Photo: 24K production (Shutterstock)

While it feels good to get a big tax refund every year, there is a risk that you will see this as a bonus or reward for filing your taxes. Ideally, however, you want to be as close to zero as possible as there is a better use for your money than giving the IRS an interest free loan every year.

Why don’t you want big refunds

When your income and expenses fluctuate, it can be difficult to know how much money to withhold for taxes each year. This is why it makes sense for so many people to play it safe by overestimating their taxes as it is better than dealing with an unexpected tax time deficit. Still, that’s a lot of money tied up all year round – an average of $ 2,869 for 2019, according to the IRS.

Using your tax refund as a de facto savings account isn’t necessarily wrong – especially since savings account interest rates are close to zero percent – but there are simply better ways to use that money, especially if you are in debt.

Use the money for an emergency fund, debt, or savings

Let’s say you’re pretty much everyone else and have credit card debt – say, $ 6,270, which according to the US is the average for US families latest data. If you get a total refund of $ 3,000, it just means you missed out on $ 250 monthly payments that would have cut your total credit card debt nearly in half. And if your card had an annual interest rate of 16%, you would have cut your monthly interest payments from about $ 80 to $ 40, which of course is money that is only spent on servicing the debt, not the principal.

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Unless you have an emergency fund to cover three to six months of your expenses, you should have the money on hand. If you let the IRS tie it, you don’t have the same flexibility as if you put the money in an easily accessible bank account every month.

Another suggestion would be to invest those funds in retirement plans, especially if you have high-yield debt under control. This is actually a golden opportunity to save more – psychologically, you are already not used to seeing this amount as part of your monthly budget. Of course, you still need to keep track of your expenses (i.e. you won’t be saved by the annual tax refund), but it’s a great way to get serious about your 401 (k) or IRA fund.

This is how you keep track of your tax withholding

Try the IRS ‘ Paycheck Checkup Tool at least twice a year that allows you to adjust your tax withholding so that your refund is closer to zero dollars (this Step-by-step tutorial video will guide you through the steps).

Another way to do this is to manually review your payroll and see how much your employer withheld for your federal income tax, and then project how much you are likely to owe over the year (if you do twice a month paid, you’d multiply the source amount by 24).

If you find that your current withholdings need adjustment, this is your place to be Fill out a new Form W-4– Take your employee’s withholding tax certificate – and submit it to your employer. Next, keep an eye on your next paychecks to make sure the change has been properly applied.

Unfortunately, freelancers have to deal with one more complicated situation This requires quarterly monitoring, but you can at least use last year’s tax liability as a benchmark if your workload is stable.

Thursday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

It’s March 17, and we at Kinja Deals are here to bring you the top 10 deals of the day. Save your money while filing for taxes this year by cashing in on an Newegg’s H&R Block sale. Upgrade your mattress by taking 30% off Tempur-Cloud Mattress. And start your YouTube channel right with the TaoTronics 12″ Selfie Ring Light.

If you’re still craving more deals, take a peek at Thursday’s best deals overall.

The Godfather got it right—if you have something you believe in, it might be time to go to the mattresses. Do you know what I believe in? A good night’s sleep. Not the light stuff, but the snoring, drool leaking out the side of your mouth, and eye bookers forming on the sides of your eyes once you wake up kind of sleep. The kind of sleep where you don’t even know where the hell you are after. You can only do that with either—massive amounts of melatonin, or a groundbreaking mattress.

Luckily for you, there’s a deal on just that. For a short time, you can get 30% off Tempur-Cloud Mattress over at Tempur-Pedic. It has a specific comfort layer that provides 40% more pressure-relieving power than other mattresses on the market. The mattress learns your shape and adapts to your weight for a personalized, supportive sleep. Because of our exclusive promo code KINJA30, you’ll save about $420 (nice) on a queen-sized mattress, bringing the price to $980. Yes, you can use the code for Twin, Full, King, Split King, and California King. So honestly, go a little crazy. The streets will be (safely) open soon, so you should get some rest before then.

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G/O Media may get a commission

This deal was originally published by Ignacia Fulcher. 

