Hello, whinnebbers, my name is Jesse Meekham and this is podcast number 167 for you need a budget.

Where we teach you four rules to help you stop living paycheck to paycheck, get out of debt, and save more money.

Today I want to talk about a gift, a gift that many of you have received, and that, or will

receive shortly, that is the gift of the tax return.

In the United States, at least, I'm not sure how other countries work,

but in the United States, we're all frantically filing,

getting all our ducks in a row, teas crossed,

eyes dotted, and sending the government there

do.

A lot of us enjoy a little bit of a windfall with the tax refund. I will not debate whether you think receiving the

refund is a good idea or not. Some people think you shouldn't because it's

quote an interest-free loan other people don't even

believe that they've paid the refund and they just think that the refund is

from the government straight up that's mostly not the case as well. So it's money you've paid

them and then you overpaid and they're paying you back. Take that for whatever it's

worth. Now without a budget a tax refund will likely offer you some temporary relief.

It will shore up some cash shortages.

Those cash shortages most likely manifest themselves through a little bit of credit card debt.

Maybe the roof started leaking, maybe the car went out, who knows.

And you threw it on the card because you knew that that tax refund was coming. I won't talk about how horrible it is when you're

expecting the tax refund and it doesn't come, but that could also be a problem. But normally

without a budget that is the case. The tax refund for a lot of people is a really big deal because it does offer them a little

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