Free Pizza

For all you pizza lovers, sign up for Papa John's Super Bowl Coin Toss.  You pick whether the coin toss at the Super Bowl will be heads or tails and if you get it correct, you will get a code for a free pizza.  You also fill in your address and email so Papa John's will have a large database of contacts for future promotions, but you don't have to sign up for their listserv to participate in this.  Last year, they had a similar promotion but gave everyone who signed up a free pizza if the collective majority of voters was right on the toss.  In last year's case, it was so regardless of what you voted, since the majority got it right, everyone got a free pizza.  This year is a bit different (probably to lower the risk of having to give everyone a free pizza) where only those who vote correctly will get the code.  So if you get all 10 of your friends to vote and sign up and split your votes 50-50 for heads or tails, you should be able to get around 5 pizzas for your group.

2012 Expense Analysis

2012 Income Analysis

The Fiscal Cliff Deal

With the new year, the much anticipated fiscal cliff was partially averted, partially delayed as U.S. leaders reach some sort of compromise.  It makes permanent the Bush administration's tax rates for those earning less than $400k per year ($450k for couples) but raises rates on those earning more than those thresholds.  Above that, the income tax rate increases from 35% to 39.6%, bringing back the top bracket from the Clinton era.  Dividends and capital gains will also be taxed for people in that bracket at a new 20% level instead of the normal 15%.  Obama is now able to say that he succeeded in raising income rates on the wealthiest of Americans but not his initial target of those earning more than $200k annually.  Also, the temporary lower payroll tax rate implemented in 2011 (lowered to 4.2% from 6.2%) has also expired which will cost $50 a month for those making $30k a year and about $190 a month for those making around $114k.  Itemized deductions will also be capped for those making more than $250k ($300k for couples).  Taxes on inherited estates over $5 million will also increase to 40% from 35%.