have a pantry

One great way to stretch a buck is to have a pantry and know your prices. It's not enough to just stock up on stuff, you have to know how much to pay. For many years I only bought pasta when it was at fifty cents a pound. I kept a pantry stocked up with what I really needed. The days of fifty cent pasta has come and gone. Now the going rate is about a buck. Sometimes it's less, so that's when I stock up. I try to keep on hand what I am likely to use in 6 to 8 months. I also keep other staples on hand, but only if I can get them at a good price. I don't particularly like frozen meats, but peas and mixed veggies are always good to have on hand for soup making. I use leftovers to make soup. I just throw everything in with some canned broth and heat it up. Great for those cold Northeastern evenings. This weekend we had a storm and although I couldn't shop I had enough in the refrigerator to scare up some soup after shoveling all the snow. I keep lentils and barley in my pantry too.

Tax time

The best way to save money is to keep more of it. You have to pay your taxes, but a good tax accountant can help you keep more of your money. You want to keep your money and invest it for yourself. A good tax man can help you with this. When I first started working as a schoolteacher I was not making much money. On top of that I was spending my own cash to supplement materials for my students. I filled out that first income tax form all on my own. I was frustrated and unhappy for a whole day and I got practically nothing back. After the fact, I heard that certain work expenses can be written off. The following year I went to an accountant to do my taxes. It was easy breezy and I got back much more money. The service fee was well worth it. My refund was more than double on essentially the same income. I have never done my own taxes since. Certain businesses and professions require the use of a good accountant. For example, anyone involved in real estate needs professional help to navigate the tax code. This money is well spent. Some things cannot be done on the cheap. Find a good account. Spend the two hundred or so it costs. You won't regret it. P.S.when looking for a professional, never use the yellow pages. Always rely on word of mouth. Those ads cost money and guess who gets to pay for the advertising in the form of higher fees. The bigger the ad, the larger the fees. Many times just a name and number signals the most competitive provider. Find someone who doesn't need to advertise because he's got plenty of repeat and referral business.