First grade awards assembly is a great example.

I will be attending my daughter’s first grade awards assembly a little later this morning.  This is what got me started thinking about celebrations.  It is so cool that the school takes time out to recognize the kids for their accomplishments over the year.  I’m sure there will be several little awards that seem almost trivial, but I don’t think they are really.  They encourage the children and help them build a sense of pride in their effort.  It helps the kids to stop and think about how far they’ve came and what they’ve learned.  If we were taught to do this as kids, then why does it seem that we have forgotten about it as adults?

Ideas of small things to celebrate in our lives.

We need to remember to celebrate more often.  We need to do what the kids are doing and take time to recognize our own accomplishments.  Not just the big ones, but all the small victories in our lives as well.  Here are some things to stimulate ideas for celebrating:

1.  Celebrate that it is Friday.

I remember when I was a teenager and Friday arrived.  There was a sense of excitement in the air all day long.  When school was out on Friday afternoon in the Spring, I remember leaving the campus with the windows rolled down and the car stereo cranked up a little louder than normal.  I celebrated the sense of freedom and adventure that the upcoming weekend promised.  I felt joy for all that I had achieved throughout the week.  We can do the same now.  Start today!  You don’t have to do something big, but do something to celebrate what you did this week and to start the weekend with an adventurous attitude.

2.  Celebrate the completion of a goal or project.

What have you accomplished lately that you missed celebrating?  Go back and reward yourself in some small way.  Buy yourself a small gift.  Go out to dinner with your family or friends in recognition of your accomplishment.  We recently paid off our last debt except for our mortgage.  My wife and I took a debt-free vacation to Puerto Vallarta to celebrate.  We even paid cash!  Of course, you don’t have to go on a vacation.  You can just buy yourself your favorite treat.  Anything that marks the event in your mind and helps you to enjoy it.  The whole purpose of setting goals and achieving things in life is to be happy.  Why miss an opportunity?

3.  Celebrate a windfall.

Many people have started receiving their Economic Stimulus Tax Rebate checks so why not celebrate this windfall a little?  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not advocating blowing the whole thing, I think you should use your rebate wisely, but taking $50 to buy your family dinner at a restaurant is fun and won’t hurt anything.  We can become so focused on getting on to the next thing, that we forget to celebrate when an unexpected good thing happens to us.

Celebrating the small things adds joy to our lives.

I hope these ideas have stimulated your thinking about what you can celebrate in your life.  My list here is by no means exhaustive.  However, it should help you to get started thinking in the right direction.  Become more mindful of the good things in your life.  The more you appreciate them, the more joy they will bring to you.  A part of living the good life is stopping long enough to relish in the moment!  Wahoo!  It is Friday!

What do you have to celebrate?  Leave a comment below and share it with us all.

Photos by -Dario- and pasotraspaso

Here’s the schedule for economic stimulus tax rebates.

Okay, first things first, let’s determine when you will you receive your economic stimulus check.  According to the IRS, rebates will be issued to those who filed a 2007 tax return by direct deposit or check on the following schedule:

For those that used direct deposit:

Last two SSN digits:	Payments will be transmitted no later than:
00 through 20	May 2
21 through 75	May 9
76 through 99	May 16

People that still rely on paper checks will get their rebate a little later according to this schedule:

Last two SSN digits:	Payments will be mailed no later than:
00 through 09	May 16
10 through 18	May 23
19 through 25	May 30
26 through 38	June 6
39 through 51	June 13
52 through 63	June 20
64 through 75	June 27
76 through 87	July 4
88 through 99	July 11

Of course, knowing when you will receive your rebate is only half the equation.  You probably also want to know how much money to expect.  Well, fortunately, there is a nifty little calculator you can use to determine the exact amount of your rebate.  Here’s how to Calculate Your Economic Stimulus Tax Rebate.

Make a plan so the rebate doesn’t slip through your hands.

So, now you know approximately when to expect your rebate and how much it will be.  It is time to make a plan for how you want to use this money.  As I mentioned earlier, this seems to be a topic of debate for many.  For instance, Lynnae wrote The Great Economic Stimulus Rebate Debate where she discusses the difference in opinion in her household.  Lynnae wants to add the money to their emergency fund, but her husband wants to take a vacation.  I think this is typical.  Dave Ramsey often explains that in most households when it comes to finances there is a nerd and a free spirit.  The key is to talk calmly and logically about it until you reach a consensus.  It may take awhile.  That’s okay as long as you don’t spend it before you have a plan.

A peek at what others plan to do with their tax rebate.

Some people have already made their plans.  Let’s take a peek at what others are planning to do in an effort to help make our decision.  I find that this is always a valuable tool to help me.

Pinyo at Moolanomy writes about Why I Am Glad The Economic Stimulus Check Is Coming Early.  Pinyo has learned that “life happens”.  In the last year, he has had a baby and as a result his family dropped back to one income, then the bills came.  He plans to use his stimulus money to help pay off a credit card.  This is a great idea.  I firmly believe in paying off all debt as quickly as possible.

Frugal Dad thinks he will Save It for a Sunny Day.  This is a very positive and interesting twist on the the old saying about saving money for a rainy day.  In this case, FD is putting money away in a special savings account so his family can take a nice vacation next year.  What a great idea!  Notice that even with the rebate money, Frugal Dad’s family is delaying their gratification until next year when their vacation will be fully funded.

Mrs. Micah wrote her Rant- We’re Going to Effing Stimulate the Economy about how they want to buy a new computer with the money.  Her husband is trying to complete his doctoral dissertation and the laptop they have now is not cooperating.  This sounds like a good investment because once he obtains his PhD, Micah will be earning more money as a full-time professor.

Of course, there are tons of other ideas floating around out there about how best to use the money.  I would highly suggest these articles if you need some more ideas:

15 Things To Do With Your Economic Stimulus Check

Ten Things to Do With Your Tax Refund

You have to decide what works best for your family.  Again, the key is to have a plan.  It can be uniquely yours, but be sure this money is used intentionally for something that you will remember next month or maybe even next year.

Others have plans for your tax rebate money if you don’t.

Of course, the nation’s retailers are licking their chops ready for everyone to receive their stimulus checks.  They will be heavily competing with one another to try to get you to spend your rebate at their store.  If you do plan to make a purchase at a retail store, be aware that many are offering incentives as Jaimie explains in Spend The Economic Stimulus!  Stores Will Even Help You.  You can find a list of many of these incentives courtesy of the Dough Roller at Tax Rebate Deals–Supersize Your Economic Stimulus Payment.  I’m not encouraging you to go out and blow your rebate, but if you are going to spend it this way, then at least take advantage of some of the incentives and get a good deal!

Get your rebate, have a plan, and enjoy your money!

Okay, so hopefully, I have told you everything you ever wanted to know about your economic stimulus tax rebate, but just in case you still have questions you can check out Economic Stimulus Rebate – Frequently Asked Questions at Cash Money Life.  I hope you have a plan to maximize the value of your rebate money and avoid letting it slip through your fingers without knowing where it went.  Wealthy people always have a plan for their money and you should too!

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Photos by javYliz and pfala