What Did You Spend Your Stimulus Money On

[Thomas McCurnin]

Ours arrived about 10 days ago. I'm retired, and I wonder why I even got it, but I did, and cheerfully cashed the check. It looks like its going to hiking gear, because since my retirement, I applied, was accepted, and went through basic training as a US Forest Service Ranger. So I needed a small tent, stove, and rescue beacon.

[Jerry Bruette]

Put mine in a savings account so when payback time comes I'll have it. Trust me payback time will come.

[Lisa Starr]

Put it in a savings account. We owe a rather hefty sum to the IRS for our 2019 taxes so it will be handy in July when they are due.

[mike stenson]

Anti-fungal medication. For (one of) the dog(s).

[John Lanciani]

I only got about half of it, but I used it to help those less fortunate than me. I am lucky to not have had my income disrupted by the virus, it didn’t feel right to keep it.

[Jim Becker]

I just transferred the whole $210.30 we got into my checking account...where it will likely help with the taxes we owe when I finally file in a short while.

[Jay Aubuchon]

$600 to our local food bank, $600 to a local homeless shelter. We did not need the money.

[ChrisA Edwards]

Well after we missed the Obama Care tax relief cutoff by a few hundred dollars last year and our healthcare cost us $2300 a month instead of $470, which we didn't know until we did our taxes in February before C-19 hit, I didn't feel quite so guilty about getting $2400 back from the government after we wrote them a check for $34K last year.

So I did what any brave man would do, I used mine plus the wife's and bought myself a Shaper Origin CNC router.

[Brian Elfert]

Mine will go at least partly to replace my income lost from seven days of furlough. The state has waived the one week waiting period for unemployment so I got unemployment to cover the other part of my pay.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Bought a roofing nailer, because I'm replacing a bunch of shingles on shop and lower part of the house. Wife tells me I can't do the upper part. Some is going to NC Woodworker site. Sent some to local Y to help cover summer camp expenses for kids who can't afford it. Rest is in savings for our State Fair Ministry, which may not happen this year.

[Lee Schierer]

We donated the entire amount to local and national charities. Our income and life style other than social life have not been affected by the pandemic.

[Bruce Page]

Ditto here. We donated ours to the Albuquerque Roadrunner food bank

[Malcolm McLeod]

"Mine" went to you folks. Please enjoy, spend it wisely, and remember where it came from.:)

[peter gagliardi]

So, a question. Those who had a bank account linked for tax return refund reasons got their money probably a month and a half ago. My brother got his deposited.
Those that did not were supposed to get a check in June. Some I know have gotten a check within the last couple weeks.
I on the other hand, along with a couple people I know got a debit card instead???? What the??
Not real helpful.
Don't know what to do with it. We were hoping for a check to deposit in savings to offset already paid bills.
The debit card has so many strings attached apparently from what my wife read-
You want to check your balance? - fee $0.25
You want to know how much your starting with? - fee $0.25
You want to buy anything? Fee every time.
You want cash advance? Fee every time
You want to deposit in bank account? First $1000 free, but you gotta fill out a form that neither my wife, nor the bank lady could find online- next partial deposit = fee
Had the debit card 2 days and all we are finding is how they want to "fee" it all away.....
What the hell is going on???
I dunno how they decide who gets the card so they can steal it back, and who gets the check or direct deposit in full with no issues..........

[Tony Zona]

Study closely. It took my wife studying and she got the entire amount on that usurious card transferred free to our bank account. When it arrives we’ll figure out what do with

The card appears tailored to help major political contributors, what with all the hidden fees.

[Kev Williams]

All of our money is 'our money'. So like any other money it'll get used to pay for groceries, AA batteries, a longer hose for my sandblaster, dog treats, lawn watering timers, slime for the flat tires on my big power washer, scented wax cubes, gasoline, flowers for the wife, outdoor LED lights, lawn weed killer, bug killing service, hot tub chemicals, storage rent, business supplies, and let's not forget estimated taxes, which means it's essentially going right back where it came from ;)

[Jim Koepke]

I'm retired, and I wonder why I even got it, but I did

Same here. We deposited it in our savings accounts. Some of the money was used to pay our son-in-law to do work around here. More may be used to pay another handyman to do some more work. Though doing it myself has been good exercise.

A few new & used tools have been purchased but that is normal for this time of year even without a government handout. We have our tax withholding set up to get a bit back from the fed. California withholds taxes on my pension and other disbursements without my consent. Though since we do not live in California we owe them no taxes so we also get that back every year.

