I’m Using My Tax Refund to Buy Eggs, Not Build My Nest Egg

I’ve always heard that tax refunds are for investing or saving for retirement. Mine? It's for eggs. One carton. That's it. A clear indicator of how far $12 goes in today’s economy Luckily, I wasn’t relying on my mini windfall to play the stock market or kickstart my emergency fund. In fact, 38% of US adults plan on using their tax refunds to catch up on overdue bills, tackle debt or cover housing costs, according to a recent CNET survey. Even if you finagled more than $12 back from the IRS this tax season, it might be a temporary lifeline to cover the high cost of essentials. As a housing market reporter, I pay close attention to inflation data and labor market figures. I know there's a gap between official numbers and people's actual feelings about the economy. Despite a decline in annual inflation and a relatively low unemployment rate, consumer confidence dropped to a 12-year low this month. “While economic data has held up relatively well, people judge the state of the market ba ... Read full article.