The Money Mustache Community
Around the Internet => Antimustachian Wall of Shame and Comedy => Topic started by: mbk on February 01, 2014, 01:21:59 PM
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In pre-mustachian days, I wasted my tax refunds on things like expensive speakers and computers. It would be interesting to know how people spend (waste) their tax refunds. Please share your stories anti-mustachian stories of tax refund spending.
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My MIL calls things like tax refunds 'found money' and she has no compunction about spending it on electronics, or anything else she fancies in the moment.
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I know a girl, who is a friend of my wife. She purposefully makes sure that more money is withheld than necessary, so she can get big refund. She treats this like some kind of savings account. She spends the refund on big ticket items, which she thinks she can't afford otherwise.
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Ha, waste. IF I get one, and I usually end up owing just a little, it goes to savings.
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When i was younger, i wasted my refunds on things like TV's and trips or just on paying debt on credit cards for my consumptive lifestyle. In more recent years, i've hardly had any refund and sometimes end up owing. This was due to careful adjustment of my W4 statement over the year to make sure I kept my money throughout the year instead of loaning it to the Fed.
However this year is different. I will reap a significant refund because for the first time in the 21 year history of my relationship with my SO, we were able to get legally married! This is a really big deal. We have 2 young children, i have a high income, and she stays home with the kids full time, thus dependent on my support. Yet we were never treated as such from the TAX rules. I was simply a single person filing head of household with 2 dependents (highly punitive to high incomes). This is the scenario that MARRIED FILING JOINTLY is made for really. (I'll try not to think about the literally 100k + i lost over the last decade due to not being able to be legally joined).
So given i discovered MMM in early January and had a real serious conversion to financial Badassity, i will likely be spending my refund refilling my cash flow to make up for all enthusiastic investing i've done this month. That and also paying 2-4k in closing costs for a mortgage refinance from 30 to 15 year mortgage and a 4.8 rate to a 3.5 rate. I have to say it feels really good to use a refund for things like that.
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In the past I have spent my tax refund on vacations. Last year I used it for income after I quit my old job. This year I will invest most of it.
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Refund? What's a refund? If I have anything on the "Amount Overpaid" line, it just goes to April's estimated tax payment. One of the joys of self-employment :-)
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Refund? What's a refund? If I have anything on the "Amount Overpaid" line, it just goes to April's estimated tax payment. One of the joys of self-employment :-)
Yup! We send the IRS checks, not the other way around. :)
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I know a girl, who is a friend of my wife. She purposefully makes sure that more money is withheld than necessary, so she can get big refund. She treats this like some kind of savings account. She spends the refund on big ticket items, which she thinks she can't afford otherwise.
I will admit that we do this. Sort of. We've left our withholdings on the higher side, then whatever the tax refund is, that is the amount that we spend on home improvement projects for the year. It's a strategy for keeping the marital peace, rather than pulling teeth over every project on a case by case basis. This is the first year that it's looking like we won't get much of a refund though, so we may be back to deciding how much we want to throw in to landscaping this spring.
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For the last five years while in school I used my tax refund to both live on, and spend as "free money" like so many people have stated. I can pretty much guarantee that both my laptop computers and desktop computer were all purchased with tax refund money. Man the old me wasted a lot of money!
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Giving the govt an interest free loan seems like a bad idea.. Self employment FTW!
Just gotta make sure you've got enough put by to save the bill.. phew!
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I don't remember ever blowing a tax refund on something extreme, to be honest.
These days I let the government take more than they need, then use the refund to pay the bulk of the property taxes. It works out pretty close most years, but a couple years ago there was darn little refund for some reason. I could earn $35 in interest on it I guess but it works for us.
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[/quote]If she was a SAHM with no income and lived with you all year you could have claimed her as a dependent. Not as nice as filing jointly but helps a little. If that's the case and you didn't claim her you can amend 2010-2012 returns to add her as a dependent and get some more money back :)
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I actually did figure that out eventually and converted to claiming her as a dependent for the last 8 years. But it pales in comparison to the status change.
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Most, if not all, of mine this year is going towards student loans. I don't think it's that big of a deal to get a refund though. If it's 10K, yeah you should probably adjust your withholding. If it's $1,000, who cares?
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Some of the things I've spent my tax return on:
* New roof for my home (needed it badly)
* Paying off a van loan early
* Paying off car loan early
* Buying new van cash
* Repairing a broken home A/C
This year we have nothing expensive to repair, so we're going to dump it into the mortgage payment.
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before i saw the light i too claimed zero to have a big return of "free money" and bought
a flat screen tv
vacations
paid off credit card debt
now i get a return but not a big one. i usually take half and stick it in the savings account and the other half does a house project. this year we are going to DIY a kitchen backsplash.
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We get a refund every year. Not because we pay in(max allowances filed), but because we have three kids and a low income(at least for tax purposes).
We never wasted any return actually. We don't spend any of it like it's free money. It's income like any other income, we just happen to get it in a lump sum. It goes right into the bank. In fact, I feel a high responsibility to use the money wisely since it is a "gift" from other taxpayers to subsidize raising children as future wage earners.
My parents used to get a huge return too. Every Spring we'd all go out to a big seafood dinner. We were allowed to order appetizers, special drinks, adults meals(actually, my parents allowed us to order adult meals all the time, my six year old brother would stun waitresses as he devoured a big plate of snow crab legs)and desserts. But as far as I know, that was the only waste that occurred from the returns. I think the bulk of the return was used to pay our private school tuition.
My parents aren't savers, so the return was like a forced savings account for them. Most of my relatives use the return this way. Treat it like a savings account, buy a little splurge when the return comes and use the rest to pay taxes, insurance, tuition, medical bills, that kind of thing.
