When a South Carolina mum announced a tax return of $5,400 on her social media account this year, many expected the single mum to shower her kids with gifts. However, the single mum decided to use the money on the rent instead. A smart decision, and here is why!
Where to Spend Tax Return: New Ipad Vs. A Roof Over Your Head
The first instinct of parents when they encounter large amounts of money is buying their children expensive presents. Even though this is fun for kids temporarily, the South Carolina mum has been a great example to all. By not buying her children a new I pad or expensive sneakers, but spending the money on a year’s worth of rent instead, she has taken a major financial burden out of the equation.
Extra to Spend on the Kids
Using her tax return on the rent does not mean the South Carolina mum Christina Knaack cannot spend anything on the kids, because with the rent paid, she has an extra $450 a month to spend on her kids. This gives her the opportunity to have fun activities with the entire family, but also enables her to buy some new clothes for the kids another things they might need with the extra cash she has.
Praised for Her Financial Responsibility
Given the fact that many young parents struggle with their finances, the decision of Christina Knaack certainly led to some admiration from other parents. The South Carolina mum was working a minimum-wage job, which certainly means the temptation was there to buy expensive things for her kids she couldn’t otherwise afford.
Christina Knaack has been praised for her financial responsibility on social media and we can certainly learn from her wise decision. So, next time you get a nice tax return, be sure to take a lesson from this single mum.
What You Could Do With Some Extra Money
If you do not want to spend your extra money on rent, there are other ways to be financially responsible. Firstly, you could deposit some of the money in a savings account. Of course, you could also pay off some of the debt you currently have (if applicable).
Some of the extra money you receive could also be used for your retirement, since you can’t keep on working forever. Even though retirement is far from your mind when you’re still young, not saving for your retirement is certainly something you’ll regret.
If you are somewhat familiar with investments, you could also invest your extra money and let it accumulate into a larger amount. However, no matter how attractive certain investments seem, it may be best not to invest all your cash at once. Instead, only invest part of your extra money and put the rest in your savings account.
Conclusion
Being financially responsible is not an obligation, but it is a choice. By being financially responsible early on in life, you could reap the benefits later on. Even though it is not the favorite choice of everyone, the South Carolina mum certainly proves how smart choices can make your life and the lives of your family members a whole lot easier.