Kat's Notebook » links

Filing more tax return

Katkat — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:25:00 +0000

I have completed filing my income tax return this year and I’ve already received my refund. I thought that was it for taxes this year. Unfortunately my mom is recovering from her surgery so I have been tasked to file both my parents’ and my brother’s ITR. My mom usually does my brother’s but she’s not well so… It’s easy to file my brother’s ITR because it’s very straightforward. I have already completed filing his and darn he’s going to receive a big refund. I told him that he pays me tax preparer fee. And he agreed to my demand of 1 dozen of original glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

As for my parents, they have many different tax forms other than the W2. Added to that I have to itemize their deductions because it seems bigger than the standard deduction. Filing their ITR is actually a good training ground for me when my life

gets complicated as I grow older. With the help of free e-filing companies listed by the IRS, it’s easy to file tax return despite my grumblings. This year I have opted efiletaxreturns for my federal ITR and fileyourtaxes for my brother’s and parents’. For the state tax return, I used calfile. I just input the figures the program is asking and they compute the refund for me. They efile the return to IRS and I get my refund straight to my bank. When I compare the refund figures using different efiling companies, the results are the same so whichever company you choose, you will get a fair refund as long as you input the figures correctly. I believe that filing it through these efiling programs are more reliant than computing it and filling out the tax forms on your own.

So I guess we should not ignore filing tax because it’s easier to do than it seems.

Shopping Designer Labels

Katkat — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 18:06:55 +0000

Watching Project Runway, hearing big fashion names like Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Cavalli, Dolce and Gabbana, and seeing high-end stores in malls like French Connection, Theory, BCBGMaxAzria make me yearn to own a high-end designer clothing. I admit I’m a shopaholic but I have never crossed that line of buying hundreds of dollars for a clothing piece yet. I’m not that extravagant or impractical. I love a good bargain, I love 168, I love discount coupons, and outlet malls. At present when I need to look for a dress I hit Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, or Macys. I’ve never set foot on Neiman Marcus yet because the spending bracket there is higher.

In my habitual online window shopping, I stumbled upon “Designer Labels up to 70% off”. I am always skeptic about these links however when Purseblog posted about Chanel (I’ve been dreaming of owning a chanel bag) selling 70%

off in a particular website, I was hooked. I was directed to a link and since it’s a members-only website, I entered my information to get membership. It’s like the door to Ali baba’s cave and “open sesame” revealed wonderful treasures of authentic designer apparel at HUGE discount. In a matter of 1 hour I subscribed to 3 links with similar MO. Now I’m a proud member of these shops:

1. Ruelala.com

2. Ideeli.com

3. HauteLook.com

4. Gilt.com

5. Ivorytrunk.com

Clothes that normally SRP for 200+USD, they sell for under 100USD. Not only do they sell clothes, but also bags, shoes, kid’s clothes, men’s clothes, gifts, jewelry, watches, and discounts in high-end vacation places. I thought their items were not authentic but from the forums people who bought from these shops were confirming the items are genuine. My most fave links are Ruelala, ideeli, and gilt. The feature sales of the other 2 are not that great.

What I don’t like about these web shops are the shipping fee. There’s a 10USD charge for shipping and there’s no refund but only shopping credit. The disadvantage too with online shopping is the limitation to know if the fit is right. I bought 2 items already and hopefully they’re perfect fit because I don’t want to return them and incur only a shopping credit.

Everyday these links have new sales which they email to me. I love going to their websites and browse through the numerous sales even though I’m not going to buy anything. Yet sometimes a particular item will catch my eye and unfortunately it’s sold out because these items are extremely low-priced and other shoppers just take advantage and act fast.

Happy shopping people!

Eat, drink and be merry at Restaurant.com

Katkat — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:06:48 +0000

Living in the Bay Area there are thousands of restaurants everywhere. They are enticing, well-reviewed, and interesting. But for us, we seldom go out and explore and eat out because budget is tight. The only time I get to eat out is during family celebrations or outing with friends. But that’s also on a budget. Would it be heavenly if one could eat out, enjoy and not worry about the cost of the meal? Sad to say, not in my reality. However typical of Americans, there are places that give discounts on restaurants, activities, hotels and etc without any strings attached! I just love these companies.

Restaurant.com offers gift certificates for numerous restaurants at different places (not only in the Bay Area) at half to 80% of the price! I can purchase a $25 gift certificate for only 2USD and use it at any restaurants listed in their website. That’s a good deal! I can eat a $25 meal and actually paid only $2! Eat hearty then! I’ve already stocked up certificates just so when my family decides to eat out or when I’m with friends. This no hoax! This has been going on for a long time and a lot of people have used it. The customer service is really helpful and nice. The catch…ummm…well with gift certifcates come some restrictions. Some restaurants will require a minimum food purchase, or can be used only for certain time of the day eg. dinner or lunch, or it’s only applicable to food and not drinks – just little stuffs. But overall it is still a great bargain. Sign up for their newsletter and receive news alert when they slash off their price to 80%!

