Aculinks Acupuncture
  • Home
  • Q & A
    • Payments and Services
    • Oregon Health Plan
    • Treatable Disorders
  • Contact Us
    • My Certifications
  • Supplements
  • Amethyst BioMat
  • Blog
  • 中文版
    • 俄勒岡州健康計劃 (OHP)針灸保障
  • Specials

如何在美国用信用卡交联邦收入税赚“零钱”

4/6/2019

0 Comments

 

​网上缴国税的地方

在IRS公布的3个第三方官方服务商收税网站,而且每个网站无论信用卡(Visa,MasterCard, Amex,Discover)都统一费率:
  • PayUSAtax.com :信用卡费率1.98%,最低$2.69。 Debit借记卡固定手续费$2.5.
  • Pay1040.com:信用卡费率1.87%,最低$2.59。Debit借记卡固定手续费$2.58
  • OfficialPayments.com:信用卡费率2.00%,最低$2.50。Debit借记卡$2.00-$3.95
*开公司的人士,这些手续费都是可以用来报税减税的。

对美国信用卡有研究的人写到这里就明白了吧。你可以通过以下三个方式税赚零钱。


  • 方便度:中,获利量:高,可重复性:低。第一个方式适合一次性“赚钱”。
    • 美国大部分开新信用卡时会给开户奖励,但都需要开户后3个月内花费$1000-$3000,花费要求比较低或者没有年费的信用卡当然奖励也较低。比如 Amex Blue Cash Everyday® Card ,开户后3个月内花费$1000,就送$200现金回赠。 门槛更低的 Chase Freedom® 开户后3个月内花费$500,就送$150 现金回赠。
    • 举例:预付税款1040-ES, $981.64的税款加上$18.36 手续费共$1000(使用最低手续费的 pay1040.com 1.87%)就可以得到$200 的开户奖励,加信用卡本身$1000的1%使用回赠($10), 减除手续费相当于获利$191.64(19.1%)。
    • 这个方法很适合刚刚开始有信用卡的人,学生或者新移民需要加强自己的信用度,或者方便为了达到一些银行开户信用卡的奖励但高花费要求。
  • 方便度:高,获利量:低,可重复性:高。第二个方式适合长期使用。
    • 特别说一下 Citi Double Cash Card , 需然没有开户奖励,但在没有年费的情况下所有花费都有2%回赠。
      • 举例:使用pay1040.com,每交$1000税款,信用卡$18.70手续费,$20.37回赠,减除手续费获利$1.67(0.16%)。
      • 这个方法很适合开公司的人士。每$1000税款需然只赚零头$1.67, 可是小数怕长记。而且因为使用了信用卡,只要在一个月内付清,就等于免费给多自己一个月时间准备资金交税。
  • 方便度:低,获利量:中,可重复性:中。 第三个方法相对其它方法比较麻烦,可是获利较多。
    • 在特定时间使用特定信用卡购买现金借记卡。Visa和MasterCard都有在超市,办公用品店,和网上平台销售借记现金卡(Cash Debit Card)。这些现金借记卡一般都要$5-$7的开卡费,额度限制在$500。特定信用卡,比如 Chase Freedom® ,2019年4-6月份在超市购买这些借记现金卡,是可以拿到5%额外回赠(一定要看清信用卡公司写明适用的商店,比如Walmart和Target是不适用的。不肯定的时候可以先在那些商店普通购买商品,然后大约一星期后看看信用卡的网站上看有没有得5%额外回赠,如果没有5%或对商品没有需要也可以直接退货)。部分商业信用卡用户本来可以在办公用品店(Staples,OfficeMax,Office Depot)得到5%额外回赠。网上平台giftcards.com通过现金回赠网,例如 Topcashback 可以额外拿到1%。
      • 举例1:使用 Chase Freedom®,2019年4-6月份在超市Fred Meyer购买一张$500借记现金卡,开卡费$5.95,5%额外回赠$25.29。然后在OfficialPayments.com以Debit借记卡方式预付$498的税和$2手续费,减除费用获利$17.34 (3.4%)。
      • 举例2:使用Citi Double Cash Card通过 Topcashback 现金回赠网到giftcards.com购买$500借记现金卡, 电子版开卡费$4.95,现金回赠网给$500的1%,加上Citi Double Cash Card $504.95的2%,然后同样在OfficialPayments.com以Debit借记卡方式预付$498的税和$2手续费,减除费用获利$8.15(1.6%)。
      • 对于本来就没有什么税的人士(学生,老人),只要你在你自己或者会计申报之前做以上方法式付额外税款,等退税的时候这些钱就会退回来(3-4个月),单是第三个方法的3.4%就比一般银行存款利率高,而且还可以提高自己的信用度。
      • 注意:购买Debit借记卡后是需要到发卡公司的网站填写个人资料,名字,地址,电话号码等(预防洗黑钱)。公司的网站一般写在卡的背面右上方。

