Money, taxes, and everyday guides

Work out exact age in years, months, and days, see why month lengths and leap days change the remainder, and know which answer a form is really asking for.

See how a sales-tax rate turns a price into a checkout total, why the rate can combine several jurisdictions, and how to work backward from a total to the price.

Convert an hourly rate into weekly, monthly, and annual gross pay with hours and paid weeks shown, and see how overtime and unpaid weeks change the yearly total.

Convert cups, tablespoons, pints, and quarts, scale a recipe with one factor, and see why weighing ingredients beats measuring by volume when accuracy matters.

Count hours worked from clock times, handle unpaid breaks and overnight shifts, and convert minutes to decimal hours correctly so the timesheet matches the paycheck.

Break a monthly mortgage payment into principal, interest, property tax, insurance, and HOA dues, and find where each one appears on a lender’s Loan Estimate.

Add hours and minutes without carrying errors, subtract times correctly, and convert the total to decimal hours for a timesheet or invoice without rounding mistakes.

Measure square footage for rectangles, circles, triangles, and L-shaped rooms, see common room sizes worked out, and turn floor area into how much material to buy.

Estimate what a space heater costs to run from its wattage, hours of use, and your own electricity rate, with a worked monthly example and what cycling does to it.

Estimate how much electricity an air conditioner uses from its watts or EnergyGuide label, see why runtime drives the bill, and compare efficiency ratings in real kWh.

Estimate how much electricity a refrigerator uses from its EnergyGuide annual kWh or a plug-in meter reading, and price an old second fridge before deciding to keep it.

Lower an apartment electric bill with evidence: compare billing periods by daily kWh, find the load that explains a jump, and run a one-week test before buying anything.

Estimate how much water a shower uses from flow rate and minutes, measure your own showerhead with a bucket test, and see what a lower-flow fixture changes over a year.

Estimate what a dripping faucet costs by measuring the drip, projecting it over a billing period, and pricing it with your own water and sewer rates instead of a guess.

One point costs 1% of the loan and buys a lower rate by an amount that is not fixed. Work out the break-even month and decide whether you will keep the loan that long.

A refinance pays off only after its closing costs are recovered. Divide costs by the monthly saving, then check what a reset term and no-cost offers really cost.

APR describes what borrowing costs, fees included. APY describes what savings earn once compounding is counted. See how each is defined and why APY beats the rate.

Only the “half” of time-and-a-half is deductible, up to $12,500 ($25,000 joint). See the IRS examples, the income phase-out, and estimate your own deduction.

Qualified tips in listed occupations are deductible up to $25,000 per return, phasing out above $150,000 of income. See what counts as a tip and estimate yours.

Interest on a loan for a new, U.S.-assembled car bought for personal use after 2024 is deductible up to $10,000 a year. Check the rules and estimate yours.

For 2025, anyone born before Jan. 2, 1961 can deduct an extra $6,000, less 6% of income over $75,000 ($150,000 joint). Check eligibility and estimate yours.

The federal credits for new and used EVs ended for vehicles acquired after Sept. 30, 2025. See the one exception, what counts as acquired, and what still lowers the cost.

The state and local tax deduction cap rose to $40,000 for 2025 and $40,400 for 2026, then shrinks above $500,000 of income. Calculate your cap and whether to itemize.

Children born 2025 through 2028 can get a one-time $1,000 Treasury deposit in a Trump Account. Who qualifies, how to elect on Form 4547, the $5,000 limit, and payouts.

Home charging costs kWh per 100 miles times your electricity rate. At the U.S. average of 18.3¢ per kWh, a typical EV runs about $5.50 per 100 miles. Calculate yours.

Aggressive driving can cut gas mileage 15% to 30% on the highway and up to 40% in traffic. The government-tested fixes ranked by effect, and what each saves per gallon.

The right PSI is on the driver’s door label, not the tire sidewall, and it is for cold tires. Why the TPMS light comes on in cold weather, and the federal 25% rule.

