As a single mother of a teenager, Paris Johnson, 32, of Huntington reminds herself and others to never be afraid to ask for help.
Paris became a United Way of the River Cities volunteer income tax assistance (VITA) client to make sure she doesn’t miss anything on her taxes. United Way is a social service organization that provides various free services to the Tri-State area — just like VITA.
“I don't want to miss anything, and I don't want to mess my own taxes up and then have to owe the government,” Paris explained about one of the many adult responsibilities that could quickly turn into a life-changing disaster. “Let's just really be honest here. Have I done my taxes? Yes. And then I wind up owing the government. That's not my specialty. We can all do (taxes) … it's literally step by step, but it's vital information that maybe I don't know about.”
Besides daily tasks like collecting coupons, using fast food or store apps to save money, or using a dollar-worth calendar to stay up-to-date with subscriptions, Paris said being a VITA client also helps her not be lazy.
“You can shorten yourself. Right now, we’re living in crucial times. And I feel, hey, you know what, let me not be lazy. And that's just all honesty,” Paris said. “It could be you didn't put that in or It's those little things … (taxes are) not our everyday thing. And maybe you didn't go to school to be an accountant; I definitely didn't go to school to be an accountant.”
With a Starbucks snack in hand, Paris explained that she usually never orders from fast food, but a free coupon allowed her to treat herself for the day. She said apps like Fetch Rewards allow her to treat her teenage daughter to some snacks and meals, too.
Saving also means meal prepping, and with a child participating in sports, Paris bought a 10-dollar cooler to load with snacks on the go.
Paris always thinks about her credit score — especially as someone who plans to apply for a Ph.D. program soon and knows that emergencies happen often. She said to never be afraid to ask for a payment to be modified.
“I am a stickler when it comes to my credit score, but I don't want something on it that I don’t want on there. You never know when you're going to need it. You're gonna need it to buy a house, you're gonna need it to finance the car. Nowadays, they look at that for grad school,” Paris said. “I feel like nothing is impossible. We just have to look at it from a different lens.”
When it comes to working on your dreams or simply buying groceries, Paris said she will do anything she can, even if it means paying out of pocket for tuition or making a dollar stretch.
“Sometimes we look at it and get overwhelmed. I think we all have, at one point, been overwhelmed,” she said. “It’s that discipline of making sacrifices. It’s confronting things early. We don't want to confront the bills… Look at it from a different lens, because it's not going to be like this always.”
June 2022