Self reliance seems to be somewhat of a lost art in this day and age. 75 years or so ago, I think it was a lot more common for people to do many things themselves, that these days seem out of the ordinary for many people.

Self reliance, or self sufficient living, can mean different things to different people.

It can mean practicing sustainable living, simplicity, homesteading, or just learning to do more things yourself and for yourself, that you might have to pay , hire, or depend on someone else to typically do.

When I refer to self reliance, I generally think of doing more things my self, such as cooking, cleaning, yard work, growing your own food, minor home and auto repair and maintenance, and similar activities.

It also means fixing or repairing things instead of just throwing them away. I think this is one area in which today’s society has really lost a step or two on previous generations, certainly here in the U.S. So many things today, from clothes to electronics, and dozens of other items, have become “throwaway” when they get damaged, torn, or broken.

Part of the reason I think that many people in society today is that we have this sense that we just don’t have enough time to do many of these activities ourselves, or certainly not enough time to learn how to perform new tasks.

Is this really the case? I don’t know for sure, but I often feel like much of the demands on my time are self-imposed, so to speak- I can spend hours on the internet reading if I am not careful, for example, when I could actually be learning something.

The science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein has a great quote on what human beings should be able to “do”- some of them may be a little outdated, but you get the idea.

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

— Robert A. Heinlein

How many things can you do?
What are some things you would like do yourself but haven’t learned how to do yet?

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Charitable donations made to Haiti Earthquake relief efforts are tax deductible immediately, according to the IRS, which means they can be deducted on your 2009 tax return if you itemize.

Taxpayers can choose to deduct the donations made to Haitian relief efforts on either their 2009 returns which they will be filing shortly, or on their 2010 tax returns to be filed in 2011, but obviously not both.

Only cash contributions ( as opposed to property or goods donations) made to these charities after Jan. 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, are eligible. This includes contributions made by text message, check, credit card or debit card.

Filing Status requirements

The tax deduction is available only to those who itemize using schedule A, those who take the standard deduction are not eligible.

Charity eligibility

Taxpayers should be sure their contributions go to qualified charities. Most organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible donations are listed in a searchable online database available on IRS.gov under Search for Charities. Some organizations, such as churches or governments, may be qualified even though they are not listed on IRS.gov

Records /Receipt required as proof of donation

Federal law requires that taxpayers keep a record of any deductible donations they make. For donations by text message, a telephone bill will meet the record keeping requirement if it shows the name of the donee organization, the date of the contribution and the amount of the contribution. For cash contributions made by other means, be sure to keep a bank record, such as a canceled check, or a receipt from the charity showing the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution. Publication 526 has further details on the record keeping rules for cash contributions.

(Source info from irs press release IR-2010-012)

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Personal Finance Links- Saints in the Super Bowl Edition

January 26, 2010

Well, the reports are in, and it’s official. Hell has frozen over, as you can see from the accompanying photo.
The New Orleans Saints have finally made it to the Superbowl after 42 years. It’s still hard for me to believe, and I have not been suffering the full 42 years as I am a little [...]

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E-File 101- Options for the Fast and Simple Way to Electronically File Your Taxes

January 23, 2010

E-filing, or electronically filing your taxes, is becoming more and more popular every year.
Last year, IRS e-file delivered 95 million tax returns, 66 percent of all returns filed.
According to the IRS, the error rate is 1% for efiling vs. 20% for paper returns, meaning everyone should consider e filing to reduce their chance of error.
You [...]

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Get Cheap DVD Rentals with redbox

January 19, 2010

I’ve known about redbox some time ago but never even really knew how it worked until recently, when a redbox showed up in front of a gas station a block from where I work and I decided to try it out.
Redbox is basically a vending machine for renting DVDs, and the great part of it [...]

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Personal Finance Links- Help Relief Efforts in Haiti Edition

January 17, 2010

Living in New Orleans and having gone through Hurricane Katrina and the the aftermath, I’ve seen what the destructive forces of nature  can do to a community.
What has happened and is happening in Haiti, however, is 1000x worse. Haiti is a country that was already wracked by extreme poverty and substandard infrastructure compare to anything [...]

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