每个交税的payment都要报在一个对应的IRS表格上。对于学生和工作拿工资的人来说,网上付税最常见的表格有4类:1040,1040X,1040-ES,4868。这里只说一下这几类表格的功能,对于报税人需要使用哪种表格,请咨询会计师或者税务律师。
  1. 1040。1040表格这类包括所有的1040开头的正式报税表格(除了1040X),比如1040,1040NR,1040-EZ,1040NR-EZ,等。需要报在1040系列税表上的税款,在选Payment Form的时候要选这项,当然还要选定税务年份。这种通常是补欠税用的。 网上用信用卡付税是有次数限制的,这个限制在IRS官方网页有说明:每个表格每年度每个收税商可以付款2次,因为有3个收税服务商,总共可以付款6次。
  2. 1040X。 1040X是更改已经报过的1040系列税表时候使用的更改表。这种通常是补欠税用的。和1040相同,每年度每个收税商可以付款2次。
  3. 1040-ES。1040-ES是预付将来的税款使用的表格。这个可以先多付一部分,再拿回。每季度每个收税商可以付款2次。
  4. 4868。4868表是需要请求IRS延长报税期限时候用的表格。每年的正常报税期限是4月15日左右,使用4868可以把这个期限延长到当年的10月1日,当然,如果欠税,需要和4868表同时递交先把税补齐。4868可以补欠税,也可以多付,以后填1040的时候再拿回多付的。每年度每个收税商可以付款2次。

IRS提供一个可以免费付税同时查看过去的一个年度付税记录的网站:EFTPS.gov (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System)。
  • 这个网站需要用自己的真实报税信息注册之后才能使用;
  • 密码登陆:IRS会邮寄一个密码到报税时候使用的家庭地址,需时大约1到2周。然后才能登陆系统。密码忘记或者遗失的话IRS可以再寄一次。
  • 虽然EFTPS.gov也提供网上付税,但是因为只能从银行支票账户直接付,没有手续费可是也没有赚头。
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

五行隔砭石灸 (Five Element Indirect Bian Stone Moxibustion)

4/30/2016

0 Comments

 
2013年作者向南京市名中医,陶崑医师学习隔鳖甲灸使用和操作。同年根据美国国情和不同病情的需要对隔鳖甲灸作岀改动,以隔鳖甲灸为基础,使用五行相生之思路来离补经改动后形成的缺点,形成了今天的五行隔砭石灸.

