Tax Freedom Day came on April 12^th this year we were told.

If you’re not familiar with the name, it was initiated by The Tax Foundation by dividing the totals of federal, state and local taxes by the total national income.

So, "supposedly" we worked the first 122 days of the year for the government leaving 243 days of income for ourselves.

I don't know about you, but those numbers tend to depress me when they're released each year.

Unfortunately, as bad as those numbers might seem, a new report from the Americans for Tax Reform Foundation points out that that doesn't begin to come close to the TRUE cost of "Uncle Sammy" and friends.

Tax Freedom Day only gives us 40% of the true picture.  That's merely what the feds spend.

When you add the $1.6 trillion of OUR money that is estimated to be spent by state and local governments "on our behalf" and the $1.8 trillion that it is estimated we will need to spend just to comply with federal regulations, then and only then do we reach the TRUE cost of government.

This year... drum roll please... we finally paid for government on August 12!!!

So, if you're lucky enough to still have a job, you and I have just now finished paying for all the "bootie" we receive from the government. 

224 days for them and we get to keep 141 days of income for ourselves and our family.

At the rate all governmental entities are still spending money, we could get so lucky next year that we’ll have to wait for Thanksgiving before we start keeping some money for ourselves.

Ask yourself if you're getting what you pay for. 

But then again, if you have to ask, you probably can't afford it.