So for food lovers, food connoisseur-wannabe, food critic, Restaurant.com is worth trying!

Celebrating at Town San Carlos restaurant

Paying online gig

Katkat — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:20:13 +0000

For the past few days I’ve been thinking on how to generate income from the net. The most logical thing for me to do is to write or make reviews. Writing reviews is easy and I’ve done it before. I could also join those sites where you get paid for clicking on websites. I wanted to post paid advertisement but WordPress is not allowing it. So after a relentless search I stumbled upon 1 simple paying gig.

Reviewstream.com pays writers to review any subject under the sun. Their current review rate pay is USD2.00. The review must be original, hasn’t been posted in other sites, and be over 200 words. You can review anything from anywhere. They welcome your opinions very much. It’s like doing a review in Amazon.com but this site pays you. They also offer a “bulk rate” for your review. Meaning they would still buy your review but at 0.40cents. This meant if you’re review is not worth publishing, you’ll still get paid for your writing efforts with the “bulk rate” option. The minimum payout is 50$ and you need to have a paypal account. When I started out, I was really confused on how to navigate their website. There’s no signing in or signing up. I thought it was a scam. So I read the testimonials on the website and it appears the website is made that way and some reviewers are also confused by the set-up.

So to start, you’ll just click on “Write Review” and enter your details. You’ll get an account in their system after they bought your review. It’s better to have a GMAIL account because up until now I don’t get confirmation emails for my reviews from my YAHOO account. Make sure you have a copy of your reviews. I write mine at Microsoft Word and then copy paste it to their site. After 5-7 days, you’ll get an answer if your review has been rejected or bought. To frequently check status of your review, click on the “control panel”. I thought my reviews were not getting any response because the processing was taking too long. I finally wrote to them about it and they replied and instantly my reviews were processes and bought. The good thing about this site is they reply to your queries immediately. So if you like to write and earn some, this is a good start.

The Cebu Inmates did it again!

Katkat — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:42:31 +0000

Have you heard about the inmates of Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehab Center (CPDRC) who dance as a group to popular songs? They gained popularity when they danced to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller“. And from then on, they’ve been rehearsing and performing to different songs. Find their videos on Youtube under “CPDRC” and you’ll find that they have been prolific with their performances. According to the warden, the center has also been receiving tourists who want to catch the live performances of these inmates.

Well they made news again when they performed to Slumdog Millionaire’s “Jai Ho”. It’s Bollywood meets prison break! But for me I love to watch their presentation of Korean girl group Wondergirls song, “Nobody”. Can’t help but laugh how the inmates unerringly dance to the catchy song and adorable dance steps. The group dance for the rap part of the song was simply amazing.

I hope they keep this up! Good job for the center’s administration and inmates!

Where to watch Filipino movies online?

Katkat — Mon, 18 May 2009 03:39:53 +0000

Last night I googled “watch filipino movies” and came up with unhelpful sites. I wanted to watch “You Changed my Life” again and I couldn’t find a site where it hosts it. Months ago I was able to watch one Filipino movie online but I forgot the link. With the frustrating results I even contemplated to go to Quiapo to buy pirated DVDs. Finally I researched the forums of crunchyroll.com and I hit jackpot!

The following sites provide limited Filipino movies and can be watched by videostreaming:

movielovers-unlimited.blogspot.com – hosts both Filipino and Korean movies
pinoychannel.tv – the layout of this site is disorganized and it’s hard to find the title of the video you want with the absence of a list of movies
hyperfrenz.com – where I was able to watch “You changed my life”
www.fil-movies.piczo.com – limited selection and movies are more than 1 year ago

Happy viewing!

HAVAIANAS forever

Katkat — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:35:27 +0000

Ever since we discovered Havaianas slippers 4 years ago (yup we’re kind of late-bloomers), our number 1 choice for flipflops is always Havaianas. Ipanema, Dupe, Crocs…I would still go for Havaianas.

In the Philippines, I believe the authorized dealers are All about Flip Flops and Rustan’s. A pair costs around P795-P1200 depending on the style. Duty Free Philippines also sells these flip flops at limited designs and theirs are cheaper. A pair (2006) was $15. In the US, of course it’s more expensive. I found a Brazilian site which sells the slippers cheaper than other US stores (http://www.brazilexplore.com/shop).

Just yesterday, I accompanied my sister to All About Flipflops because she wanted to buy a pair. In the store I tried a plain gray slim edition and was surprised to find the strap really soft. The 1st pair I bought in this same store about 4 years ago, I remembered the thong (not slim yet) being kind of stiff. The pair I bought in Duty Free (not slim too), the thong was more rigid and the straps were sort of big on my feet. The slim edition pairs I bought in the brazilian online store, the straps all felt stiff. I actually don’t like walking in them for a long time.

This made me wonder: which is the authentic Havaianas? Is the authenticity in question or is the quality? The problem is with the straps. The rubber soles are all the same – durable and rubber-hard. If I’m going to choose, I would go for the ones being sold in the All FlipFlops store. I love how the straps feel because it doesn’t “bite” on the skin. But my sister also claimed that the slippers she bought there were all torn at the straps (maybe because the straps were really soft?)

