Did You Get a Bonus This Year?

Anyone get a bonus this past year (or expecting to soon)? If so, what are you going to do with it?

I did get one (our company had a banner year) and put it exactly where you'd expect me to -- I invested it. :-)

So, how about you?

Comments

[Bill]

We got out of debt this last year so we are building our 6 month emergency fund. The very generous bonus I got this year went straight into the online savings. We are pretty close to reaching our goal then we can move onto some investing!

[Geoff]

I got one. Our company scaled back the employee profit sharing to give more in bonuses, since they figured many people needed it now. Mine went into savings and is earmarked for next semester's tuition.

[guinness416]

I got a good one, almost 20% of salary; no raises this year though. We spent about $1,000 on (much needed!) clothes, luckily almost all of them at sale price thanks to panicky retailers, got snow tires, and had a few nice dinners out. The rest maxed out retirement accounts for the year.

[Swamproot]

I replenished my sinking fund accounts which I had depleted to buy some etf's during the market lows of October and November. I know I shouldn't try to time the market, but I couldn't help myself.

[Rod Ferguson]

Nearly a full month's salary here, and it all got placed in the "down payment" account with the bank I'll be using to buy my retirement property.

[Jim]

I get 3 bonuses every year and its part of my regular compensation. I just throw bonus money in savings. I try and budget based on my regular pay + the minimum bonus level so I'm not counting on the bonuses for extra money or considering it a windfall.

Jim

[Miss M]

Nope, almost unheard of in my industry. I take that back, the bosses like to talk about handing out bonuses but it never actually happens.

[thomas]

Mine went back to my savings to offset the loss from my first home purchase. Those down payments can be killer!

[b]

I earn around $80k and I got a watch. seriously.

[Wesley in LR]

We received a small bonus, basically $100 per year of service. I was not expecting any, so it was a nice surprise. We paid off a credit card with it.

[Money Minder]

My husband got a bonus it went toward savings, the mortgage, and a few small home improvements (upgrading the insulation, some electrical work etc)

[Krazy Eyes]

I plan to get a nice bonus this year (about 40%-50% of salary). I usually split the after-tax proceeds about 70% to retirement & investments and 30% to something fun.

[JasonK]

We got bonuses this year And I am adding to my tax lien portfolio and put most of the money towards them. I have gotten about 2% per month while I have owned them. Won't put to much in them because of their liquidity but it is nice to have when the market drops like a rock. I put some info on my website about them if anyone is interested.

[Big Cheese]

No bonus this year- my signing bonus of $20K in October went straight into savings (to offset my stock market losses!) Any other bonus received would go into savings.

The only splurges are new furniture for the condo (about $1500) and I'm considering getting a flat screen LCD TV in the coming months.

-BC

[indio]

I don't expect a bonus until early march. It takes about 3 mths to process reviews. I'm hoping to get almost my full bonus because we met Wall St, group/team and I met individual targets. I always increase my percentage contribution to 401k when I know bonuses are being paid so I can put 25% into 401K. This way I finish my max annual contribution by June. I think I will put the balance toward paying down mortgage.

[Wise Money Matters]

Yup. I got one. Used it to pay down principle on my mortgage.

[Travis]

I received a bonus of a little over a weeks salary. I just put it into savings. Funny thing is the whole company got bonuses in December, but now they've put off giving us our yearly raises.

[Tarah]

I got a $500 bonus back in October. I gave it to church. Probably stupid of me, but I was just so thankful for the opportunity of having bonuses that when I got this job I promised the first one to God.

[Sarah]

My industry got slammed on bonuses--ended up paying out only half of what was expected. Just about all of mine went to student loans. Check in the mail the day the payment hit my account.

[Jetgirl]

@Tarah:

I would not call that stupid of you at all.

My husband and I were quite surprised with a small Christmas bonus - and surprised that they already withdrew 401(k) from it (good surprised, that is). The remainder went into savings.

[Justin]

yes. Mine is paying off my wife's car loan.

[Michael]

No bonus here, but at least my paycheck wasn't delayed. That's about all I can hope for at the current company :-).

[Foobarista]

I managed to get a small signing bonus in my new job, which went into savings.

[Jason from MoneyTheory]

I have heard from many people that they usually rely on their bonuses to pay for regular expenses or paying down debt, and that they are scared that if this year, due to a sagging economy, they do not receive them or they may not be as much as they have been before, that it may hurt them financially. I would answer this question as, if a bonus does come my way, then it will go straight into savings. I think it is best to look at them as just that - a bonus - and to not rely on them as part of regular income for regular expenses.

[Jane]

Bonuses except for bosses in my line of work are few and far between. They are given as cash awards for doing something above and beyond. I've gotten two over the 8 years I've worked here for a total of $1000. I think I just tossed them in the bank.

[Tricky]

I got a $2000 bonus this year. I'm a new hire and basically outperformed their expectations. Our company had a great year as well, so that helped, I'm sure.

[Tricky]

Oh, I forgot to say what I'm doing with it:

Putting it in a high yield savings account until my next tuition payment is due.

[Laura M]

I got a bonus, the "take home" amount was just under a month's pay. We put it in the savings account. We're closing on a house in a week and want to make sure our emergency fund is well padded. :)

[segfault]

I was not expecting a bonus, but I got one. I had only been at this job two months when they gave out the bonuses!

[Kaitlyn]

I got $150 as a Christmas present from work. Woohoo! That went towards my credit card. We weren't expecting anything at all, given how shaky my company is right now.

[bessie]

I work for state government--have never received a bonus in my career!

[Christy]

I don't expect we will receive any bonus, since our CEO (major bank) has publicly announced he is not going to take one. If he is not getting one, I am pretty darn sure we are not getting anything! Still, i'm just grateful to have a job....

[Christy]

I don't expect we will receive any bonus, since our CEO (major bank) has publicly announced he is not going to take one. If he is not getting one, I am pretty darn sure we are not getting anything! Still, i'm just grateful to have a job....

[Chuck]

No bonus here. My company hasn't given out annual bonuses in about 4 years which has been kind of disheartening. I did however get a few small performance bonuses awards during the year ("night on the town" type awards).

[MasterPo]

I have not worked at a place that has given bonuses in over 10 years. :-(

[Bobbi]

I got a bonus and paid off credit card #2! I took $100 of what was left and opened an ING CD and put the rest in my daily interest MM account.