I needed some blood tests a few weeks ago, and I was not too motivated to spend hundreds of dollars on an appointment with a primary care physician – since I still don’t have one. I discovered this website, walkinlab.com, where you can order your test online. You choose the lab you want to go to (or the corporation you prefer and you can go to any of their place) and you pay online and you receive, in your account and/or in your email, the doctor order to present to the laboratory. I placed my order late afternoon, I showed up to the lab the next morning, and I received the results in my account 24 hours later. I saw several websites like this but this one seems to have the best prices. I thought it might be a small practical tip to share 🙂

So last week was unfortunately not filled with cool stuff in the evenings, but more practical or necessary stuff. For example, filling my taxes lol.

As a first timer everyone was suggesting I should go somewhere have someone do it for/with me, but I ain’t paying $100 for that! F*** that, I can figure it out myself. And I could, I already had made my research before about how to fill regarding to my marriage and what was allowed and all. I knew all the money I spend on him is considered gifts and I can’t claim him or that money, so basically I knew I was filling married jointly, and there was only my W2 to put in. Well I figured out through a friend (she got a k1 visa to marry her “prison boyfriend” and now is married and live in the USA) that I also had to declare the money I earned in France. But still, my situation was quite simple, no children, no mortgages.

Anyway, I filled on one website (the one my friend used for free) and they wanted me to pay $25 at the end when I qualified for a free filling too (again, we are in the exact same situation, she worked a bit in France then here). It made no sense so I tried somewhere else and the refund was completely different (and much smaller). I don’t even know if they wanted me to pay, I was afraid to actually send it out if I was going further and it was free. So I just went to Turbo Tax like everyone seems to do, it gave me the same refund as the first site and it didn’t ask me for any money, so yeah! I got an email saying it was accepted by IRS so I think I’m officially done with this new milestone in my American life lol. If I get the refund, it will help a little bit to save faster for a car.

Because I’m still working on that. Coming to Jacksonville, I never thought I would be here 6 months without a car!

Last time I went to the bank to ask about it, the lady was almost ready to give me a loan right now, because my savings were good (considering the little few months I’ve been here but the amount is not awesome lol) and my pay stubs are good and so on but then she asked if I had a 2-year or a 10-year green card and since I only have 2 years, 2 years is the maximum time I would have to pay my loan (actually not even 2 years since I’ve been here 6 months now), so the monthly payments would be horrendous. So my options now are pretty much, save until I can buy a car cash (loooong time since I need a safe average car -with a couple of options I can’t live without lol- that’ll last until I’m perfectly settled here and that I can count on to go to and from work everyday + the weekly drive to the prison, even if he is eventually moved 3 hours away from me), or try to get a loan directly from the dealership, which everyone tells me shouldn’t be too hard since they only want to sell (and in the worst case, if I don’t pay, they get the car back) and only look at your ID and credit score.

BUT it leads me to the credit score issue, since I am trying to build one. It seems really slow to update so it looks like it might take a couple of months from today to look good (I have been added as an authorized user on my in-laws card and they have excellent credit so hopefully that’ll help). I am hoping at the end of March I’ll have money for a very good down-payment and that the credit score will look good so I can get an okay deal and buy a car sometime in April. It sounds very far away from here still, but it’s coming I guess…
I’ll make a post to try to explain the credit score system because it’s completely unheard of in France.

Here the social security number reminds me of the Danish CPR (national identity number), it is necessary for everything, in particular, as seen in my previous post, to open a bank account, to obtain a driving license or receiving one’s salary… and later on, to pay taxes.

If you are targeting the same visa as me, the process of obtaining the SSN (Social Security Number) is greatly simplified, you just have to check the box that asks if you want to get one at the online step (DS-260) of the NVC stage and you’ll receive your card directly at your US home!

If you arrive with a work visa and that same option is not available, you’ll have to go to a social security office, about 10 days after your arrival, with your passport and your work permit. 10 days is about the time it takes for them to record your arrival / admission on the American soil.

10 days is also the average time it takes to receive your social security card at home. It arrived in less than a week in my case.
Unfortunately it was of course at my maiden name, and I had to go to an office to ask for a new card. Very simple too, just fill in the appropriate form, and bring your passport with visa and your marriage certificate.
I was given proof of my application and received my new card at home in less than a week!