I know, I know. Lately all I do is reprint articles. I'm way knee-deep in...my second book. It's due soon and I am trying to focus on that while keeping business going. It ain't easy. I didn't promise perfection when I set out to write my book or start this slow going CSE "movement"--just goes to show you that I'm real. My life is messy. Busy. Complicated. But awesome.

Lately, I've realized just how sweet my life is. Even though I get the blahs and I get overwhelmed. I love what I do. Not a lot of people can say that.

I've been reading the Ladies Who Launch book, you know, because $15 beats the hell out of those overpriced workshops. And yes, I'm a little disappointed with the "ladies," as they have left several emails unreturned. But there's some good stuff in their new book.

The book has become motivational for me. I'm not so caught up in doing the exercises, as I've already launched. But seeing the process others go through has helped me see how far I am. And not to sound overly confident, but this confidence is necessary and it's taken a long time to get here. And it's good to toot your own horn now and then! (Another plus of the book--how they compare the traditional work model to the model of ladies who launch. For so long, I thought it was something wrong with me that I dreaded 9-to-5 jobs!)




Below is my latest reprint from Michelle Goodman's blog. But everything above was Original Kristen Content:)

Ask the cubicle expat: How long should I save financial records?

A freelance pal called me mid cleaning frenzy yesterday, wanting to know how long she needed to save old pay stubs (back from her bad old 9-to-5 days), bank statements, utility bills, you name it.

I told her I’d always “heard” you should save everything seven years but that she should call her accountant to be sure, as that was a very unscientific, uncredentialed answer. Not satisfied, my freelance friend pressed on: “OK, but what do you do with all your old-and-moldy receipts and financial records?”

I told her I have everything saved in my office or garage for at least seven years and that she should still ask an accountant if she wanted solid advice. But seeing as it was a national holiday and she was hell-bent on spending the day shredding papers she no longer needed, I googled this ultra-helpful Bankrate table on how long to save what. Note that the table is not geared towards self-employed folks, so you may want to check with an accountant to make sure you’re hanging on to everything you need.

Some items I’ve hung on to that I’d be sunk without:

* All my previous income tax returns. If you’re making a big purchase — say, a home — and you don’t have a steady employer, the bank will likely want to see several years of these.

* At least seven years of rental agreements, utility bills, credit card annual statements, expense receipts, and anything else that can be deducted as a business write-off.

* Annual retirement fund and social security statements. (Duh.)

Again, don’t take my word for it. Talk to your tax professional, financial planner, or business manager. Meanwhile, that Bankrate chart is a great place to start.