With the popularity of Havaianas in the Philippines, it was a surprise that finally China has imitated it. A fake Havis pair cost around P50 from the street vendors. It mimics the style and design of an authentic havis but of course quality is poor – the colors fade, the rubber is soft and non-cushioning.

So what type of a Havaianas fan are you?

A possible great shoes!

My Supercard ND1 DS

Katkat — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:46:47 +0000

Getting a new nintendo DS lite means buying lots of Ds game cartridges for me to play. And with each game costing at around USD20-40, I don’t think I can afford that. So my brother suggested for me to get an empty DS card.

I look it up in the internet and came up with this link (http://www.thedsdeals.com) which sells a variety of DS card. Having a vague idea on how the DS card works, I consulted my brother on which card to buy. He told me to buy the supercard ND1 DS. He assumed that that’s the best card there is. So I bought the ND1 and a 2GB miscroSD card with it. Later, I realized that I should have bought a 4GB microSD.

What does my Supercard ND1 DS do? It lets me play DS games downloaded from the internet. No need for me to buy game cartridges. Here’s how to use it:

1. Search for NDS games online.

2. Save the *.nds file on the microSD card.

3. Insert the microSD card in the NDS card adapter.

4. Insert the NDS card adapter in the NDS console.

5. Voila! You can play the games.

For around USD 35, I believed this card is such a good deal rather me spending lots of dollars on separate games. In a 2GB card, it has more than 20games because each downloaded game is around 32MB to 120mb. But yeah I’m still complaining that a 2GB card is still not enough for me. The games play well – no glitches at all. Furthermore, it can also copy other game cartridges although I haven’t done this yet.

So the next question is….is this legal?

If not, let’s just keep this a secret. *wink wink*

AFTER THANKSGIVING SALE

Katkat — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:21:55 +0000

In the US, the biggest sale in most stores happen on 2 important dates: the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas. These are the times when it’s best to buy electronic goods. After Thanksgiving would be best to buy Christmas gifts – that is, if you can get that best deal amidst hundreds of competitive shoppers!

I’m going to miss both great sales again this year since I’m out of the country. Last year I wasn’t able to purchase the laptop that I wanted at BestBuy since the line that formed outside the store was already a mile long and it was only 2am while store opens at 6am. I regretted that I didn’t just buy that laptop online even if it’s a little bit more expensive than in-store. This time I’m wiser! Although I don’t have any plans to buy a laptop but I’m looking out for a great deal on CANON Powershot 10.1MP ELPH. I would just have to purchase it online since I can’t count on my dad to go to the store and buy it for me (he doesn’t like shopping). But just to advise you, some products are cheaper to buy in-store than online.

Local newspaper usually has advertisements from different stores regarding their sales. My grandma has 2 subscriptions and me and my aunt always ask her to bring both so we can pore over them. If you’re not subscribed to a local newspaper where store ads are inserted, you can compare and or find out the cheapest or the best deal in products at blackfriday ads website: bfads.net. You need to subscribe to their mailing list to be able to find out those good bargains. Last year my aunt has kindly emailed me a list of the best prices of goods from different stores and I hope she emails me that list again this year.

With the economic recession in the US right now, I wonder if there are still many shoppers who would participate in these sales. I remember my aunts telling me that I shouldn’t waste my time going to Gilroy Outlet stores after thanksgiving because there are a lot of shoppers present I’ll just get frustrated. My cousins also said the same thing when I told them that I plan wait in line at Bestbuy last thanksgiving. They were right – it’s futile to fight my way through that throng of customers. Irregardless if you have something you want to buy, buy it on these dates because it will save you a lot!

Happy shopping!!!

Mangas are Addictive

Katkat — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:38:12 +0000

I’m not talking about the mango fruit which in the Philippines we call it mangga or mango. I’m referring to Japanese comics. I’ve been spending my time reading manga this past few days. I read manga scanlations of course since I don’t understand Japanese. I thought it’s always better to watch animes rather than read them but I thought wrong. Reading manga is very addictive. I just did a marathon on Naruto Shippuden and Bleach the past 4 days. I finished Nana, Ouran High School Host Club and Special A a month ago. And I’m itching for the next volume to come out!!!

The storyline is far more advanced than the anime. And for those series that left me wanting for more episodes, the manga version provides me that. Although sometimes it’s hard to comprehend the action movements of the characters in manga and there’s the lack of special effects, it’s still entertaining nonetheless. ***SPOILER ALERT FOR NARUTO SHIPPUDEN***** I pride myself that I don’t cry watching movies/shows or reading books, but when I read the part where Naruto learns of Jiraiya’s death, it made me teary. I was also doing the victory dance when I read the part where Shikamaru single-handedly took down the Akatsuki member who killed his sensei (take that akatsuki!).

I keep updated with the manga series through onemanga.com. They have numerous anime titles that are updated all the time and their scanlations are presentable.

Enjoy reading!