http://www.saveorspend.com Top 50 save or spend stories I am a youngin and have received a total of three refund checks, all during my college years. The somewhat paltry check came at just the right time to be used towards a spring break trip. I spent my tax refund on ski rentals, food, gas and hotels. Now that I am out of college and have all the wisdom that is inherent with being a college graduate (cough, cough), I definitely plan to save. This year, a portion of my check will go towards paying off some of my student loans and the rest will go into the emergency savings account I am working on building. Being grown-up is so boring! Thu, 01 Mar 2007 15:10:22 GMT Each year, in January, I begin looking forward to the lump sum tax return I have begun to count on each year.  Most of the time, I am really good about using the money to pad my savings account, but it is nice to know that if I needed to, I could use the money to pay down debt, or pay for a big-ticket item or a splurge.  I know that I could adjust my withholdings, so I don't give Uncle Sam an interest free loan, but honestly, I think the lump sum is much better for me than an extra $20 in my paycheck might be.  Thu, 01 Mar 2007 15:11:11 GMT Two years ago we were anticipating a rather large tax refund, unlike previous years. Our initial plans were to put it away for a rainy day! Well, Disneyworld became our "rainy day"! On the exact day we received our check in the mail we also got a Disneyworld vacation planner DVD. Talk about timing? I admit I did order the DVD, but we were looking at going in about 2 years. We had no plans for a big vacation that year. However, after watching the DVD our 3 kids (ages 11, 8, 6) were begging us to take them. How could we say no? We did have a large sum that we were not expecting, so we got on the internet and let the kids make all the decsions. They looked for hours before deciding on what resort, what parks, what airlines. To make a long story short, the five of us spend 9 days in Orlando and loved every minute of it. We probably won't ever get a vacation like that again but it was well worth it just to watch the smile on our kids faces. They still talk about it to this day! Thu, 01 Mar 2007 15:33:35 GMT Each September I begin my strategy for saving by preparing a mock tax return. I calculate anticipated income from all sources, exemptions, deductions, credits and finally taxes owed or refund due. Next, I figure the changes I can make before the end of the year to try to maximize tax benefits. My final decision this past September was to fund our 2006 IRA earlier than usual and have my wife, a registered nurse, schedule 3 days off without pay, in December, that reduced her income by about $500 gross. Those two decisions resulted in an extra $1,600 of tax refund. Our total tax refund, more than $8,000, will go toward funding our IRAs for the coming year. Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:40:33 GMT I've owned my home outright for almost two years. This year, I reaped the rewards with a nice chunk of change from the IRS. I've already received my refund and put it straight into my money market account to watch it earn interest. Owning a home is a lot of work-- from keeping up the yard, to making necessary repairs, etc., but it also has it perks. My situation is a case in point! Tue, 06 Mar 2007 12:32:55 GMT My husband and I work very hard each year figuring out our income taxes owed and our income tax contributions so we don't have much of a refund. I think it is more important to save our extra cash in an interest-bearing account than let the IRS hold it for us for nothing in return! Tue, 06 Mar 2007 14:11:06 GMT So, are you really going to sock away a measily $200? I guess the smartest person in the room is probably raising a hand right about now. My answer is no. I am a college student and I'm using it all. Well, I actually used it already. In fact, I'm broke again. When can you file 2008 taxes? I'm kidding. I've always relied on the great words of one of the most important women in my life, my grandmother. She's a "back-woods-er" who's lived in the same rural East Texas town since birth. Her words - "Don't take it all too seriously. Live life, have fun and be young because I'm too damn old to even remember what it felt like." Wed, 07 Mar 2007 16:38:27 GMT I got my income tax refund back and decided to throw it at the debt. I put some of it away in the savings accounts and I am putting all the rest of it on the colt loan. Actually all of the money is in the high interest account that I have with Electric Orange for this month. When it is time for the next payment I will send the check via Electric Orange and I will have just $500 left to pay on that debt. Wow! I was aiming on paying $150 per month which means I will be done with that loan by the beginning of July…which is a much better sounding time to me. Depending on how things go with my finances I may be able to pay $200 a month and then I will be