For people who can't seem to develop the discipline to save all year, the return is actually a wonderful thing. Consider the alternative, no money saved up to pay the taxes, insurance and tuition but spent in fits throughout the year on stupid stuff because it was burning a hole in their pockets.
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To Mom to 5
Previously the employer had to send in a copy of any W4 claiming more than 10 exemptions, but that is no longer the case - see link from irs.gov below. They may still be reviewed by special request. If you aren't claiming anything which prevents you from having enough withheld, your employer should have no problem with it.
http://tinyurl.com/kzvaoen
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I always spent $100 on fancy cheeses and the rest for credit card debt :(
My first year without any CC debt, I will open a Roth IRA, but I will still spend $100 on fancy cheeses! :)
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-Spending is not necessarily wasting; it's pretty silly to think of a tax refund as "free money," I second whoever said it was "income like any other income."
-Assuming that, the tendency to 'buy things because I have money now' has been well documented on this forum before (people who spend a week working hard on spending their paychecks and another week complaining about being broke).
-That said, sometimes a large purchase is warranted (new computer, a bike, speakers that don't crackle, used car, trip to see family, etc). And I think it's psychologically easier to apply a somewhat unpredictable lump sum toward it than modify your monthly spending/saving arrangement.
-It's pretty hard to simultaneously not count on a refund (which I try not to do) while also not thinking of it as 'fun money' once you get it. (I don't count on mine because in the past few years due to fellowship income--taxable but not withholding eligible--I've sometimes ended up owing, or been close to breaking even. Probably not true for a lot of people.)
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I always spent $100 on fancy cheeses and the rest for credit card debt :(
My first year without any CC debt, I will open a Roth IRA, but I will still spend $100 on fancy cheeses! :)
You're speaking my language, friend!
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My plan: this year's tax refund will be optimized with a max contribution to my 2013 T-IRA and the actual refund will be divided between the T-IRA contribution and a small 0% family loan. The latter came from owing ~2500 to the IRS last year.
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Since we pay tuition for our son's college, we get a refund due to the American Opportunity Tax credit. So of course, the refund goes back into savings to pay for more tuition!
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I usually owe a few bucks, but here's a good story:
My cousin is, well, a trainwreck of a human being. That's being nice about it. She's got problems, like serious problems, and small children to support.
Anyway one year, with some tax credits, they managed to snag a SIX THOUSAND dollar refund.
We were all happy thinking she could finally get her house repaired, buy her kids some things for school, have some savings, pay medical bills...
Nope. They got the return on a Friday and it was gone before Monday. They still have the 60" TV...
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With the end of my student loans being a possibility this year, and the correspondingly smaller return next year from a smaller interest deduction, I might buy a bottle of bum wine next year to celebrate like my early 20s self would. Is that adequately wasteful?
Somewhat related, for some reason when I started my current job I decided to claim zero for state purposes. I always get some money back, on the order of $50-75. I can't remember why I did, and it's a small sum of money. Maybe it can be my hidden tax booze fund.
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Just chiming in to thank the OP. I think this thread will be awesome in a month or so! I will check back often.
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At least part of our refund is probably going to two mini-vacations in April and July. The rest, emergency fund, and a little extra on the grocery fund to stock the pantry. The local restaurant supply is running a great special this month.
Confused about the first post- wast buying a computer at all or waste or just a fancier one than necessary?
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In my pre-Mustachian days I once got a $9,500 refund. Within a week the 90-year-old terra cotta sewage pipe behind our house decided that it had had enough tree roots and it was done for.
So our entire $9,500 refund literally ... went to "waste." ba-da-bum!!
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We get one, probably too large, but this is going to be our first year with 'real jobs,' and I can't seem to find the sweet spot on our W4s. The money will be going straight into our Roth IRAs.
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Confused about the first post- wast buying a computer at all or waste or just a fancier one than necessary?
I used to have a weakness for gadgets. The computer was very fancy.
Think of custom built desktop with server grade CPU and other fancy things like high end video cards and audio cards. These things can easily run into thousands of dollars. Instead of wasting that money, I could have cleared my student loans. For the record, this year I am using the tax refund to slay the debt dragon.
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I've always worked it so I get back zero or owe.
In my neighborhood there are usually signs around that time of year advertising "Tax Refund Sale!" Most often at furniture stores. Sometimes the pawn shops.
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I do have a friend who predictably does something foolish with her tax refund. Last year, she decided to get rid of her (good quality) hand-me-down furniture (pre-owned by a wealthier relative) and buy something new off the showroom floor. She wound up getting a cheap-quality sofa and loveseat that were on sale -- ugly to the bone and definitely a step down from the furniture she had before. Strangely, she decided she didn't like having a loveseat in her living room, so it wound up on the curb within 6 months.
As for my own tax refund, I get a perverse thrill out of buying investment products. I really think get the same "thrill of the purchase" buying $3,000 worth of CDs that someone else might get booking a $3,000 vacation. (Anyone else love pressing "buy" and watching a hunk of cash become an "investment"? I then go look at the investment online many times within the next few weeks, the way a new car owner visits their garage unnecessarily, just for the fun of it.)
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I really think get the same "thrill of the purchase" buying $3,000 worth of CDs that someone else might get booking a $3,000 vacation. (Anyone else love pressing "buy" and watching a hunk of cash become an "investment"? I then go look at the investment online many times within the next few weeks, the way a new car owner visits their garage unnecessarily, just for the fun of it.)
Good lord, are you me?
