Taxes
There’s a danger when receiving a tax refund in that, because you’re receiving money you’ve yet to have had possession of, it seems like a gift. But it isn’t, really - it’s your wages that you earned a year ago, finally returning to your hand. If you’re like me, your refund may be a significant portion of your income. Unfortunately that’s due to the small denominator, not a large numerator.
Thankfully I tend towards blissful ignorance on most things (I get my news exclusively from ESPN.com, which allows me to miss 98% of all political discourse) and rarely notice when my refund is deposited to my checking account. So I don’t run out and spend it.
I was reading this article and was taken aback by the typical lack of savings. One of the reasons I entertain leaving graduate school for the workforce is my lack of ability to save. Yet despite my low pay, it appears I’ve done well when compared against a typical American. Sadly that’s not what I consider my peer group, and against a group of motivated young savers hoping for early retirement, my accounts would look paltry.
It seems tax day is just another reminder that you can be smart and save all you want, but it’s no substitute for being rich.