been fun each time. You can always rent a car or speak with your recruiter to see if they have a rental car stipend or resources for getting discounts on rentals. Just know rental cars can be expensive over the course of 13 weeks and if you have a car payment to make on top of that, it can really wait into your bottom line. What to bring to a contract: This depends on where you’re going and what you think will be beneficial to have. My boyfriend (also a traveler) and I invested in heavy duty totes from lowe's with a big handle and big wheels. We each have two. They fit into the back of our cars perfectly. I tend to designate one tote to clothing, which I vacuum seal to save space and shoes. The other is dedicated to toiletries, meal prep containers, any small kitchen items not available where will be housed, a few cleaning supplies (just Lysol spray and wipes, swifer duster, etc.), google home mini, laptop, etc. My boyfriend uses his totes similarly, except he brings his toys, like the xbox and oculus (haha). Our general rule of thumb is, if it doesn’t fit in the tote, it doesn’t go with. We also pack according to season, so we have our vacuum seal bags with spring/summer clothes and another for fall/winter clothes. You’ll typically end up wearing the same few outfits, so you don’t necessarily need to bring a ton of clothes. Plus, if you want to go shopping, you’ll have room in your tote to bring stuff back on the return trip home. As a first-timer, you’ll likely end up bringing more than you need and then learn from what you use and what you don’t what you can leave out or include on the next contract. We also make our opposite season items easily available to our parents so they can mail them to us, should we choose to extend into another season. I learned this the hard way on one contract and ended up having to basically buy another wardrobe. So, to summarize, if you think you’ll need it or can’t live without it, bring it with you. Dollar Tree will be your buddy. You can pick up household and kitchen items for cheap. We usually will get things like a hamper if there isn't one, slotted spoons, spatulas, pot holders, etc. if these things aren't provided by the landlord. Then, just leave them for the next guests. That way, you don't have to lug around common items and it helps the next people out. Making friends and having an enjoyable experience: You need to have a certain personality to be a successful traveler. You need to assimilate into the environment, be adaptable, and be friendly...aside from being knowledgeable in your specialty. Don’t make waves wherever you go. Think of yourself as a guest at the hospital who is there to help the permanent staff. Be helpful when you can. Don’t get involved in departmental politics. You aren’t there long enough to get caught up in any drama, so stay in your lane, do your job, and go home. Sometimes hospitals are traveler friendly, other times not. Most of my experiences have been positive. Regardless, do your best and be a nice human and you’ll be fine. You can’t control what people think or how they feel toward you, so don’t take anything personally. Just be yourself and you’ll be fine. Try to befriend other travelers. This is the best tip I can offer because y’all are in the same boat. You can work as a team and have instant friends that way because you can relate to one another. Go explore your new home! Seriously, look up all the cool area-specific things to do/see. Then, when you’ve done all of that look at the surrounding areas/states. You’ll get the most out of your experience by getting out of the house and taking advantage of all there is offered out there. Stay active. I know with COVID a lot has changed, but you can still go for a hike or a short day trip, etc. Just make the most of it! I hope this has shed some light on the travel world. I am always around to answer questions or be a resource if needed. Feel free to message me privately anytime. Good luck and happy travels!
Ronald Reagan is the 73-year-old Republican candidate and the current President. His running mate is current Vice President George Bush.
Walter Mondale is the 56-year-old Democratic candidate and the previous Vice President. His running mate is US Representative from New York Geraldine Ferraro.
Issues and Background
Within a year of taking office, President Reagan signed comprehensive tax reform legislation that exemplified his economic philosophy. The top marginal income rate was cut from 70% to 50%, and the rate on the lowest taxable bracket was reduced from 14% to 11%. The capital gains tax was reduced from 28% of 20%. Legislation in 1982, prompted by increases in the deficit, prevented the full tax cut aspirations of the 1981 legislation from going into effect. Reagan and his supporters credit his economic policies with the strong economic recovery since the beginning of 1983.
The last couple years have seen very large federal budget deficits, with the 1983 peak at a level unseen since immediately following World War II, even relative to GDP. Mondale has chosen to make this arguably his biggest domestic campaign issue. Mondale has argued that the "question of the deficit and getting interest rates down is the most important domestic problem of our time - nothing else compares with it." He has spoken in stark terms about the alleged stakes, saying:
The President's point that growth will cure the deficit is obviously not the case. The deficit will get worse even with growth. Thus it is a very severe problem that threatens our future, saddles our kids with a with a trillion dollars worth of debt, is making us into a debtor nation, is destroying our position in international commerce, driving up interest rates, and is making the budget increasingly unmanageable.
Further, Mondale has gone further in his gambit on making the deficit an election issue by pledging to raise taxes. In his nomination acceptance speech, Mondale said:
Whoever is inaugurated in January, the American people will have to pay Mr. Reagan's bills. The budget will be squeezed. Taxes will go up. And anyone who says they won't is not telling the truth to the American people. I mean business. By the end of my first term, I will reduce the Reagan budget deficit by two-thirds. Let's tell the truth. That must be done - it must be done. Mr. Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did.
Specifically, the Mondale deficit reduction plan calls for $85 billion in new tax revenues and $105 billion in cuts in projected spending. The entirety of the new tax revenue is to be earmarked for a special fund to reduce the deficit. Any further new spending will be "pay as you go," requiring new revenue to cover the spending. The planned spending cuts are mostly decreases in the planned growth of spending, including for the military and Medicare, rather than outright cuts.
According to Mondale campaign advisers, a typical family of four with a gross annual income of $25,000 (OOC: ~$62,000 in 2020 dollars, same format for further parentheticals) will not see their taxes go up. However, by 1989, families making $25,000 to $35,000 (~$62,000 to $86,000) will see a tax increase of about $95 (~$200) families making up to $45,000 (~$111,000) will pay roughly $200 (~$500) more and families making $100,000 (~$250,000) will pay about $2,600 (~$6,400) more.
Republicans have of course criticized the Mondale plan sharply. Vice President Bush called it a "program for failure" that would stall the recovery. Reagan insists that deficit reduction must come through economic growth and reductions in wasteful government spending. Reagan describes a tax increase as a "last resort."
Religion and issues of morality have come up several times during this campaign. President Reagan favors a Constitutional amendment that would permit organized prayers in public schools that students can opt-out of. Mondale opposes the amendment. President Reagan also supports a Constitutional amendment banning abortions except when the life of the mother is at risk. Mondale is personally opposed to abortion but believes it should be a woman's individual choice. Mondale's running mate Geraldine Ferraro has received pushback for her statement that, "the President goes around calling himself a good Christian; I don't for a minute believe it," criticizing Reagan's policies as "unfair" and "discriminatory."
In fall 1983, following an internal power struggle in the country and pleas from other Caribbean nations, the United States invaded Grenada alongside several Caribbean nations. The invasion was successful, resulting in the establishment of a new interim government. Elections are intended to take place in the coming months. The Reagan Administration justified the intervention on the basis of protecting US medical students on the island. The UN General Assembly voted 108 to 9 to call the intervention a "flagrant violation of international law." Mondale raised questions about the invasion early on, but in the past couple months has spoken favorably of it.
The United States along with three European nations introduced a peacekeeping force into Lebanon in 1982, in the broader context of the Lebanese Civil War. US diplomatic and military forces have been the victim of a number of suicide bombings, in particular the 1983 bombings of Beirut barracks, killing 241 US military personnel. Mondale has been sharply critical of Reagan with respect to these bombings, arguing that there was plenty of warning to prevent them. Mondale has further argued that overall US policy in Lebanon has been marked by "unbelievable disorganization." In January, Mondale called for the withdrawal of US marines from Lebanon. Reagan argues that the US presence in Lebanon helped facilitate the withdrawal of Palestinian guerrilla fighters.