I've actually wondered if I have an obsession with banking/investments. I check my bank account 3-4 times a day, check my investments and retirement accounts at least weekly, and have a net worth spreadsheet that I update monthly. My income/expenditures spreadsheet may as well be open all the time (it is) and I look at it constantly, moving things around, playing out different scenarios, and trying to squeeze money out wherever I can. I know I should keep money in my interest earning checking and savings account until the last minute but I love paying my bills the moment they're due. It drives me nuts that bills don't clear immediately and I have to wait overnight or *gasp* all weekend! Am I the only one like this?
/OCD confession
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You AREN'T the only one! I do the same exact thing! I find myself crunching numbers in notebooks constantly... Trying to squeeze this or that. I put in a payment from my account and its almost painful knowing the balance is "wrong" for the next couple of days :( And I set up automatic deposits to my Roth and my Emergency Fund (still just a stubble here!), but i need to see them come out and watch them land in the right account... So that doesnt really save me time at all, haha! It certainly feels like an obsession at times. I actually never admitted that to anyone because I thought it was too bizarre :) "Hello, my name is Nyx... And I'm an obsessive account watcher...."
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Seriously! Why don't more people understand how exciting it is to use your money to buy something that makes you more money? If life were a video game, it would be so obvious to everybody that that's something you should buy!
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That reminds me of the first time I made my daughter play Super Mario Bros..... After collecting all the coins, she asked me where the shops were... Uhhh.... There arent any shops.... My daughter then insisted that I explain why they made you collect coins that you couldn't spend :) apparently getting a free life after 100 coins was not an acceptable answer....
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Seriously! Why don't more people understand how exciting it is to use your money to buy something that makes you more money? If life were a video game, it would be so obvious to everybody that that's something you should buy!
Hah yes exactly. Random kids make the optimal decisions in rpg's all the time, but when it comes to real life most adults waste all their resources on nonproductive shinies.
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Almost went there myself. Thought about making a nice custom before coming to earth and realizing computers do not age like bicycles, to put it mildly. In the end , I snagged a clearance deal that was just what I needed to replace our old one .
nyxstar10a: Love it. When I finish the emergency fund, I can hear the "1 up" sound now :-)
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Seriously! Why don't more people understand how exciting it is to use your money to buy something that makes you more money? If life were a video game, it would be so obvious to everybody that that's something you should buy!
I was just thinking the other day about how planting sunflowers in plants versus zombies is pretty mustachian.
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Seriously! Why don't more people understand how exciting it is to use your money to buy something that makes you more money? If life were a video game, it would be so obvious to everybody that that's something you should buy!
I was just thinking the other day about how planting sunflowers in plants versus zombies is pretty mustachian.
And when the first few zombies start coming up on you, don't panic and start buying up expensive peashooters!! Go for the frugal and cost-efficient potato mine! XD
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Fireman,
I get the same feeling paying bills and making investments. My favorite is when I can max out our ROTH contributions within the first few months of the year. My tax refund is a great way to do this. I also check my accounts 4 or 5 times a day.
Getting back to wasting refunds...Anyone ever catch the occasional episode of Judge Judy? Judge Judy always has some perpetually broke person suing another perpetually broke person for an unpaid loan and half of the time the loan was supposed to be secured by the second perpetually broke person's upcoming tax refund.
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I always spent $100 on fancy cheeses and the rest for credit card debt :(
My first year without any CC debt, I will open a Roth IRA, but I will still spend $100 on fancy cheeses! :)
You're speaking my language, friend!
Money spent on cheese, is money well spent, IMHO.
;)
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In my younger days, I probably spent some of my refund on a new laptop or dinner out. I remember using a refund to rid us of the last of our credit card debt years ago, too.
At the ripe old age of 30, I'm just lumping it in with the cash savings for house down payment, and plopping some in stocks. Believe it or not, that's super exciting to me!
Also, +1 to cheese. I could go for a good Wensleydale with Cranberries....
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I've actually wondered if I have an obsession with banking/investments. I check my bank account 3-4 times a day, check my investments and retirement accounts at least weekly...but I love paying my bills the moment they're due. It drives me nuts that bills don't clear immediately and I have to wait overnight or *gasp* all weekend! Am I the only one like this?
Doh! I do both of these things too! And I'm oddly aroused when I see the rent or hydro bill clear my account. :/
As for the tax return, I'm ashamed to say that (pre-Mustachian) I used to get it, turn to a computer, price and book a trip to the Caribbean using the refund's value as my trip price. Boom--100% gone in an instant. The timing was always perfect--I'd file as early as possible, get my refund at the end of February, and escape Northern Ontario to somewhere warm for 7 days during one of the harshest months. (Hopefully leave during the last week of February to return the first week in March.) I still travel out of the country (once or twice a year), but I'm happy to say I don't do the nonsense of blowing it all without thinking or budgeting price anymore. This year's goes straight to investments. Vacation no longer hinges on refund.
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We just got our refunds deposited - $3700 between federal and state. Sheesh. And I just spent most of it... paying off our CC debt from the days when we lived beyond our means. So it's totally wasted money :( Makes me mad. We bought a lot of dumb crap back then and I'm just now finished paying for it.
But at least the debts are cleared now, and I was able to use what was left over to get a full month's buffer in the checking account (YNAB-style). And the CCs have been cut up (haven't used them for months), and our mindset is different now, so we'll never run up that kind of debt again. I'm gonna have to adjust our federal withholding though - the refund we ended up getting was over double what I thought it would be, due to the impact of education credits. Our tax situation will be the same for 2014 so no reason not to fix the W4.
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We just got our refunds deposited - $3700 between federal and state. Sheesh. And I just spent most of it... paying off our CC debt from the days when we lived beyond our means. So it's totally wasted money :( Makes me mad. We bought a lot of dumb crap back then and I'm just now finished paying for it.
