When your tax refund and / or tax rebate arrives, I’m sure you or someone else in your family will quickly think of a lot of ways to spend that money.

But how about saving money on everyday expenses with that tax money? Now that’s smart!

I have a list of 10 things you can do with a tax check that will make a difference in everyday expenses:

1. Leave about $100 of it in your checking account and – don’t spend it. This create a cash cushion so if there is a mistake in your math or a check clears sooner than you expected, you don’t get socked with overdraft or bounced check fees or have to arrange for a payday loan.
2. Pay down or pay off a debt, credit card or credit line. This will improve your monthly cash flow in a fairly short time. A good payment history also means you get the best available interest rates and programs when you borrow in the future.
3. Pay your car insurance in full at the start of the term instead of spreading payments out over 2, 3 or even 6 months. In addition to no longer having that expense for the next few months, you also might get a discount: My husband I can save $160 over the year with paying our policy up front at the start of the two six-month terms.
4. Subscribe to a Sunday newspaper on home delivery basis. Yes, I work as a newspaper reporter and would love for all of you to be seven-day subscribers to your hometown newspaper so you can appreciate the hard work my co-workers, colleagues at other newspapers and I do every day. I also know some of you have little interest in print publications. But if you want those grocery coupons, a home delivery Sunday paper remains one of the best ways to get the coupon stacks that are intended for your zip code. (Ask about pay-in-advance discounts if you are a current customer, and new subscriber specials if you haven’t had home delivery of that paper in the past few weeks.)
5. Sign up for a drugstore rebate program (or two or three). The main thing to remember with drugstore rebates is you spend money FIRST and use your rebates LATER. So your tax check is a perfect opportunity to start that cycle.
6. If you don’t already have a place to store your grocery coupons, buy an index card box or money pouch for that purpose. Then figure out a place to store weekly grocery fliers, car maintenance coupons and rebate paperwork that don’t need to go on every shopping trip (If you already have a housekeeping binder, you can expand that book to store this stuff). You can’t take advantage of coupon and rebate savings if you can’t find the paperwork when you need it.
7. Stock up on any everyday product that is cheaper to buy in bulk, especially if you frequently buy short supplies because of cash flow. Examples: hamburger patties, frozen chicken breast pieces, toilet paper, soap, vitamins, cleaning supplies and over-the-counter pain medication. Now you have flexibility in your grocery budget during the next few weeks and you’ll be able to time restocking purchases around the really good sales.
8. If you don’t already have CFL light bulbs at home, a tax check is a great opportunity to buy the new light bulbs in bulk and make the upgrade. I have most of our home fixtures converted and we have noticed a decrease in our electric bill.
9. Take your vehicle to the shop and get the oil change, filters checked, tires inspected, etc. Ask your mechanic about any recommended upgrades or repairs that could help with fuel management. (Fuel is expensive enough, so don’t use more than necessary because your car needs attention.)
10. Take a community education or community college class. It doesn’t matter whether you take a personal finance course, learn a home economics skill, figure out how to rebuild a computer or study a language: the goal is that the new skill saves money on an upcoming do-it-yourself project or makes you a more attractive candidate in the job market.