free to shake off the shackles of the colt loan at the beginning of June. I hope I get all that money in so that I can make that big $200 payment in April so that I can be done with that loan soon. Wed, 07 Mar 2007 18:16:25 GMT During 2006 I paid a chunk of change towards my education. Luckily, I qualified for an education tax credit. This credit allowed my husband and I to get a large refund back. We are putting it into our credit union account in order to earn the most interest on it. None of it will go to our debt because we have been working diligently to pay the debts off. In about two months we will be completely debt free until I start Grad school in August when I will be taking out a small student loan to pay what I cannot. Hopefully, once I graduate with my Doctorate, we will be able to take a vacation with part of our savings. Sun, 11 Mar 2007 20:44:39 GMT When I was a senior in college, I coordinated a tutoring program for inner-city children at a social justice agency. These children, aged 5 to 8, all became permanent pieces of my heart and I miss them terribly. Seeing them smile or hearing them read a book flawlessly after many rough starts became the highlights of my days. I speak and think of them often, even though I haven't been back to my college town since I graduated. It would mean more than anything to me to be able to save a sizeable sum to give to this social justice agency so that they can continue their tutoring programs. One day I hope to start my own tutoring program or youth learning center, but I'd like to first give back to the children who taught me more about life than I ever imagined. Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:57:56 GMT Last year we paid off a debt, but this year we are taking care of the debt before it happens. My wife is in graduate school (to be a Christian counselor) and we decided that by spending this money wisely, we can avoid borrowing money to pay for school next year. (Because she is in school, we get a nice return.) Hopefully the year after she graduates we can start our children's college fund with the return Wed, 14 Mar 2007 18:35:55 GMT ...a little from column B. We've become a bit wary over the past few years about spending EVERYTHING, so we put about a quarter of our refund into a money-making account of some kind. However, we're not complete killjoys. :) Two years ago, we put a down payment on a nice car to replace the 16-year-old SUV. Last year, we saved the refund all year and made a Thanksgiving trip to see my family, who hadn't seen our youngest daughter yet. This year, we're giving my oldest daughter a huge birthday bash and buying some new furniture. We already have plans for next year as well -- 25% into a savings/investment account, a new HD TV set, and whatever's left over will likely pay off the car we got 2 years ago. The obvious downside to this is the standard "interest free loan to the government." The upside to a method like this may not be so obvious, but aside from the car payment, we have no debt. We like it like that. :) Wed, 14 Mar 2007 19:48:18 GMT At the beginning of the year, I figured out exactly how much money I would owe to or receive from the IRS depending on how many deductions I took on my W-2, using the tax calculators on irs.gov. I could have avoided the refund, but I would have owed Uncle Sam $78 come April 15th. Instead, I had $48 less each paycheck. My savings goal, which began the day I became engaged, was to start my marriage off with a little more than hopes and dreams. Because I'm already a good saver and well on my way to meeting my goals, I doubt I would have been inspired to save that extra $48. Instead, I would have spent it on chicken salad sandwiches at our cafeteria (they really are delicious) and peppermint mochas at everyone's favorite coffee house. With my big refund, I'll be able to immediately pay for our honeymoon to Africa. We'll eat couscous and drink Arabic coffee, and I won't regret one missed chicken salad sandwich. Wed, 14 Mar 2007 21:44:01 GMT I will be using this year’s tax refund in two ways firstly to pay an extra month on my mortgage. I love having a mortgage because the interest lowers the amount of taxes to be paid to the federal government but having that monthly payment drives me crazy. So I figure since the government gives me money back for having a mortgage I might as well use it to get rid of the devil. Secondly, I will be using the other half to go to my prosper account (prosper.com) it is a website that let’s you lend directly to people who need the money without the bank getting involved. I get a very good rate of return and am able to help someone else, whether it is paying off credit card bills, starting a business or whatever cause I deem worthy for my money to go to. I get very excited to see what different projects my account will fund that it almost feels like I am spending money! Wed, 14 Mar 2007 23:01:33 GMT I believe I am putting my refund into the best use at the time by using it to help put a down payment on a house. At just 22 I've already grown very tired of paying out rent and seeing very little for it. I made it my goal this year to get out of the rent trap and start building equity on a major purchase: my first home. I am happy to be able to apply the refund to the down payment as it helps leverage some of the other things I will need to buy (see: fridge). I think by using the money in this way I am stopping myself from throwing more money into a rental place and gaining another investment. Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:51:35 GMT If your tax return is lager than 12 times your average electric bill, then you can apply 1/2 of the amount you would have beening paying for electric to an emergency fund account. Then you can apply the other 1/2 of your would be electric bill to the credit card with the highest rate of interest. Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:58:41 GMT I know that most financial experts will tell me it's stupid to plan for a large return, but we do it anyway. I see it as a bit of enforced discipline that makes for a nice springtime windfall. Some years, we save it, or, in the past, used it to pay off consumer debt. Some years we spend it, most recently on a family trip to Disney World, which my 4-year-old daughter is still talking about six months later. This year, we're spending it. We've grown to the point where it's time for a larger home. The cars are paid off, the consumer debt is paid off, and we're spending our tax return as earnest money and a partial payment on the lot where our new home is being built. Come August, that "stupid" tax refund will be part of the foundation of the new home I expect to retire in. Thu, 15 Mar 2007 10:36:21 GMT As a single mother with a moderately low income, I tend to get fairly large tax returns. I used to spend those before I even got them and then conveniently not pay the full balance of the credit card bills so that I was digging a hole for myself. Perhaps some of you can relate. This past year, I got out of credit card debt and have decided that 2007 will be the year in which I become a financially responsible person. I did my taxes as soon as I possibly could, received my rebate and tucked it into a savings account. I did allow myself to spend $150 of the "extra" money on whatever I wanted, and have put the rest in a high interest earning savings account. While a part of me really wanted to buy that fancy new digital camera or a new laptop computer, I feel better knowing that the money is working for me and that by saving now, I'll allow myself the freedom to do more in the future. Thu, 15 Mar 2007 11:58:33 GMT My federal and state refunds are never more than $1,000 each, more like just a few hundred. I like saving, but I also really like a chunk of "extra" money to spend on a treat. Letting the IRS hold it for me is like putting it in a cookie jar to save, but the IRS won't let me sneak out $20 here and there "just this once". Each year, I take the larger refund and put it towards a credit card bill. You can view this as saving because you're paying down debt, or you can view it as spending because it's paying off money spent on consumer goods! However, I take the other refund and I spend it on whatever I want. Fancy new purse from Coach? Sure! New surround sound? Okay! New Kitchen Aid mixer? Yes! This year, that extra money has bought a ticket to Scotland where we'll be vacationing in a few months. Too bad it's not enough to buy a castle! Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:55:37 GMT I wish I could say I was saving our refund to top off our 3-6 month living expense emergency fund, but I'll probably need it to spend it on landscaping. I'm not even sure how much we'll get back, since this is the first year I've been married. In fact since May '06 I've graduated, got married, bought a house, and am now expecting a child. One of my friends jokingly asked me how it felt to go from age 23 straight to 30 in six months flat. Since we just moved in to our new house, we'll need some landscaping so the HOA doesn't flip their lid. So really it's a wise choice as it's an investment in our property, but it sure would have been nice to see the savings account jump up. Maybe next year! Thu, 15 Mar 2007 15:53:09 GMT Until this year, we always spent ours, by buying stuff, cars, clothes, etc. Last month I read the Dave Ramsey book along with the Millionaire Next Door. Both were life changing books. We received a larger than usual return this year and used it to pay off as much debt as we could. We did buy a few small things we needed/wanted, as I think in order to save you have to reward yourself a little, much like dieting. I agree with those that say it isn't in your best financial interest to get a return, as if you are disciplined enough, you should be saving that money monthly and investing or saving it. We have never been disciplined enough to do that, so taxes