A Couple of Freebies

by Katy on January 11, 2015 · 16 comments

Do Your Taxes for Free!

I am a big fan of using online Turbo Tax for doing our taxes, and for the first time ever they are now free for both federal and state if you file the 1040EZ or the 1040A forms. (You used to have to pay to file the State taxes.) I am very excited about this, because both my teenage sons use these forms and can now file for free.

Free!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Free.

Rent a Redbox Movie for Free! 

Money Saving Mom shared a great Rebox code the other day on her Twitter feed, which of course I had to test out. I took her advice to reserve the movie Boyhood online, and it went through perfectly. It’s 45TH8787 and doesn’t expire until January 18th, which is great.

Free!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Free.

Who doesn’t like free?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }

AnnW January 11, 2015 at 3:29 pm

Katy, did you ever figure out how much your thriftiness saves you every year? That amount is after-tax, so the real savings are at least 30% more. Do you get any grief from your friends or family for your thrifty habits, or are they used to you? You are very inspiring. Thanks for being a real adult voice in blogworld. Ann from Connecticut.

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Katy January 11, 2015 at 7:34 pm

It’s so difficult to say how much we save, as it would completely depend on who we’re compared to. I often feel like what every else spends money on I’m able to figure out for free or next to free. Of course, I still have a mortgage, insurance, utilities, etc.

Of course there are bloggers out there who are MUCH more frugal than I am, like Brandy from The Prudent Housewife, but I have two kids not seven and I work outside the home. But what she’s able to spin from thin air is nothing short of miraculous.

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Rachel January 11, 2015 at 4:09 pm

We just watched Boyhood last night. I still can’t decide if I liked it. I didn’t dislike it, but it was so different from most movies which left me strangely unsure of I liked it. 😏😁

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Katy January 11, 2015 at 7:43 pm

It left me with a lot of think about.

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Rachel January 11, 2015 at 8:36 pm

Yes, I think that’s it. It’s one of those that you keep thinking about and processing. I’ll probably know in a week or so if I just liked it or loved it. 🙂

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Kim from Philadelphia January 11, 2015 at 4:37 pm

“Boyhood” was a GREAT movie! You won’t be disappointed!

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Diane January 11, 2015 at 6:29 pm

I agree…Boyhood was wonderful in all ways.

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Katy January 11, 2015 at 7:41 pm

We loved it, and my husband said he thinks it was he best movie he’s ever seen.

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Diane January 12, 2015 at 5:52 am

Katy, I think Boyhood might have been especially meaningful for you as you have 2 sons!

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area man January 11, 2015 at 5:26 pm
Emily N. January 12, 2015 at 4:35 am

That’s great about the online Turbo Tax! I used to use TaxAct online (again, you had to pay to file state taxes). Now that I’m married, we do our taxes with my father-in-law. He buys 0ne of the full software versions (he’s self-employed, so his taxes are a bit complicated) and lets us come over and do ours, too. It’s very nice, since we live in NJ but mostly work in NY, plus my husband has some small business income/expenses to report. Plus it’s free for us!

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Kelly in MA January 12, 2015 at 9:37 am

Something I just read that ties directly to your advice about using turbo tax for filing you 1040EZ. If you got subsidy towards your health insurance from the government you should keep your eyes open for a 1095A form that details all of the subsidies. People will need this to fill out another form (8962). This will mean if you’re used to filing Form 1040EZ, you can’t do that any longer if you got subsidized health care. You’ll have to file one of the longer forms instead.

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Rosa January 14, 2015 at 7:09 pm

if you qualify for a health care subsidy, you are highly likely to fit the income guidelines for a local VITA site that will do your taxes for free, though.

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laurie January 14, 2015 at 5:40 am

Thanks for the movie code! I have never used Redbox, and am taking “advantage” of being sick to watch Boyhood today.

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Dori January 14, 2015 at 8:30 am

Thank you so much for the Redbox code, Katy! I used it just this week at our local Redbox and the hubs and I were able to see Boyhood for free. So fun! I would agree with your comment that the movie left us with a lot to talk and think about. For me, the best part of the movie was the creative methodology of filming it gradually over a period of 12 years. Fascinating to see that unfold onscreen!

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Katy January 14, 2015 at 8:36 am

You’re welcome!

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