How I spent my stimulus
Posted on May 8th, 2008 – 9:59 AMBy Kara McGuire
Well, I didn’t get mine yet. But plenty of others have shared how they decided to use theirs at the web site: HowIspentmystimulus.com.
Now why didn’t I think of that?
The photo-posts tell stories about everything from people spending money to travel to the World Beard and Moustache competition (seriously?), to buying an As Seen on TV pancake puff pan, to taking a puppy to the vet for a “particularly messy case of giardia.”
Interspersed with the impulse buys, travel plans, and medical bills (oddly the majority of medical bills were for animals), are mentions of paying down debt. Not much saving going on.
It’s one of those sites that can suck you in, so be careful. My only wish is that you could sort stimulus use by location and map out the pix to see if anyone else in your hood is heading to that beard competition. Then you could caravan.
43 Responses to "How I spent my stimulus"
Buy a tank of gas
I will pay my regular monthly bills with my welfare I mean stimulus check.
I have not recieved my stimulus package yet. It seems funny to me that this
money is coming out when gas and groceries are at an all time high!
I haven’t received mine yet either. I am fortunate enough to have “99″ at the end of my SSN. Or the Government just hates me….either or.
I immediately sent my ENTIRE stimulus welfare check bribe to Barack Obama’s campaign, and sent a thank you letter to george w. bush (lower case letters intentional to show my complete disrespect) telling him the same. My wife did likewise.
I haven’t been to the website. I’ll tell you here how I’m spending my stimulus check. I’m buying 1oz of gold.
best wishes,
I paid our state taxes with the refund.
Well, I was going to buy a new couch/furniture, said that last year too. But my two sons got married a month apart last year and all my money went to the weddings, so now I think, hmm, my stiulus check = new couch, NO, I find out my two sons are having TWINS and a SINGLE baby, all a week apart this fall… so my stimulus check = save for 3 newborn grandchildren, which I WILL LOVE BUNCHES, but still no couch!
I will pay my bills and take a short trip
Built a deck on the house…using composite decking made in America using recycled plastic bags and sawdust!
I’ll be spending mine on gas! That should last me a good month or so. Anyhting to help out the oil companies.
Hey this was fun, after 30 years of working my tail off, going to night school, making sacrifice. I made enough last year to discover what AMT is. Now I get to pay more taxes use less deductions and look at what fun people are having with all that money. And just for a kick in the stomach I don’t get a refund myself because I am rich (well I would be anyway if they didn’t take a third of my income for taxes). At least Robin Hood stole from an unjust government, he wasn’t an unjust government. I can’t wait until they bail out the get rich quick mortgage flippers with my 08 taxes.
My husband and I sold our home in South Minneapolis and will be moving to Maple Grove. We are using our stimulus check to help with the downpayment of our new home.
We spent our stimulus rebate yesterday on a trip in September to the (as some would call it) evil rodent empire in Orlando.
Imagine yourself (readers, not necessarily Kara) posting a picture to that website, a picture of you, your better half & your shiny new (used) tandem road bike. Stimulate our (my wife’s and mine) economy by buying our tandem. Available on craigslist.
Didn’t qualify for Stimulus package, so I don’t get to gloat about what I blew the money on.
I am giving it to the governor to help defeat the DFL again.
If Bush insists on throwing $1200 of borrowed money at me because it’s an election year, I’m going to try to minimize the impact of this fiscal irresponsibility by paying down one of my credit cards.
Mine direct deposited into my account just on time to pay my rent (on the same day my work’s salary direct deposited). (I have an outstanding invoice for money that should have been wired to me by now, but I still have not received it.) All looked well in my bank account when I checked online the day the money arrived, but then the next day when I checked, the bank had somehow decided that it was a false alarm, that things apparently aren’t well and good after all, and changed the dates of the deposits conveniently so that the rent check resulted in an overdraft in my account. I should call and complain (again). That’s how I spent my check — rent and overdrafts.
In order to keep the money in the country, we are spending ours at local restaurants who generally use local produce and meats. We also enjoy a nice bottle of West Coast wine with our meal. We hope to enjoy several nice dinners over the nex few weeks.
I gave mine to charity.
Since I think the whole concept of throwing money to the wind to give a short term stimulous to the economy is a political stunt. And that it would have been better to give relief to those in need.
I decided that although I am a student without great monetary wealth I have enough to eat so rather than buy something shiny and new to help the Chinese economy, I would give the money to a local food shelf to help those in need here.
