Your tax refund is probably bigger, but don't spend it all at the beach

Okay so, I'm seeing all these reports about folks getting bigger tax refunds this year, and for a lot of people, that's a welcome relief. Maybe it means a little extra cash in your pocket, or finally getting to that thing you've been putting off. But here in Jacksonville, where the gas pumps still feel like they're draining your wallet faster than a summer thunderstorm, that extra money might just be going to keep your AC running. Between the traffic on I-95 and the price of everything, it feels like we're always just one big expense away from that refund disappearing faster than the Jacksonville Landing did.

Here's what people don't get about Jax: we're a huge city, sprawling from the beaches to Camp Blanding, and you gotta drive to get anywhere. That bigger refund might just be a down payment on a new set of tires, or covering the rising rent that's making some of our historic neighborhoods like San Marco Square feel a little less accessible. With all the development happening — like those new Normandy Cove Apartments on the Westside or Brooks Rehabilitation expanding out in Bartram — the cost of living just keeps climbing. We're feeling that economic pinch right alongside that little bump in our refund, and it's a constant balancing act.

Duuuval on the wire — biggest city you've been sleeping on.

Catch me and the whole crew breaking down what's real on the mornings.live.