were a way of "forcing" us save. We are still trying to overcome the people in the mirror, as they are the major problem with our money. If you are in debt, use your return to get out. Debt is a ball and chain that weighs you down, and keeps you from achieving your personal and financial goals. Fri, 16 Mar 2007 08:30:46 GMT Money used to be no object to me. Then reality set in. I am getting married next year, I had over $20,000 in debt until I joined a DMP through MMI. I have done my taxes this year and to my surprise have received the largest amount of money that I ever have received before. I decided to put half of it towards my bills, and the rest I have decided to save. I will most likely spend it for my wedding, but knowing that I have it in the savings account and that I am not touching it for a long time, just feels great to me. I have never been much of a saver and just having any lump of cash in that account has really made me feel better about myself. It is a great feeling to finally not live pay check to pay check. My Tax refund has helped me in achieving this goal. I will be continueing to add to that savings account too. Sat, 17 Mar 2007 15:24:18 GMT While I am not planning on spending my refund on frivilous purchases, I do plan on blowing my entire refund on one big spender item... MY CAR LOAN. My wife and I have been on an intense debt reduction kick for the last several months. When we realized that we were getting a rather large refund (darn those interest free loans to the government!!) we almost lost sight of our goals. We don't usually see a lump sum of cash like this sitting in our laps. Thankfully we supported each other through our many urges to splurge to the point of getting back on track. As a result, as soon as the refund hits our account, we plan on sending it right on down to the bank that holds our car loan! Because of our debt killing plan as well as our refund, we will be paying off our car early next year... a full 3 years early! Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:07:56 GMT I'll admit it: I haven't made very good financial decisions in the past. I used to live from paycheck to paycheck, very rarely having any leftover to put into my savings. It's time for a change. I've come up with a plan, and now I'm going to follow that plan. I want to first create an emergency fund that I WILL NOT touch. Every single penny of my tax refund is going into this fund. Simply put, I'm going to stash it away and pretend it doesn't exist. If I do this every year with my tax refund, I'll have a very nice emergency fund after a couple of years. I'll be secure in my finances and in my knowledge that I'm doing something right with my money. Tue, 20 Mar 2007 14:36:33 GMT This yea,r I managed to save over half of my tax money. I do not plan to touch it. Instead, I am learning to live with less money. If I decrease my spending I can increase my savings. I am more concerned with having an emergency fund than I was several years ago. I hope to keep it up. Most of the things I buy are not important. They are wants and not needs. Learning to separate wants from needs will improve my saving's plan. Wed, 21 Mar 2007 10:07:36 GMT I'm planning on using my refund to purchase new doors for the home I just bought. I need to purchase these doors for the safety of my family. Then, I will put the rest into a savings account for an Emergency Fund. Oh, yes of course, pay my tithes at church. Always have to give God some. Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:02:43 GMT I plan to put my refund into an account that will grow and I can't touch for a year. I have lived for the last 14 years spending every penny I ever get to help my daughter who has had cancer 4 times (since the age of 8) go forward while still caring for my 3 other daughters. I have finally paid off most of her medical bills and all the kids are grown and gone. Even the cancer survivor, who is now in a great fashion design school and doing great on her own. It feels good to breathe again and I want to build a big enough nest egg to retire on in a few years. Its been a long time coming, and it feels great. Thu, 22 Mar 2007 02:45:17 GMT I am a student and still a dependant of my parents. I work part time and take 15-12 hours of courses. When I got my W-2 from my previous employer I just laughed. I will only get back $35. My mom's advice? Don't Blow it All on Bubble Gum. As it is, I will probably use it to buy groceries since I am currently working at a non-paid internship. Fri, 23 Mar 2007 16:55:58 GMT I have an older refrigerator which is not particularly energy-efficient. Since I don't eat out very often, it is essential for me to have an effective, efficient refrigerator adequate to my food preparation and storage needs. This year's refund will go to purchasing a new, energy efficient model... as energy prices increase, one must find ways to maximize the benefits of the energy we consume, and reduce that expenditure whenever