But at least the debts are cleared now, and I was able to use what was left over to get a full month's buffer in the checking account (YNAB-style). And the CCs have been cut up (haven't used them for months), and our mindset is different now, so we'll never run up that kind of debt again. I'm gonna have to adjust our federal withholding though - the refund we ended up getting was over double what I thought it would be, due to the impact of education credits. Our tax situation will be the same for 2014 so no reason not to fix the W4.
I consider that money well used Tacos. You spent the money when you put it on the card. The use of the refund was very optimal to wipe out the debt.
I know someone in the buy here pay here car industry - this is their busiest time of year. I know someone in the payday loan industry - this is their slowest time of year. Both are the direct result of tax refunds.
I don't think I've ever spent a tax refund on something frivolous. I also haven't received a tax refund > $200 in at least 5 years. I'm fortunate enough to receive a bonus check on 12/31 each year, and I have a spreadsheet that calculates almost exactly what my tax liability will be. This makes it very easy to pay a big chunk of your taxes on the last day of the year if you have to.
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I have a spreadsheet that calculates almost exactly what my tax liability will be. This makes it very easy to pay a big chunk of your taxes on the last day of the year if you have to.
Would you mind sharing a template for that spreadsheet? One thing that still gets me is calculating tax liability.
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I have a spreadsheet that calculates almost exactly what my tax liability will be. This makes it very easy to pay a big chunk of your taxes on the last day of the year if you have to.
Would you mind sharing a template for that spreadsheet? One thing that still gets me is calculating tax liability.
I'll send it to you in a PM, but it's by no means perfect. It really doesn't go much into different taxable items like capital gain rates and such. However, it could be a helpful tool for you.
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I'll send it to you in a PM, but it's by no means perfect. It really doesn't go much into different taxable items like capital gain rates and such. However, it could be a helpful tool for you.
Baller. Thanks!
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Fireman,
Sooo, I guess you can't send an attachment in a PM, so see attached here. It's not the most well organized thing you'll see, but it works well for my crazy brain.
I changed a large majority of the data on here just to keep a little anonymity, so many of these are not really my numbers.
Anytime I put a spreadsheet together the hard data is either red or blue, and everything else calculates itself. So, the red stuff needs to be filled in with your information. You also have to update for tax rates, exemptions, etc. each year. This has already been updated to include the 2014 tax table and exemption amount.
The section on the right let's you track monthly deductions for mortgage interest and these types of things. The totals tie into column C.
It's not perfect, but it will give you a good start if you want modify it to fit your needs. If you have any questions on how it works let me know.
Cheddar
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Never did anything foolish with it even when young. When young we would use it to fix the house (new roof, furnace etc). Now we plan well so just about break even.
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In my pre-Mustachian days I once got a $9,500 refund. Within a week the 90-year-old terra cotta sewage pipe behind our house decided that it had had enough tree roots and it was done for.
So our entire $9,500 refund literally ... went to "waste." ba-da-bum!!
I don't know what it is about tax season and our plumbing... this year we're only getting $300 back (by design), and this week I had to pay $200 to have our sewer pipe unclogged again (different house than last time). At least there were no tree roots in the pipe!
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In my pre-Mustachian days I once got a $9,500 refund. Within a week the 90-year-old terra cotta sewage pipe behind our house decided that it had had enough tree roots and it was done for.
So our entire $9,500 refund literally ... went to "waste." ba-da-bum!!
I don't know what it is about tax season and our plumbing... this year we're only getting $300 back (by design), and this week I had to pay $200 to have our sewer pipe unclogged again (different house than last time). At least there were no tree roots in the pipe!
That's Shitty! What a Waste!
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Seriously! Why don't more people understand how exciting it is to use your money to buy something that makes you more money? If life were a video game, it would be so obvious to everybody that that's something you should buy!
I think I know what you are saying - instead of buying 10 potions/other consumables for 1000 coins, you would instead buy the amulet for the same amount that gives you +50 coins for every 100 steps you take.
Makes total sense to me :)
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Seriously! Why don't more people understand how exciting it is to use your money to buy something that makes you more money? If life were a video game, it would be so obvious to everybody that that's something you should buy!
You guys are all making me laugh out loud. This is hilarious. And please add me to the savings "obsession" club too. As addictions go, it's healthier than drugs!
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I really think get the same "thrill of the purchase" buying $3,000 worth of CDs that someone else might get booking a $3,000 vacation. (Anyone else love pressing "buy" and watching a hunk of cash become an "investment"? I then go look at the investment online many times within the next few weeks, the way a new car owner visits their garage unnecessarily, just for the fun of it.)
Good lord, are you me?
I've actually wondered if I have an obsession with banking/investments. I check my bank account 3-4 times a day, check my investments and retirement accounts at least weekly, and have a net worth spreadsheet that I update monthly. My income/expenditures spreadsheet may as well be open all the time (it is) and I look at it constantly, moving things around, playing out different scenarios, and trying to squeeze money out wherever I can. I know I should keep money in my interest earning checking and savings account until the last minute but I love paying my bills the moment they're due. It drives me nuts that bills don't clear immediately and I have to wait overnight or *gasp* all weekend! Am I the only one like this?
/OCD confession
Nope, I'm the same way!
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In my pre-Mustachian days I once got a $9,500 refund. Within a week the 90-year-old terra cotta sewage pipe behind our house decided that it had had enough tree roots and it was done for.
So our entire $9,500 refund literally ... went to "waste." ba-da-bum!!
I don't know what it is about tax season and our plumbing... this year we're only getting $300 back (by design), and this week I had to pay $200 to have our sewer pipe unclogged again (different house than last time). At least there were no tree roots in the pipe!
That's Shitty! What a Waste!
They're getting reamed.
