Section 0: Background
Hi everyone! I’m trying to tailor this a bit more to reflect the UK Money Diary style where I give context on the week before and reflect on it after. I also added in some of the questions from the recent thread about what Refinery29 should ask diarists (see here).
I wrote this the week of Thanksgiving; my partner and I stayed in NYC instead of going home to either of our parents’ homes. We wear masks and stay socially distant when we leave the house. I’m thankful that we live close to a park and live on a block where we know and enjoy talking to our neighbors.
This was a relatively normal week for us during a pandemic, save for me spending a bit more than normal and it being Thanksgiving. We’ve both lived in the city since college and have so-so relationships with our families, so we didn’t leave for “home” when the pandemic hit.
I also just named my boyfriend instead of giving him an initial. He’s the only person I actually saw this week, but the initials always throw me off when I read these.
What do money and success mean to you? What are your end goals?
It helps me to see money as a tool. I never resonate with people who say “money doesn’t buy happiness” because to a certain degree, it does. Money enables me to live the life I want.
I’m pursuing FIRE (financial independence, retire early) and hope to be financially independent (able to live off my investments) by my early 30s. To do so, I save 60%+ of my income per month. I want this because working for 40 years isn’t sustainable for me—I have a very cushy tech job and still get anxiety and rage about waking up every morning to work, the rat race, and being paid inequitably to male peers. I’d like to give myself the option to leave this world as soon as possible.
As an alternative, I could see myself successful if I open a product consultancy, where I advise early-stage startups on product management, what to build for their MVP, and product-market fit. I’m really interested in tech ethics and the questionable practices in venture capital, so I’d love to be in a place where I could be picky about what clients I take and help truly mission-driven businesses thrive. I could see this also working as a small business incubator—why not apply what works in startups to small businesses?
I don’t yet have a firm picture of what I’d like my life to look like when I retire. I’m interested in spending a lot of time reading, traveling to new places for extended periods of time, and potentially writing a book. I get extremely interested in niche topics. Right now if I had to guess, I’d be writing a book about the ways multi-level marketing companies (MLMs) manipulate women.
Are you a spender or a saver?
Definitely a saver. My partner is more of a spender, and we’ve influenced each other well. Seeing him spend money on himself for video games helps me realize I can spend more money on myself for things I just want (see my big purchase for myself this week).
In turn, seeing me save a lot of money has motivated him to up his 401k contribution and overall savings. He’s also interested in FIRE, although I’d say my timeline is more aggressive.
If you could go back in time, what's the one piece of financial advice you would give to your past self?
Learn about investing, look up the terms you don’t know, and start doing it as soon as possible. Ask questions to people you know or on the internet.
On to the diary!
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Section One: Assets and Debt
Investment Balance
$131,175

• Retirement (includes 2 company 401ks and 1 rollover IRA): $55,730
• Brokerage: $27,233
• Roth IRA: $25,439
• Managed account: $17,923
• HSA: $4,850

Equity if you're a homeowner
N/A, I rent in a HCOL city. No plans to own anytime soon
Savings account balance
$10,270
Checking account balance
$3,433 in checking account for bills

• This fluctuates, but I try to invest anything over $2k. I’m pretty conservative with my checking account buffer, and don’t worry much about the interest I’m “losing,” especially because interest rates are so low right now

$2,518 in checking account for rent

• I keep a holdover account that’s connected to Venmo and Zelle to pay rent

Credit card debt
N/A. There’s $1,348 currently on my credit cards, but I pay them all off in full each month. My parents signed me up for a credit card as soon as I was old enough and taught me about how important it was to pay in full. In fact, I think this was so hammered into my brain that doing anything other than that each month was never an option. Because of this, I’ve always thought of credit cards as similar to debit cards—only spend money you have.
Student loan debt (for what degree)
I was fortunate to go to college on a full scholarship, including living expenses. I studied psychology and sociology, and I graduated without any student loan debt.
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Section Two: Income
Main Job Monthly Take Home: $6,570/month
I maxed out my 401k early this year, so for 8 months I was contributing $2,500/month out of my paychecks. That ended in September, so it changed my monthly take-home from about $4,650 to $6,570/month.
Deductions:

• 401k: $0/month (was $2,500/month)
• Medical: $128/month
• Dental and vision: $11/month

Income Progression

• I started in customer support right out of college, making $40,000/year + overtime, which ended up being about $52,000/year (thanks OT!).
• About a year later, I moved into an entry-level product role at the same company and received a raise to $60,000/year.
• The next year, I moved to a new company for a half-step promotion where I was making $82,000/year + 15% yearly bonus. The bonus was dependable enough that it was assumed as part of our total compensation, so let’s call it $95,000/year.
• Early this year, I switched companies again (noticing a theme?) for a promotion and now make $122,000/year.