At no point in his first term thus far has President Reagan met with his Soviet counterpart, Konstantin Chernenko. Mondale has frequently criticized Reagan for this, and has promised he would hold annual summit meetings with Soviet leaders. Reagan has said that he would like a summit, but needs to feel sure it will produce results before it happens. More broadly, Reagan has described the necessary policy towards the Soviet Union as one of "credible deterrence and peaceful competition," though he has also not held back in his criticism of the Soviet Union, calling it just last year an "evil empire."
In 1979, the Sandinista National Liberation Front in Nicaragua overthrew the Somoza dictatorship and established a new government. Since then, counterrevolutionary forces including former pro-Somoza forces as well as disillusioned former Sandinistas, have engaged in armed conflict against the Sandinista government. Reagan cancelled economic aid to Nicaragua upon taking office, but has since said that there have been attempts to get along with the new government. However, Reagan has been sharply critical of Nicaragua's accused military buildup and "meddling" in El Salvador.
Mondale has criticized Reagan's "failed policies" in Central America and has promised that if elected, he would end all US military exercises in Central America, withdraw combat forces from Honduras, and "end the covert activities directed toward Nicaragua."
A CIA booklet became public this October which has raised questions about the nature of US covert activities in Nicaragua. As reported by the New York Times:
A Central Intelligence Agency document that became public this week tells Nicaraguan rebels how to win popular support and gives advice on political assassination, blackmail and mob violence. The 44-page booklet, titled ''Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare,'' is a primer on insurgency. Most activity of this sort in Nicaragua has been paid for by the United States through the C.I.A. The primer explains how to kidnap and kill officials, blow up public buildings and blackmail ordinary citizens.
Ferraro and her husband have come under intense media scrutiny over their financial history, with accusations ranging from tax avoidance to connections to organized crime, pornography, and gambling. In response, the couple has relented in releasing several years of tax returns, and Ferraro has allowed the media hours of her time to ask questions related to her and her husband's finances. Most accusations against them have proven to be exaggerated, though there are still lingering questions regarding certain accounting errors that were made. For more technical details, see coverage by the New York Times or Washington Post.
Particularly following what some considered to be a sub-par first debate performance, some Democrats are openly raising the question of whether Reagan, 73, is too old to continue serving as President. Asked at a White House event whether age should be considered a legitimate issue, Reagan said jokingly of Mondale, "I'll challenge him to an arm-wrestle any time." Reagan's more vigorous second debate performance has led to a diminishing of the age discussion.
In June 1981, the Associated Press and Los Angeles Times reported on a rare lung infection in 5 young previously healthy gay men in Los Angeles. Since then, over 6,000 cases of "acquired immune deficiency syndrome" (AIDS) have been reported to public health officials. In April of this year, the cause of the disease was discovered, a retrovirus known as HTLV-III. According to the CDC, "most cases have been reported among homosexual men with multiple sexual partners, abusers of intravenous drugs, and Haitians, especially those who have entered the country within the past few years." The case fatality rate is extremely high. Scientists say the virus is mainly spread through sexual contact. There were two major developments just recently in October. First, the New York Times reported that saliva may be a possible source of transmission, though it remains unlikely that it is a "key mode of spread." Second, under pressure from Mayor Dianne Feinstein, San Francisco public health officials ordered a number of bathhouses and sex clubs geared towards homosexual men closed. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services argue that this disease has become a top research priority for them, and that they expect to spend many millions of dollars on research grants and other efforts. However, some groups like the National Gay Task Force have criticized the government sharply and say that not nearly enough is being done. Many criticisms of the government and other institutions and groups of people are covered in the essay from last year famous in the gay community, "1,112 and Counting" by Larry Kramer, published in the New York Native. Neither Reagan nor Mondale have spoken of this disease on the campaign trail. OOC Note: There is no indication that AIDS was an issue in the presidential election. Even gay newspapers from this time did not relate the crisis much if at all to the presidential election. To the extent that government policy was discussed, it was often local policy. Why mention it then? Well, it's a similar situation to Japanese internment and the 1944 election. I know some of you will bring this up no matter what, understandably, and so I'd like to at the very least calibrate the discussion to the year of the election with proper context and background.
Platforms (Important note if this is influencing your vote: These are just excerpts, not everything is included and inclusion of a point in one set of excerpts does NOT mean the other party took the opposing stance or didn't mention it; also, especially in the modern era, a Presidential candidate may disagree with the party platform) Read the full 1984 Republican platform here. 10 Excerpts:
"We reaffirm our conviction that State and local governments closest to the people are the best and most efficient"
"The Republican Party pledges to continue our efforts to lower tax rates, change and modernize the tax system, and eliminate the incentive-destroying effects of graduated tax rates ... We therefore support tax reform that will lead to a fair and simple tax system and believe a modified flat tax—with specific exemptions for such items as mortgage interest—is a most promising approach"
"The President is denied proper control over the federal budget ... To remedy this, we support enhanced authority to prevent wasteful spending, including a line-item veto"
"We need coordination between fiscal and monetary policy, timely information about Fed decisions, and an end to the uncertainties people face in obtaining money and credit ... The Gold Standard may be a useful mechanism for realizing the Federal Reserve's determination to adopt monetary policies needed to sustain price stability"
"The greatest danger today to our international trade is a growing protectionist sentiment"
"The Republican Party has deep concern about gratuitous sex and violence in the entertainment media, both of which contribute to the problem of crime against children and women"
"We Republicans emphasize that there is a profound moral difference between the actions and ideals of Marxist-Leninist regimes and those of democratic governments, and we reject the notions of guilt and apology which animate so much of the foreign policy of the Democratic Party"
"Stable and peaceful relations with the Soviet Union are possible and desirable, but they depend upon the credibility of American strength and determination"
"We ... reaffirm our support for a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment's protections apply to unborn children"
"We affirm our country's absolute fight to control its borders ... Those desiring to enter must comply with our immigration laws ... Failure to do so not only is an offense to the American people but is fundamentally unjust to those in foreign lands patiently waiting for legal entry ... We will preserve the principle of family reunification"
"Instead of runaway deficits, a Democratic Administration will pursue overall economic policies that sharply reduce deficits, down interest rates, free savings for private investment, prevent another explosion of inflation and put the dollar on a competitive footing"
"We will pursue international negotiations to open markets and eliminate trade restrictions, recognizing that the growth and stability of the Third World depends on its ability to sell its products in international markets"
"The Environmental Protection Agency should receive a budget that exceeds in real dollars the agency's purchasing power when President Reagan took office, since the agency's workload has almost doubled in recent years"
"After four years in which the roll of dishonor in the Administration has grown weekly and monthly—from Richard Allen to Rita Lavelle, from Thomas Reed to James Watt—it is time for an end to the embarrassment of Republican cronyism and malfeasance"
"Violent acts of bigotry, hatred and extremism aimed at women, racial, ethnic and religious minorities, and gay men and lesbians have become an alarmingly common phenomenon ... A Democratic Administration will work vigorously to address, document, and end all such violence"
"In the year made famous by George Orwell, we can see the realization of many of his grimmest prophecies in the totalitarian Soviet state, which has amassed an arsenal of weapons far beyond its defensive needs"
"Sadly, Mr. Reagan has opted for the all too frequent American response to the unrest that has characterized Central America-military assistance ... Over the past 100 years, Panama. Nicaragua, and Honduras have all been occupied by U.S. forces in an effort to suppress indigenous revolutionary movements"
"A Democratic President will pursue a foreign policy that advances basic civil and political rights—freedom of speech, association, thought and religion, the right to leave, freedom of the integrity of the person, and the prohibition of torture, arbitrary detention and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment—and that seeks as well to attain basic, economic, social, and cultural rights"
"We support tough restraints on the manufacture, transportation, and sale of snub-nosed handguns, which have no legitimate sporting use and are used in a high proportion of violent crimes"
"...the Reagan Administration has acted as if deficits do not count ... The deficits are huge and are expected to get larger—and they are a major negative factor in everything from high interest rates to the third world debt crisis"
I am newly focused on saving for the future. How am I doing? What can I do better?
