I find it funny how my recent bout of depression was unknowingly self-inflicted.
No, I'm not talking about "controlling my emotions" or making sure that "my emotions don't get the better of me." Not that motivational crap. I'm talking about doing something minor almost three years ago that added up to where I'm at.
I recently filed my tax return this year, and for the first time in my life, I owed money to the government. For the last few years or so, my tax returns have been dreadfully abysmal. Years ago, I was getting four digits back total (four from the federal return and a few hundred extra from the state), but with the last three years I was getting drastically less and less.
And now I owe.
At first I thought it was due to my job. Tips can add up and they can affect taxes if you get too much, but I usually don't get that much. (Not like someone would tip me ten grand like those random diner waitresses you hear about in the news occasionally.) But after checking in with a consultant and re-doing the math, that wasn't it. Then I thought it was my earnings, which were far more substantial than what I was earning back at my old job. Then I took a look at my pay stub, and I found out why it felt like the government was financially frakking me senseless.
I CLAIMED "TWO" ON MY W-4.
*headdesk*
The moral of the story, everyone? Make sure you file your paperwork correctly the first time.
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