Kick Butt Tip: You Can Never Have A Dream, Until You Have a Dream

Our Kick Butt Tip of the Day comes from Country music and TV superstar Reba McEntire. In a commercial for the United States Air Force, Reba said "You can never have a dream until you have a dream."

As a little girl, Reba once said that all she wanted to do was become a World Champion Barrel Racer. She never made it as a World Champion but she did really well in her age group. Reba also said that the rodeo blood runs in her family. Her father and grandfather both were World Champions in the Steer Roping category.

Dubbed the Queen of Country, Reba has sold over 75 million records around the world. Fans really love the Oklahoma-born redhead, because 25 of her tunes reached number one. Reba also starred in her own tv show appropriately titled "Reba" and most recently, performed at Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas.

Now, in all honesty, neither one of us will probably ever be a World Champion Bull Rider or Barrel Racer or Steer Roper. But, there are things that we can do. Like Reba, we both have our dreams and goals. So why not starting right now, let's decide to list our dreams and goals on a piece of paper and then go find a way to attain one. Pick one and don't give up until it becomes a reality. You may be tempted to quit, but don't. Quit only after you've reached the pinnacle of success. Then, refocus and tackle the next dream or goal and then the next one and so on.

You will find that the first step is the hardest. Once you overcome the first challenge, you are well on your way to achieving your dreams and goals.

So, from Reba McEntire, "you can never have a dream until you have a dream"

God don't make no junk. You, yes you are awesome! Now go be awesome!

- Don Chase's Kick Butt Tip of the Day is a daily motivational feature designed to give you the inspiration you need to power through your day. Check out all the Kick Butt Tips here.

Tax season is truly in full swing. Tax deductions and credits are there to help people, so why not take the help? It might seem like a headache having to go through a long list of possible deductions, but it's really not so bad. I've gathered some information directly from the IRS to help you save this tax season. So, let's get into the dollars and cents.

Before we get into the savings, let's look at how credits and deductions work. According to the IRS, "You can claim credits and deductions when you file your tax return to lower your tax. Make sure you get all the credits and deductions you qualify for."

The definition of a credit, according to the IRS, is "an amount you subtract from the tax you owe. This can lower your tax payment or increase your refund." They note that some credits are refundable. That means "they can give you money back even if you don't owe any tax." If you want to claim credits, you must answer questions in your tax filing software. Or, if you're doing taxes the old-fashioned way, you'll have to fill out a form and attach it.

The definition of a deduction, according to the IRS, is "an amount you subtract from your income when you file so you don’t pay tax on it. By lowering your income, deductions lower your tax." In order to do this, you have to have documents to show expenses or losses you want to deduct. You can do this via tax software or, if you're filing a paper return, your deductions go on Form 1040 and you may need to attach extra forms.

Now, the fun part. Read on for tax deductions and credits that could save you cash this season. Here's hoping that Uncle Sam treats you well.

The standard deduction for 2023 is $13,850 for single or married filing separately; $27,700 for married couples filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse; and $20,800 for head of household. "If you're married filing separately, you can't take the standard deduction if your spouse itemizes. You must both choose the same method," the IRS says.

To find the standard deduction if you're over 65 or blind, go here. To find the standard deduction if you're a dependent on someone else's tax return, go here.

According to the IRS, you can deduct these expenses whether you take the standard deduction or itemize:

Alimony payments
Business use of your car
Business use of your home
Money you put in an IRA
Money you put in health savings accounts
Penalties on early withdrawals from savings
Student loan interest
Teacher expenses
For some military, government, self-employed and people with disabilities: work-related education expenses
For military servicemembers: moving expenses

According to the IRS, you can deduct these expenses if you itemize:

Bad debts
Canceled debt on home
Capital losses
Donations to charity
Gains from sale of your home
Gambling losses
Home mortgage interest
Income, sales, real estate and personal property taxes
Losses from disasters and theft
Medical and dental expenses over 7.5% of your adjusted gross income
Miscellaneous itemized deductions
Opportunity zone investment

Tax season can be a confusing time. There are lots of bits and piece that you have to put together. That said, the IRS has a very helpful page with frequently asked questions. Find the list of questions and answers here. As always, it's also a good idea to get a professional to help with any questions.