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I really think get the same "thrill of the purchase" buying $3,000 worth of CDs that someone else might get booking a $3,000 vacation. (Anyone else love pressing "buy" and watching a hunk of cash become an "investment"? I then go look at the investment online many times within the next few weeks, the way a new car owner visits their garage unnecessarily, just for the fun of it.)
Good lord, are you me?
I've actually wondered if I have an obsession with banking/investments. I check my bank account 3-4 times a day, check my investments and retirement accounts at least weekly, and have a net worth spreadsheet that I update monthly. My income/expenditures spreadsheet may as well be open all the time (it is) and I look at it constantly, moving things around, playing out different scenarios, and trying to squeeze money out wherever I can. I know I should keep money in my interest earning checking and savings account until the last minute but I love paying my bills the moment they're due. It drives me nuts that bills don't clear immediately and I have to wait overnight or *gasp* all weekend! Am I the only one like this?
/OCD confession
Nope, I'm the same way!
And today was a bank holiday! Ugh!
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I really think get the same "thrill of the purchase" buying $3,000 worth of CDs that someone else might get booking a $3,000 vacation. (Anyone else love pressing "buy" and watching a hunk of cash become an "investment"? I then go look at the investment online many times within the next few weeks, the way a new car owner visits their garage unnecessarily, just for the fun of it.)
Good lord, are you me?
I've actually wondered if I have an obsession with banking/investments. I check my bank account 3-4 times a day, check my investments and retirement accounts at least weekly, and have a net worth spreadsheet that I update monthly. My income/expenditures spreadsheet may as well be open all the time (it is) and I look at it constantly, moving things around, playing out different scenarios, and trying to squeeze money out wherever I can. I know I should keep money in my interest earning checking and savings account until the last minute but I love paying my bills the moment they're due. It drives me nuts that bills don't clear immediately and I have to wait overnight or *gasp* all weekend! Am I the only one like this?
/OCD confession
Nope, I'm the same way!
And today was a bank holiday! Ugh!
Ha! Okay, I have forgotten that and remembered it, like, three times today. Which almost certainly means I check my accounts too often.
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Seriously! Why don't more people understand how exciting it is to use your money to buy something that makes you more money? If life were a video game, it would be so obvious to everybody that that's something you should buy!
I think I know what you are saying - instead of buying 10 potions/other consumables for 1000 coins, you would instead buy the amulet for the same amount that gives you +50 coins for every 100 steps you take.
Makes total sense to me :)
Right. Or like buying the larger manna pool which increases your manna regeneration rate by +10 every minute.
edited: quote tags
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It's like being able to wish for more wishes.
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Seriously! Why don't more people understand how exciting it is to use your money to buy something that makes you more money? If life were a video game, it would be so obvious to everybody that that's something you should buy!
I think I know what you are saying - instead of buying 10 potions/other consumables for 1000 coins, you would instead buy the amulet for the same amount that gives you +50 coins for every 100 steps you take.
Makes total sense to me :)
Right. Or like buying the larger manna pool which increases your manna regeneration rate by +10 every minute.
I don't know this quoted game (if they are the same), but now I really want to know. Care to share?
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They're not the same, but I think I'm thinking of GemCraft, a tower defense game.
Or wait apparently that's enlarging your pool so you can hold more mana at once so you don't lose it and so you can cast more powerful spells. Cursed Treasure is a different tower defense game where you can build structures on manna pools to increase your manna generation rate. So I combined the two things in my mind. Anyway, you can play either one for free on Kongregate.com.
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Seriously! Why don't more people understand how exciting it is to use your money to buy something that makes you more money? If life were a video game, it would be so obvious to everybody that that's something you should buy!
I think I know what you are saying - instead of buying 10 potions/other consumables for 1000 coins, you would instead buy the amulet for the same amount that gives you +50 coins for every 100 steps you take.
Makes total sense to me :)
Right. Or like buying the larger manna pool which increases your manna regeneration rate by +10 every minute.
edited: quote tags
Or up up down down left right left right B A start.
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They're not the same, but I think I'm thinking of GemCraft, a tower defense game.
Or wait apparently that's enlarging your pool so you can hold more mana at once so you don't lose it and so you can cast more powerful spells. Cursed Treasure is a different tower defense game where you can build structures on manna pools to increase your manna generation rate. So I combined the two things in my mind. Anyway, you can play either one for free on Kongregate.com.
Awesome! Thanks! New games to play. :)
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In the past I have blown my tax refund on lots of stupid stuff. Last year it went to fix the dog's teeth.
This year I owe, thanks to fewer deductions and more than anticipated side business income. Good news/bad news, I guess.
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As for my own tax refund, I get a perverse thrill out of buying investment products. I really think get the same "thrill of the purchase" buying $3,000 worth of CDs that someone else might get booking a $3,000 vacation. (Anyone else love pressing "buy" and watching a hunk of cash become an "investment"? I then go look at the investment online many times within the next few weeks, the way a new car owner visits their garage unnecessarily, just for the fun of it.)
HA, you know you're a newb when you read that sentence and your first thought is, "But CDs aren't a good investment! They'll be outdated in no time. That's like investing in VHS!"
And then, durrrrrrrrrrr ;)
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Have to pay 1000 bucks this year. Sigh....
I was hoping for a cool 1k as a refund to start a roth iRA
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As for my own tax refund, I get a perverse thrill out of buying investment products. I really think get the same "thrill of the purchase" buying $3,000 worth of CDs that someone else might get booking a $3,000 vacation. (Anyone else love pressing "buy" and watching a hunk of cash become an "investment"? I then go look at the investment online many times within the next few weeks, the way a new car owner visits their garage unnecessarily, just for the fun of it.)