I don’t have any other sources of income outside my main job. My partner makes a similar amount to me—about $117,000/year with bonus.
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Section Three: Expenses
I live with my partner and we don’t have combined finances, but split many expenses 50/50. We use Splitwise to log transactions. He’s more laid-back about being paid back, but I’m much more “I don’t want to owe anyone anything, and I don’t want anyone to owe me anything” (I know, rigid, but I’m working on it!).
Splitwise is nice because it’d be ridiculous to Venmo request each other for a $4 coffee, but we can see how expenses are adding up. If someone has racked up a few hundred dollars of spending for both of us, the other person will cover our expenses for awhile. It works for us!
Rent
$2,200 for a 2 bed, 1 bath apartment in Brooklyn. We split rent 50/50.
Renters insurance
About $7/month for my portion. This covers all our possessions plus my boyfriend’s watches. He pays 75% of it because half of the monthly cost comes from the extra watch overage.
Savings contribution
I try to have about $10,000 sitting in my savings account at any given time, because it makes me feel safe in case of an emergency. I also like the freedom it enables, in case I wanted to leave my job and take a significant amount of time off. This is already at the $10k I want, so I don’t contribute to it monthly.
Investment contribution
It varies but on average I contribute $2,500/month to my brokerage account and Roth IRA (combined).
Donations
I try to donate about $200/month, but it’s pretty sporadic. This month I donated to the Yellowhammer Fund and Northwest Abortion Access Fund. One of my major goals for 2021 is to step up my donations and create an actual strategy around them, potentially involving a donor-advised fund.
Gas/electric
Our gas is $20-25/month and electric is $50/month. I pay gas and Will pays electric, both go in Splitwise. About $37/month total for me.
Wifi
Our wifi is $60/month, which goes into Splitwise—I pay $30/month.
Cellphone
I’m still on my parents’ phone plan—sheesh! This is convincing me that I should Venmo them for it each month.
Subscriptions
I pay for Hulu with ads, $5.99/month. My boyfriend pays for Netflix and we share a Spotify family plan with a couple of his friends, which I chip in $4/month for.
I also pay for the budgeting software YNAB (You Need a Budget) which is $84/year. I only pay it once a year in September.
Medical
I recently had to go to the emergency room for an overnight stay and follow up with some specialists. (I’m okay!) Because of that whole shindig I’m expecting to max out my deductible (and potentially my out-of-pocket-max) right at the end of the year. This will be about $4,000, but none of the claims have come through yet so I’m not sure of the exact total. I have a category in my budget for my deductible, and the rest will come out of my emergency fund.
Physical therapy
This month I’m starting pelvic floor physical therapy for dyspareunia (pain with intercourse).
I’d tried everything the internet suggested (“just relaaaaaax”) before getting the courage to find a new ob-gyn and ask her about it. She had some recommendations, but ultimately physical therapy was the “last resort” option that I’m now exploring.
My new physical therapist comes highly recommended but is out of network with insurance. Each session is $250, and I’ll go once every 2-3 weeks for the next few months as part of treatment. If you’ve worked through this problem (or are experiencing it now!) I’d love to hear your experience.
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Section Four: Additional Questions
Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Absolutely. My dad was the first in his family to attend college and my parents made pretty calculated decisions about where they would live so I could go to the absolute best public school possible. Over 90% of students at my high school attend a 4-year college, and we start talking about it freshman year. To say college was encouraged in my environment is an understatement.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My dad has worked in finance since I was about 10. He’s always been really knowledgeable about both higher-level economic concepts and the minutiae of personal finance. My family is frugal, too: we clipped coupons and got clothes on super-sale at Kohl’s and Goodwill. I know there was a period of time when he became self-employed and money got very tight for a few years, but the bulk of those worries were largely kept from me.
Did you worry about money growing up?
Yes. While we were comfortable, we lived in such an affluent place that our family was in “the middle class” of the town and it made me worry more about money than I probably needed to. Think The Stepford Wives for context.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
In college, I became maybe 80% financially independent as I had a scholarship and worked part-time during school and over the summer, but I was still on their insurance.
I remember being frustrated in college because even though I knew I was extremely privileged, my friends in college had their parents pay their summer apartment rent and gave them an “allowance” of spending money, and I was “limited” by the options I could afford with the job I had. My dad told me at the time, “This is frustrating but it’s preparing you for actually having to live off the money you make in the near future.” (Great, great advice Dad.)
I’m technically still financially dependent on my parents for my cell phone bill, but otherwise I pay for everything: rent, insurance, utilities, food, therapy, and all wants in the form of clothing, workout classes, etc. I could ask my parents for money if I absolutely needed to, but would use it as a last resort.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
I have an account (mentioned above) that a family friend who’s a hedge fund manager, well, manages. I believe the initial deposit was $1000 over 10 years ago, but that money wasn’t mine either, it’s all a gift. It’s not very liquid—it’d take me several months (and some very good reasoning) to get any of that money withdrawn, since it’s supposed to be for “the future” (which I guess I could argue is now?).
I might receive a small amount of money when my grandmother passes, but it’d probably be around $1-2k, if at all.
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Day 1 Wednesday, November 25, 2020
8:30am Wake up and shower, take my vitamin C gummies, then make coffee. I wasn’t much of a daily coffee drinker until my offices had it for free, and now I’m definitely addicted. I don’t really care if the coffee is shitty or not, I just put some milk in it and it’s great. Right now I’m trying to drink half or three-quarter cups so I can attempt to pull back my addiction a bit. I log onto work at 9am.
11:30am Eat leftovers from last night for lunch—quesadilla + Spanish rice. There’s an incredible Mexican restaurant by us, and now I am ruined for the tacos, quesadillas and nachos from any other place.
12:30pm Will picks me up in the U-Haul. We’re driving about 20 min away to pick up a butcher block desk he bought off Craigslist, which ends up being from a small office that’s downsizing. The desk is $150 which he pays for. We love the office’s style (and the owner is super nice!) and walk around while he shows us what else he’s trying to get rid of.
We end up buying an extra-large ZZ plant and two side tables from him for an extra $120, way less than we would have paid for the quality elsewhere. My half will be $60, and I’ll split the U-Haul too, $44.51. $82.26
2:45pm That ended up taking a lot longer than we expected! We get back and unload the van, then I bring stuff inside while Will returns the van to the U-Haul location. I jump back onto work—so much for a slow afternoon before Thanksgiving. AWS is down, which powers a lot of our engineering work (and a lot of the internet!) so a lot of our teams are basically twiddling their thumbs. We chat about how to message the outage to customers.
5:45pm Will starts making dinner (braised chicken and veggies) and I sit down to read with a strawberry Chobani, but I end up just reading Reddit and searching for new podcasts to listen to.
7:45pm Dinner was great! Now…ice cream.
9:43pm I remember that my mom sent me ideas for her and my dad’s Christmas presents, so I order on Etsy and Amazon. My dad gets a mug with an Ernest Hemingway quote (“write drunk, edit sober”) ($21.54) and a book on writing ($16.63), and my mom gets this food warming tote contraption she wanted ($43.52). We’ve been paring down Christmases over the years—this year I asked for the Europe version of Ticket to Ride. $81.69
11:15pm I finish up the first episode of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City with some white cheddar Cheez-Its to snack on. After, I start on the dishes from dinner. I listen to the Product Market Misfits podcast while I do dishes—the episode with Kristen Anderson from Catch is great, highly recommend if you’re tired of just hearing stories about stereotypical Silicon Valley tech companies.
Day 1 Total: $166.69
Day 2 Thursday, November 26, 2020
10am Wake up super late since I stayed up scrolling on my phone too late last night. We make coffee and set out for a long walk around 11:15am.
12:05pm At the end of our walk, we swing by our local liquor store and buy 4 bottles of wine (red, white, rose, champagne). Will pays, total is $63.15 for everything. We haven’t had wine in the apartment for ages and I’m excited to have some stocked up. $31.57
12:30pm Get back from the walk, shower, then turn on football. I actually don’t really care about any NFL teams (I like college football a lot more), but it’s such calming background noise for me that I find myself looking for games when I have downtime. We also recently found out that Will’s friends’ dog only has a few months to live, so we order some jerky treats and a squeaky toy for him. $14.07
2:30pm We head out to the restaurant we’re going to for Thanksgiving lunch, a local place a short walk from our apartment. They’re doing a prix fixe menu of the classics—turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and a phenomenal tarte Tatin with ice cream for dessert.
We eat outside under heat lamps. It’s super cozy. With our bottle of wine and tip the total is $208 (I try to tip over and above the norm because it’s a pandemic and Thanksgiving). My half will be $104.
5:53pm Get back from the restaurant. We have a ton of leftovers which is awesome (I think it’s excessive frugality, but I almost expect to stretch takeout or restaurant meals into two meals). Exchange some texts with my friends about their socially-distant Thanksgiving celebrations.
I turn on the Washington vs. Cowboys game right at the halftime show, which is Kane Brown with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. They’re all wearing masks (except for Kane) and it’s so odd to see them dancing in masks. I mean, I’m glad they’re wearing them, but it just seems like we could have gone without the halftime show this year.
9:21pm I order contacts from Contacts Direct. I got a new prescription but didn’t have a great experience with the eye doctor, so I’m hesitant about this order—only ordered one box of 90 lenses for each eye instead of a year’s worth of lenses. I’ve been getting headaches pretty frequently, so I’m hoping getting a new pair of glasses and alternating those (instead of wearing my contacts for 16 hours a day, every day) will help. $29.98 after insurance benefits
Day 2 Total: $179.62
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Day 3 Friday, November 27
8:56am Wake up super last minute, run to sign onto Slack and then start grinding coffee beans. I’m online and drinking a big mug of coffee by 9:10. (So much for half cups.)
10:45am Come up for air from work and grab the stuff to make a bagel. Everything bagels and plain cream cheese are my go-to combo.
12:03pm I grab a bag of clothes to drop off at the donation bin and a couple library books to return. The library is about a 25 minute walk so it’ll be a nice lunch break diversion.
12:56pm After the library I stop by the grocery store for some paper towels and sponges, since we’re almost out. Total is $22.62, my half is $11.31
1:09pm When I get home I jump back into work and put the USA vs. Netherlands game on my second monitor. By the 75th minute, the US is up by 2 goals so they start putting in some younger players—it’s fun to see Midge Purce and Sophia Smith play! I also throw some bagel bites in the oven for a quick snack and promise myself dinner will be healthier.
4:23pm I zone out of work and start playing Among Us. I end up playing for over two hours. We open a bottle of wine at some point and I get super tipsy.
6:50pm Turn on the tail end of the Notre Dame vs. UNC game. It turns into Jeopardy, which turns into Wheel of Fortune, which I’m not mad about. P isn’t as into the game shows and leaves to microwave a plate of leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner and play video games.
8:40pm Finally getting hungry after my bagel bites and Cheez-Its this afternoon and make a plate of Thanksgiving leftovers—turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and cauliflower. Yum.
Will and I end up getting in a tiff about the mess in our apartment so we take a break, cool down and talk it through. I watch a couple episodes of Sister Wives and go to bed around 1:30am.
Day 3 Total: $11.31
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Day 4 Saturday, November 28, 2020
10:05am I stayed up late (again) so it’s nice to sleep in. I play Among Us for awhile and have a couple rounds where I’m the impostor and get some great kills and wins. I run out into the living room and celebrate with Will. We laugh because it’s silly how much we love the games we play. Around 10:45 I start making coffee.
11am We desperately need new sheets because our fitted sheet has a huge hole at Will’s feet (and it’s growing). I search a women’s personal finance group I’m in on Facebook for recommendations and we end up buying a queen sheet set from Belk. Total was $100.71 with their sale. $50.35
1pm I was planning on returning a package to the post office today, but forget it closes at 1pm on Saturdays so I decide to run to Target instead. I have a lampshade to return and want to look for a shower caddy as well. I also have an old iPad to return, which Will tells me I can do at Best Buy. He finds an old iPod and flip phone I can take too.
Take the MTA there ($2.75 for a single fare). When I get there, it’s a madhouse and I remember that I have sillily (is this a word?) decided to come on the weekend of Black Friday. I stand in the returns line for about 15 minutes and get $10.89 back, but ditch the idea of trying to look for a shower caddy. The checkout line looks like 100 people long. -$8.14 because of return
Next I go to Best Buy, but who am I kidding—the line to get in the store is even longer than the Target checkout line. I walk back to the subway and get on to go home. $2.75
2:30pm Since Best Buy was a no go, I search for electronic recycling around me on the way home just to see where I could drop off the devices I have. Apparently there’s an EcoATM not too far from my subway stop. It’s more for selling devices, but if they can’t give you money for something, they’ll recycle it, which is exactly what I wanted. I put each of the pieces in the scanner, and end up getting a whopping $2 total (for Will’s old iPod). Still cool because I was just expecting to recycle it all. I’ll give Will the $2.
2:44pm There’s a Dunkin nearby so I pop in to grab a couple donuts ($2.90). There’s a woman outside asking for money, so I give her $5 cash. $7.90
3:00pm Last stop—our favorite deli is nearby and Will mentioned he wanted to get bacon there recently. I get a 1/2 lb and salivate on the way home. This is one of those things I won’t put in Splitwise because it’s small and because it’s fun to get for P as a tiny little present. $3.50
3:45pm Once I’m home I’m super hungry from only eating carbs all morning so I have a snack of carrots, hummus and some pepperoni. I head back out to drop off a bag of clothes and shoes at a drop box a few blocks away. The neighbors are outside at the park near our house so I stop and chat with them for a few minutes. Their kids are the cutest.
6:47pm For dinner I make a ham and cheese sandwich (panini style with rosemary butter) and more carrots and hummus. I put on another episode of Sister Wives. These people are so fascinating to me—first off, I think the husband is completely full of himself. But I’m also so curious about the wives. There are a lot of talking head testimonials where the parents explain that they’re “oppressed” because they’re different and want to go public so the world can see polygamy as a valid family style (I’m only on season 2).
I know they’re probably playing up the “we love our other sister wives and have so much fun together even without Kody” aspect because people expect sister wives to be catty and hate each other, but I can’t help but wonder why they need to be in plural marriage to get the same friendship they seem to value so much. I also doubt they’d extend the same grace and tolerance they want to people who are “different” because they’re LGBTQ, or “different” because they’re in an open relationship or marriage.
9:15pm I mix together oatmeal chocolate chip cookie batter and put some cookies in the oven. While I’m waiting, I browse Zocdoc for well-reviewed providers—I want to make a podiatrist appointment for a lingering toe issue and an audiologist appointment for a routine hearing screening. I got the idea to make these appointments since I’ll hit my out-of-pocket max with the hospital visit, making them free or very discounted. I make two appointments for next week.
I also lust over a Farm Rio puffer jacket that feels overpriced but I just love. Maybe I’ll buy it tomorrow since they’re having a 30% off sale.
Day 4 Total: $64.50
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Day 5 Sunday, November 29
8:58am Wake up and switch between scrolling on Reddit and playing a few Among Us games. After a bit Will gets out of bed and makes coffee for us.
9:45am Will finishes the movie he started last night and we start on breakfast. We’re making the bacon I bought yesterday, breakfast potatoes with onions, and a fried egg for Will (I can’t stand the taste or smell).
11:00am Yum! Breakfast was great. I watch a couple episodes of Sister Wives and mull over buying that ridiculous but amazing puffer jacket from Farm Rio. I’ve still been thinking about it since last night and I might take the plunge.
1:25pm I get a jolt of motivation to work out and do a 20 minute Sydney Cummings video on Youtube. I heard about it from a recent Money Diary posted here! After it’s done I’m so, so tired. I stretch and unpause my episode of Sister Wives.
2:22pm I help Will move the butcher block slab for his desk out to our backyard. We live on the first floor of a single-family home that was converted into apartments, so we get the backyard too—it’s awesome to have outdoor space in the city. P works on sanding it and applying poly for the next couple hours.
5:07pm Will suggests pizza for dinner and I am always, always down for pizza. I order pickup from the spot down the street—one grandma, one cheese and 2 orders of garlic knots come to $38.60. We’ll have leftovers for tomorrow too. $19.30
5:50pm We pick up the pizza and dig in. While we’re eating we turn on the Chiefs vs. Buccaneers game; Will has a few players on his fantasy team in this game.
6:57pm I sign up to write letters to Georgia residents encouraging them to vote in the Senate runoff elections in January. This is through Vote Forward—I did 20 letters for the general election in November and want to participate again. I’ll print the letters at a local coffee shop since we don’t have a printer at home.
Will sends me this Reddit comment about campaign finance since we’ve been talking about it recently. I decide I’m convinced by the argument and set up a $5 monthly donation to Brand New Congress. $5
8:19pm After texting back and forth with my friend all day, I buy the puffer jacket—so excited. She encouraged me to get it and is pumped for me too. $228.64
I also notice my paycheck has started processing in my checking account (I get paid tomorrow), so I enter the amount in YNAB and budget it all. I earmark about $1500 to go into my brokerage account tomorrow. I won’t include it here as “spending” since it’s included in the overview section above.
Day 5 Total: $252.94
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Day 6 Monday, November 30
8:43am Wake up and turn on my Slack. Will started the coffee process and I finish it up by pouring the water into our Chemex and letting it steep (I know there’s a coffee-centric word for this...).
8:56am I check my Citi card and my YouTube TV trial rolled over—I was going to cancel it this morning, which I thought was the last day. I email support to see if they’ll refund me, because (I promise I’m not just saying this!) I did have a pretty bad experience. The Roku app was glitchy for us every time we watched something. Maybe they’ll feel nice today! $64.99
9:35am After responding to a few work messages, I run out the door to the post office to avoid a long package line. I did the Warby Parker 5-day home try on and have to return my box of glasses today. I found a pair I really like and am excited to get in the habit of wearing glasses again, instead of just my contacts.
Thankfully the line is only a few people long. The employees are also super nice every time I go, so I try to be really pleasant too. The lines are usually long and I’ve seen more than one adult have a fit at this post office. It’s rainy today and I couldn’t find our umbrella, so my flimsy rain jacket gets pretty soaked through on the walk back.
11:35am My podiatrist appointment is supposed to be tomorrow morning, and they call me to tell me since I haven’t hit my deductible, I’ll have to pay out of pocket for the visit. I explain that I’m 100% going to hit my deductible, the claims from the hospital just haven’t processed yet. I ask her to bill my insurance first for the visit, then I can pay whatever ends up not being covered (if anything). She agrees!
Maybe this is standard, but I’ve never had it happen before—even if I haven’t hit my deductible, I’ve always been to offices that bill insurance first, then I pay the remaining balance.
1:05pm Lots of meetings today. I break for lunch and heat up the braised chicken with veggies. It’s definitely on its last good day, so I’m glad I used it up. Still yummy!
2:20pm Woohoo! Get an email that my YouTube TV charge was refunded. -$64.99
Will ran to Home Depot today to buy some tools for his desk and also got a shower curtain liner since ours is ripping. I go to put it up in the bathroom but my arms are so sore—like I got my flu shot type of sore.
5:05pm Sign off work after trying to wrangle a supremely frustrating SQL query. I don’t get it but figure I can ask our analyst team for help tomorrow. Will will have a late night working, so pizza and Sister Wives is in my near future.
While watching, I update YNAB to reflect the end-of-month balances for my investment accounts. I get a huge dopamine hit by seeing my net worth number go up. I’m also anticipating it going down a bit next month because of my medical bills, so I relish the moment.
8:09pm It suddenly dawns on me that my arms are sore because I worked out yesterday. It’s so rare now that I literally forget when I do it. Ha!
9:15pm We watch the Eagles vs. Seahawks game and I absentmindedly play Among Us. I end up getting ...bullied by a person playing it? They get mad that I figured out they were the imposter and start saying all these schoolyard-type digs throughout the next couple rounds, but level 100 of cruel.
I’m embarrassed by how sad it makes me but think maybe it’s a good thing I don’t immediately know what to say to bully people back. Such a weird experience. I end up going to bed around 11:30.
Day 6 Total: $0
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Day 7 December 1, 2020
7:07am Wake up late for my alarm at 7. I’m up a lot earlier today because my podiatrist appointment is first thing. I get dressed in the dark, kiss P goodbye, grab my water bottle and run out the door to the subway by 7:30. $2.75
8:10am Get to my stop and swing by Starbucks before the appointment. I get a vanilla latte and the bacon cheddar and egg sandwich. Total is around $10 but I have a gift card loaded onto my Starbucks app.
My spending here went way down when I switched jobs to an office not close to a Starbucks, and then stopped going into an office at all.
8:30am My appointment goes great, if a little painful when she numbs my toe. I had to get an ingrown toenail removed. I danced ballet and pointe for years so I’m (unfortunately) used to them, but this one was terrible. The doctor and I bond over both being dancers with bad feet and they schedule me for a follow up two weeks out.
She actually says there’s been a rise in these procedures because people aren’t getting pedicures since the pandemic and aren’t cutting their toenails well! Wild.
I look silly on the subway in December wearing Birkenstocks and socks with a huge toe bandage. It looks like one of those cartoon characters who stubs their toe and it becomes 10x bigger than their other toes. $2.75
9:40am I get off at the stop before mine to stop at Rite Aid. I grab Neosporin, band-aids and epsom salt and check my notes for anything else she mentioned about caring for my toe. $12.97
10:00am When I get home, I hop into work and working with our engineers on a promotion for the New Year. I also catch up with Will since he stayed up late last night and I got up early for my appointment. He says he ended up staying up until 3:30am (!!) cleaning up his tools, working on his desk and putting up the shower curtain. I’m floored that he is functional right now after waking up at 8.
12:15pm Heat up the last of the pizza for lunch, along with hummus and carrots.
5:20pm Work is average-paced for the rest of the day. Not doing nothing, not totally over my head. Will puts in potatoes for baked potatoes to have later, which we’ll pair with a salad. We’re getting close to needing a grocery run again, so the meals are becoming more of a mishmash.
We listed a couple things on our local Buy Nothing group last week, so a woman comes by to pick up a wifi router we can’t use anymore. Would totally recommend looking up if there’s a group in your area—they’re usually on Facebook.
6:30pm After dinner I watch more Sister Wives and look up RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit one of my friends shared for Giving Tuesday. They buy unpaid medical debt from collections, so $1 ends up paying off $100 of someone’s medical debt. I give $50 to the Arkansas campaign, which will clear $5,000 of medical debt.
As Will said earlier today, “medical billing in America is a racket” so I really hope this helps clear a burden from an individual or family. Doing this reminds me to check my insurance portal, which is steadily going up as each separate claim comes in. Ahhhh, modern healthcare! $51.49
At the end of each day please tally up your daily expenses. Then at the end of your diary please tally up all expenses in the following categories:
Total: $719.33

