Author: Family Friendly Daddy Blog

1 Comment Posted on finance, People, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Income Tax Returns at H&R Block: So Relieved I Didn’t Owe Taxes on My 5 Side Hustles in 2018!

As I recently crowned myself “The SEO Side Hustler”, announcing that in 2018 I had 5 SEO-based side hustles that earned a minimum of $1,000 each, I knew that title would come with a potential downside:

This month when my wife and I would file our taxes for last year’s income, instead of getting money back from the IRS as we have every single year we’ve been married, it would be a very real possibility we could actually owe several thousand dollars instead of receiving that as a return.

When I said that I had 5 side hustles last year that earned a minimum of $1,000 each, the thing is…

For some of those side hustles, it was a bit more than a thousand dollars… or even a lot more.

I had never made that much in side income before. It was never an issue or a concern for the years prior.

The problem is that my superhero power of finding random ways to make money from my SEO skills didn’t mean that I automatically knew anything about being prepared for the taxes I would owe on that money.

It was a bit intense last Saturday morning, walking into H&R Block, knowing that in just an hour, we would know our fate; for better or worse.

Forty-five minutes into our consultation, it was looking as if we were going to owe about a thousand dollars; which wouldn’t have been awful.

But fortunately, and I would even say miraculously, our H&R Block representative found a couple more items that had not been considered yet as tax write-offs; like how I mainly use my phone for managing my side hustles, and the fact I have a room in my house dedicated exclusively to my side hustles, serving as my office.

Plus, our H&R Block representative helped us get set up on a system where we are now able to easily pay back 25% of my side income earnings in advance each quarter, so that there’s no reason for anxiety in paying those taxes next February.

At the 55 minute mark into our hour-long consultation, it was confirmed: Even after the consultation fee for H&R Block, we would still get a few hundred dollars back!

Our sense of relief was actually greater than our sense of celebration.

And it was perfect timing, as that money would ultimately end up covering our “24 hour parent staycation” that began the moment we left the moment we drove out of the H&R Block parking lot.

Stay tuned for that…

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Dear Holly: You Like to Make and Eat “Panic Cakes”

2 years, 9 months.

Dear Holly,

Ever since you got your Peppa the Pig kitchen play set for Christmas, you have been somewhat obsessed with the concept of making pancakes, or as you pronounce it… panic cakes.

Picking up on this, Mommy decided to make some buckwheat pancakes a few Saturday mornings ago, and it turns out, you love to eat pancakes- not just pretend to make them.

It’s now to the point where Mommy has to make enough on the weekend so that you have enough to eat leftovers throughout the rest of the week; each morning before school.

In fact, you love them so much, that you sort of have a little panic attack if you don’t get your panic cakes!

So maybe “panic cakes” isn’t that far off of a pronunciation…

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Your New “Household Chores for Cash” Program

8 years, 3 months.

Dear Jack,

Every night after dinner now, you and I now tag-team drying the dishes. Specifically, you handle drying and putting away the countless number of plastic water bottles, cups, and containers it apparently takes for our family to function on a daily basis.

Plus, every Wednesday and Sunday, you are now responsible for collecting the garbage from the five smaller wastebaskets throughout our house, so that I can combine them with the tall kitchen garbage, then take them outside to the main garbage bin.

I must say, this system has been working very well over the past few weeks in has been in effect.

For a few dollars a week, I am impressed by the way you get the work done amazingly without complaining.

Sure, the money helps- but I also recognize you’re definitely old enough now to secretly crave some sense of responsibility.

Love,

Daddy

2 Comments Posted on fatherhood, Health, parenting, People, Storytelling, Uncategorized, vegan

After 5 and a Half Years, I Stopped Being a Vegan in September 2018… Finally, I’m Ready to Talk about It (Ex-Vegan Back to Kosher, Still Cured of Dyshidrotic Eczema and Sinus Issues)

Don’t get your hopes up- I still wouldn’t be any fun at a BBQ or a hot dog eating contest. But it is true that back in September, I quietly retired my strict vegan lifestyle of 5 and a half years, and my vegetarian lifestyle of 7 years. But why?

Because I realized that for the last few years, I had been gaining weight as a vegan– to the point I basically weighed as much as I did before I stopped eating meat, eggs, and dairy. Here is proof of my vegan dad bod.

For the first year and a half of being a vegan, I slimmed down to 156 pounds, which at 5′ 9″, placed me perfectly in the middle range according to a BMI chart.

Not only I had a lost and kept off nearly 20 pounds, but I also was finally free of my “medically incurable” dyshidrotic eczema and my constant sinus congestion.

I was convinced I would never forsake my vegan identity.

But after spending all of 2017 and 2018 trying to still fit into my size 31 pants, and eventually my size 32 pants, I realized that even with my routine of running on the weekends, my vegan diet wasn’t enough to combat the fact that since turning age 35, my metabolism had undeniably changed.

