[leaveit2beeker]

Do any of you get any piece of the refund to use as your very, very own? We have some things we are saving it for specifically, but I'm interested in hearing about any other SAHPs that might take a piece of the refund and run with it...

I guess I'm getting rammy because my dp is a terrible planner/saver and after budgeting for everything else all year long, I almost feel entitled to a sliver to splurge on clothes and what-not.

 

[Sharlla]

In the past DX and I would each buy something extravagant for ourselves. This year with new DH we are using it to pay down debt.

If you want to go out and treat yourself to something nice tell your DH that.

 

[leaveit2beeker]

Oh, of course I'll tell him, I don't plan on taking a bit and hoping he won't notice. Haha! And it's not like he wouldn't be ok with it, it's just a touch of mommy guilt I guess. We don't have a whole heck of a lot to spare, and I get to feeling like we should put it all towards something else. Take that times 12 for every month out of the year...

Just kinda curious how many other mamas take from the refund kitty.

 

[BetsyS]

Yes, I do.

I do the budget/money in our house. With dh's input. I like to mull over many, many ideas about how to spend the money, then finally dole it out. Once it comes to a final decision, dh usually rubber-stamps in agreement, because I've been talking to him non-stop for weeks, and he's fine with whatever I come up with.

I haven't finished mulling over the tax refund yet. LOL

But, for Christmas money, this is what we ended up with (some of it was given to us separately, but just by my family, so my "real" portion is larger, and I end up adding it together, then divvying it up as I see fit):

zoo pass for the family
money for a date (so couple money)
money for a couple of needed, boring things for the family (household)
money for dh (not that much by the time it was through, but some)
money for me (a little more, but only because I negotiated, cause I wanted a few specific things, and the equivalent for him is in our monthly budget)

So, yeah, I try to make sure that everyone gets a little piece of the pie.

 

[doubledutch]

i lurk here because dh is a sahp. maybe i should do more lurking, less posting, but sometimes i can't resist. i think if the financial situation allows for it, the sahp should get a bit of fun money out of the tax refund. this year, our tax refund has to go to practical needs with the exception of maybe, like, $100 for fun (total).

dh has been a sahd for five years. i don't remember what we've done every year, but i do remember one year when he had a project he wanted to do (just for fun) and we agreed that he would take $500 of our refund for that. he ended up just blowing the money on . . . whatever.

i don't think i'll ever go for something like that again.

 

[Reebekah]

spending ours on:

kitchen improvements
2 mini vacations
homeschooling materials
increase savings
a whopping $40-60 for us to go out to dinner/have fun with as a family.

so, no, we dont use any of it to spend on ourselves individually....but i do consider having a nice dinner, having a nicer kitchen, and taking a trip things that directly benefit ME, and DH feels that those things directly benefit HIM, so that's why we're happy with this plan.

 

[notjustmamie]

Yup. We've budgeted some for a couple of trips we need to take this year (family obligations), some to pay off debt, some for family fun activities, and a little bit for each of us blow individually.

 

[cappuccinosmom]

Not really. But I'm in charge of the money anyway so...most of it ends up being spent by me. Usually my "treats" are small and spread out through the year. A chocolate bar here and there, a little thrift shopping for fun.

 

[Kidzaplenty]

Well, yes and no. DH and I sit down and make a "budget" of what we want from the refund. After we finalize it, that is what we spend it on. This year included a new laptop for me and a new TV for him.

 

[BetsyS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cappuccinosmom Usually my "treats" are small and spread out through the year. A chocolate bar here and there, a little thrift shopping for fun.

Well, when I say I get money for "me", I mean enough for a haircut, a new pair of (thrift store) pants, and a coke at Sonic.

Maybe that's not what the OP had in mind?

 

[Ornery]

I'm a little bummed because last year all of our tax refund went exclusively to buy my DH a motorcycle (and all of the stuff that he HAD to have to go along with it). This year I was supposed to get all of it to get LASIK and do a few other things that I wanted (girls night out). However, circumstances have changed and we need to make responsible choices with it so it is all going into our house fund. I do the budget (and the taxes) so it is hard for me to spend money irresponsibly. My DH will spend money as if it grows off of trees (his list of wants currently include another $450 motorcycle jacket, a pair of shoes for $250, a new faring for his motorcycle, new exhaust, and on and on)!

 

[Honey693]

Neither one of us gets any of the refund to spend. We're both annoyed that we screwed up the deductions and the government got use our money for free all year. It will either go into savings or toward our mortgage.

 

[Madalyn]

Usually we stuff all ours in savings, but this year I got a new computer.

 

[Heidi74]

Ours goes into savings, but things like clothes, haircuts etc. are something we get when we need them. We try to keep our spending to a minimum, but those are regular expenses. Now, if there was something big I wanted for myself I would discuss it with DH first, and likewise with him (and honestly, it would probably end up being a birthday gift or something like that), but we don't have "spending money" persay. Little things, like an occasional coffee or candy bar we just buy without discussing. The money belongs to both of us...it's not like it's his and I need to ask to spend it. (I would not be OK with the stay at home thing if that was the arrangement.)

 

[njsummer01]

We're spending it on gardening projects, so we'll all get to enjoy it but I guess it's more for me since I wanted it more!

 

[elismum1908]

Not usually. This year we took some of the money to purchase a big boy bed for DS and the rest when to pay off our credit card. Put that is such a huge weight off that I don't care that I didn't get any in my pocket.

I am hoping that some of our refund from next year will help fund a family vacation .... we NEED that!

 

[hopefulfaith]

We usually do. We typically put it toward a project (finishing our playroom) or a goal (i.e., paid off my student loans one year) -- and each receive ~$50-100 to do whatever we want, which is fun.

However, this year we decided against it since we allotted it toward the kids' tuition for next year, finishing the playroom (again this year!), and a fall vacation.

I sort of miss it. I like doing my taxes. Nowhere else can you sit down at your computer (TurboTax) for an hour and walk away knowing that you're going to have money in a few weeks.

We always celebrate tax night with chips and wine.

 

[TinkerBelle]

We are using most of ours to move. But, I used some for eyeglasses for me and clothing for me, as well as some things for our children and DH.

I needed new glasses, badly. I also figured out that I had not bought new bras in three years. So, I bought them. I am not a martyr, but I get caught up in things and don't always notice that my clothes are looking a bid raggedy.

 

[FondestBianca]

Dh and I each took $250 to buy what we wanted with. There was a seperate amount for family activities that aren't nessesity. The rest (the majority) of it went to bills, nessesary purchases (like new tires, medical device, vetting, etc), cc debt, and a couple thousand in savings.

We haven't really bought any fun stuff or been able to go do fun things that cost money for a very long time. I think about anyone would go crazy without a little room for extras when there is a means. Dh and I both managed not to buy anything for ourselves besides $2 shampoo, bic razors, underwear and socks, and the occasional deli or bakery treat (like once a month) for a very long time (over a year I gather). We skipped our birthdays for the last couple years and christmas for 2 or 3 years as well (we were able to get our kids some things this past Christmas). Skipped anniversaries, skipped valentines day, etc, etc..... etc. So, tax time allows us a little break from skipping over ourselves and each other. I think we deserve that.

ETA: our refund was pretty substancial so the amount we allowed ourselves was in accordance with that while still allowing a couple thousand to be added to the emergency fund.

 

[4Jet]

We usually set aside a small amount for a mini vacation. Or get a larger item we both want- TV, computer, furniture, etc.