• Grocery + Dining Out: $157.77
• Fun + Entertainment: $0
• Home + Health: $164.67
• Clothes + Beauty: $228.64
• Transportation: $11.00
• Gifts + Giving: $157.25

​
Reflection This week felt like a big spending week for me. I checked YNAB and since January, I’ve spent about $1600 per month, not including rent—so about $400/week. That’s why this week’s $719 feels so high!
Writing this diary helped me understand how many things I have going for me. I’ve recently been in a huge funk—about my health, my performance at work and my relationships with family, friends and P. Going to the hospital, needing physical therapy to have sex and being in a pandemic will do that to you.
I was able to zoom out a bit and understand how stable and gratifying my life is. That being said, I’m so glad this community exists. I really love it and learning about all your spending and saving habits. Thanks for being here and sharing :)

Hello PF!
(Throwaway for security). We would really appreciate your input on buying a home. While most of the advice I've read on PF has been helpful, much of it doesn't apply to the area we are looking at. I tried to make this as concise as possible, but it's still long (sorry!).
My partner and I are looking in nearby suburbs of Boston, MA USA. We are both graduate (PhD) students (26 yrs old) & are living closeby. We are fortunate to have had a lot of research fellowships + inheritance from our loved ones who have passed over the years and we are hoping that we can stretch what we have saved and received to purchase a home.

Financial info:

• Income: Combined income of ~100k/yr (incl. supplement of part-time work)
• Debt: Only debt is a ~27k car loan at 0% over 5y on a new, reliable car (required)
• Savings: We have ~100k liquid savings, ~10-15k in stocks, ~50k in Roth IRA total.
• Credit: 750-799
• Expenses: Current Renting costs (absolute total) = $2013/mo.
• Govt program eligibility: ineligible. FHA loans are not an option, not competitive for HCOL areas.

Area-specific information:

• Most buildings in our area are 80-100+ years old. These homes can be more expensive to maintain (utilities & mandatory repairemodel costs). Many are converted to multi-family or flipped to million dollar properties.
• The property value in these areas is projected 7+% growth over the next year and has had stable growth historically, even 2008. There's no substantial 2020-suburb surge (houses sell around asking), but these markets are still "hot". It is also undergoing a lot of residential and commercial development, I would not be surprised if growth is higher than projected.

Here's where we'd love your feedback:

We originally planned to buy a house in 2-3 years, but our situation recently changed. One of us will soon be receiving between 200-230k in the next 2 weeks. As such, we are considering moving up our timeline.

• The housing budget we set for this purchase will be unchanged even when our incomes increase after graduating. We'd like to allocate that surplus to boost our retirement/savings and/or childcare expenses (can be 4k+/mo our here).
• In this area, the 33% guideline for housing expenses is not realistic unless you're reasonably wealthy, for renting or buying.
• The price range of habitable single-family homes is 6-750k. Anything with lower price is uninhabitable, has major issues, or doesn't exist.
• Price range of habitable condos/townhomes that would be big enough over the next 5-7y is 500-750k. Anything with lower price ranges would only be suitable short-term.

Here is our thinking:

• We want and are ready to be home-owners. Our families taught us a lot about this.
• The 200k+ (and the 100k liquid) was intended for a down-payment whether we buy now or later. If we put it in the stock market instead, it would only be in low-risk mutual/index funds and would likely not appreciate at the same rate of a home. CDs would be even lower return.
• If the market skyrockets in this area, we want to get in before. If it doesn't, we're still ok.
• Interest rates are low.
• Moving to another area is not an option except in situations of catastrophic family emergency.
• Given our backgrounds, even conservatively, we don't expect that there will be job-market issues - even in times of economic collapse.
• If we can get a single family home with potential for expansion/renovation, we could stay 10+ years. This is ideal for us.
• We are also considering homes in multi-family residences that would be suitable long-term, but these homes are inherently restricted in terms of expansion and have complications out of our control (neighbors). They appreciate at a lower rate. Few places exist that are more dated because they are bought by flippers -- unlikely to be able to save money with purchase price.
• If we don't buy a place, we would need to stay where we are (we REALLY would like to avoid this) or rent another place. Renting another apt in this area almost always requires 1 month realtor fee, security (we don't have a security deposit at the moment) and any costs associated with moving. We are motivated to move due to health concerns in the building.

Here is our biggest concern:

• Our incomes are low (and subsequently lending potential), so we need to put a substantial amount down to afford any of these places. If we have to use our capital for a downpayment, we worry about paying for unanticipated expensive repairs - which is especially of concern with century old homes.
• We would have to get another car, public-transport accessible areas are way out of our price range (by 2-300k for a tiny condo). Parking at school for this additional car is ~500$ a month (sigh), but that would be a short-term cost (until graduation). Longer commutes can only be accommodated after graduation.
• We both have no family financial backup and value financial security over everything else.
• We aren't just considering mortgage, but also insurance & utilities, including life & disability insurance if not too expensive.

We're looking forward to your feedback!! Buying a house out here is so expensive - I have NO clue how people manage to afford to buy out here most of the time. Thanks in advance:)
Edit: I should mention that although our income in 2020 was 100k, in 2021 it will be closer to 116,000/yr (without bonuses and extra hours) rate until one of us graduates, and after that, may effectively double to 180-200k/yr in the summefall. So, likely to be a lot higher than that.

4/20/2020: I'm trying to keep this post updated, and trying to keep up with questions. Thanks everyone for helping answer questions in this post! Go team tax!
Stimulus Payment = Economic Impact Payment = EIP = Advanced 2020 Recovery Rebate

• Get My Payment and Non-Filer's Application are available at IRS.gov/EIP. Not sure which one to use? Here's a chart provided by the IRS.
• Having problems using Get My Payment? Here's the IRS Get My Payment FAQs.
• Check out the Economic Impact Payment Information Center for some Q&As about eligibility.
• Recipients of VA Benefits have been added to the list of people who do not need to file a tax return to receive automatic payments. Timing to be determined. IRS News Release 4/17/2020
• As a reminder, check IRS.gov/coronavirus for official IRS updates.
• Please do not call the IRS asking about stimulus payments aka Economic Impact Payments (EIPs). Nobody is there to answer the phone right now. There will be a special phone number available for EIP-specific questions; I will post that when it's available.

4/16/2020: There are a lot of issues with Get My Payment. If you are getting error messages, there are quite a few reasons why that's happening and the IRS is working to fix them. Here's an article from Washington Post that I'll try to excerpt below: Glitches prevent $1,200 stimulus checks from reaching millions of Americans.
4/15/2020 (afternoon PDT): Economic Impact Payment Information Center has been updated with some FAQs for the Get My Payment application, including error messages and questions about Direct Deposits. Get My Payment FAQs are now on a separate page (Updated 4/17/2020).
Also if the IRS attempted to direct deposit your payment to a closed account, then there's no option to update the bank account information. You will receive a paper check in the mail to the address the IRS has on file for you (usually the address on your last tax return unless you updated it).
The IRS clarified today that SSI recipients DO NOT NEED TO FILE a simple tax return unless they need to add qualifying children dependents. Automatic stimulus payments should be sent out by early May.
4/15/2020 (morning PDT): Get My Payment is now live, but you may have to wait a few minutes to get through. Also a lot of people are getting error messages - not sure if this is due to server overload or personal information not matching. My suggestion is you try again tomorrow.
To begin, you need your Social Security Number, Date of Birth, and Address and Zip Code from your most recently filed tax return.
If you get through and need to add your bank account information, you'll need your Adjusted Gross Income from your most recently filed tax return (Line 8b for 2019, Line 7 for 2018), the refund or amount owed from your latest filed tax return, and Bank account type, account and routing numbers.
See also this News Release: Treasury, IRS unveil online application to help with Economic Impact Payments; Get My Payment allows people to provide direct deposit information and gives payment date
Some issues noted:

• Make sure you type the address exactly as it appeared on your most recently filed tax return, either 2019 or 2018. If that doesn't work, try spelling out abbreviations, like "Street" instead of St.
• You may get timed out, or if you make three attempts that don't match you will have to wait until the next day to try again. Get My Payment is updated once daily, usually overnight, according to the IRS News Release.
• People who did not owe taxes or have a refund on their most recently filed tax returns are not able to get through the verification process. I believe this will affect everyone who filed a Stimulus-Only or Non-Filer tax return, either through the IRS or another tax software provider. (Added 4/17/2020)
• As suspected, there does not appear to be any way to update your direct deposit information if the IRS already sent a DD payment to you. If it was sent to a closed account, you most likely will have to wait 4-5 weeks for a paper check (if the timing is the same for a rejected tax refund). Update: This is addressed in the expanded FAQ in Economic Impact Payment Information Center.
• If you owed money for 2019 or 2018, it sounds like you need to enter your bank account information even if you already entered it to pay your taxes when you filed. Some people with this issue are receiving error messages for some reason.
• You should receive a notice in the mail within 2-3 weeks after your payment is sent. Save the notice for your 2020 tax return. There should also be contact information on this notice that you can call if you didn't receive your Economic Impact Payment (EIP) or if your EIP was not the amount you were expecting.

