Are you ready?

One thing I love to do is help people gain financial success. The holidays are here and people are shopping away, believe me I know!!! (I don't even celebrate Christmas but I am surely enjoying the shopping experience). But a lot people always say "Berenice, why didn't you tell me about this or that before?!?". So as this upcoming tax season draws closer, I am going to provide you some tools to help you get the refund you deserve.

First step is to be sure you have kept all of your receipts and records for anything you will be claiming an exemption or deduction for. I usually provide this checklist to my clients:

-W2(s)
-1009-Misc (other income)
-1099-INT (Bank Interest Stmt)
-1098-E (student interest stmt)
-1098-T (tuition stmt)
-Tithe/Offering receipt
-Volunteer expenses log (churches & nonprofit organizations)
-Unreimbursed job expenses (uniforms, etc.)
-Professional Dues and Subscriptions
-Major purchases receipts (car, equipment, home upgrades, etc.)
-Moving expenses receipts

Second step is to research what deductions you may qualify for. For example: most people that I know are involved with a non profit organization in some way shape or form and don't know that their of your out of pocket expenses are deductible. Here are deductible expenses:

• the cost of hosting a party or fundraiser for the organization
• advertising that you buy on behalf of the organization
• supplies you purchase to be used in volunteer work, such as stamps and stationery
• the cost of a required uniform (and the cost of keeping it clean), and
• telephone expenses.

Third step find a qualified tax accountant to do your taxes. It seems cheaper to do them yourself,  I know all about cheap.  But you could be missing out on a higher refund because you don't know tax law and what you could be entitled to. Tax professionals are constantly on top of new tax laws and even after paying them you could still get a higher refund. 

Last step is to try and save your refund. One of my new goals is to encourage saving to everyone I come in contact with more info can be found on my Money Challenge blog . Don't depend on your tax refund to pay your monthly bills but watch your savings grow each year by putting your refund away. This can allow for that vacation you can never afford or that new car you've been dying to drive.

I hope this has helped you to get ready for tax season and should you have any questions please let me know. Stayed tuned this tax season for Ask the Auditor segment.

Ready B*B*J*B

My 29th!!!

Today I enter the last year of my twenties, I wondered how I wanted to spend it. Usually, all the details of my life is planned and organized in every way. But this year and for this birthday, I decided to be spontaneous. And who better to do that with than my (twin) cousin Tequisha.

Ever since we were kids we have been close and she has faithfully been the first to wish me a Happy Birthday. On our 5th birthday we decided when we got older we would build our houses next to each other, with connecting doors. Then life happens and you end up living far apart. But this birthday, we were privileged enough to live out our childhood dream even if it was only for a short while. Not only was she the first to wish me a Happy Birthday this year, but she was able to spend it with me first! Here a sneak peak to our Key West getaway!! For the first time, I took an unplanned trip with no prior reservations, or planned activities, and no regrets. 

Right before our full body massages & facials from Best Key West Massage!!

Lunch at the dock while watching dolphins!

 

All while being only 90 miles from CUBA!!!!

Relaxing at Smathers Beach 

 A trip to always remember!!! Thanks Tequisha I can't wait for the big one next year!!!!

Birthday B*B*J*B
12/06

Bold and Beautiful

It's important for me to talk about what its like Being BBJB (yeah I came up with this blog before Being Mary Jane came out on BET). Anyway, apart of Being BBJB are talking about some of the not so good things about me. There are two things I've always battled with and that's having short hair and biting my nails. Seems so minor when you write it down but boy have these things had a major impact on my self-confidence.

Having a mother with lovely long hair and a sister with thick voluminous hair, I wondered why I was born with short brittle hair. I would have loved to just have at least one good quality, why did I have to get stuck with hair 2 bad, hair that couldn't grow and then to lose the ones that did!! On top of that I have a terrible habit of biting my nails. Even down to the skin (yeah its a serious habit). For 28 years I have been trying to break this habit. At some points I actually did until I looked down and saw all my nails gone (not cute).  It got so bad that I didn't even know when or where I was doing it. I had gotten out of control.

This all had to stop!! I had to look for ways to believe that I am Bold and Beautiful just the way God made me. Regardless of what I had and the bad habits I had formed. So one by one I found ways to embrace my downfalls and control my own beauty. So how did I start? First I decided that if i was gonna be stuck with short hair that I would rock it out!!!

I got it cut and styled just like I've wanted to but have't had the guts to do. Since the cut a I have gotten nothing but compliments (which is an immediate boost of self-confidence.) This trickled into the way I dressed and developed into the confidence I thought I didn't have.