It’s no secret that our readers LOVE Eight Sleep’s Pod mattress and Pod Pro Cover, as evidenced by our Co-op responses when we asked commenters about their top mattress picks as well as the overwhelming number of people that read (and are still reading) our Pod Pro Cover review. Now you can treat your back to both in this rare special offer.

For $150 off the list price, you don’t want to sleep on this Pod mattress markdown. Well, you DO want to sleep on the mattress, just not the price cut. You get me. Just hear what one of our readers had to say:

I still really love my Sleep Pod (by Eight Sleep). I wouldn’t say it’s the most comfortable mattress but I’ll forgo some of that comfort for the ability to cool/heat the bed throughout the night. During the heatwave here in California (Los Angeles to be more precise), we didn’t need to run our HVAC overnight as the bed was cool and comfortable throughout the evening. – manueld

The Pod Cover, on the other hand, isn’t a mattress at all. Instead, it’s a topper designed to add Pod-like smarts to your existing mattress. And for a limited time, it’s also $50 less. In her review of the Pod Pro Cover, our own Chaya Milchtein wrote this:

When I upgraded my mattress two years ago to a Big Fig Mattress, specifically for large-bodied people like me, I thought that I was getting the best, most luxurious sleep of my life. It was the perfect firm bed, didn’t dip or sag and I slept like a baby. And I really was getting the best sleep of my life. Until now. After sleeping for a week on the Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover, it turns out I was wrong. My sleep could totally get better. And get better without having to give up my beloved Big Fig Mattress.

On our first night sleeping on the Pod Pro Cover, we each set up the bed to what we thought our preferences would be. It’s not a one size fits all, and the app allows you to set different temperatures for falling asleep, mid-sleep, and waking up. My wife runs hot at night, often waking up sweating, so she set up her side to start off warm and cozy, but cool down significantly when the bed senses she has fallen asleep. But because she initially made the bed way too cold, she woke up in the middle of the night freezing. After 2 days or so spent toying with the settings, however, we arrived at the ideal sleeping temperature for us both. Now that we’re all set, we should be good to go ‘til spring.

As for the accessories, as long as you purchase either the Pod or Pod Pro Cover, you can shave 20% off those. Among them you’ll find carbon-infused foam pillows, sheet sets, and even a foundation to plop your mattress on top of—no box spring required. If you’re looking to spend your stimulus check or tax return on something a little more practical, you can’t go wrong with Eight Sleep.

G/O Media may get a commission

G/O Media may get a commission

This deal was originally posted by Gabe Carey.

It’s official: American taxpayers have been granted an additional month to file their taxes for 2020, with the date sliding to May 17 amidst ongoing pandemic hardship. That’s either another few weeks to procrastinate doing anything until the last minute, or—more sensibly—a smoother runway for getting them done without undue stress. I suggest the latter option!

If your taxes are a bit more complex than average or you want to dig deep into your finances to hunt for deductions, then you might want to grab one of H&R Block’s specially-designed software suites. Luckily, Newegg is offering big savings on them this week, taking up to 66% off the list price for tax software.

H&R Block’s Deluxe 2020 federal software is just $14 with promo code HRBD25 at checkout, while the Deluxe 2020 federal + state package is $15 with promo code HRBDLS8. Meanwhile, the Premium 2020 federal/state option—ideal for self-employed people or those with rental income—is $25 when you use code HRBPB35 at checkout.

These are all for physical key cards that let you download either the Windows or Mac version once redeemed. And it’s free shipping for all of ‘em, too.

G/O Media may get a commission

G/O Media may get a commission

G/O Media may get a commission

This deal was originally published by Andrew Hayward.

Back at the launch of Destiny 2: Beyond Light, I made my not-so triumphant return to the Crucible, the game’s PVP mode. As it turned out, everyone had gotten better at the game, and I’d gotten much worse. If you want to raise your K/D ratio fast, here’s a tip: all you have to do is log into a match that I’m in and wait for me to shoot hand cannon shots 20 feet above your head, giving you ample time to one-shot me with just about any weapon, it seems.

If you’re a PlayStation owner and you want in on this easy target practice, you’ll need to make sure you have PlayStation Plus, which allows you to play games like Destiny 2 online. You can get a full year of Sony’s online service for $27 after service fees from Eneba by using the code STIMULATINGPSDEAL at checkout. Make sure to wave emote in my direction before you embarrass me into orbit.