4/14/2020: IRS started sending payments out Saturday 4/11/2020. Many people should see the payments tomorrow in their bank account. A couple of things:

• Some people are not getting the full amount they were expecting. Why? Not clear - however within a couple of weeks you should receive a letter in the mail from the IRS. "The letter will provide information on how the payment was made and how to report any failure to receive the payment." - See the IRS EIP Info Center. You can try calling your Congress Representative's office if you are experiencing a financial hardship, but I don't believe the Taxpayer Advocate Service can help with EIP issues.
• Some people are reporting getting EIPs while their 2019 tax return is still processing. Good news! As a reminder, if you are experiencing a financial hardship because your regular tax return is still processing and you need your refund ASAP, contact your local Taxpayer Advocate Service and also call your Congress Representative's office.
• Still waiting to see what options will be available with the IRS Get My Payment application, expected April 17th.

4/10/2020:

• First payments anticipated to be sent Direct Deposit starting week of April 13th - IRS News Release
• Checks anticipated to be mailed starting April 24th starting with lowest-income taxpayers - Washington Post story
• IRS Non-Filers application available now - use this if you weren’t required to file a 2018 or 2019 federal income tax return and did not file a tax return for either year. FreeTaxUSA also has a Stimulus-Only Return option.
  • Social Security Retirement, SSDI, and Railroad Retirement and Survivor Benefits recipients do not need to use this application unless they want to include a qualifying dependent under the age of 17. Added 4/15/2020 - SSI recipients & VA beneficiaries are now included in the automatic payment group, but should still use the Non-Filer application to add qualifying children dependents.
  • Not sure if you have a filing requirement? See Do I need to file a tax return?
• IRS said yesterday they are currently unable to process individual paper tax returns. If you cannot e-file a return then you will likely be waiting a few months for a paper tax return to be processed. This includes amended returns.
• If your 2019 tax return is still processing for any reason, it sounds like you probably won't receive the stimulus payment until that return is finished processing. It's likely going to be awhile, sorry.
• I edited the post to try to make it easier to read. Nothing really new to update though.

IRS Links

• Economic Impact Payments site - Non-Filers & Get My Payment applications; added 4/10/2020
• Economic Impact Payment Information Center - added 4/8/2020
• Economic impact payments: What you need to know - Updated 4/2/2020

IMPORTANT NOTE: Stimulus payments will be available for the rest of 2020. It sounds like you do not need to wait until next year if you miss the first round of stimulus payments.
Update: File no later than October 15, 2020 to make sure you receive a stimulus payment this year, according to the IRS. (Revenue Procedure 2020-28)
NOTE that your tax return needs to be processed before you'll receive the payment. Normal processing time for an e-filed tax return is 2 - 3 weeks but if your identity or wage information needs to be verified it might take much longer.
We now return to the original post with updates:
The CARES Act (H.R. 748) has now been passed by Congress and signed by the President. Here are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and answers that I believe to be true based on the text of the bill, reliable news sources, and some educated guesses based on the stimulus payments sent out in 2008. Please let me know if I got anything wrong.
Link to section in the bill about 2020 Recovery Rebates (edited link 4/9/2020)
What is this?

• The stimulus payments are advanced tax credits being sent out. This is not a prepayment of your regular refund; it's an advance of a new tax credit created for this year. It is not taxable income. You do not need to adjust your paycheck withholding for this.
• The advance payments being sent out will be based on information from:
  • 2019 tax returns; or
  • 2018 tax returns if you didn't file in 2019; or
  • 2019 SSA-1099 & RRB-1099 information if you didn't file tax returns either year; or
  • Non-Filers can use the official IRS application (added 4/10/2020)
• It's likely if someone doesn't receive an advance payment now they will be able to claim the credit on their 2020 tax return as long as they are eligible for 2020. (Clarified 3/31/2020)
• It sounds like ADVANCE stimulus payments will continue to be sent out based on 2019 or 2018 tax returns filed throughout the rest of the year. See IRS News Release linked at the top of this post. (Clarified 3/31/2020)

How Much?

• Up to $1200 per adult and an additional amount up to $500 per qualifying child (a child under the age of 17 at the end of 2019).
• Parents of children born or adopted in 2020 should be eligible for the additional $500 qualifying child credit on their 2020 tax return, based on how the 2008 stimulus payments were structured.
• If you could have been claimed as a dependent for 2019, you are NOT ELIGIBLE at this time. See section below for more details about dependents.

Who will get the ADVANCE stimulus payments?

• Taxpayers who filed tax returns in 2019 and/or 2018 and meet the eligibility criteria, and/or who received Forms SSA-1099 or RRB-1099 for 2019. If you could have been claimed as a dependent for 2018 and 2019, you are NOT ELIGIBLE at this time. See section below for more details about dependents. (Clarified 3/31/2020)
• Social Security retirement and disability recipients do not have to file a tax return to receive the stimulus payments. This applies to recipients of Forms SSA-1099 and RRB-1099. However you can use the IRS Non-Filers application to add a qualifying child dependent if you didn't include them on a recent tax return. (Updated 4/10/2020)
• Everyone else who does not have a filing requirement should use the IRS Non-Filers application to register for the stimulus payment.
• It sounds like stimulus payments will continue to be sent out based on 2019 or 2018 tax returns filed throughout the rest of the year. See IRS News Release linked at the top of this post. (Added 3/30/2020)
• If you didn't file 2018 or 2019 and you have a filing requirement, try to e-file your 2019 return ASAP using the IRS Free File program, MyFreeTaxes.com, or FreeTaxUSA.com. If you need assistance, try GetYourRefund.Org, a site where you can upload your information and IRS-Certified volunteers help prepare your taxes. (Clarified 4/9/2020)
• If you just e-filed or mailed in a 2018 or 2019 tax return, you should receive your stimulus payment that you are eligible for once that return is processed. (Added 3/31/2020)

Who is eligible?

• US Taxpayers with valid Social Security numbers with Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) below amounts specified in the bill, including US Taxpayers living overseas. See AGI amounts below.
• Anyone who qualified as a dependent for 2019 is NOT ELIGIBLE for the advance payments. More information below.
• If you are eligible but haven't filed a tax return for 2018 or 2019, you need to submit a 2019 tax return or use the IRS Non-Filers application to get an advance payment this year unless you received a SSA-1099 or RRB-1099 for 2019. (Updated 4/10/2020)

When will payments be sent out?

• Direct deposit payments will begin April 9th week of April 13th? IRS News Release 4/10/2020
• Paper checks will be mailed starting April 24th. Current plan is to send weekly batches starting with lowest AGI first according to WaPo:
  • AGI under $10,000 starting April 24
  • AGI under $20,000 starting May 1
  • AGI under $30,000 starting May 8
  • AGI under $40,000 starting May 15
  • Every week add $10,000 to AGI threshold
  • September 11, 2020 is est. date for paper checks to be sent to people who did not have tax information on file earlier and/or who need to apply for checks. (Added 4/3/2020)
• Just to compare, in 2008 it took about 8 weeks for taxpayers to receive stimulus payments. Taxpayers with accurate direct deposit information on file should receive payments first; it most likely will take 4-5 weeks after that for paper checks to be mailed out. Waiting for official IRS statement on timelines. (Added 3/30/2020)

What AGI Qualifies?

• Married Filing Joint (MFJ) taxpayers: Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) up to $150,000
• Head of Household (HOH) taxpayers: AGI up to $112,500
• Single / Married Filing Separately (MFS) taxpayers: AGI up to $75,000
• UNCLEAR: What about Qualified Widow(er) Filing Status? Probably same as MFJ?

What is the Phaseout Range for AGI?
For those of you who want to calculate it, the phaseout is 5% by the amount you income is over the AGI limits above. The phaseout range grows by $10,000 per qualifying child. There are also online stimulus check calculators.

• MFJ AGI $150,001 – $198,000 (with no qualifying children under age 17)
• MFJ AGI $150,001 – $208,000 (with one qualifying child)
• HOH AGI $112,501 – $136,500 (with no qualifying children under age 17)
• HOH AGI $112,501 – $146,500 (with one qualifying child)
• Single / MFS AGI $75,001 – $99,000 (with no qualifying children under age 17)
• Single / MFS AGI $75,001 – $109,000 (with one qualifying child)

What if I had a baby / adopted a child this year?

• You won't receive any stimulus for your child now, but you should be able to claim an additional $500 credit on your 2020 tax return. (Updated 4/10/2020)

What if I alternate custody of my child with another person every year?

• UNCLEAR. It's likely the parent/taxpayer who claimed the child and filed a tax return for 2019 will receive the $500; if nobody claimed the child yet for 2019, the taxpayer who claimed them in 2018 will likely receive the $500. I believe the credit will be limited to $500 total per qualifying child, based on the precedent of "no double-dipping." (Clarified 3/31/2020)

Who is NOT eligible at all?

• Anyone who COULD be claimed as a dependent for the tax years in question (see Overview of the Rules for Claiming a Dependent and Worksheet for Determining Support) even if you weren't actually claimed by another taxpayer.
• Anyone who doesn't have a valid Social Security Number (SSN)
• You filed Form 1040-NR or Form 1040NR-EZ, Form 1040-PR or Form 1040-SS for 2019. (Added 4/8/2020 from IRS information)
• Nonresident aliens (UNCLEAR as of 4/2/2020)
• DACA Recipients without SSNs (UNCLEAR as of 4/2/2020)
• Undocumented immigrants
• Anyone with an ITIN instead of SSN, unless their spouse is a current member of the Armed Forces
• Estates and Trusts

What if I was claimed as a dependent for 2018 & 2019 but I will not be a dependent for 2020?

• You should be eligible for a tax credit on your 2020 tax return. (Edited 3/31/2020)

Should I amend my 2019 tax return to say I was not a dependent?

• First, MAKE SURE YOU DID NOT QUALIFY TO BE CLAIMED AS A DEPENDENT in 2019. You can qualify to be claimed as a dependent at ANY AGE if you did not pay more than 1/2 your basic living expenses yourself. Also note that it does not matter if anyone claimed you; it's whether COULD be claimed by another taxpayer. See Overview of the Rules for Claiming a Dependent and Worksheet for Determining Support for more details.
• Second, are you sure you didn't qualify to be claimed as a dependent for 2019 based on IRS guidelines? Filing a fraudulent tax return just to get the stimulus payment is probably going to result in you having to repay the stimulus payment plus penalties and interest.
• Third, amended tax returns have to be mailed to the IRS. They usually take about 4 months to be processed, but IRS is currently unable to process individual paper tax returns. Once the amended return is processed you should receive a stimulus payment but it could take months. (Updated 4/10/2020)

What if I didn’t file tax returns for either years?

• If you have a filing requirement, e-file your 2019 tax return if you have everything you need to file a complete & correct tax return. E-filed tax returns usually take about 2-3 weeks to be processed; once your tax return is processed, you should receive an stimulus payment. (Clarified 4/1/2020)
• If you did not have a filing requirement, use the IRS Non-Filers application. Not necessary if you received a SSA-1099 or RRB-1099 for 2019 unless you want to add a qualifying child dependent.
• HOW TO FILE a tax return: Try IRS Free File options first; if you don't qualify based on income, try FreeTaxUSA. If you need assistance, try GetYourRefund.Org, a site where you can upload your information and IRS-Certified volunteers help prepare your taxes. Your 2019 income needs to be less than $66,000. (Edited 4/1/2020)
• 2018 can be e-filed if you go through a tax professional with that capability. If you usually file on your own, FreeTaxUSA is probably your best bet but that tax return will need to be printed out and mailed to the IRS. Processing times for paper tax returns are normally 3 – 4 months but the IRS is not processing individual paper tax returns as of April 9th. (Updated 4/10/2020)

What if I didn't have taxable income for 2019?