But I couldn't stop there, I had to come up with a plan for my nails. It certainly wouldn't be cute if you looked good  but had jacked up hands, would it? So I decided it was time to invest (which I never do). I invested in pampering my nails every two weeks. And if I make it two weeks without biting my nails I get to choose a nice color (red, pink, orange or aqua). For those of you that know me, I never have any nails to paint in the first place so this is truly a treat. Here's my progress:

It sometimes can be the simple things in life that can make a person feel Bold & Beautiful. These are just some of mines.

B&B

Starting a non profit

Since I got my Master's in Non Profit Management (MNM) I am getting requests from friends and family members who want help on starting a non profit. So I decided to write this blog to give some tips on how to start one. 

The IRS has a lot of information on this especially starting with this video: Starting Out

But if you don't have a lot of spare time here are some quick tips to get you started.

First, create a non-profit organization under state law for the state you live in. Do some research and find out the necessary requirements your state suggest. 

Second, acquire an Employer Identification Number by clicking here.

Third, you need to prepare your organizing documents. This for most organizations will be your Articles for Incorporation. Here is a sample form to use as a guide. 

The next step is Applying for Exemption 501(c)(3) with the IRS by completing Form 1023.

After you receive your exemption certificate from the IRS you need to be sure to comply with the necessary filing requirements. These requirements are the annual exempt organization returns (return info), unrelated business tax returns, and other returns and reports that an organization may have to file. In addition to the required filings, a charity may have other ongoing compliance obligations.

Significant Events  include but are not limited to audits by the IRS, private letter rulings, and termination proceedings.

I hope I have provided you with some quick tips to starting a non-profit organization. Be sure to visit  this website in order to Stay Exempt.

MNM, B*B*J*B

Matter of Lifestyle

Has the Lord ever dropped your future into your lap? If He did, would you know it was from Him? The God I serve works in the most mysterious ways and that I have seen myself.

Four years ago I met a woman that has had an awesome influence on my life and in return I am trying daily to pay it forward. Today is her birthday and the launch of her new product line.

Click here to check it out. http://www.matteroflifestyle.com/

Happy Birthday Gwen!!!!

B*B*J*B

I'm sorry.........but

To start this off, I am just going to just clarify something from the beginning of this blog. When you are giving anything close to a genuine apology it cannot include a BUT or an IF, because it means you are not really sorry. This is a serious issue that I want to address and I find it hard to believe that someone could actually be sorry if they follow up the apology with a "but".

So I will address this in a very quick manner because I think its pretty self explanatory. Apologies aren't always easy to come by. In most cases the person who has offended someone else doesn't even know that they have said something offensive. We are all guilty of this, at least I know I am. However, I am trying to take efforts not to hurt people as I go through life. And if I get to the point where someone else's feelings are not important to me, how can I then profess to be a Christian???

An apology that includes a "but" also means that if the opportunity presented itself again you would make the same decision over. Therefore, how the person feels or the fact that someone was offended really doesn't matter at all. There are many situations that we each can ponder on and wish we had handled it differently. Maybe there are relationships that we could have salvaged if we had only just been sincere in our apology.

It is my goal not to offend anyone that I come across and if I do to apologize for what I have done and make every attempt not to do it again. Imagine what the world would be like if we each began to care for each other.....


Apologetic B*B*J*B

What's your temperament????

The older I get the more I am expose to people with different personalities. Friendly people, quiet people, aggressive people and then there are people just like me. The more personalities I come across the more I try to learn how to understand people.

Over the years I have attended many seminars, AY programs,  listened to countless sermons, attended various workshops and taken every quiz that exist to learn my personality trait. But now, as I work along side many different types of people, I need to focus on other individuals and their personality trait. When I can identify who someone is, I can then understand why they do what they do. Their temperament can easily help me to follow their decision making. 

So today I want all my followers to share their main temperament with me.  

   

                 

My goal is to help you understand others and to understand what it's like Being B*B*J*B!!!

Here is a short description of each type:

*Sanguine--joyful, optimistic, compassionate, storyteller, disorganized, restless, forgetful and easily distracted

*Choleric--leader, strong-willed, independent, confident, impatient, hot-tempered, cruel, quickly moves to action

*Melancholic--analytical, thinker, detailed, organized, pessimistic, moody, skeptical, and a perfectionist

*Phlegmatic--quiet, practical, efficient, dependable, dry sense of humor, stubborn, selfish, and indecisive

So let's see which one you are. Click on the link below to take the quiz and share with me which trait you are: The Temperament Test

Credit Check.............

Well here it is.......How to get your credit in check Part 1!!!!!!!

