Hooray for Tax Day!

Taxes

Advice on how to spend that refund

I hereby declare that it’s time to throw practicality out the window, even if only for one day. I’m talking about how we spend our tax refunds. Too often, people put their refund toward outstanding bills or drop some into their child’s college savings. I say, “Let’s stop with the sensibility! Let’s use our tax refunds to trick out our rides! And ourselves!”

For example, when your refund hits, promptly drive your car to the nearest hand car wash and get it cleaned inside and out. Go crazy and spring for the wax job. All this will run you about $75, and you will notice a marked difference in the way your car looks and smells. You’ve become so used to that stale milk smell from your tot’s spills that you won’t even recognize the scent of a normal car. (Hint: it’s heavenly.)

Once your car has received the spa treatment, wheel yourself to the nearest human version for some mani/pedi action. This too will make a difference in your life, and it will only run you around $35 to $100, depending on how indulgent you want to be.

Next, pimp your ride. Enter any one of the many big box stores around town and invest in somecool gadgets for your car. A portable GPS receiver is a great place to start. If your car does not have a fancy navigation screen (mine doesn’t) this is a cool addition. You can get turn-by-turn voice directions to your destination as well as a clear map of where you are and where you’re going (some even use celebrity voices for the directions…ooh!). All of this comes at you from about $200 to about $350.

Or you can choose to upgrade to a satellite/HD radio. For about $150 plus installation, you get stunning audio quality and even a Bluetooth hook-up. Some HD radios can even mark a song for you at the push of a button so that you will later remember to download it from iTunes. I am always hearing songs I like, wanting to buy them and then spacing, so this device would rock my world!

There are plenty more goodies to choose form in this area, but since I’m kind of a frivolous gal, let’s end this with a more frivolous spending suggestion, shall we?

For the fashionista in you, I would suggest putting some of that refund money toward — that’s right — some sweet driving shoes. Burberry and The Original Car Shoe have a few beautiful pairs of driving flats on the market right now for the bargain prices of about $190 for the former and up to $400 for the latter. Don’t hesitate about the money — just buy them and remember that tax refund money is money you didn’t really have to begin with. Poof — it’s gone! Happy Tax Day!