• Use the IRS Non-Filers application unless:
  • You received a 1095-A and/or subsidy for health insurance through the marketplace. You have a filing requirement.
  • You worked under the table and/or did some random jobs paid in cash; if your income was at least $400 in 2019 you have a filing requirement. This is reported as Self-Employment income - you can use any of the options on the IRS Free File site to report this.

What if I need to update my mailing address and/or direct deposit information with the IRS? Please DO NOT CALL the IRS at this time.

• You can file Form 8822 to update your mailing address with the IRS.
• Website for taxpayers to add direct deposit information estimated to be available by April 17th. IRS News Release 4/10/2020

To help everyone check on the status of their payments, the IRS is building a second new tool expected to be available for use by April 17. Get My Payment will provide people with the status of their payment, including the date their payment is scheduled to be deposited into their bank account or mailed to them.
An additional feature on Get My Payment will allow eligible people a chance to provide their bank account information so they can receive their payment more quickly rather than waiting for a paper check. This feature will be unavailable if the Economic Impact Payment has already been scheduled for delivery.

• NOTE: This does not say you can UPDATE your direct deposit information, only that you can ADD it if you didn't include it on your tax return.
• If you received your refund through a third-party processor like Santa Barbara Tax Products Group, had tax preparation fees deducted from your refund, and/or had your refund loaded onto a prepaid debit card please check with the company you used for more information.

What if I owe back taxes?

• You are in luck, this exception was included in the bill & you should still get a stimulus check. This applies to federal and state tax debts.

What if my student loan is in default?

• You are in luck, this exception was included in the bill & you should still get a stimulus check.

What if I owe unemployment compensation debt? (Added 3/28/2020)

• You are in luck, this exception was included in the bill & you should still get a stimulus check.

What if I owe child support?

• You are NOT in luck, any taxpayers with past due child support reported to the Treasury Department will not be receiving a stimulus check if the amount owed is larger than the stimulus payment. There may be relief for MFJ taxpayers who filed Form 8379 with their recent tax returns. https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8379

What if I don’t get a stimulus payment and I really need the money? This SUCKS.

• That does suck, and the only advice I can give is to contact your senators and representative to let them know. In addition, there is expanded unemployment assistance available, including to people who normally don’t qualify like self-employed taxpayers.

What if I have other questions? Should I call the IRS?
Feel free to ask questions below, and/or check https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus, but DO NOT CALL the IRS at this time.
Some added FAQ:
What if I receive the stimulus payment but don't qualify for it?

• "Except in cases of fraud or reckless neglect" you shouldn't have to pay back any portion of the stimulus payment on your 2020 tax return if you don't qualify based on 2020 AGI. But if a taxpayer who should be claimed as a dependent files a 2019 tax return as independent in order to receive the stimulus payment - would they have to pay it back? Or only if they are a dependent in 2020?

Is this going to make my taxes go up, or my refund be less next year?

• NO, this payment is not taxable income, and it's not coming out of your regular tax refund. There will most likely be a worksheet on the 2020 tax return but you shouldn't have to pay back any of the stimulus payment "except in cases of fraud or reckless neglect" as written in the bill.

BONUS Historical IRS Links (added 3/31/2020)

• 2008 Economic Stimulus Payment Information Center
• 2008 Recovery Rebate Credit Information Center

