Diary of a 30 Somethings Taxes

is money real tho

Like most last minute Marys, I filed my taxes this week and it was incredible painful. Paying taxes always feels like I’ve been robbed by someone who knows exactly how much is in my savings! Or like I’m wiring everything I have to get my cousin out of jail in Austria for being too silly on shrooms. Either situation sounds terrible!

But to be honest, I’m actually quite good at doing my taxes! I’ve been an independent artist for nearly 10 years now and even if I keep it chaotic, I know how to write shit off like you wouldn’t believe. And I have so many receipts! Even my mother is impressed. I just wish I was as good at saving money. That is an area I am really deeply unimpressive in.

Money has always been such an elusive concept to me. And it really is a concept isn’t it!! We only agree collectively that it’s real. Cuz I’ve never actually seen all this money I owe for college loans… and if I haven’t seen it, how can we really agree on it’s existence!! It’s ideas like this as well as conversations I overhear from rich New Yorkers that have me really questioning money’s validity.

As much as I hate taxes, I do deeply enjoy going through the emotional fiscal journey of year’s past. It’s always such an interesting walk down memory lane to go through every single purchase on my debit card. It can be more enlightening and certainly more honest than therapy sometimes. This year I noticed a frightening amount of expensive salads and grocery delivery services. I for one, am embarrassed!

But even though I have been doing my own taxes all these years and yes you should be very proud of me, there’s still those questions that pop up about dividends and interest and deferments and healthcare that leave me so puzzled that I want to type in LOL. So I made this Schedule X you can fill out on your own to find out what you owe this year!!! You’re welcome.

It’s always this time of year I feel most republican. Politics are just as fluid as sexuality, my friends! (jk? idk?) Today I was picturing what it must look like on this IRS’ end, as they receive all these nonsensical documents at an absurd rate. Are they really reading these things? Or are they just sifting through, laughing at all of our mistakes, feeling superior about their bank accounts?

Enough about this depressing shit! It’s been an otherwise fun week. A commercial I was in was released, MoCCa fest is this weekend, I have a cartoon in The New Yorker and I’m teaching a cartoon workshop tonight in the city! Hope to see you there :)

Thank you for reading! New posts every Friday!

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• ICYMI: I’m MoCCA fest Sat 3-7, Sun 11-3

• Recently watched: Scream 6 !!!!!

• Obsessed with: Rosecut Clothing <3

• On repeat: boygenius

• Most of the cartoons in this newsletter are available on Etsy!

• Are you using your What Did I Do Today? journal? I would love to hear from you!