Your tax refund is probably bigger this year, but will it really help?
Okay wait—everybody's talking about how your tax refund is probably bigger this year, right? And like, *yay* for that extra cash, bro. But here in Tampa, that money is probably gone before it even hits your bank account. Deadass. Because while a bigger refund sounds great on paper, it's barely a drop in the bucket when you're trying to keep up with everything else. I'm talking about homeowner's insurance premiums that doubled last year, or the crazy rent increases we're seeing from Seminole Heights to Channelside. Maybe it helps you fill your tank for that commute across the Howard Frankland, or maybe it just covers the skyrocketing cost of groceries. It feels like we’re constantly playing catch-up, and a little extra from Uncle Sam just doesn't stretch as far as it used to.
No because, think about it. You get that refund, and suddenly you're doing mental math trying to figure out if it's enough to finally fix that leaky roof from the last afternoon thunderstorm, or if you should just save it for the next hurricane season. For families in Wesley Chapel, dealing with new charter schools popping up everywhere and the traffic that comes with it, every dollar counts just to keep things normal. Even with a bigger refund, we're still talking about living in a city where literally a gator can be chilling in your neighborhood canal. That's Tampa Bay, bro — sunshine, storms, and we're not moving. But we could really use a break.
Gabi out!
The Morning Wire crew breaks down all this and more, every morning live at mornings.live.