April 16th is easily the second best day of the year*. You see, it happens to be the day after the U.S. tax deadline, otherwise known as “the day accountants get their lives back”**.
After 3 grueling months of 75+ hour work weeks, sleep deprivation, and increased alcohol consumption, accountants are finally able to take a breath, relax, and proceed to put everything off again until October 15th. We will never learn.
Besides getting to enjoy the light of day and the company of my loved ones, April 16th is an awesome day for my finances. A lack of time and/or energy is never good news for your wallet and right after busy season is the perfect time to get back on track.
April 16th means less money spent on:
1) Food. Convenience is the name of the game from January to April, and it comes at a cost. Not only is prepared/fast food way more expensive than cooking from scratch, it is pretty much all terribly unhealthy. April 16th means that I can spend more than 7 minutes on food preparation, so I am saving money on the cost of food and the cost of a second plane ticket when my fat ass doubles in size. Yay!
2) Alcohol. You know that stereotype that accountants are drunks? Yeah, that’s not untrue. If you feel the need to drink or smoke or drug it up just to tolerate your day job, you may want to consider a career change. That said, my drinking significantly increases during stressful periods at work. April 16th means less money spent on alcohol and a much happier liver.
3) Gas. April 16th means no more weekend commuting – which is good for my wallet, the environment, and my sanity.
Of course, the end of busy season does result in a few extra expenses, including:
1) Razor blades. Because god knows you don’t have time to shave your legs during tax season.
2) Gifts. Because you no longer have an excuse to “forget” about special events.
3) Gym membership. Because you have gained at least 20 pounds sitting in your cubicle stuffing your face with Saturday donuts.
April 16th is a wonderful, wonderful day not only for accountants and their finances, but also for everyone that has to deal with them. Wish an accountant you love (or like or just tolerate) a very Merry April 16th!
Oh and by the way, welcome to the very first post of Red Debted Stepchild (I know, I know – I’m clever). Go read the About page and stalk me on Twitter. Then you will get to say that you knew me from the start after I’ve made it. Whatever that means.
*The best day of the year is actually June 5th. That’s my birthday. Send me a cake. Any cake. Except yellow cake because it is disgusting.
**Most accountants do not actually have lives. For 90% of the accountant population, this is “the day accountants find something equally as boring and stressful as tax season to fill their time”. To them I say, go outside. Or get laid. Or get laid outside. I have a feeling it’s been awhile since you’ve done either of these things…
[Image by Chibird]