灸穴
  1. 泌尿系统疾病:神阙、气海、关元、中极、水道、肾俞、膀胱俞、八髎穴
  2. 生殖系统疾病:神阙、气海、关元、归来、肾俞、命门、八髎穴
  3. 消化系统疾病:中脘、建里、神阙、天枢、气海、脾俞、胃俞、脊中

灸治时间:每日一次,每次灸l—2壮,十次为一疗程,休息5—7天可做第二疗程。若冬病夏治,可根据病情在每伏灸治5—7天。若保健养生治疗,可每周 1—2次。

操作方法:在用红色棉布做成的帽状灸具中,先放置200克盐,盐上再扣放鳖甲壳一枚,然后将用艾绒做成的大艾炷放在鳖甲壳上,点燃后整体放在需要灸治的部位上。每次灸1—2壮。十次为一疗程。


Picture
隔鳖甲灸
Picture
陶崑隔鳖甲灸
大部分美国针灸诊所因为室内排气和病人对艾烟过敏,无法像隔鳖甲灸般燃烧大量艾绒,就算先在其他地方烧艾成炭,艾烟排到室外也可能受到邻居的投诉。本灸法能够根据诊所个别情况方便医师调陪艾绒与无烟艾条的比例。

布袋外的手柄能让病人根据个人温度适应程度,方便移动到其他部位。加上艾是在金属灸具内燃烧和布袋外加一层防火布料,大大减低了病人在移动布袋时意外让艾炭烧伤自己或烧坏布袋。

金属灸具本身也能方便医师快速添加或减少艾绒、艾条的量来控制治疗温度和时间。

因为在国外得到大量可用的全鳖甲比较困难(鳖甲一般经过5-7次的使用后会出现裂痕、破碎),为了符合经济效益和代替鳖甲的“阴”,除了改为使用“海”盐外还添加了各种“阴性”碎片,比如黑色的砭石(阴中带阳,能加强艾灸的远红外射线功效),贝壳(如果无法得到鳖甲碎片),和其他适合高温的中草药粉末可提高针对治疗个别病症的疗效。

 “五行”主要是为其意:
火生土(火烧艾绒、艾条成炭土)
土生金(金属灸具,不锈钢中和,铜质温和)
金生水(海盐和“阴性”碎片)
水生木(中草药粉末和竹木纤维布料)
木生火(体内正阳之气)

灸治时间和操作方法与隔鳖甲灸相同,手柄更方便病人自己移动灸具到四肢关节。
Picture
孔氏五行隔砭石灸
Picture
0 Comments

Vitamin D Status Predicts Hip Fracture Risk

5/18/2013

1 Comment

 
According to a new Norwegian research report, having low serum levels of vitamin D is tied to risk of hip fracture in older patients.

In order to reach serum Vitamin D concentrations equivalent to ingesting approximately 20,000 IU of vitamin D2, one needs exposure to 1 minimal erythemal dose of simulated sunlight (the amount required to cause a slight pinkness of the skin,
Holick MF. Vitamin D: the underappreciated D-lightful hormone that is important for skeletal and cellular health. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2002;9:87–98).

However, the majority of the adult living and working in the Northwest, the rain and clouds had severely limited us from reaching the recommended serum Vitamin D level. And with Vitamin D also closely related to other disease preventions, such  as Osteoporosis, Colorectal Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Autoimmune Diseases, and Hypertension, isn't it time for you to look into Vitamin D supplements if you haven't already?
1 Comment

Nin-Ya-Baat, the Day of Cleansing

2/8/2013

1 Comment

 
Today is Nin-Ya-Baat (年廿八), the Chinese name for the 28th day of the month 12, meaning in two days it will be the Lunar New Year. As a tradition, today is when one "Wash away the dirt" a.k.a. the "Big Cleansing". It is believed to receive the good lucks of the coming year, one has to clears away all the bad lucks from the year before by cleaning and tidy up the place. While this practice usually applies to homes and businesses, but I don't see why we shouldn't do to same for our bodies.

Here is tasty herbal tea drink designed to help clears out the toxin in your body, especially useful after your Super Bowl party.

