I know that it it makes absolutely no sense to be glad to get a hefty tax refund. That I have let the government use my money interest free for a year.
But when one is so tight with money she squeaks when she walks, getting a nice windfall gives me an opportunity to feel a little light about making purchases....because I don't have to tap into the savings accounts (which is, after all, where money goes to die....not to actually be taken out and used for anything.)
So it was almost enjoyable to purchase a new, nicer swingset for the kids today and replace the metal one we bought 4 years ago (the bars of which have nearly rusted in half). Thank you state refund.
Still, I am a born & bred saver, so since the federal return is still in process, I am thinking about all the boring sensible places where that money can go. Is it wrong that I seriously get my jollies thinking about whether I should put it towards M's 529 or pay 2 extra mortgage payments on the house this year? Or maybe I should throw some into the extra medical savings account we have (on top of our FSA) to plump it up again after paying for M's myringotomy in October.
Is there a self-help group for frugal freaks like me?
But when one is so tight with money she squeaks when she walks, getting a nice windfall gives me an opportunity to feel a little light about making purchases....because I don't have to tap into the savings accounts (which is, after all, where money goes to die....not to actually be taken out and used for anything.)
So it was almost enjoyable to purchase a new, nicer swingset for the kids today and replace the metal one we bought 4 years ago (the bars of which have nearly rusted in half). Thank you state refund.
Still, I am a born & bred saver, so since the federal return is still in process, I am thinking about all the boring sensible places where that money can go. Is it wrong that I seriously get my jollies thinking about whether I should put it towards M's 529 or pay 2 extra mortgage payments on the house this year? Or maybe I should throw some into the extra medical savings account we have (on top of our FSA) to plump it up again after paying for M's myringotomy in October.
Is there a self-help group for frugal freaks like me?
3 comments:
Thank you for that second sentence. I get so annoyed when people act like its this free money they are receiving and the govt is doing them some big favor! Really, it should be the other way around! If you owe no money, that is really the normal banking type thing to do!
Do you do your own taxes? Or send them in to accountant? I've done my own for about ten years and then did Turbo during the last three or four... but we have a child now and 1.25 incomes, so maybe there is something I miss by not going to a For Real Accountant? It seems like a frugalista like you would know what to advise!
Yes, we have always done our own...we did Turbotax for years, and now do TaxAct. Well, one year D got stock options cashed in, so we did them ourselves but had my dad's tax person look over them.
We also make choices that go the refund route - usually we have the tax refund mentally spent before it even comes - but generally on home improvement or relatively necessary things. We are okay savers, but I often wish I was a little squeakier.
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