When the tax refunds come in, the tool orders go out. Of course my wife also gets to spend her share.

jtk

[Rick Potter]

Replacing some condo double pane windows that started to sweat inside big time. Right back into the economy.

[John K Jordan]

Ours arrived about 10 days ago. I'm retired, and I wonder why I even got it, but I did, and cheerfully cashed the check. It looks like its going to hiking gear, because since my retirement, I applied, was accepted, and went through basic training as a US Forest Service Ranger. So I needed a small tent, stove, and rescue beacon.

I hired a local university student whose summer job evaporated. Seemed like as good a way as any to put money back into the economy - I benefit from the farm work and the money goes toward education. The farm and animal experience is also educational for someone in veterinarian school.

JKJ

[Jim Becker]

So, a question. Those who had a bank account linked for tax return refund reasons got their money probably a month and a half ago. My brother got his deposited.
Those that did not were supposed to get a check in June. Some I know have gotten a check within the last couple weeks.
I on the other hand, along with a couple people I know got a debit card instead???? What the??
Not real helpful.
Don't know what to do with it. We were hoping for a check to deposit in savings to offset already paid bills.
The debit card has so many strings attached apparently from what my wife read-
You want to check your balance? - fee $0.25
You want to know how much your starting with? - fee $0.25
You want to buy anything? Fee every time.
You want cash advance? Fee every time
You want to deposit in bank account? First $1000 free, but you gotta fill out a form that neither my wife, nor the bank lady could find online- next partial deposit = fee
Had the debit card 2 days and all we are finding is how they want to "fee" it all away.....
What the hell is going on???
I dunno how they decide who gets the card so they can steal it back, and who gets the check or direct deposit in full with no issues..........

Just transfer the money from the Debit card account to your normal checking account and be done with it. One transaction. It's free. It only takes a few moments to do it. I know that from experience because that's exactly what I did. You do not need to keep the money in the account established for the Debit card.

[Patrick Walsh]

I don’t even know if I got mine yet.

And if I do it will only be a small amount based in my previous years income that was the highest in my life probably never to be repeated again.

But I still have a job so I’ll leave it at that.

Money gets spent faster than I can make. Ok not quite but, so I’m in no rush to spend it if I even get it.

[Stan Calow]

We're using it to support our favorite local restaurants.

[Roger Feeley]

Ours was deposited in our bank account so no debit card. it sounds like we really dodged a bullet there.

We are on sort of a fixed income but feel very fortunate. The bride gets a pension from being a teacher in Kansas. I get a teeny pension from the time I worked for Knight Ridder. KR became McClatchy which is now bankrupt but my pension checks keep showing up. Whatever the two pensions don’t cover comes out of investments and this is no time to sell. So the government money went into our general fund and protected our investments.

I turned 65 last December and social security will kick in for me at 66. My wife just turned 65 and her ss will kick in at the end of next year. So, for us, it’s really a matter of getting through the next 18 months and not withdrawing any more than we must. Being on Medicare relieved us of a $17K/yr drain which was our biggest expense.

[roger wiegand]

I don't know why they sent it to two well-off retired people rather than someone who needed it. We're donating it get better politicians into office.

[Steve Demuth]

No stimulus money in this household. My 25% pay cut and furlough didn't get me into the needy category yet. My wife doesn't work for money, salaried, hourly or gig, so also not eligible.

[Patrick Walsh]

Peter,

Merca “land of milk and honey” Didn’t you know...

Well at least that’s what most wanna believe and snake oil bs most wanna believe..

Better than most alternatives but probably the biggest scam ever..

Yeah let’s found new world calling it our own and strategy the whole thing by stealing it. That alone should be all anyone ever had to know About the great Merca...

Oh no a heretic amongst us quick tell him if he done like it or thinks it’s better someplace else to leave. Rolleyeyes,,

[Brian Elfert]

I don't know why they sent it to two well-off retired people rather than someone who needed it. We're donating it get better politicians into office.

I don't think the federal government really has any way to to know the financial needs of every person in USA. Someone who made $100,000 last year may be jobless now. The point of the stimulus is to get money moving in the economy.

[John Lanciani]

Peter,

Merca “land of milk and honey” Didn’t you know...

Well at least that’s what most wanna believe and snake oil bs most wanna believe..

Better than most alternatives but probably the biggest scam ever..

Yeah let’s found new world calling it our own and strategy the whole thing by stealing it. That alone should be all anyone ever had to know About the great Merca...