Honeysuckle Tea

Ingredients:
  • Jin Yin Hua (Honeysuckle Flower) 50g
  • Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum Flower) 50g
  • Shan Zha (Hawthorn Fruit) 50g
  • Honey

Steps:
  1. Place the honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, and hawthorn together into a pot of water (8 cups, or 2000mL) and bring to a boiled for 30 minutes.
  2. Strain out the tea into a second pot.
  3. Add another 6 cups of water to the first pot and boiled for another 30 minutes.
  4. And strain out this second batch and mix with the first.
  5. Allow the tea to cool down on the counter top.
  6. Pour the tea into your favor cup, add a little bit honey and enjoy.
1 Comment

Eight Chinese herbs that help treat hangovers.

1/25/2013

0 Comments

 
Most of us enjoy a drink now and then, often when socializing with friends and family. And when you are in Oregon, you just have to try those microbrews. While modern research shows drinking can be beneficial depending on your age, health status, and how much you drink. However, its harmfulness should not be overlook, such as alcohol abuse.

But for those socializing (“party”) drinkers, hangover is a more immediate issue. Here are eight Chinese herbs that have shown good efficacy in treating hangovers.

1.     Zhi Ju Zi (Turnjujube)
  • Zhi Ju Zi has the ability to treat drunkenness, heat-irritability (vexation), thirst, vomiting, heat-related incontinence and constipation.
  • In the “South Yunnan Materica Medica” (“Diān Nán Bĕn Căo”, ~1436 CE), Zhi Ju Zi “treats all paralyzed and numbness of the limbs, rheumatism, numbness, cure alcohol-poisoning (hangover)."

2.     Bai Bian Dou (Lablab, Hyacinth Bean)
  • Bai Bian Dou has the ability to strengthen the Spleen, transforms dampness, and eliminates summer-heat.
  • In the “Materica Medica Sketches” (“Bĕn Căo Tú Jīng”, ~1061 CE), Bai Bian Dou “treats vaginal discharge, also treats alcohol-poisoning (hangover) and pufferfish toxin (tetrodotoxin).”

3.     Ge Gen Hua (Pueraria Flower)
  • Ge Gen Hua is excellent in treating hangover, wakes the Spleen and harmonizes the Stomach; alleviate thirst, indicated for excessive drinking, headache, dizziness, polydipsia (excessive thirst), vomiting, bloating, fullness, and etc.

4.     Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum Flower)
  • Ju Hua has the ability to disperse wind-heat, sedate the Liver and brighten the eyes, and resolving toxicity.

5.     Ku Shen (Flavescent Sophora Root)
  • Ku Shen has the ability to clear heat, and dry dampness, kill parasites and promote urination.
  • In the “Annotated Notes on Materica Medica” (“Bĕn Căo Jīng Shū”, ~1625 CE), Ku Shen “treats hangovers, alleviates thirst, brightens the eyes, and shows great effectiveness against swine dysentery, malnutrition, and other dysentery”.

6.     Gao Liang Jiang (Galanga)
  • Gao Liang Jiang has the ability to disperse cold, stops pain, warms the middle and stop vomit.
  • In the “New Materica Medica” (“Bĕn Căo Cōng Xīn”, ~1757 CE), Gao Liang Jiang “warms the Stomach, and dispel the cold, dissolve food stagnation and cures hangover, and treats epigastric cold-pain.”

7.     Rou Dou Kou (Nutmeg)
  • Rou Dou Kou has the ability to warm the Spleen and Stomach, promotes the movement of Qi, and binds up the Intestines to stop diarrhea.
  • In the “Yi Hua Zi Chinese Materia Medica” (“Rì Huá Zĭ Zhū Jiā Bĕn Căo”, Date Published Unknown), Rou Dou Kou "harmonizes the middle, descends Qi, stops diarrhea and dysentery, promote appetite, dissolve food stagnation . . . cures hangover and cholera”.

8.     Cao Guo (Tsaoko Fruit)
  • Cao Guo has the ability to dry dampness, dispel cold, expectorant, and checks malaria.
  • In the “Grand Compendium of Materia Medica” (“Bĕn Căo Gāng Mù”, ~1578 CE), cited by Gao Yu Li, “warms the Spleen and Stomach, and stops vomiting . . . cures hangover . . . .”

