10 Things to Spend Your Tax Return On: The Montana Way
March 10, 2020 | by achieve montana
The stress is over, the papers are filed, and now comes the fun part – the return. Research will tell you that aside from saving their refund, many taxpayers use it for two common things: paying bills and making big-ticket purchases – buying cars, paying for a vacation, etc. But as Montanans, we know you’re a bit more creative than that. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the average American receives a tax refund of $2,869. Here are 10 things you could be spending your tax return dollars on. Make sure you get down to No.1; your kids will thank you later!
10.) A herd of cattle or 1,275 chickens. With 2.6 million beef cattle in Montana, we realize we’re already outnumbered, but that’s the way we like it! And sure, you don’t need 1,275 chickens, but we’ll leave you with three words: Eggs for life.
9.) 574 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. If there’s one thing Montanans love doing, it’s supporting each other. At just a few dollars a box, there’s never been a more delicious way to support the people and communities we love. Eat them, freeze them, give them away – we’re not judging.
8.) A new snow blower … or 10. It’s no secret that Montana has some of the most brutal winters in the nation. When you live somewhere with as much snow as Montana, one snow blower is never enough!
7.) Stay the night in a ghost town. Whether you’re in it for the history, the culture, or the spook factor, you’ve got to admit, Montana’s ghost towns are pretty cool. Not to mention, they’re kind of iconic. There’s only a few with campsites, but find the few and you’re as good as gold!
6.) 64 cans of bear spray. Must we explain? You can never be too prepared.
5.) Visit all 55 state parks in Montana. If you are looking to splurge on a vacation, this is it. Camping in the mountains, hiking through the valleys, s’mores by the fire – it’s a trip of a lifetime! All in the great state of Montana.
4.) C.M. Russell Artwork. You grew up hearing the name, attending the art exhibits, and eyeing the one-of-a-kind paintings. Now, here’s your chance. If there’s one wall hanging every Montanan needs, it’s a Russell – even if it’s just a print!
3.) Adopt a grizzly bear! Now you can have your very own grizzly bear! Kind of. When you adopt an animal at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone or ZooMontana, you receive an official certificate, pictures of your animal, and updates. So they’re kind of yours, right?
2.) 52 sapphire gravel buckets. We’re not sure how long it would take you to wash 52 buckets of sapphire gravel, but in the end, you could probably make your own jewelry with the gemstones and that’s pretty cool.
1.) An Achieve Montana college savings account. We’ve taught our children to dream big, loud, and daringly. And now it is our turn to help make those dreams come true. This year, rent the mountain, adopt the bear, buy the cookies – but also, start saving today for their tomorrow. For just $25, less than 1 percent of the average tax refund, you can open an Achieve Montana college savings account and begin saving for your child’s future education. An investment in your child, no matter how small, is an investment that is sure to last a lifetime.
For more information and to open an account today, visit AchieveMontana.com.
About Achieve Montana:
Achieve Montana is a 529 plan sponsored by the State of Montana and administered by the Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education (the sole trustee of the Montana Family Education Savings Trust). Achieve Montana offers special advantages, including tax-deferred growth, generous contribution limits, and professional investment management. Investing in Achieve Montana is an important decision and additional information is available at AchieveMontana.com.