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This deal was originally published by Giovanni Colantonio.

Streaming is a funny thing. On the one hand, you have nearly any show you could wish for at your fingertips, ready for you to binge after logging off for the weekend. On the other hand, those shows are fragmented across so many apps and services that it’s hard to track down where to find anything, let alone how to pay for it all. Luckily, free trials exist to let you blitz through your most anticipated or beloved shows while taking the service out for a spin, all without having to commit. By the end of it, maybe you’ll have found a new catalog of shows and movies to sink your teeth into, or maybe you’ll just be grateful for the time you spent together.

Right now, you can get a month of Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) for free through Amazon. After your first month, it’ll cost $6, but you can always cancel ahead of time if it’s not your jam, and that’s a problem for future you, anyways.

In the meantime, you’ll get access to content from CBS, Comedy Central, BET, Nickelodeon, and MTV. You can catch old favorites like (pardon me for dating myself) Clone High and Daria, Hey Arnold!, Key & Peele, and Rugrats. There’s also plenty of originals to choose from, too, like Star Trek: Picard, Kamp Koral, and The Good Fight.

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This deal was originally published by Jordan McMahon.

If your muscles are just as stressed as you are, grab a TaoTronics massage gun. Down to $70 with a coupon clip, you’ll have six gun attachments and 10 adjustable speed levels to really get into the deep tissue of your legs, shoulders, and wherever else you’ve got a little tension.

All told, it’s $60 off the list price right now when you clip the coupon on the page and use promo code KINJA242S at checkout. It has a 4.9-star rating from 900+ reviews, too, so customers love the relief it brings.

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This deal was originally published by Ignacia Fulcher.

So you’re in the market for a ring light a year into the pandemic? It’s ok, totally not judging you. But since you’re here, let me tell you about this TaoTronics 12″ Selfie Ring Light. Only $30 with the promo code KJ8E7UFN and a clipped coupon, you’ll get a 12″ LED ring light, a 16-62″ expandable tripod stand, two phone holders, a Bluetooth remote to wirelessly start recording video or shoot photos from your phone, as well as three color modes ranging from cool to warm in order to receive the proper lighting for your skin tone.

The included phone clamps can support vertical or horizontal shooting and is compatible with Apple or Android. Not only that but if you haven’t abandoned your DSLR, you can use the tripod for traditional photography. Sounds like a great deal all around. Make sure to credit me when your TikTok goes viral!

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This deal was originally published by Ignacia Fulcher.

March Madness starts Thursday—and you know what else is happening Thursday? The dang Snyder Cut comes out. So now matter what kind of person you are, be it a hoops fan or someone who thinks Justice League needed to be 4 hours long, you might be thinking about upgrading your TV to something with a bit more pizzaz. And for those on a budget, there are few better places to start than with a Hisense.

You may not have heard of it a few years ago, but Hisense is one of the most prominent TV manufacturers on the market, and its offerings range from 32″ 720p displays to massive 4K QLEDs, all of which run on the Android TV operating system. Just sign into your Google account and you’re all set. Some models even have premium features like Dolby Vision HDR and Google Assistant, saving you the trouble of typing long passwords and instead letting you speak your queries into the remote itself.

Leading into one of the biggest basketball events of the year, a large swath of the Hisense TV selection is on sale, for a limited time, starting at a mere $150 for that aforementioned H55 standard HD model. For a mere $80 more, you can step it up to a 43″ 1080p full HD set discounted to $230. But since you’re stuck at home anyway, you might as well go big and cop this 55″ H65 series screen for $350, or max out your home theater setup with the Best Buy-exclusive 70″ version for $550. No matter your video quality standards (or available square footage at home), there’s something for everyone in Best Buy’s Hisense sale.

G/O Media may get a commission

G/O Media may get a commission

This deal was originally published by Gabe Carey.

If you’re in the market for toys, there’s a big sale happening over at Amazon today. It includes a pretty wide selection, from action figures to Funko Pops and beyond. Perhaps you’ll be interested in grabbing this Wampa Funko for $10. Or perhaps you’d like to grab a cute Super Mario ice playset for $12. Those both sound like fun collectibles. Or, maybe you want this piss Minion.