HA, you know you're a newb when you read that sentence and your first thought is, "But CDs aren't a good investment! They'll be outdated in no time. That's like investing in VHS!"
And then, durrrrrrrrrrr ;)
No worries, I did the same thing!
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Last year I got $6800 and spent $5,000 of it on a spring break trip to Key West with my kids. What an expensive trip, but what a great time we had, snorkelling, touring the Everglades, more snorkelling, parasailing, and taking a helicopter ride.
THIS year I'm getting almost the exact same amount, and it's going into the 529 plans the DAY I get it. I'm setting my alarm clock early for the day the IRS says I'll get it, and I'm going to get up, check my bank online, and make the transfer. Whoo hoo!!!
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Or up up down down left right left right B A start.
I just swooned.
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Or up up down down left right left right B A start.
I just swooned.
When you two get married, it'll be up up down down left right left right B A select start
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Or up up down down left right left right B A start.
I just swooned.
When you two get married, it'll be up up down down left right left right B A select start
Ohhhh, I was just kidding about Fireman....dragoncar, it's you I swoon over...
Oh, the 80s.
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Or up up down down left right left right B A start.
I just swooned.
When you two get married, it'll be up up down down left right left right B A select start
Ohhhh, I was just kidding about Fireman....dragoncar, it's you I swoon over...
Oh, the 80s.
Ahem.
A common misconception is that the code ends with Start or Select Start. In Contra, the player must press Start after entering the code in order to start the game, or press Select Start to switch to two-player mode and then start the game, leading to the confusion. In other games, pressing these buttons will cause the code to not work.
Source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konami_Code). :)
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Or up up down down left right left right B A start.
I just swooned.
When you two get married, it'll be up up down down left right left right B A select start
Ohhhh, I was just kidding about Fireman....dragoncar, it's you I swoon over...
Oh, the 80s.
Ahem.
A common misconception is that the code ends with Start or Select Start. In Contra, the player must press Start after entering the code in order to start the game, or press Select Start to switch to two-player mode and then start the game, leading to the confusion. In other games, pressing these buttons will cause the code to not work.
Source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konami_Code). :)
Dang. Schooled.
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Or up up down down left right left right B A start.
I just swooned.
When you two get married, it'll be up up down down left right left right B A select start
Ohhhh, I was just kidding about Fireman....dragoncar, it's you I swoon over...
Oh, the 80s.
Ahem.
A common misconception is that the code ends with Start or Select Start. In Contra, the player must press Start after entering the code in order to start the game, or press Select Start to switch to two-player mode and then start the game, leading to the confusion. In other games, pressing these buttons will cause the code to not work.
Source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konami_Code). :)
Dang. Schooled.
How so? It says that in Contra, you use select start for two-player mode. In other games, even pressing start (as included in Fireman's original post) will cause the code to fail. That's neither here nor there, however, since Contra is the most romantic of all Konami games.
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That's neither here nor there, however, since Contra is the most romantic of all Konami games.
Aww come on, who doesn't enjoy a little Q*bert (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q*Bert)?
Seriously though...I think i'm going to spend my tax return on an NES!
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That's neither here nor there, however, since Contra is the most romantic of all Konami games.
Aww come on, who doesn't enjoy a little Q*bert (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q*Bert)?
Seriously though...I think i'm going to spend my tax return on an NES!
You know of http://nesbox.com/ right?
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That's neither here nor there, however, since Contra is the most romantic of all Konami games.
Aww come on, who doesn't enjoy a little Q*bert (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q*Bert)?
Seriously though...I think i'm going to spend my tax return on an NES!
You know of http://nesbox.com/ right?
Dear Diary...Jackpot!
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For years we used the refunds to pay down the mortgage. Once that was gone, we began putting it in the Roths. We've got 5 kids, and relatively low income, especially after 401k deductions, so there is no getting our refunds down to zero. I actually am working on getting as much free money as I'm eligible for - I think it is pretty cool to use tax free money for our Roths.
I just wish I had figured out all the details sooner. We really only ramped up the retirement savings as the mortgage was paid off.
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Or up up down down left right left right B A start.
I just swooned.
When you two get married, it'll be up up down down left right left right B A select start
Ohhhh, I was just kidding about Fireman....dragoncar, it's you I swoon over...
Oh, the 80s.
Ahem.
A common misconception is that the code ends with Start or Select Start. In Contra, the player must press Start after entering the code in order to start the game, or press Select Start to switch to two-player mode and then start the game, leading to the confusion. In other games, pressing these buttons will cause the code to not work.
Source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konami_Code). :)
Dang. Schooled.
How so? It says that in Contra, you use select start for two-player mode. In other games, even pressing start (as included in Fireman's original post) will cause the code to fail. That's neither here nor there, however, since Contra is the most romantic of all Konami games.
But when you get married I assume you'll want to play a 2-player game
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I was thinking the same thing. It's a little anti-mustachian to start with, but so much fun. Just don't play Spy vs Spy unless player 2 is as sneaky and sadistic ( video game wise) as you. I've ticked off my best friend and husband with that one. Sheesh , people are so touchy! booby trap every single door and they get huffy!
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Or up up down down left right left right B A start.
I just swooned.
When you two get married, it'll be up up down down left right left right B A select start
Ohhhh, I was just kidding about Fireman....dragoncar, it's you I swoon over...
Oh, the 80s.
Ahem.
A common misconception is that the code ends with Start or Select Start. In Contra, the player must press Start after entering the code in order to start the game, or press Select Start to switch to two-player mode and then start the game, leading to the confusion. In other games, pressing these buttons will cause the code to not work.
Source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konami_Code). :)
Dang. Schooled.
How so? It says that in Contra, you use select start for two-player mode. In other games, even pressing start (as included in Fireman's original post) will cause the code to fail. That's neither here nor there, however, since Contra is the most romantic of all Konami games.
