Well, I was called into my bosses office and...

Got a $1300 bonus from work that is reflected on the next paycheck! The bonus was due to an award for engagement and accountability, business-based decision making, and teamwork. Basically I saved our customer about half a million bucks through some of the decisions I made. Of course about $340 went to taxes... But still that's over $950!

Lol. It was a breath of fresh air compared to my last job and the companies management strategy.

Sounds kinda like you got taken. $1300 for half a mil? That's like two tenths of a percent or something.

Beats a poke in the eye I guess...

Yes, well nothing in my contract states I get a bonus. I was just doing my job. I handle multi-million deals daily.

Way to rain on my parade Tightwad.

I'm thinking a portion is going to go to shopping lol.

Sorry man...not trying to rain on your parade just pointing out that employers will screw you if they can. I've done similar deeds & didn't get squat!

Congrats on the windfall. I'd choose an amount to spend completely frivolously (and enjoy every penny) and then do something responsible with the rest.

$150 - We gave to a pro-life charity.

$100 - Buying a bigger car seat and bouncer (the kind you hang on the door) for the baby.

$30 - Date with the wife. We had fun just the two of us!

$150 - New Ecco dress shoes for work. I usually buy these every 2-3 years and my pair as my wife pointed out is wearing out.

$??? - Contemplating upgrading my wife's line to get her an iphone. I have a couple of lines eligible for upgrade on our AT&T family plan. $.99 for an Iphone4 8gb, $99.99 for an iPhone 4s 16gb, $149.99 iPhone 4s 32gb (Refurb). So far not a big fan of the iPhone 5 due to the change in connectivity... That would mean upgraded a lot of accessories, etc.

My phone line isn't eligible for an upgrade in Feb of 2013. Time to start saving

The rest is going into savings.

Have you considered re-soling? I get a lot of wear on the soles but the uppers last a very long time because the quality of the leather is high. You might consider trying that. I can usually get 2 re-soles (and new heels more often) out of a pair of good shoes.

Congrats on your bonus, Eagle! It's always nice when your employer gives you some monetary recognition for your hard work, especially when it's not required of them to do so.

Before upgrading to an iPhone, just make sure you think about all the costs you'll be locked into and for how long and whether that's right for you. That said, I'm on the iPhone 3GS, which I bought just about three years ago, with AT&T. Obviously I'm out of contract now, but I'm happy with the phone and service (and get data paid for by my employer) -- have had no problems yet (crossing fingers).

This is a possibility thanks VinTek. Will look into this.

Thanks! I agree free money when you don't expect it is always nice.

Re: iPhones - As far as an iPhone 3GS... My sister has one of those. You can upgrade your line with AT&T for 99 cents I believe to an iPhone 4 8GB. The camera is significantly better (3 megapixels vs 5 megapixels, the phone is thinner, and runs faster. Probably will be an added $30 per month for her data plan (3Gb). Honestly, this would help her be able to be on email/internet around the house without having to have her laptop in her lap. Also, we love pictures and her camera isn't recieving/sending pictures now. So the camera on the iPhone 4S (8 megapixels) is definitely a plus.

No worries Tightwad. I agree often if given the opportunity many employers will try to cheat their employees out of benefits, perks, etc. Thankfully, my company is not like this overall from what I've seen.