Are they preaching irresponsible behavior, I wondered when I first read The Tax Man Cometh (National Geographic Traveler, April 2009).
The article by Norie Quintos offers 15 ways to spend a slice of your tax refund on a Summer vacation.
I would not start with the Travcoa offering "Fabulous France". She notes that "the 13-day itinerary through France, now from
$14,995 per person, departs June 4 and includes a hot-air balloon ride
over Burgundy, chateau stays in the Lot and Loire valleys, wine
tastings and a private, chauffeured ride through Paris in a vintage
Citroen 2CV."
A better bet would be National Geographic Traveler own Free Cities Guide which lists Free Things to Do in many cities in the US and abroad including Chicago, Prague, Rome, Buenos Aires, Sydney, Washington DC.
In New York City, one such Free Option is the National Museum of the American Indian which I visited last summer.
It is part of the Smithsonian and has another branch in Washington DC.
Current exhibits include Fritz Scholder 'Indian/ Not Indian' (pictured above).
To Norie Quintos list of sites for Airfare Deals, I would add FareCompare which offers practical tips on how and when to book.
Her piece has a contrarian view as most other advice given on how to use your tax refund in our wobbly economy is to save and pay down debt.
Green Panda to name one offers a Twenty Something view in Two Ways To Wisely Spend Your Tax Refund (April 7, 2009).
In between the two, Liz Pulliam Weston in 7 smart ways to spend your tax refund (MSN Money) suggests we Blow some of it, 10% is her number and use the rest carefully.
Related: Summer 2009 Price Drop, Fly RT from US to Europe for Under $800
and Take the Frog Bus from Perpignan to the Slopes, €10 for Students