Hey guys I wanted to get feedback from people who are smarter than me. I'd like to have the option to retire by 55 however I doubt I will because I'm a doer. Here are my details and then I'll go into my plan: Stats: I'm 38. Married. 2 kids. Aged 5 and 2. I have a full time job that last year did just shy of 6 figures and this year will be roughly 122k. Prior to this I was employed by a not so great human who under paid and overworked everyone. My situation has changed and I'm now focused on the future of myself and my family. I expect to maintain a low 6 figure income as long as I remain in this industry/with this employer. My wife is a teacher and does roughly 50k and we get all of our health insurance through her employer since its a better deal than mine. My employer does provide disability insurance for free so that's great. I believe the plan pays 75% for up to 2 years in the case of an incident. Seems like a solid safety net. I also have a side thing that should net me roughly 60k this year and hopefully closer to 90k next year. This doesn't eat up a ton of time so I'm thankful I have been able to create this opportunity. It also allows for some good tax advantages such as writing off some of my expenses. I also am a 30% partner in a start up that so far hasn't made any money but if done well could do great or might end up being a short term expense. I have roughly 40k in emergency savings liquid. The idea there is to be able to make it 6+ months if everything went wrong. Two years ago we upgraded homes and kept our previous home as a rental. We cash flow about $750 a month on that and have roughly 275k in equity in it. I did a cash out refi to get what I originally put as a down payment out so it feels like a zero risk investment. I was also able to get my rate at about 3% too so it was a win win. My primary has a pretty high balance at just under 450k but the payment is totally manageable. We plan to be here forever. We have done most of the work ourselves to make it even better and the only large upcoming expense is a possible detected garage but I'm willing to wait until I have the cash to do that without sacrificing savings or other parts of the plan. Just this year is the first time I've had access to a 401k as my employer just added this as a benefit. I will max it this year along with a modest company match. We also just recently got my wife set up to max her 401k too. We plan to do that as long as possible. My 401k balance is roughly 26k and my wifes is about 18k. I have a TD account with roughly 100k in it with a focus on ETFs and a small amount I "gamble" on individual stocks. We also contribute about 4k a year to each of our kids 529 plans for college. We'd also like to keep that up until the baby birds leave the nest. I expect to have about 100k for each kid when its time to pony up for college. There are also some modest tax benefits for this contribution in my state. We have no debt aside from the two properties we own. The plan: We plan to continue to max our 401Ks until we are no longer able to. For my wife that could be as long as she is working. For me that's as long as I have a day job. If possible I will continue to contribute with with self employment but I don't know what that looks like at this point. Ideally I will be totally self employed within the next two years but who knows where life will go. I also plan to add 1k a week minimum to my TD account to DCA mostly in ETFs with a lofty goal of 2k+ a week when/if possible. My rough math says that if I can do that for the next 17 years I would have roughly 1.2m to 2.7 depending on how well I'm able to max that and how good the returns are. Once our rental apricates to the point I could sell it and pay off my primary after capital gains I would like to do that. My thought here is living mortgage free would allow me to take a little more professional risk without the stress. Sure the money could do more working for me but I think I could do more without the debt. I expect this to take 5 to 10 years. Hopefully closer to 5. We are very aware of lifestyle creep and do not plan to spend more. We are waiting till we drop our daycare expenses to upgrade my wife's car. We'll get something reasonable like a Rav4 for well under a 3rd of the monthly cost of daycare. I plan to drive my car for the next 8+ years. Hopefully more. At some point I would like to pick up a weekend car but it will most certainly be used and I would sacrifice spending in other areas to do so. If I did commit to stopping working at 55 (unlikely as I like to be busy) I would live off the gains from my taxable investment accounts until I hit maturity on my 401k then spend that as needed. If I am able to max my 401k until retirement I would expect to have roughly 1.5m there. My wife is a few years younger than I and she loves teaching so she said she wants to go the distance to max her pension. Her 401k would like be a bit healthier than mine simply due to time and she's 6 years younger than I. What am I missing? Life insurance? Other things I'm not thinking of? Assuming my goals are attainable are my numbers good? We are not spenders but we are travelers, mostly by car as we love the outdoors and live in a part of the western US that is just amazing. I know life is good right now but things could change at any time as it does from time to time. That said I am confident in my skill set and ability to provide. I will also likely be asking for a raise this year for the small company I work for. I have had a large part in nearly doubling our book of business in the last two year so I plan to be a bit aggressive in my compensation requests. Would it be reasonable to request a 10k base pay bump along with a 2m life insurance policy and moving the 401k match from 4% to 10%? Long read but I value feedback from others who are more experienced and smarter than I. Pardon the spelling and other errors, I'm just not that smart.
hello! RE/TW: marriage / divorce / abuse / suicide
[ disclaimer: I in no way intend to offend any active or retired service members or the US Navy as a whole. this is my experience with one individual enlisted, I know a lot of the people serving are incredible individuals, and I honor and respect you guys. ]
background (can skip if you want, question & TL;DR is at the bottom, this is for context): I married my husband in December 2017. He was home for the first time since joining the US Navy in June 2017. We were absolutely in love and had been close friends for several years before our relationship began in 2016 and I supported his decision to enlist. I was meant to move state to live with him in early February 2018. My mother's father (and the closest person to both her and I in the world) passed away suddenly and without warning in late January 2018. My move was still on, but as the weeks went on my mother became very ill with grief. abusing alcohol and extremely depressed. I did everything I could to help her. a couple of nights while very intoxicated, she told me that if I left she'd kill herself. She'd just stop getting out of bed until she slowly died. she explained it in great detail, and always the same. She really only had her father and myself in her life. of course that was a horrible and manipulative thing to say, but I was like 20 years old, and even if it wasn't true, I couldn't risk that. I stewed on it for weeks asking friends for advice... and it boiled down to, she needs care from me as I have received from her all of my life, and if I leave there is a risk I won't be able to see her again. and honestly nothing was worse risking her wellbeing and survival for, in my opinion. I was fully packed and had the truck and movers all scheduled, hotels booked (it was going to be a couple day road trip). three days before I was meant to move I cancelled temporarily. My husband knew it was a possibility, as my mother's health declined. this year in 2020 I told my mother that she was the reason I stayed, and she said she knew, and then thanked me, and said I just may have saved her life with that decision. I do stand by that decision at the time. things quickly deteriorated between my husband and i. he began to show his true colors. he was drinking an obscene amount every single night, chain smoking and chewing, and gambling all of his earnings away every night. he was doing illicit drugs that don't stay in one's system long enough to matter in the military, and otherwise just functioning, kind of like an addict. which he was actually not so long before he left. I thought he was getting better, but it turned out he was just getting ready for boot camp and that. at some point he got upset that I didn't have a relationship status set at all (not single, not nothing) on Facebook. I hadn't been on my Facebook account for at least a year. I hardly ever use social media and completely forget about it, honestly. so he set his relationship status from married to single. which obviously was immature and really upset me. things just kind of got worse. eventually we kind of took a break, while remaining loyal of course. well, I did. he said he did. a few months later he came home and everything was beautiful again, in fact I got to see him twice in one month. our relationship was great. although the distance made it difficult. eventually I felt secure in moving to him, but he said that I couldn't even though he wanted me to. after asking why enough times he told me that he had kept all of the moving money the military gave him for moving rather than give it back like he was meant to. so he couldn't ask again for them to fund the move because he pocketed the several several thousands of dollars they gave him for me to move. which, obviously is illegal. I asked if we could just use that money, but he had drank, smoked, and gambled it away. so I was unable to move out there. things got really hard for me. I lost my place to live, and called asking him for some of the BAH (housing assistance) he receives to house us but doesn't use because he lives on base for free, and he told me I couldn't have it. I was homeless, and he still did not send me a dime. He was receiving, I don't