Again, corrections / updates appreciated! Updated 4/20/2020

Transcript of the Tau-Chain & Agoras Monthly Video Update – November 2020
Karim:
The month of November has been characterised on two fronts. TML and on AgorasLive. AgorasLive has gone through a lot of testing and benchmarking. Everyone has pitched in. Ohad, Umar, Juan have been doing a lot of testing. Tomas has implemented an importer from dpedia to TML so we can import tens of thousands real-life records and bring them into TML so queries can be executed against them. That’s been done successfully whilst he also continued to work on the TML editor. (https://tml.idni.org). Umar and Jaun, in particular, worked on another library called TPTP (Thousand Problems for Theorem Solvers) http://www.tptp.org. A very rich library of benchmark problems in Logic. Not a lot of them being relevant to us but we are working on the important parts. They’ve also kept working on testing the proof of extraction, finishing the debugging of that part. Murisi continued his very productive streak this month. Helping with testing and implementing three distinct algorithms. One for minimising and eliminating redundant rules. Another algo for transforming first order logic with TML into pure TML and the 3rd to transform unsequenced transformations into sequenced transformations. A lot of progress on the TML side. We want to emphasise even though we are working on Second-order logic and other research type features we’re focusing on testing in anticipation for a release soon. On the Agoras Live side we’re very close to wrapping up the first version. The first version Andre and Moaz put the finishing touches on the website. In particular Andre worked on implementing the strong data storage and symmetric encryption on the browser side that, in the future, that feature will be used to store users private key on the private side. This is all part of the payment system for Agoras Live which is not an easy thing to do right now. We are working on integrating with exchanges such as Whitebit and Bittrex. We’re having a lot of back and forth with them on the design and the workflow. We’re trying to make it as easy as possible for our users but the exchanges have security concerns of their own so there are trade offs we are having to make. Finally, Ohad, Fola and I are working on several strategic initiatives we perhaps will talk further about next month.
Murisi:
I’ve been working on a few algorithms this month. I’ve been working on a conjunctive containment algorithm and a conjunctive query with negation algorithm which essentially will be used to tell whether if between two queries; are the results of one query a subset of the results of another query. We can use this algorithm to eliminate redundant queries. Also, if you have redundant parts of a query they can be removed without changing it’s meaning. I’ve also worked on an algorithm that if you can reduce or minimise rules then the solver will be able to compute the results of the queries faster for the end user. Another algorithm is for finding homomorphisms between query bodies. This algorithm finds out whether one query is a part of another query. Whether one query fits into another query syntactically. If we can figure out how different queries fit into each other then we can do something like factorisation of queries where we essentially express one part of a query using another query. If we can do that then again we can reduce the amount of work the solver has to do and the end result will be the user gets a faster results for their queries. ANother algorithm I have worked on is one to convert First-Order Logic TML into pure TML. This is to enable users to interface with TML in a more convenient manner which allows them to use the rules of First-Order Logic and still have the solver compute the correct results for them. Another algorithm was for sequencing transformations. The essence behind which is it’s easier for developers to optimise TML queries whilst not having to pay attention to the order in which things happen. So we are allowing developers to optimise teamwork queries without order of execution and then automatically just sorting the order of execution afterwards. This should speed up development of TML optimisations. Other than that I’ve done some mathematical proofs in order to determine the lower bounds of the sizes of TML interpreters written in TML so that we know what is possible. Next month I hope to start on the binary decision trees and some of the cache optimizations in there. Once again, to speed up the speed of the solver.
Umar:
This month I have been looking into how to extract the proofs properly. There were some features that were not working so I started debugging that. It’s important because once you have a proof you will also be able to extract the parse tree out of it also. In the master branch we have a few issues which took a significant time in debugging and I’ve worked with Tomas on what could be the reasons for those bugs. It works with non-recursive programs. You can extract the proof easily for simple programs but for complex programs with recursion we are seeing faults and bugs so that has taken most of my time. I’ve looked into the suitability of how we can look into the TPT format and how we mapp into our format. First-Order Logic so there is quite a bit of similarity and I believe we will be able to get it translated. The goal here is to benefit as much as possible with whatever we are doing with our First-Order Logic within TML. If we can translate from TPT format directly to our first autologic format then whatever transformations processing we are doing to our First-Order Logic within TML, all of that will be reused. Next month I will continue with concluding and getting results on the proof extraction.
Tomas:
This month I was working on the online editor for TML. [https://tml.idni.org] regarding automatic deployment so it’s easier to keep it updated with the latest version of TML. I’ve created Shell scripts to download and convert dpedia files into TML. Dbpedia is a rdf formatted data from Wikipedia. It will be for future benchmarking and RDF support for TML. I’ve also spent some time on how to do transformation of nested programs and program sequences into a single program. Lately, I’ve been assisting Urmar with debugging proof extraction.
Kilian: This month’s first week started with the Whitebit AMA with Andrew from whitebit. He was very open to answering any questions and outlined that community members had no issues with whitebit whilst using the exchange. He provided a lot of background information about the company and was very transparent. The community had positive feedback resulting in increased liquidity to trade agoras on the Whitebit exchange. I’ve done some more follow up with some professors in the field or KRR and finite model theory. We are at the stage where we are mostly intensifying existing relationships and we hope to announce more concrete details about certain partnerships that have evolved from that. Most of my time went into working on a presentation about IDNI, Tau-Chain and Agoras we can use for various purposes such as marketing, conferences and video creation. I've also been refining the ambassador program. I’ve created a list of content distribution channels that can be used by ambassadors to distribute existing content but also community content. I’ve created a list of content that already exists and also a list of possible topics for blog articles that will be utilised in the future content creation by the community. I’ve also worked on creating a code of conduct to enable us to have a certain standard of what we expect from our community in terms of how they interact with each other. Ie. We are totally against discrimination, hate speech or sexual harassment which should eb obvious but some people it’s not so we want to make sure guidelines are inplace for when our community scales. The guidelines are up for community review so once I’ve established it I will share. This month the community member of the month is Jamie. He receives a reward of 100 agoras for his ongoing work on Tau.guide (https://tau.guide) and actively contributing to the telegram and twitter discussions.
Mo’az: This month I have been busy polishing Agoras.Live. We hope to launch soon. I workinged on a couple of features that we should publish. Things like email templates, user profile,storage and search. Other features to polish include a design system we’ll likely continue to polish after launch including dispatching through the new design system I designed. I will continue to work on an updated version of agoras live after the launch adding additional features. I’ve included a feature that will show the publications IDNI are involved in.
Andrei:
Last month I was working on implementing our first approach to the payment system. It will use crypto currency exchanges for all the operations. It will allow our users to deposit or withdraw money or send money to each other with ease. Let me show you a simple example (https://youtu.be/9_o1PDktFtg?t=1105) Suppose we have a Whitebit account holding some Agoras. In order to connect to our platform it needs API and API keys of course. We will create it automatically but now I will show you how it works manually. Let’s go to the API keys and choose the trading and deposit withdrawal key. We generate a new key and activate it. Now we go to our wallet. Suppose user clicks on deposit. It will lead them to a crypto currency exchange form for depositing money but prior to that the user will need to input their sensitive data. All this data will be stored locally, encrypted using AES GCM encryption with SHA 256 hash. Why do we need it? Because we want to securely exchange whatever sensitive information users want to exchange between each other. For example, payment codes that Whitebit has. Once connected to white bit we can see your Agoras balance and current exchange rate in US dollars. I’m working hard this month on automating the deposit, withdrawal and payment API connection and key generation with the exchanges and Agoras Live and I hope to finish everything by the end of this year.
Juan:
As per Karim’s summary I have approached the TPTP library in order to establish a set of problems from there to help us verify our First-Order Logic resources and also to use them as a baseline benchmark. We don’t initially expect to compete against C3 solver we’ll be using as a reference for the verification but we hope this test suite will help us to gain more comprehension of how our performance lags and of course in terms of better verifying the results we receive. We are addressing CNF and FOS formulas for DFF which involves First-Order Logic type. I think we will still need to do some development and design in our system. That’s all for the DPTP and around the Second-Order Logic feature we have a very primitive approach especially for horn Second-Order existential horn second Logic so we have been also approaching two optimisation problems. Mean Vertex and Max cut from the Ebbinghaus book where we need to handle mean and max quantifiers over viable relationships. That will be our target second use case for the Second-Order Logic feature. We look forward to it helping us in the conception of our system. We also have on hold the graph isomorphism. This is on hold due to some initial issues in our power representation. It has already been very deeply addressed by Ohad so I think in the mid term we should reach a solution there hopefully. FInally on the Agoras Live side we have started on the new version of the payment system. As we mentioned before we left the Lightning Network based implementation to move to a custom design involving a micropayment channel as defined by bitcoin. We are still talking about the Agora’s tokens running on the Omni layer. In this case we are basing our payment channel on Agoras Live on a peer-to-peer connection between browser based clients from scratch based on WebRTC which should help users exchange multi signatures in order to fund and close the payment channel according to the session. There are several considerations, as Karim mentions, to be done but we still move forward on this particular effort.
Fola:
My administrative tasks continue for IDNI and that’s what I’ve been working on. On top of that I’ve been working on the ERC-20 token swap and it’s feasibility. We have decided to go ahead with that swap in accordance with what the community wished. We’ve listened to you and have known this is what you’ve wanted so we’ve decided to go ahead and move to ERC-20 which is coming soon. There will be some swap partners involved to handle that. This is going to be excluding the US so anyone outside the US will be able to swap with one of our swap partners to the ERC-20 token so we won’t be handling the swap ourselves but a number of exchanges will be handling that swap. We have also hired Kane Davis as a designer to work on the IDNI Logo and graphics Logo. On Agoras live legal we’ve had some documentation drawn up from our legal firm and also on the Agoras Live front I’ve been liaising with Whitebit and another exchange for integration purposes. On top of that we have added some new service providers for the company which makes our lives easier so we can move faster internally. We are talking with a new exchange and I’ll share further details once that relationship is established. Speaking of exchanges we have been speaking with UKEX (https://ukex.com) which is buying out BCEX and they will be listing our ERC-20 token when it is available.
Ohad:
I’ve been involved in lots of things you want to hear about. I’ve also been involved with conversations with three professors and one graduate student about knowledge representation languages especially at the scope of languages that may self interpret and also about solving Second-Order Logic and a lot of research that came out of those conversations. THey basically approved my impression that the Second-Order Logic solver we speak about doesn’t exist and will be a great innovation in the field of automation improving. In addition I have been putting a lot of thought into the move to ERC-20 token so stay tuned regarding this point.
Q&A:
Q: Why is the product needed before going to Agoras ERC-20, but not required as an Omni token?
A: We could swap to ERC-20 but were concerned about violating U.S regulations that have come in recently. In order to make sure we’d pass those regulations we did need a product available. However, as mentioned we are now moving to ERC-20 allowing Non-U.S token holders to do so.
Q: How will Tau-Chain Benefit from Agoras.Live?
A: AgorsLive is important in the scheme of things due to having a knowledge market. As explained in the Whitepaper. The reason we give it priority is to apparently meet regulatory requirements in the USA.
Q: Will you give an in-depth analysis/demo of AgorasLive and how to use the TML playground?
A: The TML playground (https://tml.idni.org) is the first public demonstration of the TML language and its usefulness and it’s really a demo as you think of it. You can see at least 8 examples of some basic TML programs in the upper left corner of the screen. We agree it would be a good way to start feeding the platform with good content and getting people to know TML. A TML and AgorasLive demo will come out closer to release.
Q: Why does the team hold so little Agoras tokens right now. WIll this have an impact on the rate of development in the future?
A: The team will hold 3% (1.5 million) Agoras tokens. After the agoras coin will be ready, since we promised and of course we will fulfill, we will burn all unsold coins once the agoras coin is ready. We intend to sell also the unsold coins sometime in the future in order to fund the development and indeed those 3% are for after agoras is ready.
Q: What is being done to fix liquidity?
A: Well to fix liquidity we can only do what we can do. We cannot manipulate the market but we can continue to fulfil the promises.
Q: Will Agoras become the governance token of Tau-chain and will there be Airdrops?
A: The way we release Tau, it will come with no governance mechanism and with no coins. It will all be up to the users. We cannot on one hand put a system of decentralised democracy on the table and then on the other hand also set it’s walls and be the dictators so it will all be up to its users.
Q: How big of a competitor is OpenAi’s GPT-3 to us?
A: GPT-3 is about machine learning which is a kind of artificial intelligence which relies on probability and about trying to guess predictions. Tau is based on a completely different kind of artificial intelligence which is Logic. Which is nothing to do with probability but about absolute statements in the logic and knowledge of representation languages
Q: Ohad, are there other blockchain projects that impress you and would any of them be suitable for collaboration?
A: I admit I haven’t researched most of the blockchains projects, especially in the last few years as there are many. There is nothing too exceptional that comes to my mind. I’m not aware of something that looks like a good candidate for collaboration but perhaps I’m wrong.
Q: How will AgorasLIve stack up to other products you will release, in terms of the amount of features from the Tau technology that will be present within them? Once agoras Live is released, what is the next product release on the roadmap?
A: We start from there and we will also release TML and we start working on a discussion platform which brings me back to my first point. The discussion over Tau may take the form of formal language and may take the form of free language. The form of free language is what AgorasLIve intends to supply. I think it will be too naive to think that, at least at the beginning, people will use mostly formal languages without any natural language. I believe it will be that freestyle kind of knowledge that will be widely used over the platform.
Q: How do you manage the mismatch between formal logic, not just the way people speak, but the way people think?
A: I don’t claim to close the gap to even tell what exactly is the mismatch but Tau is not only a self defining system but also a system defined by its users but also the languages are defined by the users and by that evolve with time. I think with time the formal languages over Tau will become more and more close to the way humans use them.
Q: With such a flexible translation system, what constraints do you put in place to make sure that things are still comprehensible?
A: THere is a whole field about Knowledge representation what we call for short KRR. Knowledge representation and reasoning and recently we started cooperating with the leading researchers of this field. There is also a lot of thought by the academic community put into how to encode the knowledge and we definitely go this route and again this will also evolve with time. We don’t claim to have every solution for everything but the whole point of Tau is to evolve.
Q: How does the system handle rich proofs?
A: Everyday knowledge discussion subject and issues, proofs and arguments are not so long and difficult as in mathematics. There is a formal proof of some theorem in mathematics that only a computer can find and it takes two terabytes but we don’t give social, political, and so on arguments that take two terabytes. Mathematics is intended to deal with such complex fields of knowledge but we don’t see them in everyday life.
Q: What is the motivation for developers to start using TML now?
A: TML is yet to be developed very much but to speak about TML as it is right now in many cases it is much easier to express in a much shorter way what we want the machine to do. For example, in the use of First-Order Logic it makes things much simpler, way more than other common programming languages
Q: Is the 15% bonus still planned for Agoras holders that didn;t move their tokens in accordance with the Bonus requirements? (https://tau.guide/docs/quick-start/#7-bonus-for-agoras-token-holders)
A: Yes. We cannot take a promise back. What is promised is promised.
Q: When will the mainnet be available?
A: Currently we are working on putting the finishing touches to AgorasLive. That should be done by the end of this year. On the Road map next is TML 1.0. We’ve recently put out the TML playground. We’ll wait for user feedback on TML 1.0. THen depending on how that goes that will determine our time frame for mainnet.
Q: Do you already have an idea of who will be the early adopters of the platform? How are you planning to reach out to them?
A: Andre- Because our overarching consideration is to make the platform easy to use. THis platform can be used by anyone. Anyone who has knowledge. For example, language teachers, software developers, veterinarians, doctors, psychiatrists, corporate law jurists, tax advisors, Chefs or maybe mothers wishing to share how they look after children. Kilian- Initially our outreach will happen through media outlets. I;m trying to get coverage in respected media outlets. First in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space as they already understand our product. Second, once we have identified specific verticals of professionals that are looking for a solution we offer. For example, Coaches, due to covid restrictions cannot meet their potential customers directly then we will focus outreach more directly towards those specific verticals.
Q: Why did the team Veto the move from ERC-20 before and why are we doin it now?
A: we’re not so close to the main net release now. As the community wishes, we are now moving towards an ERC-20 token now excluding the U.S as a jurisdiction that can be allowed to swap. Previously we were considering an option for having everyone swap but now we are doing the former.
Q: Are the Tau-chain website revamp and logo redesigns still in the works and when can we expect this to launch?
A: Yes, It’s still in the works. It hasn’t been designed just yet. We’ve been working on mapping out the ideas and what we want and trying to find the right designer. It's taken us a little while to do that, to make sure we find the right person. The artist’s name we now have is Kane Davis who is a very good designer. Very happy to have him on board. We have a shell of a website design currently on how we want the website to be. The first step for us was to really think about the impression we want to give and we’d like to do things designed in a substantial way.
Q: Has there been any development on the Blockchain side of the project. What is the ETA on the main net
A: As we mentioned earlier our next release is TML 1.0. We’ll await feedback on that before starting development on Tau-chain mainnet. We don’t have a definitive release date yet.

Hello, My name is Isaiah but I go by yooitzkilluhh3 which is my Snapchat y’all add me , anyways my UID: 41278720724
I am from USA, Cali Bound whoop !!! My personality is off the charts, if you can’t tell so for all you , here is my very own story to tell..
When I saw the story contest pop up on the app I was not going to enter only for this one reason, what are the odds of me being that BiG you could say, I’m decent but I know there are many other players who are the ones you’d see at the finish line, but you only live one so ehh what’s the worst that can happen , as long as I try right 🤷🏽‍♂️
My favorite game out of all would have to be Bingo Clash!! Why ? Because it’s so competitive/kills time and reminds me how quickly my reactions are, I say that because I think personally that game is all about being as quick as possible when clicking the right numbers called, the faster the better score the better score the most likely you’d beat the other player if they aren’t playing as fast. Hint** use 2x til the very end , trust me ,. You get it in the beginning you better save it until end and not use it exactly when you get it, cuz great chance you won’t see another one of those 2x again the rest of the game. FYI , I have a total of 50 games won in BINGO CLASH!! Which isn’t bad I think , I started about almost 2 weeks ago, I play as much as I can when I can , but when I do it’s definitely you know what game ✊🏾.. Another game or 2 that I will list, that are also somewhat my other favs, would be DUNK SHOT, I have a total of 40 Wins and the other would be 2048 with a total of 21 wins.. overall I wanna just say any game is worth playing because of the fun competition.
Some may say it’s a joke, that there’s no way you’d ever actually win real cash, but in order you have to put down cash to win cash, I’ve deposited many times but only like $10 usually why? Because another reason I love it is that you can deposit $10 and easily that $10 can turn into $20 then $40 and so on if you are winning multiple games. Now, when you win money the feeling is great sure! I look at it as a bonus. The main point for me is that no matter what I get to play any game for fun because I am gonna share with y’all , I do have major depression & BPT which I’m other words is , “BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER “ it’s hard for me in this life, sometimes , this app helps me get my mind off say for example I’m about to have a huge panic attack because I assume everyone is looking at me thinking whatever they could be thinking of me , and I play this game when I feel any sort of way, help me cope with my life problems so from the bottom of my heart to the Pocket7Games Creators ,. THANK YOU FOR MAKING SUCH AN AMAZING GAME, BEST GAME FOR ME 2020!!
I would like to say thank you to the team who have been there to help with glitches and other technical problems that are there in Every game. Especially bingo. I say that because that is my TOP1 .
Before I finish up here with just this short story of mine, I would like to say RESPECT TO THOSE PLAYERS IN L5 and above, I am atm , only on L1 which is alright for being a starter , but one day I will make it that distance and when I do , that will be a day that is one for the books.. down below ⬇️⬇️⬇️ is for all you out there that support other players,.. much love,, Feel free to be a homie and Use my code so y’all can receive prizes and bonuses.. ‼️‼️‼️CODE: VrHyH1v Y’all can’t leave this without going and just giving it a try, never know what will happen 😊
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pocket7games-play-for-cash/id1402595440

• Isaiah

With NHL PR's press release on the CBA extension and return-to-play plan, they linked a 71 page PDF of the Memorandum of Understanding passed by the NHL and NHLPA. Let's review and discuss what changes are outlined here. For reference, here is a link to the original Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Friedman's How the NHL and NHLPA found labour peace in a pandemic.

