Here they are, the final two mistakes in Sasha's top-five screw-ups over at Consumerism Commentary. Mistake #4, "Failing to Balance Rental Property Income with Deductible Expenses," is a bit specialized, although it contains a good lesson that can be applied to other situations. It's the final entry, however, that applies to pretty much everyone (we've suffered from it ourselves in the past): "Failing to Remain Competitive Within My Field."

Mistake #4: Failing to Balance Rental Property Income with Deductible Expenses

2007 was great for Sasha as a rental property owner,

...with the properties fully rented for all 12 months. The rent was even paid right on time. It was my lowest-stress year as a landlord on record, and yet this is the worst possible situation for tax purposes.

Mistake #5: Failing to Remain Competitive Within My Field

The last one I'll share is perhaps the worst of all, since it's about more than just money.

If I don't recover from this one, I could pay years of penance, not just suffer through one dismal tax year. My earning potential is something I need to carefully nurture, and that's why I'm kicking myself.

I'm going to start by writing out an action plan for getting my skills back up to snuff. Once I have established clear, S.M.A.R.T. goals, I will set aside at least 30 minutes a day to focus (no multitasking!) on these efforts, whether reading industry publications, attending training, pursuing a skill-building project or networking to learn the latest strategies.

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