I was open-minded by the time I accidentally (?) met Mark Glesne at a Starbucks one Sunday morning after church in September 2018. With his experience as a personal trainer, he explained to me that my body had ultimately found a way to rewire itself so that despite consuming 0% cholesterol as part of my vegan diet, I had begun storing fat for lack of complete proteins that are found in meat, eggs, and cheese.

So since September, I have bid farewell to my vegan lifestyle and switched back to simply being kosher; which I have been since Thanksgiving 2008.

I have remained committed to abiding my Jewish kosher law for over a decade now; not eating pork or shellfish, or any other bottom feeder animals.

And even though tuna and tilapia are technically kosher, my eczema did briefly return when I ate those types of fish recently; as well as salmon that was farm-raised instead of wild caught. So I have to stick with fish that are cleaner; like cod, mahi mahi, and wild caught salmon.

As far as my sinus issues, they haven’t returned since I started eating cheese again. However, I refuse to drink cow’s milk, as I believe it was causing my severe sinus and allergy issues; not to mention, it contains a lot of unnecessary sugar.

To help counteract my metabolism noticeably slowing down since I turned 35 nearly 3 years ago, my great friend Mohamad Alaw (who took the photo of me above) helped me get started on a daily work-out regimen, which I have been faithfully doing, based on a website called Darebee.com.

I went from a consistent 176 pounds as a vegan, now to a new consistent 171 pounds by remaining kosher and working out daily; as well as mostly eliminating wheat flour, added sugar, and hydrogenated oils.

Granted, I’m still not comfortably fitting in my size 32 pants, but I believe I eventually will.

I definitely do not regret the 5 and a half years I spent as a vegan, and 7 as a vegetarian. Honestly, had I not begun gaining weight to the point I had a dad bod, I would have stayed a strict vegan the rest of my life.

(Click here to find the best deal on this funny dad bod t-shirt on Amazon.)

But the fact that being a vegan wasn’t enough to prevent a dad bod, I took it as a warning from my body that I needed to change what I was eating.

I still undeniably have a very strict diet, but there’s much more grace. I feel a little bit more human in social environments now.

It’s all about doing what works for me personally. Let vegans be vegans. Let bacon lovers be bacon lovers. Let them not be in a cultural war by demonizing each other like Democrats and Republicans.

Let emotional intelligence rule and let each person find their own way to happiness and health.

(Click here to find the best deal on this cute women’s t-shirt on Amazon.)

As for me, I’ll be a kosher guy who works out in his living room every day when he gets home from work- as he pursues a goal of fitting comfortably in size 32 pants again, and continuing to remain cured of dyshidrotic ezcema and constant sinus congestion.

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The Benefits of Using Custom Running Shoe Orthotics 

Many runners will, through their lifetime, experience lower body issues. Only a small number of runners can perform perfect running patterns without custom orthotics as their feet are capable of properly absorbing shock. There is also overpronation which occurs when the arch flattens, which causes the foot to roll inwards. Underpronation, on the other hand, happens when your foot does not turn enough, or even at all. Both overpronation and underpronation can lead to your feet’s joints misaligning, leading to several issues like blisters, chronic pain, leg length discrepancies, and shin splints. Instead of enduring the pain while running and hoping that it does not get worse, why not try custom orthotics?  

Turn All Types of Running Shoes into Your Shoe  

Each custom orthotic is made by creating a plaster cast or 3D impression of each of your feet. As a result, the resulting orthotics fit your feet perfectly. While you could go ahead and buy the most expensive pair of running shoes in the world, you will still end up experiencing pain when running unless they’re crafted to fit for your feet only. Sneakers are generally designed to conform to everyone’s foot shape, and that is why they do not offer enough support. To find out more about getting custom orthotics designed for you visit the Orthotic Shop.  

Support in All the Right Places 

 As custom orthotics are designed for your feet only, your feet get support where they need it. If you were to purchase over the counter orthotics, you’d get support every time your feet hit the ground but won’t be evenly distributed to the areas of your feet where it is needed.   

Long Lifespan 

The over the counter orthotics you buy at a pharmacy can’t withstand the wear and tear placed on them as you run for a long time. It is also worth noting that most of them aren’t designed to last more than a couple of months. Custom orthotics, on the other hand, can last anywhere from two to five years. And the exciting thing is that you can have your custom orthotics refurbished to extend lifespan.  

Helps You Recover from Injury Faster  

If you have sustained running-related injuries, orthotics customized for your feet can help you recover much faster and back to running in no time. Since they are created based on the shape and contours of your feet, their design helps distribute weight more evenly on impact. For instance, if you are recovering from a broken toe, your orthotics can be designed in a way that the broken/injured toe doesn’t have to bear any of your weight, making it possible to run without experiencing any pain.