Many of you have asked how to start or repair your credit so that you can be financially stable. First step will be to double check your report and make sure what is showing on your report is a reflection of the actual decisions you have made. So don't be fooled by the "freecreditreport" commercials or ads. And go to the only website that gives you your report:

www.annualcreditreport.com

This site will access all three credit bureaus that you need to know about:

Experian--http://www.experian.com/

Equifax--http://www.equifax.com/

Transunion--http://www.transunion.com/

You are allowed to see your report once a year per bureau.  So I recommend that you request a report from one bureau every 4 months. This way you see what each bureau is reporting and what changes are being made throughout the year.

I know you may also want to know what your score is but I do not think that's important when your trying to repair your credit.  The score is a direct reflection of what your creditors are reporting to the credit bureaus. So once you fix any disputes the score will self adjust (with time of course).

So you go to the site, you choose the bureau you want to start with, you pull your report, print it.......now review it!!!! Look for errors, if you don't find any good for you!!!! If you find some it's time to get to work.....Are you ready? I hope so, breathe its not the end of the world but it might be the beginning of a battle.

You will need to begin the dispute process through the bureau that is reporting the error so look at the bottom of your report for their contact information.  Draft a letter, with your account information and anything the bureau may need to identify you correctly. In the body of the letter state what the error you noted is and provide any information you have to support your issue. If you need some guidance here is a sample letter.

Stay tuned for Part II as I help you get your credit in check!!!!!


B*B*J*B Credit Rep

Queen Beats Tribute

Oh my how time flies. I remember our director, Chris Bartley, drilling us  hard on learning our cadences. An all female drum corp made up of girls with little to no experience on how to play a beat. But with patience we, 15+ learned how to make beats. 4 cymbals, 5 snares, 4 tenors, 3 bass, and 1 quad is all we had to work with. So many girls wanted to be in our drum corp we had auditions one year. Here's our history:

Fall 2002 at an Andrews basketball event a group of guys playing on drums perform at halftime. There was no girls in their group. So a couple of my newly made friends asked if we could join the drum corp. We didn't stand a chance, the guys immediately said NO!!! Although, one person told us he would teach us how to play and then we could start our own group. It took no time for word of mouth to spread and by the time we had our first meeting there was 10 girls ready to learn from the master, Ronneil Harewood. Within a month, we debut at our first performance during halftime at a BSCF (Black Student Christian Forum) Basketball game.

The crowd loved us, BSCF sponsored us, and the students supported us. We just needed a name.......what should we be called? We battled for a few weeks on what we should name ourselves (a group of girls playing drums) until we figured it out......Queen Beats. It suited who we were and what we were doing. How we started.....

White T-Shirts and Dark Blue jeans

Cow Bell: Chaely
Cymbals: Berenice, Monique and Lauren
Snare: Nadia, Amy, and Leilani
Tenors: Candice, Amber, Rachel, Katiana, and Berdene
Quads: Cherise and Roberta
Bass: Famose and Deidre

But like anything else, things change. Years pass, members graduated, the group grew larger, and drums break down. This did not stop us....not at all. We made new members try out, we learned beats, we traveled to perform, we changed positions and we got a uniform. Along with changes, after three years of supporting us we also lost our director. But they say when one door closes another opens and we were introduced to Christopher Bartley, our new director. Mr. Bartley focused on our precision and using his networking connections exposed us to performing at larger events. One that included and invitation by Dr. Joseph Warren a professor from Andrews.  We prepared for this event for months in 2005 and we walked into the Howard Performing Arts Center (HPAC) all blew everyone away.

Check out our performance by clicking on this link http://youtu.be/StmrX_Fs-bY. This was never done before nor has it happened again. We became legends........

From Queen B to all of my Queen Beats. Miss you all!!!!

Practice outtake videos:
http://youtu.be/qohuASop-5k
http://youtu.be/-X-MW8cAe0c

Viola Marie Events

This past month I was able to have my friends and family travel the world with me at my graduation celebration planned by Viola Marie Events. The event planners, Berdene Viola and Raquel Marie, captured my vision and created an over the top event for my guest to enjoy.

50 guest were invited to the celebration and were amazed at the travel themed decor. The centerpieces  were outlined with pictures of my travels to Trinidad, Barbados, Paris, Toronto, and London over the past 4 years. There  were also special features of places I have lived in of New York, Virginia, & Florida. The centerpieces outlined the representation of the grass of Wimbledon Tennis Center in London, England. The party favors represented the clay from the tennis courts of the French Open in Paris, France.