These eight Chinese herbs have shown good efficacy in treating hangover, and some since the 1000 CE, so why not give them a try next time you wanted a natural remedy for hangovers. For more details please go visit you local herbalist or acupuncturist, and Please Drink Responsibly.

0 Comments

Tonify the Kidney to fortify against the Cold Evil

1/20/2013

2 Comments

 
Picture
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we believe that Cold is the major Qi of the Winter, considered to be an Yin Evil, it could easily damage the body’s Yang Qi, causing stagnation of Qi and Blood.

Longevity Principle: according to the ancient TCM textbook, the “Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine”, we should nourish the Yin during the autumn and winter seasons.

Other than paying attention to exercise and keeping warm (such as walking, jogging, and keep warm in order to prevent the occurrence of respiratory diseases), one should also modify their diet to be “nourishing tonics”, so we could "Tonify the Kidney to fortify against the Cold Evil."

After spring, summer, and autumn seasons, the accumulated consumption of the internal organs’ energy tense to lead to partial deficiency of both Yin and Yang. Thus reasonable tonic can replenish the blood fluid against the Cold invasion of this year and the next.

Recommended diet: the consumption of foods such as lamb, chicken, walnut, Chinese jujube, longan fruit, yam, lotus seed, lily bulb, and chestnut has the functions to tonify the Spleen and Stomach, warms the Kidney Yang, tonify the Spleen to dissolve Phlegm, and tonify the Lungs to stop couch. Those with body constitutions consider being more hot and in excess should not eat these foods in excess. And as a general rule, avoid all cold foods, such as ice cream and cold raw foods.


2 Comments

Strengthen your Yang energy this season.

1/14/2013

3 Comments

 
Here is a simple TCM recipe to tonify your Liver and Yang Qi this season to do just that (especially for our male friends).

The pickle ginger slices:


  1. Wash and dried fresh gingers
  2. Cut the gingers into thin slices.
  3. Take a small bowl or other container, add ginger, pour rice vinegar (or if you can get your hands on the Chinese black vinegar, which would be better) just enough to cover the top of the slices.
  4. Place the container (covered) into the refrigerator, and the slices will be edible after three days.

Direction: Take 1-3 thin slices in the morning (7-9 AM) after breakfast. 7-9 AM is when the Stomach Channel has the maximum energy. Eating ginger slices at this time would also uplift the Stomach Qi and promote digestion. However, eating these ginger slices is not recommended for noon or in the evening, especially not for nights.

3 Comments

TCM preventions against the flu.

1/13/2013

1 Comment

 
As the TCM saying goes "exogenous cold, (is) the source of sickness”. Influenza (flu) is a highly contagious disease, peaking in the winter and spring seasons. In everyday life, there are many ways to prevent or reduce the probability of being infected; according to the flu.gov (2013), a federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the best way to protect yourself from the flu are vaccination, and by follow these simple steps such as: hand washing, avoid touching your face, avoid close contact with sick people, get plenty of sleep and exercise, drink plenty of fluids and eat healthy, etc.. Here I also present to you three TCM methods, and invite you to give them a try this flu season.

Vinegar Fumigation: Vinegar contains acetic acid and other active ingredients that had certain properties to cure infestations of various molds and other contagions. For each room you wish to fumigation, mix in a pot consisted of 100mL of vinegar and 200ml of water, bring it into a slow boil and allows the vapors to fill the house. If a room is too far from the kitchen, carefully pour a portion of the mixture in a large mug, and place the mug in the center of that room. Again, allow the vapor to fill the room (caution: do not burn yourself or others during this process).

Herbal Sachet: 15g of Gao Liang Jiang (Galanga), 15g of Pei Lan (Eupatorium), 5g of Gui Pi (Cinnamon bark), 1g of Bing Pian (Borneol), 0.3g of Xiong Hung (Realgar), and 0.5g of Zhang Nao (Camphor). Grind these herbs into fine powders, place them inside a teabag or sachet, and simply put it in your chest pocket. These herbs have a function to warm the interior, expel cold, and open the orifices.

