another thing to keep in mind when you start going bigger than 31" tires would be your dana 35 rear end... it can be the weak link in your jeep and 33" tires could put it under alot of strain.. I built my jeep fairly cheaply, and being that your on a budget figured i would throw my .02. I started with 31x10.50's on stock lift and gearing, being that the jeep is my daily driver there are often times i wish i left it like that. you can add an aussie locker up front for around $250.00 as far as bang for your buck this will do more than increased tire sizes or extra hp.. i got bored and added a 2" coil spacer lift and 33x12.50's the lift cost around 200 and i cleared the 33's ok, added a 1" body lift to stop tires from rubbing when i turn. That being said i believe the 2.5" rc lift that has been mentioned would have been my better option. Up till now i had this on stock gearing and the difference between the 31's and 33's is enormous, if regearing is not in your near future i would probably stay with the 31's. If you plan on using that income tax check then you should check out the thread "axles" to see about upgrading your d35.
Welcome to the board, one thing i like about this place is you dont have a bunch of people immediately telling you to check the FAQ, people are extremely willing to give you answers so feel free to keep the questions coming