even know what, all these benefits, and would not allow me any help. I was working hard, but life threw me a lot of curveballs. I was working to have enough money to move out to him again. I finally found housing, I was working full time at two jobs, part time at one job, and attending full time college. I was dragging. the housing I could afford was deplorable. the room mate I had to have was sexually and physically violent toward me. my husband still would not help me. my home burned down. my car was stolen. I was homeless again, my husband still would not help me. I found new housing, and started to get on my feet again, and even began to plan a few weeks of the following month I could afford (at my own cost, of course,) to go see him on base. a couple of days later, I was diagnosed with cancer. I was going to lose everything since I was in the hospital for two months and could not work. my husband still would not help me, even just by sending half of the BAH he gets for being married to me. And I really don't even know what other benefits or income he gets. He can't do his own taxes, it's too hard for him, so I've been doing them every year. and he always says, "see, look, I hardly make enough to get by." and I always thought, "wow that's so terrible for how much you have to work and you hardly get paid." ... I recently found out the bulk of his income is non-taxable and he's just been lying to me. he stopped talking to me while I was in cancer treatment for 7 months. we started e-mailing while he was deployed, and everything was going really well. we really felt like, "us," we were talking about the future, children, everything. then he e-mailed out of the blue to tell me he had a girlfriend. He's 25. she's 18. he replaced me because I got sick. he was using our money for being married to house her with him. they had a whole life together. they'd been together for a year and a half. through about ten or more leave trips home that extended for weeks at a time that we spent day and night together... in love, acting as married people would. little did I know when I dropped him off at the airport to return to his base with a kiss, another woman would pick him up at the airport on the other side with a kiss, too. he told me he didn't want the girlfriend to affect him and i. eventually he was able to get me to like, somehow be okay with it? even though I was furious for being lied to. but he urged me to ask all the questions and tell me all of the things and really be close and open about it, which I thought was stand-up and also amazing. after about a day he ended things with her. he got back from deployment and we went back to spending all day on the phone every day. then the girlfriend reached out to me. in every possible way. e-mail, text message, instagram, Facebook, etc. she told me a very different story. while he did leave her, and told her it was because he wanted to focus on his wife (that she previously had no idea existed), the story all before was very different. he didn't tell me we overlapped, the whole time, or that they lived together, or that he was financially supporting her, or anything. he told her terrible untrue things about his, "ex-wife," and eventually she found out he'd been cheating on her with several prostitutes over the year (with proof, and he admitted to it, she showed me the proof and screenshots of admittance). he'd been using illicit drugs while on leave- a lot of them. I have proof of that, too. just overall not being awesome. upon hearing about what he'd been up to, stealing money from the government, lying to them about benefits he needed for "me," and then not actually giving those to me, partaking in so many illegal activities, and openly committing adultery in the public (she had them plastered on her Facebook and on instagram, with "I love you's" and "I can't wait to marry you"'s etc. I decided I wanted a divorce. I didn't want to be wrapped up into any of his illegal activity, and it was honestly sad that I was being used for his financial gain. he'd never wanted a divorce before and vehemently spoke against it. eventually he told the teenager that had been planning her life with him for the last year and a half that he was only using her for boredom and company and did not actually care for her or want anything to do with her. that woman and I are now friends, and she really is a great person that also deserved better. in trying to pursue a divorce, I found a lawyer. the cost was $2,000. I told my husband that he was meant to pay for it, as I was disabled at the time (and still am) from chemotherapy treatments and unable to work, and as the primary income (even though I never saw any of it,) that it was his responsibility to pay for the attorney. he said he would. he agreed to do whatever was necessary because he'd "hurt me so badly." so I met with a few lawyers before choosing one, spent a lot of time speaking to each of them and finding out all kinds of details he had never told me about just how much he's been making off me monetarily. my husband had also told me a few times in the past that if I were to die he would get $400,000. this really terrified me. he's always been weird like this with money, always cut corners, always loopholed income, and always been addicted to gambling and a innumerable amount of illicit substances. I did believe it was possible he'd have me killed for this money. I've been frantic to find a way to sever this marriage since then. One of the lawyers told me he did not believe that was accurate, but either way, I need out. I also found out my husband has been forging my signature for years on many many documents over the years, even saying that I lived with him when I did not (but the other girl did,) to receive more money. he forged my signature hundreds of times without my knowledge. and I don't even know what all he signed. I know he did get over a month of paid leave to care for me when I had first been diagnosed with cancer. but he didn't care for me. he went on a bender. cocaine, benzodiazepines like klonipin and Xanax, opioids like oxycontin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, Percocet, morphine, and others. ketamine, crack, LSD, and cannabis oil. he told me about all this personally. (I'm a med-school student (on deferment for recovery from cancer, but I'll be going back as soon as I can), I remember precisely what he said). Eventually when it came down to it, he refused to pay the lawyer for all kinds of made-up reasons and after months of work, it didn't come through. I tried everything I could to earn the money for the lawyer but ultimately struggled to survive. due to my cancer treatment I am currently facing homelessness and starvation. I eat a piece of bread and half a banana every day. ever since he refused to pay the lawyer, he's disappeared. he's set to leave the navy this coming June. I called the JAG (legal aid for military members), and he did everything he could to try to help me but ultimately could not until I acquired a military ID. I did everything I could to try to get one, and ultimately found out that the original one I was meant to have, my husband declined, and that I could now not get one unless he was present with me and authorized me to have one. he refuses to help me with that. so I'm stuck. waiting to be served papers at this point, I guess? scared for my life, my credit, whatever else he has control over. and really upset that I'm barely surviving while he's drinking, snorting, screwing, and gambling all of what is legally, my money. when this all began I told every lawyer and everyone that I didn't want a dime from him. I changed my mind. It's not even because I want / need the money. it's because he should not have been given it in the first place. and I want him to pay the government back the $16,000 they gave him to move me out and get a house. it's fraudulent and I hate that. TL;DR / QUESTIONS:
what sort of benefits are navy spouses (not enlisted themselves) entitled to? (specifics, please).
how can I get a divorce from my navy husband without a military ID?
how can I report his theft and illicit activity to someone that can do something about it?
how could I receive the benefits I've been entitled to all this time from him that he's withheld and stolen from me?
is the above situation defined as some kind of marital spousal abuse through power? what can I do?
I'm going to lose my home very soon, and I won't survive on the streets. please, what can I do?
(please do not suggest anything like social security, food stamps, utility aid, etc. I'm working on all of that and more with a social worker. I JUST need help with this military part.) thanks, guys.
How do I handle taxes on a loss in multiple non-registered accounts? (Ontario)
Hey so hopefully someone can help me out with some advice, as it's my first year investing and therefore dealing with the tax implications. I made some mistakes starting out, now trying to clean up the mess. To summarize, I opened a taxable account (at WST) in February, lost around $475 and eventually withdrew and closed the account. Didn't take any notes on costs etc. I've since done a lot of reading, opened a TFSA and cash account elsewhere (IBKR), learned my lesson and now 90% of my money is in long term investments in my TFSA. I have just 10% separately for short term/speculative trading in a taxable account to scratch that itch for gambling. Sitting on a 20% ($200) unrealized profit there right now... I understand that the earlier capital loss can be used to offset my profit after I realize it (which is the plan before end of the year), but not sure how exactly. Will I be given documents from both brokerages? Should I even bother trying to do this properly for such a small amount? And finally, should I try to meet with a tax professional to learn how it works moving forward? I realize that should've happened before I started, but it is what it is, I'm trying to clean up now and do things right moving forward. What kind of tax professional would be best? It's been a source of stress not understanding how to handle this. Really appreciate any advice. Thank you.