possible. I expect to see the positive effects of that expenditure in a lower electric bill every month. That's my strategy, those are my reasons... Fri, 30 Mar 2007 03:23:03 GMT My husband and I received our first HUGE tax refund. I couldn't believe it. When I saw the amount in TaxTurbo I almost fainted. At first we had all these plans. . .pay off our credit card debt, pay the student loans, pay off our debt. . .well. . . it didn't happen that way. The day the funds hit our bank, I was so elated I went out and spent my first $200. Then that felt so good, my husband and I both spent another $500 each. (Now, before I go on, please understand. We both come from deprived homes. This was a first and (hopefully) a only type of thing) We were at the mall for seven hours. I couldn't believe how fast it all went. The next day, we had to dip less in the account than Before that refund. lol. All in all, it was the best time in my life. I was able to be carefree and for once feel young again. I know it wasn't the smartest thing to do, which is why it will be the last, but hey. . . Live life to the fullest!!! Fri, 30 Mar 2007 19:03:35 GMT I have been saving all my returns in a high yield CD that I carry over and add each new tax year refund to it. I was the first in my family to attend college, and hope to also be the first to say that I am a homeowner too! Tue, 10 Apr 2007 01:57:49 GMT My husband and I love going to sporting events. In fact, we have practically made this a way of life. Every fall, our lives are taken over by our love and support of the Tennessee Titans NFL team. We have big tailgate parties with our friends and sometimes even paint our faces. Well, NFL season tickets are not cheap! So... each year, we set aside our tax refund to pay for our Titans season tickets. This way, we get to enjoy that refund spread out over 10 games (oh, plus the playoffs too of course!). Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:22:23 GMT I don't recall ever receiving a refund. Having always been a salaried employee, each year I'd calculate what my withholding should be (to be my tax obligation) and adjust my paycheck withholding by adding another exemption. My feeling has always been why should I pay in too much each week? In doing so I would be cheating myself of the annual interest I could earn on this "excess". Of course, to accomplish this one must have the dicipline to put the excess money in a saving account on a regular basis ... or even better add it to one's annual IRA or 401K contribution. Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:26:18 GMT When I get my income tax refund, I will deposit it in an interest bearing account that I rarely access. When my property taxes are due, my refund should cover about half of what is owed. The bitter irony of it all is not lost on me. After all, the IRS refund is MY money, not a gift from the feds. As with everyone else in the US, including Bill Gates. we do not truly own our own homes--most of us not only have a bank to answer to, but if we didn't pay our property taxes, we'd have our homes sold out from under us. It's a good time of the year to reflect on how far we've fallen from the creation of our Founders. After all, there was no regular income tax prior to 1913--the brief stint we had in the 1800s to pay off the Civil War actually was retired. Imagine--a tax for a specific purpose and when that was fulfilled, good-bye tax! Moderns could learn a lot from our betters. Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:49:15 GMT My husband and I have learned that what we make we spend. If we don't have it in our hands every pay check, we live within our means with what we have. Then, at the beginning of each year, we decide on one big "purchase" to use our tax return on the following year. It's similar to a savings account without the interest, but interest on a savings account today is like nothing at all any way. When we file our return, we know that the money we get back will be used for our yearly big purchase. This year, we are using it to put a new roof on our house. Last year, we took a trip to Wisconsin for a Reunion and we were able to extend it into a family vacation for all six of us. In the past, we've used it for new furniture, down payment on a new car, and many more things we wouldn't be able to afford without our tax return. It's true we don't go out much during the year, or buy because we have the means, but there is a rainbow at the end of the tunnel every year! Tue, 10 Apr 2007 14:37:52 GMT Our spending story is the same as our saving story: we try to get a happy balance between the two. Whatever refund we get, half is saved and half is spent. You have to save, but life is also meant to be lived. Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:40:42 GMT About 5 years ago, I decided that with every raise, promotion or new job I would keep the same salary that I was currently making since I knew I could live off of that salary. Since then, have lived on the salary with no problem and have a large savings amount as well as investing in several stocks. Best plan financially (along with 401k) that I have implemented and continually used since the dawn of this idea. Hope you've enjoyed, Deb Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:43:23 GMT ONCE I TAKE CARE OF MY FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS, I SURPRISE MY SON WITH SOMETHING FROM HIS WISH LIST. I ALSO GET ALITTLE SOMETHING FOR MYSELF WHILE REMEMBERING WHAT MY MOTHER ALWAYS SAYS WHEN I GO INTO STORES, IF I DON'T NEED IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S ON SALE. Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:56:34 GMT We decided we were tired of our starter condo of 3 years & put it on the market. We went to a home builde, picked out what model we wanted built. We even took my mom the night before our tax appt to show her what we were going to do the next day. The previous year, we had adjusted our withholdings to take extra money out per pay & that along with an MCCP credit got us back $6,000 that year! We went home, listed out our bills & saw with the refund we could pay off our credit card bills and student loans quicker. We paid off 2 bills and used those payments to add to anothers monthly payment and within 2 years we were completely debt free! We still live in that same condo, which we've refinanced and may have paid off within the next 3 years! We pay off our credit card every month. Living debt free has allowed us to go to Hawaii every year as a splurge & living beneath our means has allowed us to have a good savings in the bank & it all started with that one tax return! Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:42:12 GMT Last year we ended up paying $2000 to the taxman. This year my husband and I were prepared for a repeat. We had no idea how much we would have to pay and so we had saved up a nice amount to hand over to Uncle Sam. When our tax professional told us that we were getting close to $4000 back we couldn't stop smiling. On the drive back home we were excited by all the possibilities...vacation in Hawaii, a second car or a remodelled kitchen. In the end we decided to pay off part of our home loan in India. To begin with this means that we will be paying less money every month. This will free up a significant portion of our monthly commitment for the things we wanted do with the tax refund. So it's possible that we will be able to go for that vacation, buy the second car or even *think* about buying a home in Bay Area, California *gasp* by the end of this year. And I never thought I'd say this...but I have actually begun to love (alright! maybe like is a better word) tax time! Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:05:38 GMT Obligations will always have my attention. However, this year my focus has been on my upcoming wedding. The countdown: 8 weeks to go. My fiance and I combined our tax refund this year in an attempt to conquer this mission: pay off some of the constantly accruing wedding debt. Who knew that a wedding would cost so much? But then again, how could one give themself a less than perfect wedding? You don't. The downfall to the perfect wedding is that then you hold no bars to what you spend. Our tax refund became our savior this spring season. As soon as I saw that money deposited into my account... I went straight to my wedding expense spreadsheet and started check marking items to be paid. Check. Check. Check. It wasn't going to pay off the entire wedding, but every little bit counts. The result: "something blue" will be my garter and NOT my feelings about my checkbook. Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:18:16 GMT I am saving my refund for my dream of buying my own home. With real estate prices falling, the market is improving for buyers. I am saving to own my own home and home-based business for my own security. That is my dream. Sun, 15 Apr 2007 16:26:24 GMT Years ago, my mother gave me the best words of wisdom ever. Look down, she said. Always look down. Huh? Was my immediate response. Then she explained, "When you get out of your car, or are just going for a walk, look down. Most of the time, you'll find a coin or two. Pick it up, even if it's just a penny. (And if it's a head's up penny, all the better. That's good luck!) Pocket it, and when you get home, put your loose coins in some large container, like an old vase or fishbowl. Don't touch it. In about a year, put that money into a savings account you set up. Or use it for a need, not a want. Over the years, I have found that I have saved about a hundred dollars a year. Thanks, Mom, for your words of wisdom! Sun, 15 Apr 2007 16:56:56 GMT SAVING is hard to do when you are in debt as much as I am. Not only do I have student loans currently hounding me for payment. I also have 3yrs back taxes I owe and am currently working out a payment arrangement. I am in a customer service job, making less than $10/hr. Supporting