Economic Issues

1) The CBA extension runs through September 15, 2026 (unless there are insufficient funds in the Escrow Account on June 30, 2025, in which case the CBA is extended an additional year)
2) The upper limit for the 2020/21 season is $81.5M, midpoint is $70.9M, and lower limit is $60.2 (same as the 2019/20 season). The cap will remain at $81.5M until Hockey Related Revenue (HRR) for a completed season reaches $3.3B. It will be between $81.5M and $82.5M on a pro rata basis in seasons where Preliminary HRR is between $3.3B and $4.8B. Then will increase by $1M per year until the Escrow Balance is paid off, unless agreed upon by both parties. After Escrow has been repaid but not earlier than the establishing of a cap for the 2023/24 season, a lag formula will be used such that the year-over-year increase in the cap will be between a maximum of the lesser of 5% and the trailing two-year average HRR growth percentage and a minimum (except for the 2026-27 season) of the lesser of 2.5% and the trailing two-year average HRR growth percentage.
3) Escrow is caped at:

Season	Escrow Cap
2020/21	20%
2021/22	14% if Preliminary HRR for 2020/21 exceeds $3.3B. 18% if it is below $1.8B. Pro-rata rate in between.
2022/23	10%
2023/24-2025/26	6%

Entirety of April 15, 2020 payroll deposited into Escrow. 100% of funds held in Escrow Account for 2019/20 season; and for future seasons until 1) the Escrow Balance is less than $125M or the beginning of the 2023/24 season (whichever is sooner), and 2) HRR exceeds $4.8B in a season; are released to the League. The NHL waives it's right to reduce or eliminate player salaries for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons based solely on the COVID-19 pandemic.
4) 10% of each player's 2020/21 NHL salary plus signing bonus are deferred without interest to be paid (in full) in 3 equal payments on October 15 of 2022, 2023, and 2024. This does not affect calculations of AAV towards the payroll range.
5) If the 2020/21 regular season starts after November 15, "Roster Freeze Players" (players in the NHL at 5pm ET on March 16 and who played at least 1 NHL regular season game in the 2019/20 season) signed to an SPC for the season on October 31st receive 8.1% (15/186) of their 2020/21 salary by October 31.
6) Increases the benefits credit for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons and provides values for seasons through 2025/26.

Player Benefit Issues

7-31) Various changes to health insurance, life insurance, retirement plans, senior player gifting, and accounting related to those benefits.

Medical-Legal Issues

32-37) Changes to how second opinions are handled
38) Clubs cannot enter into commercial agreements that restrict their ability to select medical staff or refer players to third party service providers.
39) Parties will forma a task force to advise on minimum standards for Club medical resources and staffing on road trips
40) Changes to off season rehabilitation.
41-43) Changes to post-career medical treatment.
44) The NHL and Clubs will not oppose legislation, in Canadian provinces, to extend workers compensation benefits to professional athletes.
45) Changes to worker's compensation.
46-49) Changes to the Performance Enhancing Substances Program
50) Parties will negotiate a revised Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program

Player Contracting Issues

51) ELC compensation limits are:

Draft Year	Maximum
2019-21	$925K
2022-23	$950K
2024-25	$975K
2026	$1M

52) Minor league compensation limits (for entry-level players):

Draft Year	Maximum
2019	$70K
2020-21	$80K
2022-23	$82.5K
2024-25	$85K
2026	$87.5K

53) League-Paid Individual "B" NHL Awards Bonuses (for entry-level players) are amended (starting with the 2020/21 season) to include the Art Ross, Masterton, Messier, and Clancy Awards. These bonuses will not be counted against league-wide player compensation. The amount paid will be increased by 50% starting in the 2022/23 season.
54) Club-Paid Individual "A" and "B" Performance Bonuses are amended to include the Art Ross trophy (starting with the 2020/21 season). Starting with ELCs signed after the 2022 draft, "A" bonus maximums are increased from $850K to $1M, and the maximum per category increases from $212.5K to $250K; "B" bonus (Club-paid) maximums are increased from $2M to $2.5M.
55) NHL Minimum Salary is amended:

Season	Minimum Salary
2019/20-2020/21	$700k
2021/22-2022/23	$750k
2023/24-2025/26	$775k

56) UFAs who play for a club outside North America do not need to clear waivers before December 15.
57) Revised tryout agreements.
58) No-trade and no-move clauses always travel with the player in the event of the contract moving.
59) Salary arbitration briefs are limited to: 1) 42 pages (exclusive of indices, glossaries, tables of contents, and exhibits), and 2) size 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, one-inch margins (except charts, tables, headings, footnotes, citations). Arbitration may not be settled after the hearing has commenced.
60) The UFA Interview Period shall be eliminated.
61) Starting with the 2020/21 season, a "Projected Off-Season Cap Accounting" rule shall replace the "Tagging Rule". From the beginning of the regular season through June 30, Clubs may not exceed the current Upper Limit plus 10% in AAV relevant for the following season. Any amounts based on rate reflective of a player's time on the roster uses the current projected time.
62) The Performance Bonus Cushion remains in the final year of the CBA
63) Cap Advantage Recapture is charged against a Club by either: 1) equal proportions in each season over the remaining term of the SPC, or 2) in an equal amount to the contract's AAV in as many seasons required to account for the full amount (the last season is the remaining amount). The later formula (2) is applied if the value in the former (1) exceeds the AAV.
64) The 35 or older cap counting rule does not apply to contracts that have: 1) total compensation (salary and bonuses) that is either the same or increases from season-to-season, and 2) a signing bonus that is payable in the first year only.
65) Clubs cannot make trades with conditions based on a player signing with a Club (if the player has a current or future contract at the time of the trade) or based on the subsequent assignment of the traded player.
66) Players signed through the subsequent trade deadline can sign an 8-year contract without waiting until the trade deadline.
67) For "Front-Loaded SPCs" the difference in the player's salary and bonuses cannot change by more than 25% year-to-year, and the salary and bonuses be less than 60% of the highest season.
68) For contracts signed after this agreement, if the minimum qualifying offer would otherwise be greater than 120% of the AAV of the contract, the minimum qualifying offer will instead be 120% of the AAV.

Working Conditions Issues

69) Changes to how days off are accounted.
70) Changes to bye week accounting.
71) All-Star Game Weekend events will be created by the NHL in consultation with the NHLPA. There will be no All-Star Game in a season in which the NHL and NHLPA agree to participate in an international tournament.
72) Parties will discuss minimizing travel by scheduling back-to-back road games in the same city
73-82) Changes in travel, moving costs and compensation.
83-84) Changes/restrictions to fitness testing and compulsory off-season training.
85-86) Clubs will make two complimentary game-worn jerseys available to each player, provided they are for personal or charitable use rather than commercial. NHLPA will agree to restrictions on player's use of Club-provided game-used equipment.
87) Clubs will give the NHLPA electronic player payroll records.
88) The Playoff fund will be as follows:

Season	Fund
2019/20	$32M
2020/21-2021/22	$20M
2022/23	$21M
2023/24	$22M
2024/25	$23M
2025/26	$24M

Other Issues

89) The NHL and NHLPA will participate in the 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics, subject to negotiation of acceptable terms to each of the NHL, NHLPA, and IIHF (and/or IOC).
90) Changes to the maintenance of the Industry Growth Fund.
91) The NHL has a one-time option to modify revenue sharing on or before June 30, 2021. In the CBA, Recipient Clubs receive either a full or half share of the revenue sharing based on if their "Designated Market Area" has fewer or more than 3 million households (defined by Nielsen in the USA and BBM in Canada). This allows the NHL to change it so all Recipient Clubs receive a full share.
92) NHL will discuss providing footage and still images of NHL players to the NHLPA free-of-charge for non-commercial, editorial, and internal uses.
93) Parties will negotiate a 2020/21 calendar and schedule. Most statistics are pro-rated with a 70/82 factor for "Roster Freeze Players", but not for other players.
94) Tentative Critical Dates Calendar:

Date	Event
July 1	2020/21 season begins (for contract signing purposes)
July 13	Training camps open
July 26	Travel to Hub Cities
July 28-30	Exhibition Games
August 1	Stanley Cup Qualifiers Begin
August 11	First Round Begins
August 25	Second Round Begins
September 8	Conference Finals Begin
September 22	Stanley Cup Finals Begin
Later of September 26 or Beginning of SCF	First Buy-Out Period Begins
October 4	Last Possible Day of Final
Later of October 4 and 2 days following the last game in the final Playoff round the team plays	Deadline for First Club-Elected Arbitration Notification (5pm ET)
October 9-10	2020 NHL Draft
Later of October 6 and 4 days following the last game in the final Playoff round the team plays	Deadline for Qualifying Offers (5pm ET), which are not open for acceptance prior to the “Qualifying Offers Open for Acceptance (12pm ET)” date"
Later of October 8 or SCF + 6 days	First Buy-Out Period Ends
Later of October 9 or SCF + 7 days	Qualifying Offers Open for Acceptance (12pm ET); RFA/UFA Signing Period Begins (12pm ET)
Later of October 10 and 8 days following the last game in the final Playoff round the team plays	Deadline for Player-Elected Salary Arbitration Notification (5pm ET); Deadline for RFA Offer Sheets for Players for whom Clubs have elected Salary Arbitration pursuant to First Club-Elected Salary Arbitration (5pm ET); Commencement of Second Club-Elected Salary Arbitration Notification (5:01pm ET)
Later of October 11 and 8 days following the last game in the final Playoff round the team plays	Deadline for Second Club-Elected Salary Arbitration Notification (5pm ET)
October 12	Scheduling of Salary Arbitration Hearings
Later of October 18 or SCF + 16 days	Qualifying Offers Expire Automatically (5pm ET)
October 20	First Day of Salary Arbitration Hearings
November 8	Last Day of Salary Arbitration Hearings
November 17	Training Camps Open
December 1	2020/21 Regular Season Begins

95-97) Phases 2-4 Protocols (not included in the document)
98) Disputes regarding Leafs broadcasting rights agreement and Pittsburgh non-resident sports facility usage fee have been settled.

Last week, the Regime increased the price of Gasoline by 50$ Cents. Showing once again they are desperate for more money
For years, Venezuela have been trapped in a Perfect storm. Between a massive decrease in Revenue, and little to no saving to sustain itself. With Coronavirus and USA sanctions, situation can only get worse
This begs the question: How long do we have until the Regime's revenue dries up?

1.1 The Vaults Of Venezuela's Central Bank

During the prime time of the Venezuelan Economic Boom, Chavez managed to amaze a tremendous amount money at his disposal. At least 40 Billion dollars were stored in case of emergency as International Reserves
Chavez's savings helped him to survive the Oil crash of 2008. In 2011, he decided to store all the Gold he could in the vaults of the Venezuelan Central Bank
Maduro (a man notorious for his lack long last planning) couldn't resist the urge to use those deposits, and a year after his mentor passed away, he quickly started to deplete BCV vaults. In mere 7 years, he wasted 80% of his predecessor savings. And, somehow, still managed to defund all public services to zero and also hit Default
Let's analyze more in depth the numbers
International Reserves of Venezuela, at the start of each new year [*]

• 2013 = 28.8$ Billion Dollars
  
• 2014 = 21.6$ Billions
  
• 2015 = 22.1$ Billions
  
• 2016 = 15.6$ Billions
  
• 2017 = 11.0$ Billions
  
• 2018 = 9.4$ Billions
  
• 2019 = 8.5$ Billions
  
• 2020 = 6.6$ Billions
  
• 2020 (*June) = ~4.5$ Billions
  

As you can see, during the Government of Maduro, the savings of the BCV have dropped at an alarming rate. In 2020, the Crisis became even worse, because USA sanctions blocked some Gold reserves the BCV had overseas. In practice, the Regime only have access to 4.5 Billion Dollars in Reserves stored in Venezuela: 3.5 Billion in the form of Gold, and around 1 Billion in cash [*]

1.2 Out of Cash?

There is an easy way to tell when someone is lying. Don't focus on what people say , focus on what they Do
And it the case of The Revolution, their later actions are pretty revealing

• For first time in 20 years of Chavism, Maduro asked a lend to the IMF
  
• In early 2020, they asked for 350 million Dollars lend from the Comunidad Andina, to pay some "electric reparations" [*]
  