The menu included:

Appetizers-Sweet & Sour Meatballs, Eggrolls, Bruschetta, and Sweet Potato Fries

Dinner-Spanish Rice, Stew Chicken, Vegetable Medley, Curry Goat, Roti & Buss Upshot

Beverages-Tropical Fruit Punch, Mauby, and Limed Water

Desert-French Crepe, Fruit Platter, Banana Bread,  European Wafer, and Cake Pops

All the guests received a stamped visa documenting their experience. Have a wedding, birthday or special event coming up? You can hire Viola Marie Events at violamarieevents@gmail.com. You will surely enjoy yourself!!!! 

I would like to acknowledge my family and close friends, Mt. Calvary Treasury & Finance Departments, State of Florida Management Services and the Florida Department of Revenue for the impact they have had in helping me to reach my goals. Special thanks to the staff of Viola Marie Events, Carlton Arms North Lakeland, the catering services of my parents; Dalton & Esther Beckles, Marcelena Adonis, Sabriena Scott, Wendy Griffith-Reece, Donna Fowler, and Nancy Joseph. The assistance of Kandace, Jenny, Vanessa, Julia, Theresa, Amber, Candice, Allan, Eddie, Kwesi, and Ron were especially appreciated. The tributes by Kandace Reece, Bro. & Sis. Theo Neives, Rhonda Harris, Kay Lawrence, and Gwen Davis-Webb were heartfelt and will forever be cherished.

Thank you,

Advertising B*B*J*B

Chasing history

I am always filled with questions when talking to my grandmother (my fathers mother). She sits listens and answers them all.....

What was your mother like?
How old were you when you left home?
How did you feel to lose a child?

But this question session over memorial weekend was different. This time its in the presence of all of her living children, while facing the challenge of stage 4 lung cancer to her husband of 60 years. Can I obtain all my family history in this Q & A? Or will all the characters play their part in this tight family?

This time its different, this time may be the last time they will all be together.  Their five children and spouses, 13 grandchildren,  and 7 great grandchildren were not ready for this. This year I chased my history and wrapped my arms around it never letting go.

My history My legacy

BBJBeckles

Graduating B*B*J*B

It is that time of year again. People of all ages are receiving a piece of paper showing their accomplishments and I am lucky enough to be one of them. You may say, it is no big deal  but to me it is the biggest deal!!!

Here's my story.......

In New York, if a child is going to be turning 5 within the calendar year then can start going to school at age 4. So here I am with a december birthday mixed with seemingly older kids in pre-kindergarten. Little did I know this was the beginning of an uphill battle with my graduating. The school I attended had kindergarten and 1st grade (weird right?) So guess who didn't have a graduation after completing kindergarten?!?? ME!!

My parents placed me in PS 30 to begin first grade. At this point I didnt even know I missed out on anything. Until the end of 5th grade the biggest change I could face happened. My family moved to Virginia........ Where did this come from?!? I am a New Yorker.....what will I do there?? It didn't help that PS 30 graduates their elementary students after they finish the 6th grade not 5th. Wait a minute, another graduation passed me by.

All the while your siblings and friends are graduating. Something isn't right!!! But there was nothing I could do. Until the 8th grade. I'm thinking for sure I will finally get to walk across the stage in front of all my friends and family. What do you mean No Commencement Ceremony from Sterling Middle School???? Yes, that was me in the main office asking anyone who would listen. How is that possible?!?!? Do I just walk into high school? ?? The answer is yes. No graduation, no ceremony, just commence into high school. Literally!!

So here I am, doing all I can to not only graduate from High School but with all types of awards and recognition to go along with it. I was ready for them this time. But where do I end up?!?!? With a graduatation ceremony on the Sabbath...... first was shock, then reality hit. I made the decision to worship my Saviour on the Sabbath instead of glorifying myself and my accomplishments. Most people questioned me on my decision others probably laughed but I chose to keep my Sabbath reverent.

At this point most people have had 4 to 5 graduations and I have had 0, not one!! Can't even express how I felt, what I thought this meant, how this was going to define me. Until finally, after another four years of hard work and focus I obtained my bachelors degree from Andrews University at age 21. This time there were no exceptions I was going to get to walk across a stage, shake some peoples hands and receive my degree in front of my family & friends. What could possibly go wrong?!? Aside from my best friend not coming, sharing my big day with my brother, and my family not finding the seats on time.  The worst thing in waiting so long to graduate is no one seeing you finally so it!!!

So, graduating to some is no big deal but to me it is. On Thursday May 2, 2013 I will be graduating from University of Central Florida with a Masters degree is Non Profit Management and I welcome you all to view the commencement ceremony live at http://webcast.oir.ucf.edu beginning 2:00 pm.