hello! RE/TW: marriage / divorce / abuse / suicide
[ disclaimer: I in no way intend to offend any active or retired service members or the US Navy as a whole. this is my experience with one individual enlisted, I know a lot of the people serving are incredible individuals, and I honor and respect you guys. ]
background (can skip if you want, question & TL;DR is at the bottom, this is for context): I married my husband in December 2017. He was home for the first time since joining the US Navy in June 2017. We were absolutely in love and had been close friends for several years before our relationship began in 2016 and I supported his decision to enlist. I was meant to move state to live with him in early February 2018. My mother's father (and the closest person to both her and I in the world) passed away suddenly and without warning in late January 2018. My move was still on, but as the weeks went on my mother became very ill with grief. abusing alcohol and extremely depressed. I did everything I could to help her. a couple of nights while very intoxicated, she told me that if I left she'd kill herself. She'd just stop getting out of bed until she slowly died. she explained it in great detail, and always the same. She really only had her father and myself in her life. of course that was a horrible and manipulative thing to say, but I was like 20 years old, and even if it wasn't true, I couldn't risk that. I stewed on it for weeks asking friends for advice... and it boiled down to, she needs care from me as I have received from her all of my life, and if I leave there is a risk I won't be able to see her again. and honestly nothing was worse risking her wellbeing and survival for, in my opinion. I was fully packed and had the truck and movers all scheduled, hotels booked (it was going to be a couple day road trip). three days before I was meant to move I cancelled temporarily. My husband knew it was a possibility, as my mother's health declined. this year in 2020 I told my mother that she was the reason I stayed, and she said she knew, and then thanked me, and said I just may have saved her life with that decision. I do stand by that decision at the time. things quickly deteriorated between my husband and i. he began to show his true colors. he was drinking an obscene amount every single night, chain smoking and chewing, and gambling all of his earnings away every night. he was doing illicit drugs that don't stay in one's system long enough to matter in the military, and otherwise just functioning, kind of like an addict. which he was actually not so long before he left. I thought he was getting better, but it turned out he was just getting ready for boot camp and that. at some point he got upset that I didn't have a relationship status set at all (not single, not nothing) on Facebook. I hadn't been on my Facebook account for at least a year. I hardly ever use social media and completely forget about it, honestly. so he set his relationship status from married to single. which obviously was immature and really upset me. things just kind of got worse. eventually we kind of took a break, while remaining loyal of course. well, I did. he said he did. a few months later he came home and everything was beautiful again, in fact I got to see him twice in one month. our relationship was great. although the distance made it difficult. eventually I felt secure in moving to him, but he said that I couldn't even though he wanted me to. after asking why enough times he told me that he had kept all of the moving money the military gave him for moving rather than give it back like he was meant to. so he couldn't ask again for them to fund the move because he pocketed the several several thousands of dollars they gave him for me to move. which, obviously is illegal. I asked if we could just use that money, but he had drank, smoked, and gambled it away. so I was unable to move out there. things got really hard for me. I lost my place to live, and called asking him for some of the BAH (housing assistance) he receives to house us but doesn't use because he lives on base for free, and he told me I couldn't have it. I was homeless, and he still did not send me a dime. He was receiving, I don't even know what, all these benefits, and would not allow me any help. I was working hard, but life threw me a lot of curveballs. I was working to have enough money to move out to him again. I finally found housing, I was working full time at two jobs, part time at one job, and attending full time college. I was dragging. the housing I could afford was deplorable. the room mate I had to have was sexually and physically violent toward me. my husband still would not help me. my home burned down. my car was stolen. I was homeless again, my husband still would not help me. I found new housing, and started to get on my feet again, and even began to plan a few weeks of the following month I could afford (at my own cost, of course,) to go see him on base. a couple of days later, I was diagnosed with cancer. I was going to lose everything since I was in the hospital for two months and could not work. my husband still would not help me, even just by sending half of the BAH he gets for being married to me. And I really don't even know what other benefits or income he gets. He can't do his own taxes, it's too hard for him, so I've been doing them every year. and he always says, "see, look, I hardly make enough to get by." and I always thought, "wow that's so terrible for how much you have to work and you hardly get paid." ... I recently found out the bulk of his income is non-taxable and he's just been lying to me. he stopped talking to me while I was in cancer treatment for 7 months. we started e-mailing while he was deployed, and everything was going really well. we really felt like, "us," we were talking about the future, children, everything. then he e-mailed out of the blue to tell me he had a girlfriend. He's 25. she's 18. he replaced me because I got sick. he was using our money for being married to house her with him. they had a whole life together. they'd been together for a year and a half. through about ten or more leave trips home that extended for weeks at a time that we spent day and night together... in love, acting as married people would. little did I know when I dropped him off at the airport to return to his base with a kiss, another woman would pick him up at the airport on the other side with a kiss, too. he told me he didn't want the girlfriend to affect him and i. eventually he was able to get me to like, somehow be okay with it? even though I was furious for being lied to. but he urged me to ask all the questions and tell me all of the things and really be close and open about it, which I thought was stand-up and also amazing. after about a day he ended things with her. he got back from deployment and we went back to spending all day on the phone every day. then the girlfriend reached out to me. in every possible way. e-mail, text message, instagram, Facebook, etc. she told me a very different story. while he did leave her, and told her it was because he wanted to focus on his wife (that she previously had no idea existed), the story all before was very different. he didn't tell me we overlapped, the whole time, or that they lived together, or that he was financially supporting her, or anything. he told her terrible untrue things about his, "ex-wife," and eventually she found out he'd been cheating on her with several prostitutes over the year (with proof, and he admitted to it, she showed me the proof and screenshots of admittance). he'd been using illicit drugs while on leave- a lot of them. I have proof of that, too. just overall not being awesome. upon hearing about what he'd been up to, stealing money from the government, lying to them about benefits he needed for "me," and then not actually giving those to me, partaking in so many illegal activities, and openly committing adultery in the public (she had them plastered on her Facebook and on instagram, with "I love you's" and "I can't wait to marry you"'s etc. I decided I wanted a divorce. I didn't want to be wrapped up into any of his illegal activity, and it was honestly sad that I was being used for his financial gain. he'd never wanted a divorce before and vehemently spoke against it. eventually he told the teenager that had been planning her life with him for the last year and a half that he was only using her for boredom and company and did not actually care for her or want anything to do with her. that woman and I are now friends, and she really is a great person that also deserved better. in trying to pursue a divorce, I found a lawyer. the cost was $2,000. I told my husband that he was meant to pay for it, as I was disabled at the time (and still am) from chemotherapy treatments and unable to work, and as the primary income (even though I never saw any of it,) that it was his responsibility to pay for the attorney. he said he would. he agreed to do whatever was necessary because he'd "hurt me so badly." so I met with a few lawyers before choosing one, spent a lot of time speaking to each of them and finding out all kinds of details he had never told me about just how much he's been making off me monetarily. my husband had also told me a few times in the past that if I were to die he would get $400,000. this really terrified me. he's always been weird like this with money, always cut corners, always loopholed income, and always been addicted to gambling and a innumerable amount of illicit substances. I did believe it was possible he'd have me killed for this money. I've been frantic to find a way to sever this marriage since then. One of the lawyers told me he did not believe that was accurate, but either way, I need out. I also found out my husband has been forging my signature for years on many many documents over the years, even saying that I lived with him when I did not (but the other girl did,) to receive more money. he forged my signature hundreds of times without my knowledge. and I don't even know what all he signed. I know he did get over a month of paid leave to care for me when I had first been diagnosed with cancer. but he didn't care for me. he went on a bender. cocaine, benzodiazepines like klonipin and Xanax, opioids like oxycontin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, Percocet, morphine, and others. ketamine, crack, LSD, and cannabis oil. he told me about all this personally. (I'm a med-school student (on deferment for recovery from cancer, but I'll be going back as soon as I can), I remember precisely what he said). Eventually when it came down to it, he refused to pay the lawyer for all kinds of made-up reasons and after months of work, it didn't come through. I tried everything I could to earn the money for the lawyer but ultimately struggled to survive. due to my cancer treatment I am currently facing homelessness and starvation. I eat a piece of bread and half a banana every day. ever since he refused to pay the lawyer, he's disappeared. he's set to leave the navy this coming June. I called the JAG (legal aid for military members), and he did everything he could to try to help me but ultimately could not until I acquired a military ID. I did everything I could to try to get one, and ultimately found out that the original one I was meant to have, my husband declined, and that I could now not get one unless he was present with me and authorized me to have one. he refuses to help me with that. so I'm stuck. waiting to be served papers at this point, I guess? scared for my life, my credit, whatever else he has control over. and really upset that I'm barely surviving while he's drinking, snorting, screwing, and gambling all of what is legally, my money. when this all began I told every lawyer and everyone that I didn't want a dime from him. I changed my mind. It's not even because I want / need the money. it's because he should not have been given it in the first place. and I want him to pay the government back the $16,000 they gave him to move me out and get a house. it's fraudulent and I hate that. TL;DR / QUESTIONS:
what sort of benefits are navy spouses (not enlisted themselves) entitled to? (specifics, please).
