I'm done with my taxes, federal and California, and in the nick of time. I don't usually leave it to the last minute like this, it's such a headache when you do, but there was some things that I had trouble tracking down, and I had no other choice.

I did most of the leg work weeks ago, but the whole picture didn't materialize until yesterday when I ran down to my local Scottrade office to open an IRA. In typical Andrew fashion, it was only when I left the office after finishing the paperwork and writing a huge check ($3,500) that I realized that the maximum allowable is only $3,000. So I had to run back there today during lunch.

It's done now. $3,000 in the tank for the next 25 years. Hopefully it will grow through the glory of compound tax-free interest and, with the addition of some more cash through the years, and a few 401K contributions here and there, maybe, just maybe, I won't die a pauper, although that possibility looms large what with all the presidential bamboozlepalooza business going on.

Anyway, my total federal tax refund, after the sizeable IRA contribution, is 8 bucks. That's right. 8 bucks. Now I've always held that it's better to owe on the 15th because when the IRS writes you a refund check, you've essentially given the government a tax free loan from the time the taxes were collected to the time you refund check clears. So based on that, I'm pretty thrilled with my miniscule refund. On the other hand, it would be nice to be getting a fat check and go on shopping spree, for the purposes of helping out the American economy through conspicuous consumption, naturally. Since that's not happening, I just have to the satisfied that I don't have to write a check to Uncle Sam.