But when you get married I assume you'll want to play a 2-player game
Maybe. Believe it or not, sometimes I just like to watch. :)
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Not me but my mom use to buy ALOT of chocolate with her tax refund lol
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It's like being able to wish for more wishes.
Exactly!
"So, let me get this straight, I get to buy a bunch of stocks and stuff now, and then later, I get to buy a bunch more stuff with the exact same money?"
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I really think get the same "thrill of the purchase" buying $3,000 worth of CDs that someone else might get booking a $3,000 vacation. (Anyone else love pressing "buy" and watching a hunk of cash become an "investment"? I then go look at the investment online many times within the next few weeks, the way a new car owner visits their garage unnecessarily, just for the fun of it.)
Good lord, are you me?
I've actually wondered if I have an obsession with banking/investments. I check my bank account 3-4 times a day, check my investments and retirement accounts at least weekly, and have a net worth spreadsheet that I update monthly. My income/expenditures spreadsheet may as well be open all the time (it is) and I look at it constantly, moving things around, playing out different scenarios, and trying to squeeze money out wherever I can. I know I should keep money in my interest earning checking and savings account until the last minute but I love paying my bills the moment they're due. It drives me nuts that bills don't clear immediately and I have to wait overnight or *gasp* all weekend! Am I the only one like this?
/OCD confession
OMG you people are not alone!!! My husband and I have some crazy spreadsheets, which we update / stare at daily.... (hourly?!) We always joke that in our obsession with The Spreadsheets, we feel like Scrooge McDuck when he swims in his vault of gold coins.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lox02eaI2C1r0wgiuo1_400.gif
Also, have you ever made a payment on a Friday, when there is a bank holiday the following Monday? Pure torture.
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Also, have you ever made a payment on a Friday, when there is a bank holiday the following Monday? Pure torture.
This. Definitely this.
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This is the first year I have gotten a chunk of money (1200$) and it is currently staying in the bank. Technically it could be funding my plane ticket to visit family and to get some massages, but I budgeted that into my monthly spending.
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Also, have you ever made a payment on a Friday, when there is a bank holiday the following Monday? Pure torture.
This. Definitely this.
I am the same waiting for things to go through. I also check mint every day, it is an easy way to see all my transactions instead of clicking on checkings/savings/credit cards. Of course the logging in and seeing things right away led to a hilarious moment one day. My boyfriend brought me cookies at work, and later on that day I noticed a charge of 15$ for chick fil-a. I made a comment, oh you had lunch there. He then says well about that, well I bought cookies there. He accidentally used my credit card, so I bought myself and my coworkers some cookies. They were all good but had too much chocolate chunks. I could have baked a shit ton of cookies for that 15$ in baking supplies.
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This year we got back $5k added $17k to it that was sitting on the sideline and started started rIRA's with it (maxed out2013 & 2014). I know that is way too much to get back in taxes but working on adjusting it down.
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Going to do my taxes this weekend...i am hoping to get some refund this year, as i started IRA account....thanx to you guys for the motivation to think about retirement....
With the refund, i would set some to my parents, rest goes directly to Vanguard taxable account.....:-)..
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I just got ~$4,500 back (just had a kid in November and that is the reason for most of it) I paid off all my debts by December and have been working on my emergency fund since. Should be fully funded for 6 months of expenses within the next 2-3 months. Thanks for the motivation MMM
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What my monkey brain wants to do with my tax return:
-buy new glasses (for fashion, not function)
-buy frye boots
-buy jewellery
-go on vacation
What my mustachian brain is going to do:
-finish paying back my parents
-put the rest into investments and savings
booyah!
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I just got ~$4,500 back (just had a kid in November and that is the reason for most of it) I paid off all my debts by December and have been working on my emergency fund since. Should be fully funded for 6 months of expenses within the next 2-3 months. Thanks for the motivation MMM
Way to go!!
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I am going to waste my husband's tax return...
On paying my balance owing, the accountant, and then a nice dinner out with the $100 remaining ;)
I thought I was going to owe in the thousands, along with him, so it's like a tax miracle!
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I don't understand why people treat some money as somehow "different" to the rest of their money. "This money is from working so I'm going to pay the mortgage and buy groceries with it, this other money is from my tax refund so I'm going to spend it at a restaurant...". Even here? I just don't get it.
The best use of your money doesn't somehow depend on where it came from. Stay on budget, bank unexpected money coming in, it's not like there's never any unexpected money coming out.
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I would likely spend a similar amount on a date night with my husband, regardless of the refund (we do this maybe 2x a year) but celebrating not having to take money out of savings, to pay the taxman, is just a convenient excuse.
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Spending mine on a trip Thailand this fall!
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Mine is going towards student loans! We get a decent return because of our small business and our child. Last year we put new tires on the car.
I will call my little sister the queen of tax refunds. In the past few years she has spent her refund on: tattoos, remote start for her car, a pure bred dog and a stereo system. She is also in debt (big car loans). I just shake my head. However, she seems really happy with her choices.
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You can tell when people get their tax returns back around here. $5,000 rims (24's or 26's) on $2000 cars / SUV's.
They they (the rims) are up for sale in a couple months when they have to pay rent or fix said car.
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I have definitely been guilty of this in the past... usually tax refunds were used to pay off the credit card, which I suppose was better that spending it, but also indicative that the card was carrying a hefty balance!
Last year, most was set aside for a vacation, and the rest was put towards credit cards. This year, there is no credit card balance, whoohoo! The refund will go towards shoring up the emergency fund, and investing in our business. Next year, hopefully there will not be enough of a refund to worry about. :D
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I'm sure that in my younger days, I didn't always use my refund wisely--nor did I understand the wisdom of not getting a refund in the first place.