Thank you all for your prayers, love and support. They are greatly appreciated. 

The Graduating B*B*J*B

Tax Season Ends. ...

As we come to a close of this years tax season, I want to provide my followers with some tips to help next tax season run a little bit smoother. 

It all begins with being organized. If you know you are not organized there are so many tools, resources and apps that can help you. So first run to Staples and pick up a financial organizer book. With some of the options you won't have to think you just add your invoices or receipts where it tells you to. Remember poor record-keeping just makes things harder down the road. So all you smart phone people download an app like mint.com or pageonce to track your expenses, mileage logs, and other deductible items.

I have listed some steps that I think will be most helpful to people before we head into the next tax season........

Step 1: Create a Tax Folder to drop all those important tax documents you accumulate during the year.

Step 2: Visit http://apps.irs.gov/app/withholdingcalculator/ to see about updating your withholding allowances to ensure your best refund next year.

Step 3: Pay your taxes!!!! You cannot expect a refund if you did not pay any taxes throughout the year.

Step 4: Do not ignore written letters from the IRS, call them and get them to explain what caused them to write you.

Step 5: Seek professional help with tax questions, there are individuals that know tax law not just because its fun but because they want to help you get your biggest possible refund. But they can't help if you don't ask. 

All the best to you!!!!!!

B*B*J*B

Honda Addict

On 6/6/06 I purchased my first Honda Accord and cannot seem to stop buying them. To date I am on my 3rd Honda Accord in a little over 6 years. I know I am a Honda Addict!!! But I wanted to share with you some of the good and some not so good decisions I have made regarding my car purchases in an effort to save someone from making a costly decision they will regret. Everyone thinks I never have spent a bad penny but I have not always saved good ones either. Here's my little story: Just after graduation I bought a 2006 Accord (weird right on 6/6/06 promised not planned).



In any case loved every single thing about it and Angelika loved me to. We lived in all parts of Florida until 2009 just exactly 3 years old things took a twist. There is one thing I don't like and it is repairing a car, which now I realize isn't the worst thing in the world. But you live and hopefully learn. So what do I do when my car starts costing money for repairs along with a car payment??? I follow the dealers false advertisements and go get a new car. Yeah I thought I was cool. Why pay out more money into an old car when you can put it in a new one. Right? So off my happy go lucky self goes and gets a 2010 Accord with even more features than before. The only problem was that I ate all of my equity which was about $4000 into a LEASED car. If you are reading this and and your not wealthy DO NOT LEASE A CAR!!! EVER! Sorry I had to get that out. Basically, you are wasting last every cent. So many people advised me not to do it and thinking I was grown and knew what I was doing I signed away every penny I had out into a car. Not to mention within months I transfered to a job that included 75% travel. So here I am with a beautiful car, new car payment, three more years of payments, no more equity, and the gaurantee that when my lease expires I would be without a car and still owe the financing company money for exceeding my mileage limits!!!! If I had kept my tail quiet I would have only had 2 more years of car payments, and then no payments at all, a car worth something, and the guarantee of actually owning a car.

We reach 2012 ready for lease to expire and I am back at drawing board. But since I serve an amazing God I was blessed to save enough money over the years to purchase a 2012 Honda Accord as beautiful as the rest at 0% interest with a 10 year warranty with no major affect on my monthly budget. This time here are no mileage restrictions and hopefully low maintanence. It's sad to be starting over but then I would not have been able to share this story with you.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helps someone make a good decision when deciding to get a car. Forever B * B * J * B

T-shirt Quilt

Every time you sign up for something, win something, or just are apart of something you always get a free t-shirt. Then one day you go in your drawer and it is over flowing with t-shirts. Well I had enough but just couldn't seem to part ways with some of them. Like my high school project graduation tshirt or my very first pathfinder shirt, not to even mention my first andrews tshirt (there were plenty to follow). But still each has its own meaning especially the custom ones with my name on it (my BBJB collection lol) or the family reunion shirts that are just to special to just throw away. So a coworker told me about making a quilt out of it. A quilt, I mean I can sew, I have a machine but how in the world do I do that?!?!?

For every question, there is Pinterest!!!! And there it was, the beginning of my addiction.  Because I'm so unique I do things a little different,  but the end result is still the same. 

This is the instructions I followed:

http://cheapchichome.blogspot.com/2011/08/t-shirt-quilt-completed.html?showComment=1313514326206#c4821292592555110808

And here is my finished product...........

See if you have one of them in your T-shirt stack. 

B*B*J*B Forever