In which I provide a tax reminder, a call for maintenance, and admit my time got derailed this week.
Hi Friendos,
A reminder! Tomorrow, September 15th, is the deadline for quarterly estimated tax payments.
This week I am not sending a regular newsletter because I had a few things come up recently that took a lot more time than expected, crowding out my time for writing. In particular, I helped my condo building coordinate a cleaning of our dryer ducts, and for reasons too boring to detail (even for this newsletter), it took a lot more time than I expected. But, what a nice opportunity to sing the praises of maintenance and how it helps you save money!
I wrote about the maintenance of things and maintenance for your personal finances in prior newsletters. Maybe you could use a fall tune up for your home or your finances?
I wanted my building to clean our dryer ducts, which, our case, run inside our walls and make their way up and out the roof of the building. Lint can accumulate in there over time, becoming a fire hazard and causing longer run times for the clothes dryers. It is much less expensive to pay for these to be cleaned than to deal with the aftermath of a fire!
I also recently scheduled service of our hot water heater. We need a new anode rod, which is not very expensive. If we skipped the replacement, the hot water heater itself, which is expensive, would corrode and need replacement years sooner. We’re going with a powered anode rod, which will not need replacement and also seems to be transferrable to future hot water heaters. Ask your plumber the next time you have your hot water heater serviced! It costs a bit more upfront, but should save in the long run. Very, very boring stuff. I have no interest in any “excitement” around my hot water.
I considered doing this service myself, following the instructions in my owner’s manual. It seems straightforward enough, but I was still worried I might make a mistake and damage the heater. So I will pay a plumber this time, but I plan to hang out and watch their work so I can learn and DIY in the future. Kind of like how I teach other people to do their own taxes!
-Stephanie
Frequently Taxed Questions 