About Carmen
Carmen is a financial caseworker at the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society. She has a BA in International Relations from UC Davis. Carmen is also the mother of two boys, ages 4 and 5, and a proud Navy EOD wife.Website: http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/csofia928
Posts by Carmen
How to Create a Simple Budget using Microsoft Excel
By Carmen on February 20, 2012
Creating a simple budget using excel might LOOK hard, but it isn’t. Today I’ll show you how to build the budget sheet above, step by step!
I chose this type of budget sheet for these reasons:
The sheet lists Income less deductions and monthly {read more}
By Carmen on February 20, 2012
Functional and Inexpensive Home Organization Tips for Busy Moms
By Carmen on January 30, 2012
I told my friends I was writing this article on organization tips and they laughed. It is true, I am NOT the organization guru, but I know what works for busy moms. Sadly, what works is not the beautifully organized spaces you see in magazines. I have {read more}
By Carmen on January 30, 2012
Free Tax Preparation Resources for Federal Returns
By Carmen on January 27, 2012
Fun is over. We had our big holiday season, now it’s time to give the government their yearly tax gift. Boo!
Of course there are some of us who get money back, but it is still a pain to get everything filed correctly. Whether you pay or get paid {read more}
By Carmen on January 27, 2012
Getting Ready for Tax Season – Year End Financial Audit and Checklist
By Carmen on December 23, 2011
I cannot believe 2011 is almost over, can you? You know what that means. File away the last of the financial statements of the year in your beautifully labeled and organized family finance filing cabinet to walk over to your tax accountant the second {read more}
By Carmen on December 23, 2011
Use Old Ornaments and Vases to Boost Christmas Decor for Cheap
By Carmen on December 7, 2011
I love this time of year because I get to be creative with how I decorate my house. I am very over the top about Christmas – call me a Griswald if you will – and I like to make it look like the Spirit of Christmas himself vomited in my house.
Ok, {read more}
By Carmen on December 7, 2011
Thanksgiving Decorations on a Budget
By Carmen on November 16, 2011
I love this time of the year. There is nothing more amazing than the warm colors and beautiful scents of fall. So when decorating for Thanksgiving Dinner, nature is the best medium. Go outside and take in the rich colors of fall. I live in San Diego and {read more}
By Carmen on November 16, 2011
Get your Home Office Organized for Maximum Tax Deductions
By Carmen on October 25, 2011
Your home office is a place of business, and its expenses CAN be deducted. © Louis Hall
Do you have an office that you use exclusively for work? If so, you can deduct that entire space in your taxes. There are so many things that the government will {read more}
By Carmen on October 25, 2011
Is it Really Worth it to Cook at Home Rather than Dine Out?
By Carmen on October 6, 2011
Since moving to San Diego from Italy, I put on my to-do list that I needed to update my budget. I was missing about $400 a month and had no idea where it was going. I later realized the money was going to the State of California.
Italy was a tax free {read more}
By Carmen on October 6, 2011
How to Save Money for College for your Grandchildren
By Carmen on September 23, 2011
Grandparents can start saving for their grandchildren as soon as the child has a Social Security card © Anissa Thompson
Grandparents have a few options when contributing to their grandchildren’s college education. The goal is to save for college and {read more}
By Carmen on September 23, 2011
Pros and Cons of the 529 College Savings Plan
By Carmen on September 9, 2011
Saving for college is tough in a struggling economy, but not impossible. The first thing I did when my first son’s social security card came to the door was open a 529 college savings plan for him. We chose the California plan because we are California {read more}
By Carmen on September 9, 2011
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