About 75% of American taxpayers are due to receive a refund this year. If you are one of them, then you must be thinking of ways to spend it. But don’t blow it all on a shopping spree, set aside some of it to tackle more urgent and important financial issues that you are currently facing. After you have dealt with these issues, you can have fun with the money left over. This article will give you some ideas about how to spend your tax refund in the best possible ways.
Boost your savings
You can use your refund to boost your savings. You can put it in your emergency fund, retirement fund or your savings account. If you do not have any of these accounts, then this is a good time to open one. The money will help you in reaching your savings goals quickly. The money you save will provide you financial security in the long run. Also, you will have to make lesser savings in the next few months and will have more money to spend.
Reduce your debt
You can use the refund for making additional payments towards your credit card debts. You can also make payments towards your mortgage loan or car loan. Using your refund to pay off debt will improve your credit score.
Purchase necessary household items
It is perfectly fine to spend your tax refund, as long as you spend it wisely and on important items, such as a household appliance that you have been planning to buy for a long time, such as a new refrigerator, but could not because of a tight budget. This is the right time to make that purchase. You can also consider buying work-related items and tools of trade, ranging from laptops to power tools.
Have some fun
Finally, you can use the refund to have some fun. If you have been following a tight budget all of last year, then you must have made some personal sacrifices. You should treat yourself to a vacation with your family or spend the money for shopping or leisure activities that you want to pursue.
You must balance all these goals and divide your tax refund between savings, debt payoffs, purchasing necessary home and work related items and having some fun. This will help you in extracting maximum pleasure and benefit from your tax refund.