The grown-up advice is to put it towards debt and savings

“One thing we do see is a propensity to consider a tax refund something to splurge with. One in four taxpayers see it as free money and plan to spend it on something they would not otherwise,” she said. “While this behavior is completely understandable, given how hard up people are — with the rising cost of living, and high interest rates, the best thing you can do is use it as an opportunity to advance your financial goals.”