myself, father(retired and disabled), niece, and sister. My sister is also stretched to the limits. Gas prices going up are a major hardship. No savings at all. Her tax refund was going before she realized it. She made arrangements to pay off debts and that quickly turned bad. Now she is a month behind in everything. When I lost my job two years ago, I was unemployed for 7 months. I was denied unemployment benefits and couldn't even get welfare or food stamps. My credit is in the toilet and I am worth more dead than alive. Savings? Impossible in my situation. I can declare bankruptcy on student loans or taxes. I own no assests. I didn't graduate college. I'm am in it deep, up to my throat. Sun, 22 Apr 2007 17:55:01 GMT Tax time once again! It is time to ponder once again on what I will do this year with my tax refund. For the last few years I always have a grand plan to spend my refund on myself, justifiied by my hard work all year. However when I get that money I seem to cave in to the responsible side of me and use the money to pay off a nuisance debt or to pay some bills to get ahead. This year however I received a nice 2500 back. I decided that my parents who are the most wonderful people in the world and always there to lend a hand needed something special. They have not had a vacation on their own for about 10 years. They seemingly have lost the romance they once shared. So I have taken my refund and am sending them on a 4 night 5 day romantic getaway to Myrtle Beach, SC.A romantic beachfront room with all the works. They are so excited, and watching them talk about the upcoming trip I can see the flames fanning. Mon, 23 Apr 2007 01:27:15 GMT Thats me...the Splurge Specialist. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1997. Since then medical bills keep pilling up, theres no way to pay them all, or even try. Every chance I get to have a "few extra bucks" goes to bills bills bills. So since im obviously NEVER going to catch up, its time to enjoy the rest of my life as well as I can...so call me the Splurge Specialist. Hey if you cant beat em (er pay em) you might as well join em (er spend em). Tue, 01 May 2007 17:03:57 GMT My refund was just a few hundred dollars, but it bought so much joy. My son is Developmentally disabled (Autistic and Mentally retarded) He has no interest in fancy sneakers or expensive ipods. All he likes are rubber balls, squeeze toys and stuffed animals. Unusual for a 24 year old, but these are the things that give him joy, and most importantly, comfort in his world. He loves to hold them under his arm, and hold onto them all day long. And he protects them like a papa Bear protecting his children. And the best part is that these items can be obtained in practically any 99 cents store, so my few hundred dollar refund will by him years of happiness. Sat, 05 May 2007 13:27:48 GMT I plan to use my tax return to help reach two finacial goals that I've been putting off, paying off credit card debt and saving for retirement. Since my return is something of a windfall anyway, I won't miss it. My plan is to use half to pay off a high interest credit card. It's like automatically getting a return on an investment because the return is the interest I won't have to pay anymore. An obvious no brainer! With the other half, I plan to invest it in a target date retirement fund. It's timed to coincide with your investment goals, as you get closer to retirement the mix of stocks and bonds changes to be more conservative. I think most people would agree that retirement planning can be intimidating. This way, the rebalancing is automatic so I'll have one less thing to worry about. Another no brainer! Thu, 10 May 2007 14:04:33 GMT When we recieved our tax return this year, I used my paypal account as our savings account. It varies from 3%-6% interest. It is higher than any savings account at the banks in our area and I get 1% cash back on purchases made with my paypal debt card. I also invested a 1/4 of our return in Sharbuilders stock website. I stared investing every year in 2003 and have more than doubled my account balence in shares. We do not spend our refund on daily living. That way when unexpected things happen during the year, like car repair, house repair, or health and dental issues arise we have money set aside for it. It is also great when there is something special that you would like to buy, like a big screen plasma TV Our saving has had an impact on our children too. They save their birthday and christmas money, allowence too . One of the best life lessons a child can learn from their parents is to save for what you really want and not rely on credit. Sat, 12 May 2007 13:28:22 GMT Since my tax refund was so HUGE it took me quite a while to figure out exactly what I was going to blow it on. After careful consideraton, and many hours of deliberation, I decided to go crazy and spend my..... $12 refund...... on a large pizza....WITH two extra toppings! Sun, 20 May 2007 06:01:10 GMT