Death & Taxes

Well, if you are reading this, congratulations, you have certainly avoided at least one of these (death)! But most likely, you have not been able to avoid the other (taxes)...unless you just happen to be blog hopping while you await your sentencing...

Anyway, whether you find yourself with a whopping refund and need a few ways to spend it or you owed Uncle Sam and need a pick-me-up on the cheap, here you go.

15 Ways to Feel Good for 5 Bucks or Less

Your garden is vibrant and colorful; shouldn’t your watering can be, too? You can pick up this one from IKEA for just $1.99.

Freshen up your photo display. Give old frames new life by painting a bunch of them all the same color with a sample pot of paint from the hardware store ( Benjamin Moore’s 2-oz Color Samples are $4.99 each).

Get hooked. Anytime, anywhere iPhone puzzle games like Bejeweled 2 or Trism, or word wranglers like Wurdle, WordJong or Scrabble, are addictive fun. That long wait at the doctor’s office will seem to fly by. ($1.99–$4.99 each at the iTunes App Store)

Create a custom 8" x 10" collage of your favorite get-togethers for $4.99. Upload digital photos at Shutterfly.com, pick out a background, add a sentiment, and you’ve got a frame-worthy remembrance of the good times

Make an impulse purchase in the checkout line. What kid (or spouse) doesn’t love an unexpected sweet treat?

Learn Spanish—or sign language!— with bargain language software from 5DollarSoftware.com. For kids, check out the education section, where you’ll find Muppet Kids Thinking Skills, Leonardo the Inventor and much more.

Create a portable sandbox for the backyard by filling a large plastic under-bed bin with sand (about $4 for a 50-lb bag at home improvement stores).

Indulge your sweet tooth guilt-free with a Ben & Jerry’s “mini cup.” At about $1.99 each (and less than 300 calories), why not splurge on two?— one for now and one to hide behind the frozen peas for later.

For those days when getting just one thing done is a huge accomplishment, use “I will do one thing today” 2" x 3" sticky notes ($1.99; PrettyBitter.com) to keep yourself focused on the task.

Every time you get $5, set it aside instead of spending it. (Out of sight, out of mind!) At the end of the week, pull out all the hidden fives and deposit them into your savings account. Do that each week and just imagine how much you’ll have at the end of the year!

Become a $5-a-month philanthropist. Help families from Haiti to Uganda start their own agribusinesses with the monthly giving program at Heifer.org

Make a dog’s day and head to the park with a box of biscuits (classic Milk-Bone costs less than $5 at PetSmart). You’ll be the most popular person within miles. (Just make sure to get owners’ permission first.)

Donate it to your church or place of worship. Five dollars may not be a lot, but when we all give, it adds up.

Buy someone in need two pairs of shoes. A donation of five bucks to GiveShoes.org is all it takes to do just that.While you’re at it, ask a few friends and family members to consider sending $5 too.

Buy a few inexpensive cards, write messages of love and appreciation and give them to your closest friends.