Oh no a heretic amongst us quick tell him if he done like it or thinks it’s better someplace else to leave. Rolleyeyes,,

Kind of funny coming from a textbook capitalist consumer...

[John Makar]

Kid[2] just finished his ER residency, and managed to find an even lower paying fellowship. He may be the only Dr. I know that never gets rich. We're covering moving expenses, but at least he's headed back west.

[Patrick Walsh]

What does capitalist consumerism have to do lie cheat steel murder Bureaucracy and corruption.

The two should not and or do not have be at the expense of honesty morality and not throwing anything that gets in your way under bus in the name of self preservation and getting what you believe in or want.

You know marching into the new world murdering the natives then turning the survivors into a welfare state all the while looking down on them as less than and burden we Mercans have to shoulder.

Pretty much the same way the white house got built. Lotsa pride to be had shaking my head. Vine in Fourth of July “ I’ll work through it intentionally” take the next day off.

But yeah I like to work hard and buy stuff. Doesn’t mean I do it at the expense of anyone or anything other than myself. And I sure wouldn’t do what we did to escape tyranny have religious freedoms then go do the same thing to anyone that got in my way in the so called “new world” sounds like a term a certain someone would come up with as a catch fraze to divert from the real issue and speak to the schmucks that respond to such messaging.

But your right it does seem to be the Mercan way and who knows maybe I’m like the rest and can’t smell my own poop.

[Mel Fulks]

You don't see it much ,but if you look for early accounts of how NA tribes got along , you will read some some routine
gruesome stuff. I'm glad I live here and I don't kill people.

[Lee DeRaud]

By an odd coincidence, my 20-year-old washer failed hard about a week before the check showed up in the account. Given that the dryer was the same vintage, I replaced both, and the stimulus money almost exactly covered it. Couldn't have planned it better if I'd tried.

[Darcy Warner]

Hold it, they really gave people money?

Hope the 1200 bucks was worth it, going to cost my kids 100s of thousands to pay back in the long run.

Nothing more than a bone to throw, although it took the heat off some companies getting millions they didn't need.

[Bruce Page]

Guys, please don’t turn this into another political trashing.

[Mike Kreinhop]

I don't think the federal government really has any way to to know the financial needs of every person in USA. Someone who made $100,000 last year may be jobless now. The point of the stimulus is to get money moving in the economy.

No stimulus money for us because of the income limits (not a bad place to be). However, if we did receive any money, it would be donated to one of the U.S. military organizations we support every year.

Almost all of my expat friends in Germany, Italy, and the UK received their stimulus payments. Most received direct deposits into their bank accounts, but some received the paper checks mailed to their overseas addresses. I don't know what they did with the checks, since some banks here won't accept them. I doubt any of this money will make it back into the U.S. economy.

[Keith Pitman]

We donated $2400 to a local food bank.

[Erik Loza]

We did not qualify, due to income, but had decided that "if" we got checks, would split the money up among folks like our barbers/wife's hair stylist, cleaning lady, etc., who have really been hit hard by this. Even though she hasn't been to the house since March, I'm still paying our cleaning lady like normal and we upped our donations to the charities we normally support. Do what you can for folks worse off than yourself.

Erik

[mike stenson]

Hold it, they really gave people money?

Hope the 1200 bucks was worth it, going to cost my kids 100s of thousands to pay back in the long run.

Nothing more than a bone to throw, although it took the heat off some companies getting millions they didn't need.

A couple things here, none are political statements.

1) AGI under $198,000 (filing jointly) gets a payment ($400 sliding to $1200), so unless you're under $150,000/yr (jointly) you're not getting $1200
1a) This means if you're getting nothing, you are roughly in less than 17% of the population, good for you.
2) I paid way more in taxes on my last paycheck than the check I got, and ultimately it was mine in the first place.
3) The absolute worst thing that could happen is we stop spending.

[Thomas L Carpenter]

$1200 in each of my sons special needs trusts.

[Walter Plummer]

One more where it's just going to pay this years taxes.

[Jerry Thompson]

The market was way down so I invested it. So far I have made $110.00

[Rob Luter]

Didn’t get one. Not a problem.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I put mine in savings, planning to buy a cheap-ish house in the next couple of years so everything helps.

[Terry Wawro]

Paid some taxes and donated some.

[John E. Hobart]

Use it to pay taxes

[John Goodin]

We did not qualify but my in-laws are giving theirs to the grandkids. The upcoming generation will be the ones paying for it.