This year, I didn't think I would get a refund, but then I hired a CPA and, through his wizardry, I received $3500 in refunds. Yay. Oh, and a bill for $250, which I gladly paid.
$2000 of my refund went to my mortgage. $1000 went to my TIAA loan. The rest is sitting in my Capitol One savings account.
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In the Pre-Mustachian Era, I'm sure I blew it on clothes, eating out, and other miscellaneous crap with nothing to show for it. Now it's usually to fund DH's Roth IRA for the year, or goes to the vacation fund.
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I never used to get tax refunds - I do now though. I take my substantial RRSP refund and use it to make the max yearly contribution to my TFSA. The left over goes back into my RRSP. Once I've used up all my contribution room in my RRSP (ways to go yet!) I'll likely through the rest into a taxable account since RRSP and TFSA will both be maxed.
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I'm very excited to receive my tax refund this year. I will finally be able to pay off the last of my consumer debt! When I found MMM, I had a couple credit cards, car payment, some financed home improvements, and "care credit" card for all the kids' glasses, dental needs, and other medical stuff. I've been working really hard on getting it all paid off -- while upping the contribution to my 401k -- and this will be the last payment; feels great! Now, on to student loans.
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Aaron's. the infamous rent-to-own BS chain, is flooding mailboxes with their tax refund specials right now. Urgh.
It's so shady that they don't even list prices on their websites, they give you quotes after you enter all of your info on their online form.
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I usually owe a few bucks, but here's a good story:
My cousin is, well, a trainwreck of a human being. That's being nice about it. She's got problems, like serious problems, and small children to support.
Anyway one year, with some tax credits, they managed to snag a SIX THOUSAND dollar refund.
We were all happy thinking she could finally get her house repaired, buy her kids some things for school, have some savings, pay medical bills...
Nope. They got the return on a Friday and it was gone before Monday. They still have the 60" TV...
Maybe we have the same cousin . . . mine was out of work for months, was behind on all his bills, was going over to our grandmother's house (though he'd pretty much ignored her previously) because he knew she'd feed him. FINALLY he got back to work, and what did he do with his first paycheck? No, he didn't catch up his electric bill or buy the kids shoes . . . no, he caught up the cable TV bill! That was the thing he wanted most, had missed most.
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I always spent $100 on fancy cheeses and the rest for credit card debt :(
My first year without any CC debt, I will open a Roth IRA, but I will still spend $100 on fancy cheeses! :)
You're speaking my language, friend!
Money spent on cheese, is money well spent, IMHO.
;)
Have you ever made homemade cheese? It isn't all that difficult, though it is an all-day process, and you must be very exact with your temperatures. The really difficult thing is that you must allow your cheese to sit for months before you can taste the fruits of your labors.
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Here's a good one. My sister gets a huge EIC refund every year for being a single mother with a bad job. Two years ago she spent a few hundred on a large tattoo that she hated. This year, she spent over a grand on a cover up job for the old tattoo. Thanks taxpayers! She'll spend most of this April taking selfies of her back and shoulders, but the rest of the year dropping hints that she has no money to buy my niece school supplies or shoes.
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I never used to get tax refunds - I do now though. I take my substantial RRSP refund and use it to make the max yearly contribution to my TFSA. The left over goes back into my RRSP. Once I've used up all my contribution room in my RRSP (ways to go yet!) I'll likely through the rest into a taxable account since RRSP and TFSA will both be maxed.
We do the same; almost caught up with the RRSP contribution room. Use the RRSP refund to fund the TFSA. This year the rest may go to our home improvement project as well.
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Thanks to having 5 kids and lots of deductions, we got close to $3k in tax refunds this year, after paying zero withholding.
We put it into our "short term savings"--that's what pays for infrequent expenses, like car insurance and Christmas, as well as things we're saving up for, like an 8-passenger minivan for when #6 is born. It sure doesn't come close to the amount we pay in FICA, but it does take the sting out a little bit.
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We are getting an unusually large refund due to a somewhat unexpected write off this year (business loss). For the first time ever, I decided to use a CPA because I wanted professional verification. After he had finished our taxes and called to let us know the outcome, I asked him if I was going to need candy (there were bowls of candy everywhere in the accounting office and I asked about them - he told me that you'd be surprised how many people will go for the candy bowl when they get bad news...LOL). Anyway, he said, "No, you will be able to take a very nice vacation or buy a car." I guess that's what people do. Obviously, I'd rather not had the loss in the first place. The refund will be going directly into our taxable investment account.
For the current tax year, there will be no refund at all; we'll probably owe a little - we're filing 1040ES quarterly to cover taxes on a Roth IRA conversion.
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Here's a good one. My sister gets a huge EIC refund every year for being a single mother with a bad job. Two years ago she spent a few hundred on a large tattoo that she hated. This year, she spent over a grand on a cover up job for the old tattoo. Thanks taxpayers! She'll spend most of this April taking selfies of her back and shoulders, but the rest of the year dropping hints that she has no money to buy my niece school supplies or shoes.
Wow. That's frustrating. : |
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Here's a good one. My sister gets a huge EIC refund every year for being a single mother with a bad job. Two years ago she spent a few hundred on a large tattoo that she hated. This year, she spent over a grand on a cover up job for the old tattoo. Thanks taxpayers! She'll spend most of this April taking selfies of her back and shoulders, but the rest of the year dropping hints that she has no money to buy my niece school supplies or shoes.
Wow. That's frustrating. : |
Reminds me of some of my relatives. One year, they bought 2 flat screen TVs with their refund, then whined less than a month later, when their super clapped-out hoopty died, and they didn't have the money to fix it.