At 20°F a gas car gets about 15% fewer miles per gallon in city driving, and an EV loses about 39% of its efficiency. Where the energy goes, and what wins it back.

The 2026 federal brackets run from 10% to 37%, and the standard deduction is $16,100 single or $32,200 joint. See every threshold and calculate your 2026 income tax.

From 2026 the child and dependent care credit can pay up to 50% of $3,000 in care costs for one child or $6,000 for two or more. See your rate by income and calculate it.

From tax year 2026, people who take the standard deduction can deduct up to $1,000 of cash gifts to charity, or $2,000 joint. What counts, and the new 0.5% floor.

The 2026 limit for 401(k), 403(b), and most 457 plans is $24,500. Savers 50 and older can add $8,000, and those 60 to 63 can add $11,250. The full table.

For 2026 the Roth IRA contribution starts to phase out at $153,000 of income for single filers and $242,000 joint, and ends at $168,000 and $252,000. The limit is $7,500.

For 2026 you can put $4,400 in an HSA with self-only coverage or $8,750 with family coverage, plus $1,000 at 55. Who qualifies, and how bronze plans became eligible.

In 2026 you can give $19,000 to each person without filing a gift tax return, and the lifetime exclusion is $15 million. When Form 709 is due, and what never counts.

Payment apps send Form 1099-K above $20,000 and 200 transactions, but may send one for less. What it reports, what is taxable, and how to fix a wrong one.

The 2026 adoption credit is up to $17,670 per child, and up to $5,120 of it is refundable. Income limits, which expenses qualify, when to claim, and special needs rules.

The IRS business mileage rate is 76 cents a mile from July 1, 2026, after 72.5 cents for January to June. Medical miles are 23.5 cents, charity 14. How to use each rate.

From 2027 the Saver’s Match deposits up to $1,000 a year into your retirement account, matching 50% of what you save. Income limits, who qualifies, and how to claim it.

Get a free credit report from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion every week at AnnualCreditReport.com. How to order, what to check, and look-alike sites to avoid.

Credit scores run from 300 to 850 and rest on five things: on-time payments, how much of your limits you use, history length, new applications, and the mix of accounts.

Thaw a turkey in the refrigerator at about 24 hours per 4 to 5 pounds, or in cold water at 30 minutes per pound. USDA times by weight, and when to start for Thanksgiving.

Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and 3 to 4 months in the freezer, if chilled within 2 hours. USDA rules for cooling, storing, and reheating to 165 °F.

Check tire pressure and tread, the battery, wipers and winter fluid, coolant, and lights, then pack a winter kit. NHTSA’s checklist, and what to do if you get stranded.

Watts times hours times your rate: a season of LED lights often costs a few dollars, while large incandescent bulbs can cost dozens. Worked examples and safety checks.

For 2026 a traditional IRA deduction phases out at $81,000 to $91,000 for single filers covered by a workplace plan and $129,000 to $149,000 for couples. Every range.

From 2026 up to $7,500 of dependent care benefits can be tax-free, up from $5,000. How the FSA works with the child care credit, and how to choose during open enrollment.

At 325 °F, a 12 to 14 pound unstuffed turkey takes 3 to 3¾ hours and a 20 to 24 pound bird 4½ to 5 hours. USDA’s full chart, stuffed and unstuffed, and the 165 °F test.

IRS2Go is now the IRS app. Sign in with ID.me to check refunds, pay, read notices, download transcripts, and get an IP PIN. What changed, and how to spot look-alikes.

From 2027, a federal credit of up to $1,700, or $3,400 joint under proposed rules, for cash gifts to K–12 scholarship groups in states that opt in. Which states, and how.

Residential electricity averaged 18.31¢ per kWh in July 2026, from 12.72¢ in Louisiana to 48¢ in Hawaii. All 50 states and D.C., the change, and what 1,000 kWh costs.

Social Security and SSI benefits rise 3.6% for 2027, about $75 a month for the average retiree. When the raise arrives, the new earnings limits, and the $192,300 tax cap.