The only time I paid someone to do my taxes (since normally, they are pretty easy and it's almost never worth it to me to itemize) was 2 years ago when I had to file in CT, MD, NY, and VT. The CPAs certainly didn't save me any money given what I paid them and I had to check everything anyway, so I'm not really sure it saved me much time, except I didn't have get all the different forms myself.

The only time I paid someone to do my taxes (since normally, they are pretty easy and it's almost never worth it to me to itemize) was 2 years ago

Yeah, I only started using my accountant after I bought my house and could start itemizing.

lisah is me. What it saves me is headache and stress. I am not sure he even works that hard to max out my deduction options, but I consider it worth it after the house-buying and adoption.

I'm saving it for my trip to Australia. I'm going to SPEND IT IN ANOTHER COUNTRY!!

Hmm, how far is Madison WI from the Canadian border?

Is there video of Obama's speech somewhere?

We might just put all of ours toward one of our debts, but if I spend any of mine, it'll go toward the main writers conference I want to attend this year...

...which happens to be in Canada!

I loved Obama's speech, and y'all know I'm a supporter, but I have to admit that lines like this in anyone's campaign speech make me roll my eyes a little:

Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.

Because while it's true that some of the early colonists came over for religious freedom (or, in the case of the Puritans, to build a society where THEY were the dominant creed), 18th century Britain was really not so much with the tyranny and persecution, especially by the standards of the time! I mean, I doubt the Revolution would've worked and resulted in a stable republic if the founders hadn't come out of an existing tradition of devolved power and partially representative government. And I'm sure Obama knows that, and it's not like he should revise his speeches into history lectures just to please one hopelessly pedantic supporter. It's just that I've focused so much of my energies on 18th and early 19th-century Britain in the past seven years that I have divided loyalties for that time period. The War of 1812 really messes with my head, given how much writing and research time and energy I've devoted to the Napoleonic-era British army--I can't root against them.

any refund I get is going to either credit card payments or into savings. no unplanned spending is (one of) my mantra(s) of the moment.

I may clean my desk off today. That would be awesome.

I will read the Obama speech, but the McCartney/Mills divorce decree is here: [link]

Is there video of Obama's speech somewhere?

nytimes.com has it.

I think paying down debt is the perfect way to spend my "stimulus" package.