Today is one of the most stressful dates for many Americans. April 15th, Tax Day brings all kinds of worries for those who have waited to complete their tax forms and not sought the help of a CPA. On the other hand, accountants are just coming to the end of an extremely busy work season. Maureen Schwartz offers a humorous view of living with a CPA during this time and how best to care for them. Happy tax season and raise a glass to your and all CPAs in the US this monumental day! The 10 simple rules of caring for your CPA this busy season
April “Fools?”
Did you get a minion mic drop in your inbox this April Fools? Google’s famous elaborate April Fool’s pranks may have finally gone too far. This year, the idea was that you could select the “Mic drop” button on Gmail and send a .gif of a minion dropping a realistic mic. After sending, no other replies from that mail stream would come back to you. Conversation over, the end. What an amazing way to handle a never ending work email, right? Turns out that the “Mic drop” button was a little too close to the send button, causing quite a few misfires to clients and bosses. Oops. After a myriad of complaints on their Google forum, the button was removed and an apology issued.
What do you think? Did they go too far or do we all take ourselves just a little too seriously in this day and age of electronic communication?
What Part Does Social Media Play in Your Life?
How often do you check your social media accounts? Do they play a large part in your social or business life? You’re not alone. According to Teddy Wayne for the New York Times, 90% of 18-29 year olds and over 75% of 30-49 year olds use social media on a daily basis. But times may be changing as a small group of “holdouts” are eschewing social media, even as a marketing platform. Check out why in, Holdouts of the Social Media Age.
What’s On Your Desk?
Make yourself number one! Keep in mind that when you are happy and taken care of, you are able to do much more efficient and focused work. Not to mention warding off the temptation to feast on the chocolates at your neighbor’s desk or the donuts in the break room. The ideas shared by Danielle, a contributor to apartmenttherapy.com, in her article, Be Happier at Work: Try This Simple Desk Update Today make sense. Who doesn’t enjoy drinks and delicious snacks at his/her fingertips, as well as a little beauty added to the space?
Shall we give this a try?
Tell us your experiences in the comments section and we’ll share ours too. Now, get to work!
Men, Women and Sportscasting
In honor of National Women’s Day, an article about being in the public eye as a female sportscaster. Such a male dominated arena from both the commentator and fan perspectives, it offers more focused attention on the women who work the fields than any other anchor position. Richard Sandamir and John Branch for the New York Times, share the stories of these women and how important personal awareness and safety is in this profession. The Dangers of Being a Female Sportscaster. Not to mention the reminder that males should strive to behave as gentlemen.
Beg, Borrow or Buy?
Invest or borrow? Kim Myles offers great advice about when to purchase or borrow eight key items in her article, Save Money, Save Space: 8 Things to Borrow Instead of Buy. From air mattresses to tools to serving dishes, consider her wisdom about storage space and necessity before you make that next impulse buy for a weekend guest or dinner party.
Thinking it’s About Time For a Snack?
Are you sitting at your desk right now wishing you had a big piece of chocolate cake? Ever wondered why you feel the overwhelming urge for a sugary snack each afternoon? In their article, The Science Behind the 3 p.m. Snack Slump, thekitchcn.com offers scientific facts about the late afternoon slump as well as ways to curb your desire for sugar and fat with healthy options. 5 Healthy Ways to Beat Your Afternoon Snack Cravings. They even mention that sleep may play a big part in this daily crave. Instead of willing yourself to not eat junk, maybe you should just go to bed!
Parents, Kids and Healthy Eating
Children tend to be picky eaters and for most of us this only means a little wasted food and some frustration at the dinner table. But what about the parents who cannot afford to throw away food? The working poor who must stretch to make ends meet often have the same nutrition goals for their children but lack the financial resources to introduce their children to new foods and flavors. Statistics show that children must be given a new food 8-15 times before it will be accepted. Imagine how much discarded food that amounts to in a week, a month. Caitlin Daniel reinforces the idea that many parents share the same health desires for their children in her article, A Hidden Cost to Giving Kids Their Vegetables and offers possible ways that schools and organizations may help support a healthy lifestyle for all.
Spend More Now, Save In The Future
Ever stood in the store comparing two items; the one you truly want and the one that is similar but much less money? Ever considered that if you buy the more expensive, higher-quality version you might have it for years to come and not need to invest more at a later date? Carl Richards, in his article, Spend the Money for the Good Boots, and Wear Them Forever for the New York Times, Your Money section gives a very compelling argument for this theory. Definitely worth consideration the next time your gut says, “spend the money.”
Just Who Are You Paying?
How many recurring charges are on your credit card at the moment? You may be surprised. A new service, Trim, will scan your bills, produce a list of these payments and cancel ones you wish to no longer utilize. This is a free service from Trim as they attempt to build a client base for their personal finance assistance business. Even if you choose not to employee Trim, taking a look at their ranked, most common charges list can be helpful and may inspire you to take the initiative to keep more money in your own pocket.