Accommodate Your Budget

HOTEL_2323685bIt’s almost the end of summer.  Time for a last minute trip?  We always talk about making our money work for us, so Seth Kugel offers a detailed list of suggestions for getting a hotel room at the absolute, best price.  Through these seven simple steps, he assures that you’ll end up with a four-star experience at a two-star price.

nyti.ms/1nsVkuT (7 Steps to a Cheaper Hotel Room)

Having an “Office Space” Moment?

man-in-prison-behind-bars-jail Pop-culture has led us to believe that we are entitled to well paying, enjoyable jobs in a fun office environment with quirky co-workers and a boss who appreciates our every talent.  What happens when our jobs are far from this fairytale?  Turns out, we can take steps to make our employment work for us and possibly even make ourselves better humans in the process. nyti.ms/1o5f9N8

Go Beyond The Friend Zone

Facebook_like_thumb“If you’re just out there fishing for new customers, Facebook is by far the most efficient channel,” said Bob Buch, chief executive of SocialWire, a San Francisco company that helps retailers market on Facebook.

What do you think?  Have you used Facebook as part of your marketing strategy?  Does it work?  From the numbers, it appears lots of individuals and companies think so.

IRS reveals start date for 2014 tax filing season

alice-in-wonderland-costumes-white-rabbit-3The IRS has finally announced an official start date for the 2014 filing season: It will start accepting returns on Jan. 31. This date is 10 days later than the originally planned starting date of Jan. 21. “The late January opening gives us enough time to get things right with our programming, testing, and systems validation,” said Acting IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel in a press release. This process involves programming, testing, and deploying the more than 50 IRS systems that are needed to handle nearly 150 million tax returns.

Read more:  Journal of Accountancy

Candy from Mexico, Sugar from Minnesota

dumdums Candy maker, Kirk Vashaw, of Spangler Candy Company, the maker of Dum Dums lollipops states that he could pay no taxes (zero tax rate!) and have no regulations and would still not be able to compete with foreign producers of candy because of the Farm Bill’s price supports for sugar.  This price support costs the company $15,000 per day. Hear Zoe Chace’s report for  Planet Money.  Read the Farm Bill.