• They recently announced a 25% increase in Dollar Taxes [*]
  
• A massive increase in Gasoline prices. An increase of 50 cents from last week. On top of that, Gasoline can only be paid in Dollars
  
• They have stopped increasing the Minimum wage, leaving it at only per 4 Dollars a month
  
• Public Workers, where most of his supporters are, are fired by the thousands. Those who stay, are paid less than 10 dollars a month
  
• Public pensions have been reduced to mere 2 Dollars a month
  
• Money Bonus they used to give to their supporters have decreased to just 2 Dollars in the past months
  
• Low salaries have reached even the Military. At least 6000 soldiers abandoned the Army in 2019 , low salaries might be one the reasons[*]
  
• Maduro was ready to make some "mighty" Military exercises, to scare USA. The Result? Two days of Military presence in the whole year 2020
  

Something I find particularly interesting, was the last payment done by Venezuela to Iran.
For those of you who don't know, last month Maduro paid ~500 million Dollars to Iran to import some Tankers full of Gasoline. What's weird about this payment, it was the way it was done.
According to the USA intel, the payment was made using solid gold, almost 9 tons of it. And they were sent by plane
Why Maduro decided to send Half a Billion dollars worth of Gold, instead of Dollars? Wouldn't be safer to pay in cash instead?
Sending so much Gold by plane is a dangerous transaction. As far as we know, that's almost 15% of Venezuelan Gold Reserves in just one payment
And why didn't they buy more Gasoline anyway? The Tankers they bought barely lasted a couple of days
Doubts increase when Maduro suddenly increased Gasoline by 50 cents. And forced buyers to pay in physical USA Dollars. To pay Gasoline at international prices it's something venezuelans haven't done in Decades. And only accept Dollars as payment? Odd, considering the Dollar is USA's currency
After 2015, the ability of the Regime to make profits have decayed to point they are not capable to finance their most basic needs, including the wages of the Military and Police
I suspect that's why the Military are now in charge of gasoline stations. It's the only way The Regime can pay the Military with real money (and that's why they ask venezuelans to pay in Dollars, instead of Bolivars)
But this system depends on the ability of Maduro to obtain more Gasoline. And with the BCV Gold reserves almost depleted, Who is going to pay for this Gasoline?
Stopping the flow of Gasoline to Venezuela, implies Military is not going to be paid anymore. That's something the Regime wants to avoid at all cost, but it seems like an inevitable fate at this point

TAKE CARE
You’ve been thrust into Social Distancing, and I see all these tweets and posts and articles about the Viral Anxiety and Viral Stress that’s accompanying the CoronaVirus, and my first thought is: what’s new about Viral Stress and Anxiety? We live it everyday in the college admissions world. And that thought leads me to realize that your generation, you -- the amazing Gen Z, are absolutely equipped for this ordeal. You are resilient. You are experienced with handling your stress and many of you have been proactive in learning the mechanisms for dealing with stress and anxiety on a regular level. Nevertheless, this stress is -- no doubt -- leveling up.
You know that life can feel like it’s falling apart and that you will survive it. You know that we need a little wind in our lives to make us stronger. You know, that just like those baby trees in the biosphere that fell down when they didn’t have anything pushing on them -- we need some stress in our lives. If you aren’t familiar with my take on the trees in the biosphere, you can read my medium story about it here.
But let’s be real -- there’s stress and then there’s stress. So, I want you to be especially careful with yourselves now. It’s one thing to go through the college admissions decisions drama while in school surrounded by classmates, teachers, and friends, and a whole 'nother thing to go through it alone. But, as Brene Brown, one of my personal heroes said last week (look her up if you aren’t familiar with her), “Social distancing doesn’t have to mean social disconnection.” We can be alone in all this together. We know how to do exactly that here on A2C, and we’ve been doing it for years.
When you start to feel overwhelmed, take a minute and find stillness and just allow yourself to breathe. Ground yourself in the present moment by listing 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can feel, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
I always recommend yoga and mindfulness and meditation because they helped me during the most stressful times of my life, so I definitely recommend you look into some online yoga classes as a way to grow comfortable with connecting your body and brain while you have some extra time on your hands in the next few weeks.
I also recommend two apps for you to help with mindfulness and meditation.

1. Breathe by Dr. Jud: it’s available on google play and the app store. FREE. This is a great app that can help you with meditation and mindfulness and in general, just being still.
2. Koru Free Un-Class and App ($3.99 charge for app): That link has links to the app and class.

And lastly, before I move on to logistics and news and updates, I want to share this letter with you from a high school teacher in Louisiana, whose words moved me. He experienced Hurricane Katrina as a high school student and has some wise words to share with you.
​

• SAT, ACT, IB, AP, TRANSCRIPTS, AND INTERNET

So far, SAT and ACT have both pushed back their April and May dates. College Board notification is here. ACT is here. Here is the IB notification.
I honestly have no idea what is going to happen with testing for you juniors and seniors who need IB scores and A levels, or what’s going to happen with your transcripts if your teachers and counselors can’t easily access them. I’m hopeful that all this will be resolved before there’s a need to cause problems, but we really have no idea what’s going to happen. I do know that I follow over 500 colleges on social media and I’m seeing many of them make posts and tweets about how they will be trying to work with students however they can.
If you don’t have the Internet in your home, it can be really hard to get your school work done, not to mention your college applications. I’ve seen a few companies that are offering free intro services for students: Altice USA | Charter and Spectrum: 1-844-488-8395 | Comcast Covid Response: 855-846-8376 (English) or 855-765-6995 (Spanish). I’ve also seen that AT&T, Verizon, and T Mobile have Covid responses. You can google and see what they are offering.
​

• COLLEGES EXTENDING DEPOSIT DEADLINES

Here’s a great article about how colleges are making adjustments right now: The COVID College Choice: How To Pick A College During A Global Pandemic
ACCEPT List of colleges that are extending their Deposit deadline to June 1
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I6FRnbfPFmzNzKoPwYSFgLPB23XYdDTNk7bnpp5omjM/edit
​

• NACAC COLLEGE ADMISSIONS STATUS: CORONAVIRUS IMPACT

“As a service to students and families, NACAC is providing this online tool as a central resource for information about changes in college admission events, deposit dates, and more as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.” NACAC is the National Association of College Admissions Counselors.
https://www.nacacnet.org/news--publications/newsroom/college-admission-status-coronavirus/?fbclid=IwAR34gw3CrfhUHVtzwdR1-TZf6BlYJJuT4jinCQNugr8BcQepv93KOsnM2Io
​

• LEARNING MORE ABOUT COLLEGES

Pay attention to how colleges react to the virus. Are they helping their students with housing, airfare, and lost wages? Or are they leaving them high and dry? These are great questions and ones that I think y’all should be considering as you make your final decisions as seniors or your college lists as juniors.
This NPR article, Amid Coronavirus, Some College Students Have Nowhere To Go, might be interesting to you.

• VIRTUAL TOURS (AND OTHER WAYS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT A CAMPUS)

Seniors, as you begin to finalize your choices, I know you will have some tough decisions to make, and for many of you a college visit would have helped you with that decision. Juniors, as you begin to create your lists, it’s going to be tough this year with college visits and tours off the agenda more than likely at least through the spring, if not the summer.
The first place to start is the college’s own website. Many of them are working overtime to get virtual tours up for you. You can also see what kind of online programming the admissions offices are doing for you, like video chats and other online campus days. Make sure you follow their social media, especially Instagram and Twitter. I’m seeing lots of important info from many colleges everyday all day long. Many of them also have YouTube channels you can check out.
Here’s a list of some virtual tour websites.
https://www.youvisit.com/
https://www.campusreel.org/
https://www.youniversitytv.com/
These websites don’t have virtual tours necessarily, but they have lots of good info that you might find helpful.
www.niche.com
www.collegescoops.com
https://www.scoir.com/blog/youvisit-partnership
Cialfo College Fairs
https://www.zeemee.com/
Pinterest -- look for pics of colleges and see what others are saying
Reddit -- go to the individual college subreddits and ask questions of the students. There are no right or wrong answers to your questions because it’s all about what you’re interested in and what works best for you. Sample Questions: What do you like most? What do you like least? What do you do on a Saturday afternoon? What are your friends doing? What do you do on a Wednesday night? What might your friends be doing? What would you change?
​

• TIRED OF BEING A COUCH POTATO YET?

Sure, you can play video games, catch up on movies, while away the hours on Twitch, or watch YouTube and TikTok for hours on end, but eventually you might find yourself getting a little bored. And juniors, this is primetime for you to take advantage of working on a personal project. I always suggest to my juniors that they use the summer before senior year to get a job and work on a personal project so this is a perfect opportunity for you to take the time to learn about and do some of the things that you just don’t have time to do during your busy year.
What to do now that we’re enmeshed in social distancing and we are working and schooling from home:
Read, Read, Read
Reread your favorite books (Harry Potter calling your name?)
Read books you haven’t had a chance to read before (Tess of the D'urbervilles, Rebecca, Fahrenheit 451, Anything by William Faulkner, Toni Morrison, John Steinbeck, Kurt Vonnegut, Ralph Ellison, or Jane Eyre or so many other amazing writers out here. I know my kids loved Robert Jordan when they were your age.
By the way, the best way to become a strong writer is to read -- a lot. Reading will improve your standardized test scores and help you in every class -- believe it or not.
Family Time
Family History Project -- Collect family stories, photos, and documents to create a scrapbook for your family to keep
Become a Chef -- Learn to follow recipes and create homemade meals
Chilling with Chores -- Do dishes and laundry without your parents asking you. These are the kind of tasks you can do with mindfulness by focusing on the task, or you can stick on some headphones or turn up the speakers and have a big ole Chore Dance Party.
Connecting with The Elderly -- Call and facetime with grandparents and the elderly in your life. They will be lonely and disconnected right now and will need you more than ever.
Family Game Night -- Bond your family and learn new games or bring out the old favorites
New Hobbies and Projects
Pursue a hobby you haven’t had time to explore before: Teach yourself Italian or another language that piques your interest, Learn an instrument like guitar and ukulele, Learn about Astronomy, Martial Arts, Gardening, or Chess. This is your chance to explore areas you haven’t given yourself time to explore or you can fine tune some skills you’ve been working on all along.
Take an Online Class: Ed X, YouTube tutorials, MOOCS, Coursera
Learn Marketable skills: Learn to code through Udacity, Learn Excel -- if you can help someone with an Excel Spreadsheet, you will forever be on their good side.
Get Creative
Find your artistic side: Draw, Sing, Cartoon, Dance, Paint, Collage, Write plays, Play and Write Music, Stories, or Operas
Be Outside (Sunshine and Green Bathing are both great ways to stay healthy!)
sit in the sun, take walks, bike rides, jogs (keep 6 feet spacing between you and others for social distancing)
Community Service and Volunteer
Childcare for people who must work
Errands for the Elderly -- make grocery store and pharmacy runs for those who shouldn’t be out and about
Help out at food banks for those who are newly unemployed and need back up food
Get a Job
Amazon and Grocery Stores are both hiring if your parents and you are comfortable with your being in that setting.
Journal/Diary
Write. Write. Write. And write some more. I encourage you to find your voice and practice with it while keeping a record of what’s happening in our world right now. These are truly historic times and your children and grandchildren will treasure your thoughts and reflections about what it was like to experience this event as a teen. Also, bonus for juniors -- these diaries and journals will help you find your voice and give you reflections and thoughts to turn to when you begin to write those essays.
LOOK FOR THE HELPERS
And of course, hang out here on A2C with us! Share your thoughts, concerns, excitement, questions, and advice. We are a community of people who are helpers. These are stressful times, and we are all worried about our futures, and we really have no idea what that will look like, but that’s really no more true today than it was last fall if you think about it. What I do know is this: We are going to be ok. You are going to be ok. And the reason I know that is because of this community of 170,000 badasses who are warriors in life. You give me hope because everyday, I see you all jumping in to help each other and it always makes me think of these wise words from Mr. Rogers: “Look for the helpers.”
You are not alone.