“Excuse me, what?”

Yeah you heard me. You can buy this “Despicable Pee” Minion figure for $4. It comes with some sort of chocolate slime mixture that you can put in its body and it will poop it out. Anyways, I quit. I am going to go live the rest of my life on a farm in upstate New York with no internet. I will start growing cucumbers and leading a healthy life. Every weekend, I will drive into the town of Ithaca to set up shop at the local farmer’s market. When my regulars ask me “Did you hear about—” I will cut them off and say “No. No I haven’t.” I will be at peace. Finally.

G/O Media may get a commission

G/O Media may get a commission

G/O Media may get a commission

This deal was originally published by Giovanni Colantonio. 

Bellesa is such a wonderful company, always making sure we are doing our best. For a limited time, they want you to have the best too. Use the code VIP30 and get 30% off your order no matter what you choose.

Bellesa has a ton of new merch, and it’s all included in the sale. Each of their sweatshirts is a classic unisex fit but still pre-shrunk. So if you prefer yours to be big and comfy, size up; they’re a poly/cotton blend and with that traditional look, cinched at the cuffs and hem with the collar a bit loose. “Braless & Flawless” is the biggest hit so far. I’m partial to “Hydrate & Masturbate,” a true life lesson to follow every day, in my opinion. There are a few styles to pick from, plus they are sending out really adorable sticker sheets that match with each order.

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No go undercover or under covers. If you need help picking something new, the Diskreet Vibe is the companion piece to the Diskreet Air (one of my favorite toys). This vibe sizes down the tech of the Aurora and Dea but not the potency. They somehow managed to get all that in just a 3.5” diameter toy. Choose how you want to groove with the multiple sides; there are options. This clitoral vibrator is just as cute as the above Air in its beautiful baby blue clamshell case. Both of these cases look like compacts and fit snuggling in your purse. They’re USB charged and waterproof too.

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Free shipping on all orders over $29.

This deal was originally published by Sheilah Villari.

Photo: Orawan Pattarawimonchai (Shutterstock)

Skin care products can be a hit or a miss. A quick Google search reveals lots of negative reviews for “cult favorites” that supposedly work for everyone (but obviously not because there are so many different skin types).

Finding products that work for you is therefore usually a trial and error, so you’ll have at least a few unused lotions or serums tucked somewhere in your bathroom. Now a beauty company wants to pay someone to try, rate, and write reviews of their products. Here’s how you can take on the role of Product Quality Executive.

What does the job include?

The position is for Product Quality Manager at a company called Herbal Dynamics Beauty. Unlike many of those dream competitions, this one takes time and effort to invest in the role – in other words, it’s not a situation where they send you some lotions and the money and you post about it on Insta once and then call it a day .

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According to the Job offersThe successful candidate will be “responsible for keeping a thorough photo and daily diary of their skin and for carefully reviewing every product they test.”

The remote position is expected to last five hours a week for three months. While five hours a week is usually about 20 hours a month, in the application there is a question of whether the person is able to work 30 hours a month. (We’re not sure what this is about, but we figured we’d report it.) On an hourly basis, that’s roughly $ 16.66, better than the minimum wage, even if you’re somewhere with a minimum wage of $ 15 Life.

Once selected, the new employee will select a variety of Herbal Dynamics beauty products (valued up to $ 500) to try. (The company may also make suggestions based on the person’s skin type if they are unsure.) Herbal Dynamics will then ship the products and ensure that “all deliveries are made under COVID-safe guidelines.”

In addition to earning $ 1,500 for their work, the selected candidate can keep all of the products after the performance is over.

Who is Eligible?

Do you want to throw your hat in the ring? The successful candidate:

• Must have a professional demeanor and access to a 12 megapixel camera or more
• Know about skin care products
• Agree to use Herbal Dynamics products only during the three months of the review process
• Cannot be linked to any other skin care brand

The company also recommends people with severe medical skin care problems who need prescription treatment or known allergies to skin care ingredients.

To apply, fill out the application form here (scroll down a little), including the company’s explanation of why you are the ideal person for the job. The application deadline is March 30, 2021.