how can I get a divorce from my navy husband without a military ID?
how can I report his theft and illicit activity to someone that can do something about it?
how could I receive the benefits I've been entitled to all this time from him that he's withheld and stolen from me?
is the above situation defined as some kind of marital spousal abuse through power? what can I do?
I'm going to lose my home very soon, and I won't survive on the streets. please, what can I do?
(please do not suggest anything like social security, food stamps, utility aid, etc. I'm working on all of that and more with a social worker. I JUST need help with this military part.) thanks, guys.
Hello all. I'm 46 and married for 20 years with three teenage children, one in junior high and two in high school. My wife is SAH, but is quite busy as she homeschools our kids and tends to most of the duties at home. Part of the reason for that is that I have worked six day 70+ hour weeks with precious few vacations for years and years. We have always been a single income family, though one could certainly argue that my wife's abilities are more valuable than my own. They just don't translate into dollars, specifically. Before I get too far into the post, some background: Born into a lower middle class home (think 3 bed/1 bath 800sf bungalow for five of us) with two loving parents. Dad worked hard and Mom stayed at home similar to my current arrangement. One big difference is that Dad didn't make too much and unfortunately developed a compulsive gambling addiction which would be all consuming financially for our family. My Mom did her best to shield us from things, but we moved often and routinely avoided the bill collectors knocking on the door. We lived hand to mouth for my entire upbringing. BUT, we were happy. We didn't really know we didn't have much as none of our friends really had anything either. We used our minds and played outside all day. I've since learned that growing up with nothing is a gift of its own. A gift that I am unable to impart to my kids. One thing that was definitely imparted was a strong work ethic. This would serve me well later...well sort of. I had all sorts of odd jobs from paper routes to lawn mowing to snow shoveling. I was always motivated by money. Fast forward to High School and little had changed financially aside from the fact that my Dad was able to break his gambling addiction. He spent years catching up with his past debts and the most unscrupulous creditor of them all, the IRS. I received very little financial guidance, but I do remember my Mom telling me on many occasions to get a white collar job. I didn't even know what that meant at the time. My older brother, as far as I know, is the first person in the history of our family to attend college. I hadn't really given college much thought, wasn't a particularly good student in high school and didn't have any money. I did know, however, that I wanted a very different financial life than my parents had. I was three years younger, but attended the same college which is a small private university. I worked in the summers and during the school year, took out student loans, and graduated four years later with a degree in business management and a reasonable amount of debt. The school offered very little in terms of job placement. I also met my future wife in college. She had a middle class upbringing as well. She put herself through college too along with student loans. After scouring the want ads and applying for all sorts of jobs over the next month or so, I was getting frustrated. Then my life was forever altered, although I didn't know it at the time. My BIL and I were chatting and he asked if I'd like to work for him selling cars. Now, I didn't have the stigma some people do regarding this type of career, and I wasn't looking at any other options. I should add that he and my sister had recently purchased a beautiful home and they were the only people in my entire social stratosphere that had any outward appearance of success. I accepted the position. It turns out I was a bit of a natural. I enjoyed interacting with people and that immediately translated into success on the sales floor. I loved it. It also paid well. I made $61K in my first year in 1996 and it seemed like a fortune to me. Unfortunately, I spent even more. Several years later as my income went up, so did my net debt. Actually, ten years later in 2006, my net worth would finally crack $100K despite making over $1M during that time period I'm ashamed to admit. I've made nearly every financial mistake one can make...and still continue to make them. While floundering financially personally, I was certainly increasing my employers wealth for which I was well compensated. I worked hard and smart and progressed through the ranks from sales to management to general management to VP of an auto group. My financial discipline and acumen evolved somewhat over the years as well. I've only recently discovered the FIRE movement, but seeing as I enjoy the finer(i.e. expensive not necessarily better) things, leanFIRE didn't really appeal to me. Along the way, I developed a work addiction probably, but an obsession with being "successful" at the least. I love my wife and kids, but for many years my actions didn't reflect that belief. I missed far too many birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays (retail is retail). I am my own worst enemy in this regard as I didn't have a boss looking over my shoulder, but was always determined to outperform. The pressure I put on myself was always much greater than any pressure from my employers. It is something innate that I am still trying to properly manage. I guess it's part of who I am. My weight and health suffered as well. I have been obese most of my adult life. Thankfully, my wife is AMAZING and our kids have forgiven me and my absence for many years. I still feel guilty for all the time and events missed. I can never make up for those. I discovered a quote a few years back that I try to adhere to "no one can go back and make a brand new start, but anyone can start now and make a brand new ending". Now back to present day, I am an officer in a different small auto group and also a minority partner. I like the work and love the people that I work with and for. My work load varies but probably averages 45-50 hours per week with a manageable level of stress. I do have some flexibility with schedule and make MOST activities and events that involve my family and my church. I am torn as I am not quite able to fatFIRE, even if I wanted to, but work has been such a large part of my life. I almost can't imagine what my days would look like if I were to RE. I could help my wife more with the kids/homeschooling and around the house. I'm sure she would appreciate the help, but I'm worried I would drive her crazy. Also, I need to keep my mind stimulated. I try to balance this against the fact that with each passing year of work, any future travel or adventure gets reduced by a year as one is only able to stay active for so many years, on average. I have also lost a significant amount of weight and my health seems relatively unaffected by all the years of abuse. I understand this can change with little notice. My current financial status approximately amounts to a roughly $5M NW: $1.5M Cash and Taxable investment accounts $3.0M Business and Business Real Estate Equity(multiple income streams) $500K Home Equity I cash flow around$700K annually after tax(up substantially from a few years ago) of which I save $350K, but my NW should jump by $1M annually including retained earnings in the businesses and built equity in the business properties. Of course, these numbers are dependent on a healthy economy. Part of me wants to wind down now and the other part wants to retire at 51 or 52 with a $10M NW. Of the $350K I currently spend, the first $100K(10% of my gross) goes to charity. We live comfortably on the remaining $250K which could of course be reduced to around $150K if my income were to disappear and we paid off the $400K balance on the house. I guess I lean toward waiting a few more years at which point its not really RE anymore. I would have two kids at college at that point and my wife and I could travel to see them while my last one at home could easily remote learn. My kids and I have discussed going into business together for their first act and my second, and I really like that idea. RE to me is a 40 hour week...lol. I apologize in advance for the extremely long post, but after reading many pages I couldn't find a similar path to FIRE(although I'm sure many are out there). As thrilled as I am for the twenty and thirty year old FIRE former FAANG crowd, I am not sure I can entirely relate with their experience or them with mine. Although, I wish I had half their intelligence and discipline a decade or two ago. I would truly appreciate advice or thoughts on my particular plight in life especially from those who are or have been in a similar spot. Thanks for your help.