Acupoint massage: Regular massages of your acupoints Yin-Tang (M-HN-3), Tai-Yang (M-HN-9), He-Gu (LI4), and Ying-Xiang (LI20) also play a preventive role against the flu.


During an influenza season, it is necessary to minimize or not to participate in large gatherings and group activities. And for those already sick with the flu, you should stay home and to take protective measures to prevent yourself from infecting others, those who are in close contact with the patient should wear surgical mask.
1 Comment

The six small symptoms that indicates Kidney Deficiency, (5-6/6)

1/13/2013

0 Comments

 
Backache and discomfort: The waist area is the "mansion" of the Kidney, and the lack of Kidney Essence would result in inadequately supplied “mansion”, back pain and other related symptoms will appear, and must be taken seriously.

Forgetfulness: Kidney Essence nourishes the bones, but it also nourishes the brain (Sea of Marrow) because the bones are the cavity that houses the Marrow.  When you notice your memory isn’t what it used to be, it is the telltale sign of Kidney Essence Deficiency.

When treating for Kidney Deficiency, we must first identify the root cause in order to improve the symptoms of the Kidney. Common causes of Kidney Deficiency are mainly the following: congenital deficiency; emotional disorders, moodiness, emotional excesses; excessive sexual intercourse; chronic illness that damages the Kidney; aging and ailing. The treatment principles are intimately related to the imbalance of Yin and Yang. One needs to correctly differentiate between Kidney Yang Deficiency and Kidney Yin Deficiency (in Deficiency of Yang, tonify Yang; In Deficiency of Yin, nourish Yin), otherwise the treatment will be counterproductive.

0 Comments

The six small symptoms that indicates Kidney Deficiency, (2-4/6)

1/12/2013

1 Comment

 
Hearing loss (gradual), tinnitus, and feelings of agitation: According to TCM theory our facial features, our eyes, tongue, mouth, nose, and ears corresponds to the five internal organs Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung, and Kidney. Our ears’ auditory functions are closely related to the Kidney. When Kidney is functioning normally, so does our hearing. Conversely, when symptoms of tinnitus, feelings of agitation, and/or gradual hearing loss occur, one should consider the possibility of Kidney Yin Deficiency.

Loose teeth: Kidneys control the bones, and bones rely on the nourishment of the Kidney Essence. The teeth are considered an ‘extension of the Bones’, so the state of bones have a direct impact on the teeth. Kidney Deficiency could lead to malnourishment of the bones, which in turn leads to loose teeth.  Both Kidney Yin Deficiency and Kidney Qi Deficiency could cause loose teeth.

Hair loss or premature graying: from TCM theory, the kidneys manifest in the hair, and hair is the surplus of blood
. Since the kidneys play a role in transforming stored essence into blood, they are thought to be the origin of hair. Kidney Qi Deficiency or excessive worry would affect the quality and quantity of hair. Under normal circumstances, graying start after the age of 40, this is due to the nature but gradual decay of Kidney Essence. The malnourished hair begins to turn gray, and as a natural phenomenon, no treatment is needed. But if the hair loss and graying occurred suddenly, it is mostly likely caused by the disruption of the body's functional activities of Qi, and treatment is recommended.

1 Comment
<<Previous

    site disclaimer

    Aculinks Blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
    See additional information.

    Archives

    April 2019
    April 2016
    May 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Flu
    Herbs
    Kidney Deficiency
    Kidney Xu

    RSS Feed

7636 SE Foster Road
Portland, Oregon 97206-5225
P: 503-473-3613
F: 503-972-1849

Schedule your appointment online (DISABLEd)
GET CASH-BACK BY SHOPPING WITH US (USA)
Check OUT our Far-ir Amethyst BioMat
Copyright Aculinks Acupuncture, Inc. © 2022 |  All Rights Reserved |  Website Disclaimer