Staying Inside
I just learned that Maryland’s sales tax is now 6%.
Apparently the state increased it 4 months ago? Where was I? wtf…
Somehow no matter what happens beyond the campus, I am totally and utterly unaware until someone who has gone…outside…returns with news. I don’t even watch TV anymore. Not that I had an available TV since I started college. I basically surf the net and watch movies to push along time. Oh yeah, that and the crappy amount of work that is constantly hanging over my head. But I digress (again).
Classes force me to buy $100 books that I will hate ever after.
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How is it that I, who needs to buy something every day did not notice that the sales tax is higher? I check receipts! How could I not see that I was paying an extra cent for every dollar that I paid? Stuff like that adds up for a student.
Sometimes I’m glad parking sucks.
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Maybe it is because I don’t have to pay for car gasoline. That’s the only perpetual whining I hear about increased fees in terms of dimes and nickels increments. That is a really odd sentence I know, but just read it again. Slowly. It really does make sense.
I am pretty sure this an unrelated rock band logo.
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Until I am out of school, I may be in this limbo state. But I don’t think it will really end there. I’m supposed to do more schooling after that too. Am I abnormal? Other kids in other schools seem so much more aware. I’m reminded of hippie kids but it probably is true for people in other schools today too.
Only $100 on books that you will hate?
No. Each book is $100. At least.
Textbooks are indeed painful, but I envy your sales tax. New York’s sales taxes kinda vary in each county, but the average is about 8%.
Just curious, does Maryland charge sales tax for school textbooks?
Paperdreamer: Yuck
Ordinaday: Sales tax is in Texas is similar to NY except it can vary by city or municipality. Florida has one tax for the state.
The only textbooks I had that were tax except were Bibles. Of course Bibles are always tax exempt.
Yup, they increased taxes by 1% on the same day that they changed state income tax guidelines. With the guideline changes, I’m now considered a wealthy Marylander and get taxed at 35%. Even though my income was less than the previous year. WTF and Ouch!
Sales tax in Texas may be high but at least there is no state income tax.
No sales tax on Bibles! Well, I guess if you want a cheapie you could scoop a Gideon’s from a hotel room.
5% tax in Japan on everything that I buy. 5% income tax as well
In Canada I’d be paying about 35% income tax 
and 7 to 15% on everything I bought 
Steve —
Tax day sucks but my dad always does mine. I always get my money back. All of it. Ha!
Planetross — I was tempted once. But my dad has many
All I gotta say is enjoy your youth while you still have it. Because one of these days, you’re gonna look back at how things were much cheaper, people treated you with respect, and politicians were ok.
That’s the secret fear of JHU kids. Most of our parents have told us that the best plan is to work hard now and party later when we’re set for life. But we get a little uncertain when we see kids at other school partying like we thought college was supposed to be.
I guess the best idea is moderation. That’s the hardest of the 3 ideals to achieve though.