By Percentage, I'm a Philanthropist!

A good friend of mine recently posted on her FB status that she filed her taxes and got hit hard in her first year as a Lady of Leisure. I could relate because last year I made half of what I'd made in previous years, but, for the first time ever, I paid in. In fact, I paid in as much as my man-friend who owns two houses, works two lucrative jobs, owns a boat, and has a retirement fund. (The irony here is that he is a Conservative who complains endlessly about his tax bracket.)

But, like her, I found myself not minding so much. Why? Because I felt like I owed something for the best year of my life. Honestly. 2009 was the most awfulsom year of my life. I worked on my own terms, learned a new skill, traveled and recreated, met my man-friend, made a new best friend and enjoyed the shit out of myself. So, the way I see it, Uncle Sam was just charging me for my non-conformity. I'm okay with that. I was proud that despite my somewhat reduced circumstances, I managed to donate 6% of my income to charities. That's nearly the percentage recommended for people who make MILLIONS and need to reduce their liabilities! I essentially donated back exactly what I'd collected for the 5 weeks of Unemployment I took. The way I see it, I made my "Government Hand-out" revenue neutral by donating to organizations that normally receive government funding and have had their allowances cut.

Last night, I started in on my 2010 taxes. It was an up-and-down year. I found myself working a variety of jobs and peicemealing my income. I started down a couple of possible career paths, only to find myself unhappy and angsty. I took on a part-time job for the first time since college and found that I loved it. I biked 150 miles for breast cancer, for the second time. I moved in with my man-friend and paid off my car (finally!), only to wreck it in September and saddle myself with an enormous financial burden, a new car payment and hiked insurance rate. I got a little depressed. I paid off my credit card. I went an entire year without healthcare. I lost my grandmother--one of my favorite people. I got offered an opportunity to take over a business and work for myself. It was a huge year.

What struck me, though, as I was going through my TurboTax itemizations, is how much financial burden I had in terms of out-of-pocket expenses and independent contractor income, but yet, again, how much I'd given in charitable donations. I gave nearly $1,000 over the course of the year (not counting political contributions), and I made the least amount of money I've made since graduating from college. I gave away 8% of my income this year to charities and foundations. I don't know that I've ever been more proud of anything I've done. I'm not finished yet with all of the add-ins and deductions and whatnot--TurboTax says I've completed 8/10 necessary sections. But, regardless of whether the "Refund" numbers at the top are in the green or the red at the end, I'll be happy for another amazing year of living life on my own terms, out of florescent light and away from a timeclock.