I'm trying to figure out why Rip has zero savings, and I just can't make sense of it. While digging up his mother to get her ring for Beth was a touching gesture (also creepy), he should have plenty of money to buy a new ring--or anything else--if he wanted. First, I have to make some assumptions.
In the show, they mention wranglers earning $400 per week plus room and board. I would guess that Rip likely started making less than that when he was first hired, and he's certainly earning more than that now as a manager. With no other figures to go by, I'll stick to $400 per week.
While Rip isn't dumb, it's probably safe to say he doesn't have a mind for investing. I'll assume he sticks his money under his mattress rather than including any interest. I'm also assuming he has no credit cards or personal loans, so he's never paid interest.
Despite his statement that he is, for all purposes, undocumented, I have serious doubts about that. The ranch pays him wages, and taxes are surely deducted (I only figure his wages as taxable, not his room and board as we have no indication of those costs). He very likely has ID of some sort, probably a driver's license. I also have to use current figures for taxes and assume that they are unchanged throughout time.
Rip pays nothing for his lodging, food, gas, or medical/dental expenses, and he does not own a vehicle, personal horse or tack, or significant possessions of any kind aside from a few (several?) weapons, his clothing, and maybe some sentimental items.
If Rip gets paid $400 per week for 52 weeks in one year, he'll earn $20,800 gross. Federal taxes account for $2,300 (10% on first $9,875, then 12% on remaining earnings), and Montana state taxes take out $2,700 (13% income taxes, no sales tax). That leaves him with $15,800 annually. If Rip started working for the Yellowstone Ranch in his teens, and he is in his mid-30s now (I originally said mid-40s), and didn't get paid until he was 18, that means he has earned $268,600 net over 17 years. Now for his major expenses:
$22,000 for his mother's headstone
$30,000 for his brother's headstone
$5,000 to exhume his father to scatter his bones (he fully decomposed instantly)
$5,000 to exhume his mother to retrieve her ring (she's not looking so bad still)
$50,000 lifetime expenses on clothing, personal items, etc. ($2,500 per year for 20 years)
$20,800 lifetime expenses for beer, Rip's primary vice. I assumed he is a VERY heavy drinker at 20 domestic cans of beer each week for 20 years and used $1/can which is a fair value for cheap beer. Maybe he goes out drinking in the bar some weeks, and maybe he doesn't drink any some weeks. I am also making the assumption that he started drinking quite young.
$10,000 on rifles, pistols, knives, other weapons. Rip doesn't seem to have fancy tastes, and likely many of his day-to-day weapons are provided by the ranch. I figured he bought a few used, maybe had some custom made, and "inherited" a few from the fellows that visited the train station. *This figure is likely too low, but it's a starting point.
After some discussion below, I'm adding a generous $25,000 in expenses for fancy spurs, a custom saddle, maybe a few long coats, some "designer" cowboy items, etc.
Rip's total for his expenses comes to $167,800. If my simple math figures correctly, he should be sitting on $100,800. Even if I added in figures for Rip attending local rodeos with admission costs or even participating in the rodeo, adding a weekly visit to a local brothel (I have no idea what this would cost, and I'm not about to put that in my browser), or gambled it away (unlikely, he'd just kill whomever he owes), I'm not sure how to account for him being broke. What do you think happened to Rip's money? Edited to add: This post is not about the ring. I'm just trying to gather opinions on how Rip spends his money. Whether he chooses to give Beth a sentimental heirloom or buy a new one is not the point of my question. Edited the figures to match Rip's age to roughly 35. I originally pegged him closer to the actor's age at 45. Thanks so much to the comments that kindly corrected my mistake! I'm excited that we're getting closer to knowing "the truth" about where the money went. This is fun!
military navy spousal abuse help needed! please! urgent!
hello! RE/TW: marriage / divorce / abuse / suicide
[ disclaimer: I in no way intend to offend any active or retired service members or the US Navy as a whole. this is my experience with one individual enlisted, I know a lot of the people serving are incredible individuals, and I honor and respect you guys. ]
background (can skip if you want, question & TL;DR is at the bottom, this is for context): I married my husband in December 2017. He was home for the first time since joining the US Navy in June 2017. We were absolutely in love and had been close friends for several years before our relationship began in 2016 and I supported his decision to enlist. I was meant to move state to live with him in early February 2018. My mother's father (and the closest person to both her and I in the world) passed away suddenly and without warning in late January 2018. My move was still on, but as the weeks went on my mother became very ill with grief. abusing alcohol and extremely depressed. I did everything I could to help her. a couple of nights while very intoxicated, she told me that if I left she'd kill herself. She'd just stop getting out of bed until she slowly died. she explained it in great detail, and always the same. She really only had her father and myself in her life. of course that was a horrible and manipulative thing to say, but I was like 20 years old, and even if it wasn't true, I couldn't risk that. I stewed on it for weeks asking friends for advice... and it boiled down to, she needs care from me as I have received from her all of my life, and if I leave there is a risk I won't be able to see her again. and honestly nothing was worse risking her wellbeing and survival for, in my opinion. I was fully packed and had the truck and movers all scheduled, hotels booked (it was going to be a couple day road trip). three days before I was meant to move I cancelled temporarily. My husband knew it was a possibility, as my mother's health declined. this year in 2020 I told my mother that she was the reason I stayed, and she said she knew, and then thanked me, and said I just may have saved her life with that decision. I do stand by that decision at the time. things quickly deteriorated between my husband and i. he began to show his true colors. he was drinking an obscene amount every single night, chain smoking and chewing, and gambling all of his earnings away every night. he was doing illicit drugs that don't stay in one's system long enough to matter in the military, and otherwise just functioning, kind of like an addict. which he was actually not so long before he left. I thought he was getting better, but it turned out he was just getting ready for boot camp and that. at some point he got upset that I didn't have a relationship status set at all (not single, not nothing) on Facebook. I hadn't been on my Facebook account for at least a year. I hardly ever use social media and completely forget about it, honestly. so he set his relationship status from married to single. which obviously was immature and really upset me. things just kind of got worse. eventually we kind of took a break, while remaining loyal of course. well, I did. he said he did. a few months later he came home and everything was beautiful again, in fact I got to see him twice in one month. our relationship was great. although the distance made it difficult. eventually I felt secure in moving to him, but he said that I couldn't even though he wanted me to. after asking why enough times he told me that he had kept all of the moving money the military gave him for moving rather than give it back like he was meant to. so he couldn't ask again for them to fund the move because he pocketed the several several thousands of dollars they gave him for me to move. which, obviously is illegal. I asked if we could just use that money, but he had drank, smoked, and gambled it away. so I was unable to move out there. things got really hard for me. I lost my place to live, and called asking him for some of the BAH (housing assistance) he receives to house us but doesn't use because he lives on base for free, and he told me I couldn't have it. I was homeless, and he still did not send me a dime. He was receiving, I don't even know what, all these benefits, and would not allow me any help. I was working hard, but life threw me a lot of curveballs. I was working to have enough money to move out to him again. I finally found housing, I was working full time at two jobs, part time at one job, and attending full time college. I was dragging. the housing I could afford was deplorable. the room mate I had to have was sexually and physically violent toward me. my husband still would not help me. my home burned down. my car was stolen. I was homeless again, my husband still would not help me. I found new housing, and started to get on my feet again, and even began to plan a few weeks of the following month I could afford (at my own cost, of course,) to go see him on base. a couple of days later, I was diagnosed with cancer. I was going to lose everything since I was in the hospital for two months and could not work. my husband still would not help me, even just by sending half of the BAH he gets for being married to me. And I really don't even know what other benefits or income he gets. He can't do his own taxes, it's too hard for him, so I've been doing them every year. and he always says, "see, look, I hardly make enough to get by." and I always thought, "wow that's so terrible for how much you have to work and you hardly get paid." ... I recently found out the bulk of his income is non-taxable and he's just been lying to me. he stopped talking to me while I was in cancer treatment for 7 months. we started e-mailing while he was deployed, and everything was