Will you spend, splurge or save your tax refund?

Someone told me once that if you're excited about a tax refund you're doing something wrong. What?! But they were right. The idea is that you should be getting all the money in your paycheck each week, in the here-and-now, when you need it most. Not during tax refund season.

It's a glass half-empty vs. half-full idea. Some of us like the government sending us a little windfall every year and look forward to it, expect it and sometimes count down the days until we get it.

But some of us want and need that money in our paychecks every week and do not want any money back at the end of the year. We want that money now, every day, to use for our bills and life.

No matter which side of the refund issue you wish to be on, it wouldn't hurt to head over to your human resources department and ask them about your deductions.

This is what determines whether you get a refund or not. They can help explain to you that the more deductions you list equals the more money you get in your paycheck each month, which is great if you want to use the money throughout the year. Of course, the fewer deductions you have means less money each paycheck, but bigger refund come April-ish.

Which are you? And what are you going to do with that refund if you're getting one? Here are a few ideas.

Some people insist they use it as a forced savings account program. They don't miss the money in their weekly paychecks, and if/when they get the lump sum, they immediately drop it all in a savings account or IRA (an individual retirement account). Wow. Impressive, right?

Some say they use it to pay off debts from holiday shopping and treat it like their holiday budget. That's a nifty approach. Of course you also could sit down with your refund check in one hand and a very detailed and accurate assessment of your debts in the other. Get the "money in" pile next to the "money owed" pile and see how much of a dent you can make in that debt of yours.

And when we're talking debt we are including all monies owed: So that's credit cards and store cards and gas cards and that loan to your mother and your car note and your mortgage and the medical lab test company that keeps calling you late at night. All of it. Pay as much as you can and sleep better tonight.

Some say that they look forward to the refund so they can go on vacation or buy a new computer or TV. If this is more your speed, start planning now. If you've already filed, you know what you can be expecting in about four to 12 weeks, so drum up your dream list and see how much of the dream you can buy with your refund.

If your dream is to visit New York City and see five Broadway shows, but this year's refund isn't quite as much as you need, think about compromising. Maybe you can stay in nearby New Jersey to save some cash, or plan to hit as many off-Broadway shows as you can find. You never know, sometimes those are the shows that go on to be big hits (see "Avenue Q," "Rent," "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Hair," among others).