Use it as payment for debt – If you’re in the hole, paying off some or all of that debt with your tax refund can get a huge weight off your shoulders. The less debt you have, the less interest accumulated and the faster you can pay off your debt as well. If you still want to reward yourself a little and still pay off some debt, you can spend some of your refund for something frivolous and the bulk of the refund can go to paying off your debts. Paying off your debts should be your focus with any money you get if you have a lot of debt from things like student loans.