I think we’re spending on a long-overdue duct cleaning for the house. Stimulate the local economy and save ourselves some long-term bucks. Although Cub’s 10% back is probably going to sway us to buy at least one of those $300 cards.
My problem is, it hasn’t come yet. I did direct deposit on my tax return, filed it well in advance (I had some money coming), and my SSN ends in 0*. So it SHOULD have been deposited last Friday - not done. I checked “Where’s my stimulus Payment?” at irs.gov and it said it was “scheduled to be issued on May 16, 2008″. THAT matches if I had opted for a paper check on my return.
Here’s the thing: I FILED by paper. If they REALLY meant “e-Filing” as an equivalent to “direct deposit”, they should say so, doncha think???? Anyone else have a similar story?
The BF and I bought some glass block windows for the basement. Maybe we should’ve bought bsimon’s tandem instead!
I am serious, is there some reason this isn’t getting posted for everyone?
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May 8th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I am giving it to the governor to help defeat the DFL again.
Not real similar, but I wanted to efile and the IRS site at the time said efiling was unavailable for stimulus check filers. So I do the paper filing… and some time later, I went back to the site to check the status. THIS time the site says efiling is OK. :/ Thanks for nothing IRS idiots.
I used Turbo Tax efile with my return, asked me at the end that I qualified for $600 Tax Rebate check, asked me how I wanted it paid to me….I checked direct deposit…now it tells me that I am getting a check mailed to me on the 16th! I have heard many people with the same issue!!!
I’m using my to pay my income tax.
Maybe some government agency can use it to buy TVs and cars so we get that needed ’stimulus’.
So people can cop their warez, but not oppose the DFL?
I’m going to spend mine on the MN gas tax increase. Thank you MN officials!
Hello?
I will spend it on twins tickets then go to the game with a sign that say’s I am jimmy bee and carl Pohlad is cheap and we need to get rid of Kubel
Stimulus check? What stimulus check? I don’t get one. Apparently, if your income is above a certain threshold, you get stiffed despite what you paid in.
Thanks for nothing, IRS.
We paid our overpriced property taxes!
I efiled with direct deposit but since I was the one filling it out I put myself as the primary filer. My SSN is in the last group. My husband’s is in the first. If only I’d known!
It depends on how you “e-filed” your return. If you’re like me and used a tax program such as Turbo Tax to e-file you will get a paper check. The reason is Turbo Tax (and other preparers) use a third party, a bank in California in my case, to process my refund. So it is that bank and not the IRS that has my bank account information. So the only choice the IRS has is to send me a check. The only reason I know this is because I too was wondering where my direct deposit was that was supposed to arrive last Friday.
Stimulus Package? Dont think so! I must have been a naughty boy since I dont get a check. This package is about as stimulating as watching someone clean the duct work in their house! Apprently our sweet Uncle felt I should pay for everyone else’s needs. Our dear Uncle also decided that the only enjoyment I should recieve from this package is watching you spend my money. Our sweet Uncle did not realize that I could have used some of the stimulus cash to invest in a worm farm, which of course, would have further stimulated the economy? Senseless!! My guess is most people will use my money to pay off their debts which of course will have no effect on growing the economy! Cant wait to hear about the next stimulus package:(
You’re right, Kara. It sucks you in! But I was fascinated by the idea of using it in those worldwide revolving small loan programs, or investing in Euros. Mostly the entries made me laugh!
What stimulus check? For those that do get one - consider buying someone that did not a beer - or as Betsy suggested a Micro Loan is great way to make a difference in someone’s life - or give the $$ to your children as they are the ones who will be paying for this.
Sorry guys! My moderation tool apparently went on vacation yesterday and decided to moderate all comments. I manually pushed them through this morning.
I will put the $600 in a stock fund.
Rule of 72 will mean my $600
will be worth $38400 in 30 years.
That money will go towards a Mercedes.
Does any one else find this quote somewhat ironic?
“If Bush insists on throwing $1200 of borrowed money at me because it’s an election year, I’m going to try to minimize the impact of this fiscal irresponsibility by paying down one of my credit cards.”
“That money will go towards a Mercedes.”
In 30 years, $38,400 won’t buy much of a mercedes.
I did exactly as promised. Put some to savings, car payment, husband’s and my Roths, and a little bit toward my Wii. Not much economic stimulation, as the Wii was also my birthday present.
