For Edris, tax time is just as much about filing a return as it is an opportunity to invest in the future. When she filed her taxes with Prepare + Prosper (P+P) this year, she came with a plan to save for the future.
Each year Edris comes to P+P with the intention to save some her refund by purchasing a U.S. savings bond and depositing some into her Roth IRA. The added incentive from the tax-time savings promotion, SaveYourRefund, sweetened the deal and gave her a chance at winning one of 100 $100 prizes. This year, she was lucky enough to be a SaveYourRefund winner, winning an extra $100.
I couldn’t believe it, I never thought I would win! I just wanted to get a savings bond and put some money into savings. I reviewed my credit report once, but my main goal each tax season is always to save.
While being a SaveYourRefund winner was a total surprise, everything else with her taxes went as planned. She has prepared her taxes with us for years after a neighbor referred her to our services and pointed out the benefits of getting her taxes done with P+P: it’s free and experienced volunteers always review each return, minimizing the chance for errors.
The volunteers always do a great job – they really listen and explain things to you. Why would I go anywhere else? Why pay $250 to file taxes? You need to save every penny. There are so many better things to spend the money on.”
Edris moved from Jamaica in 1996 with her husband to have a better education for her girls – who are now 24 and 31. Her younger daughter is getting her master’s degree, and the older daughter is earning a PhD. She is incredibly proud of them and supports them in any way she can, currently helping them through school.
My kids are my future. My kids are my investment.
You can see how much Edris enjoys kids, especially when she talks about her job. She works at a day care and loves to be around children; working with babies just a few months old up to five-years old. She laughed as she made the comment, “Most days I would rather be around children instead of adults.”
Focusing on the future of her own kids and the kids she works with keeps her fulfilled.
I don’t worry about the small things. My momma always taught me – what you cannot fix, just leave alone. So instead, I focus on building the future I want for myself and my daughters.