going really well. we really felt like, "us," we were talking about the future, children, everything. then he e-mailed out of the blue to tell me he had a girlfriend. He's 25. she's 18. he replaced me because I got sick. he was using our money for being married to house her with him. they had a whole life together. they'd been together for a year and a half. through about ten or more leave trips home that extended for weeks at a time that we spent day and night together... in love, acting as married people would. little did I know when I dropped him off at the airport to return to his base with a kiss, another woman would pick him up at the airport on the other side with a kiss, too. he told me he didn't want the girlfriend to affect him and i. eventually he was able to get me to like, somehow be okay with it? even though I was furious for being lied to. but he urged me to ask all the questions and tell me all of the things and really be close and open about it, which I thought was stand-up and also amazing. after about a day he ended things with her. he got back from deployment and we went back to spending all day on the phone every day. then the girlfriend reached out to me. in every possible way. e-mail, text message, instagram, Facebook, etc. she told me a very different story. while he did leave her, and told her it was because he wanted to focus on his wife (that she previously had no idea existed), the story all before was very different. he didn't tell me we overlapped, the whole time, or that they lived together, or that he was financially supporting her, or anything. he told her terrible untrue things about his, "ex-wife," and eventually she found out he'd been cheating on her with several prostitutes over the year (with proof, and he admitted to it, she showed me the proof and screenshots of admittance). he'd been using illicit drugs while on leave- a lot of them. I have proof of that, too. just overall not being awesome. upon hearing about what he'd been up to, stealing money from the government, lying to them about benefits he needed for "me," and then not actually giving those to me, partaking in so many illegal activities, and openly committing adultery in the public (she had them plastered on her Facebook and on instagram, with "I love you's" and "I can't wait to marry you"'s etc. I decided I wanted a divorce. I didn't want to be wrapped up into any of his illegal activity, and it was honestly sad that I was being used for his financial gain. he'd never wanted a divorce before and vehemently spoke against it. eventually he told the teenager that had been planning her life with him for the last year and a half that he was only using her for boredom and company and did not actually care for her or want anything to do with her. that woman and I are now friends, and she really is a great person that also deserved better. in trying to pursue a divorce, I found a lawyer. the cost was $2,000. I told my husband that he was meant to pay for it, as I was disabled at the time (and still am) from chemotherapy treatments and unable to work, and as the primary income (even though I never saw any of it,) that it was his responsibility to pay for the attorney. he said he would. he agreed to do whatever was necessary because he'd "hurt me so badly." so I met with a few lawyers before choosing one, spent a lot of time speaking to each of them and finding out all kinds of details he had never told me about just how much he's been making off me monetarily. my husband had also told me a few times in the past that if I were to die he would get $400,000. this really terrified me. he's always been weird like this with money, always cut corners, always loopholed income, and always been addicted to gambling and a innumerable amount of illicit substances. I did believe it was possible he'd have me killed for this money. I've been frantic to find a way to sever this marriage since then. One of the lawyers told me he did not believe that was accurate, but either way, I need out. I also found out my husband has been forging my signature for years on many many documents over the years, even saying that I lived with him when I did not (but the other girl did,) to receive more money. he forged my signature hundreds of times without my knowledge. and I don't even know what all he signed. I know he did get over a month of paid leave to care for me when I had first been diagnosed with cancer. but he didn't care for me. he went on a bender. cocaine, benzodiazepines like klonipin and Xanax, opioids like oxycontin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, Percocet, morphine, and others. ketamine, crack, LSD, and cannabis oil. he told me about all this personally. (I'm a med-school student (on deferment for recovery from cancer, but I'll be going back as soon as I can), I remember precisely what he said). Eventually when it came down to it, he refused to pay the lawyer for all kinds of made-up reasons and after months of work, it didn't come through. I tried everything I could to earn the money for the lawyer but ultimately struggled to survive. due to my cancer treatment I am currently facing homelessness and starvation. I eat a piece of bread and half a banana every day. ever since he refused to pay the lawyer, he's disappeared. he's set to leave the navy this coming June. I called the JAG (legal aid for military members), and he did everything he could to try to help me but ultimately could not until I acquired a military ID. I did everything I could to try to get one, and ultimately found out that the original one I was meant to have, my husband declined, and that I could now not get one unless he was present with me and authorized me to have one. he refuses to help me with that. so I'm stuck. waiting to be served papers at this point, I guess? scared for my life, my credit, whatever else he has control over. and really upset that I'm barely surviving while he's drinking, snorting, screwing, and gambling all of what is legally, my money. when this all began I told every lawyer and everyone that I didn't want a dime from him. I changed my mind. It's not even because I want / need the money. it's because he should not have been given it in the first place. and I want him to pay the government back the $16,000 they gave him to move me out and get a house. it's fraudulent and I hate that. TL;DR / QUESTIONS:
what sort of benefits are navy spouses (not enlisted themselves) entitled to? (specifics, please).
how can I get a divorce from my navy husband without a military ID?
how can I report his theft and illicit activity to someone that can do something about it?
how could I receive the benefits I've been entitled to all this time from him that he's withheld and stolen from me?
is the above situation defined as some kind of marital spousal abuse through power? what can I do?
I'm going to lose my home very soon, and I won't survive on the streets. please, what can I do?
(please do not suggest anything like social security, food stamps, utility aid, etc. I'm working on all of that and more with a social worker. I JUST need help with this military part.) thanks, guys.
Gambling winnings are considered taxable income. Thankfully, you can deduct certain expenses, as well. The rules on what you owe depend on whether you’re a casual or professional gambler. The short answer is yes. Even online gambling winnings remain a viable source of income and are therefore taxable. Thus they should be reported to your tax report. Just like any other form of income or outcome, referring to money, Bitcoin gambling earnings must be reported. The short answer is no, your winnings are not taxable so you do not need to declare them. Likewise you won't get any rebate against your loses either so no point in declaring them either. If you have won a lot of money it helps to declare to the treasury on your tax return. There is a specific box where you can enter gambling winnings. Is gambling income taxable? If you are a resident of the United Kingdom, your gambling income won’t be taxed. Unlike other countries such as the USA, you’ll be free to keep whatever you win in Britain even if you are a professional poker player. At the same time, you can’t deduct any losses you might accrue. Gambling winnings are subject to income tax. In some cases, the IRS gaming establishment withholds a portion of your winnings for taxes. Otherwise, they pay the full amount to you, mail tax forms later, and you must pay taxes when you file your return. Taxable Gambling Taxable gambling winnings include money and prizes received from: There’s no gray area in the U.S. tax code, though. It says that you must pay taxes on money that you earn if you are a citizen of the country. That includes money earned through gambling — this goes beyond mere poker games — and it counts money you earn overseas. There’s a bigger picture here, as well. Maybe you never earned the money online. Although sports betting is prohibited in some states, states like Oregon, Montana, Nevada, and Delaware has made it legal. This has made any winnings gotten from illicit gambling activities taxable. Keeping Gambling Records. The IRS requires you to keep comprehensive records of your bets, returns, and losses. They are ‘actionable claims’ and come within the definition of ‘goods’. The Supreme Court on Thursday held that lottery, gambling and betting are taxable under the Goods and Services Tax Any money you win gambling or wagering is considered taxable income by the IRS as is the fair market value of any item you win. Gambling income isn't just card games and casinos; it also includes winnings from racetracks, game shows, lotteries, and possibly even bingo. Winnings from gambling can be taxable and should be reported on your tax return. Winnings may be reported on a W2-G. However, if you itemize deductions on the schedule A, then you may deduct gambling losses only up to the amount of the winnings claimed on your tax return. Remember to keep proof of your losses.
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