Rebate check-in. Where will your money go?

Saturday, April 26 2008

What do you plan to do with your check? If you're spending it, what are you spending it on?

(The Takeaway)

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This "stimulus plan" is ludicrous. 90% of recipients are going to use their check to pay down their credit card debt, the other 10% are going to use it to (barely) help offset the rapidly rising costs of food and fuel. I shudder to think how much it is costing the government to administer this program. I'd give it back if I could, but because I can't, I'll be giving mine to charities.

Posted by Alex, 11:49 p.m. Sunday, April 27 2008 Permalink

The only way this stimulus is going to help the economy will be as a donation to an election candidate (presidential or otherwise) that actually has workable ideas for long-term improvements.

Posted by jamiegp, 6:16 a.m. Monday, April 28 2008 Permalink

Gonna buy a boat for my friends, to help get them out of the flood, with things heating up everywhere. Slainte! -James

Posted by James, 6:22 a.m. Monday, April 28 2008 Permalink

I'm going to buy an iPod, and put the rest towards my travel fund.

Posted by SRD, 7:07 a.m. Monday, April 28 2008 Permalink

I will give most of it to charity, the public library and the parks, since the city government is constantly cutting down on these essentials.

Posted by anne, 8:36 a.m. Monday, April 28 2008 Permalink

I plan to spend my rebate check, not on Antonin Scalia's new book, Making Your Case; The Art Of Persuading Judges, whose subtitle should have read "How I convinced four other supreme court justices to appoint Bush President", but instead primarily on lowering my adjustable-rate home equity loan before rates go up again, and the rest on charity to help those who have been adversely impacted by the economic "slowdown" a.k.a recession.

Posted by Paul , 8:51 a.m. Monday, April 28 2008 Permalink

I'll be using my rebate check to pay down my debt. Buy more stuff? Hardly. The last thing I want to do is spend this money on more plastic crap to fill up my house. Slate has a pretty good lay analysis of the mathematical game theory behind the rebate checks. http://www.slate.com/id/112725/

Posted by jasonh, 10:29 a.m. Monday, April 28 2008 Permalink

Make the first two payments on my student loans...

Posted by DeirdreC, 1:46 p.m. Monday, April 28 2008 Permalink

Some of us will not receive a rebate from this President's stimulus package. However, if I did, I would put it towards a downpayment on a house, which I cannot afford due to the 20% down requirement.

Posted by Tom, 2:55 p.m. Monday, April 28 2008 Permalink

I'm planning to make a donation to a local community center and arts organization -- a kind of place where people actively challenge our consumer economy every day. You can join me: http://www.abcnorio.org/support/

Posted by Amanda, 3:03 p.m. Monday, April 28 2008 Permalink

It's not clear why the government is sending me someone else's tax money - it sure won't stimulate me or them to work harder. Ultimately, these programs have to be bad for the economy.

Posted by Jonathan, 3:56 p.m. Monday, April 28 2008 Permalink

I was SO disappointed to hear the comment of one listener read on the air today and praised: that they were going to buy a puppy with their rebate check. Please don't encourage people to buy dogs when there are literally thousands of puppies, dogs, cats and kittens sitting in shelters and desperately in need of loving homes.

Posted by SlinkyJ, 5:29 p.m. Monday, April 28 2008 Permalink

I'm gonna buy a second clock radio, tune it to AM 820, and set the alarm to go off at 6 AM so I can keep listening to Morning Edition. I'm afraid this show just doesn't work for me, guys. Not on NPR, at least.

Posted by Will, 11:28 p.m. Monday, April 28 2008 Permalink

Giving my rebate check to charity and will receive a tax break. Join this irony. And, giving it to help soldiers/veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who return home with post traumatic stress disorders. Charity of choice is The Soldiers Project because they provide free and confidential counseling to not only troops but their families.

Posted by Elle, 4:25 a.m. Tuesday, April 29 2008 Permalink

my dog ate a corncob and needed emergency surgery last december. my 'stimulus' will go towards making a small dent in her very large hospital bill. i wish i could afford to donate it to charity or tear it in half and mail it back to Dubya but it will go instead towards the state of the art nonprofit animal hospital that saved my dog's life.

Posted by janice, 7:31 a.m. Wednesday, April 30 2008 Permalink

As a fundraising coach to nonprofits, I'm delighted to see the number of people already saying they'll make a donation to charity! I'm also encouraging nonprofits to recession-proof their fundraising by resisting the urge to get pessimistic or to apologize when asking. Our causes are often even more worthy of funding in economic hard times! An article on recession-proofing your fundraising is available at: http://www.pnnonline.org/article.php?sid=8116

Posted by Marc A. Pitman, Fundraisingcoach.com, 11:12 a.m. Wednesday, April 30 2008 Permalink

Well, I hope it doesn't sound greedy, but I'll be using my check to go on vacation! Still enjoying the show, keep up the good work.

Posted by KASW, 2:27 p.m. Wednesday, April 30 2008 Permalink

I'm going to make a contribution to WNYC. But only if they cancel this horrible Takeaway program.

Posted by mack, 6:57 a.m. Thursday, May 1 2008 Permalink

I'm still mulling over this question from a couple of days ago. People say "save it or spend it" as if those were the only options. I'm giving mine to charity and I'm pleased to see (from posted replies) that I'm not the only one doing that.

Posted by Marian Bock, 8:29 a.m. Thursday, May 1 2008 Permalink

I'm going to use my rebate to help spread the word about this... http://www.storyofstuff.com (a fantastic 20 video) and pay a bill or two.

Posted by Evelyn Vincent, 11:57 a.m. Thursday, May 1 2008 Permalink

If I could, I would donate it to a local animal shelter, which is more than usually full because people have felt forced to abandon their animals when they are foreclosed on. But in fact, I'll be paying off a heating/AC repair bill. Sorry, doggies.

Posted by Martha Garvey, 10:19 a.m. Monday, May 5 2008 Permalink

You ask how I spent my stimulus check. I didn't. I put it in my savings account.

Posted by Robin, 6:07 a.m. Monday, June 9 2008 Permalink

My partner and I both received stimulus checks and we used both checks on our vacation in Peru. Not one penny was spent to stimulate the US economy but instead we gave our money to Peru's.

Posted by Douglas Gordon, 6:51 a.m. Monday, June 9 2008 Permalink

Can you explain how it was determined who received the government issued stimulus checks, I did not get one--should of I?

Posted by G.Miller Smyth, 6:52 a.m. Monday, June 9 2008 Permalink

I'll be putting my stimulus check of $600 into my savings account. The office I work with is being downsized at the end of the month and I'll be out of a job. Stimulate that, George Bush.

Posted by Anne Heausler, 8:33 a.m. Monday, June 9 2008 Permalink

I received $600 stimulus payment. I used it to pay a $578 COBRA for health insurance plus $48 dental. Total: $626. I suppose I am helping keep those big insurance companies that keep our big politicians afloat.

Posted by P. Peterson, 8:33 a.m. Monday, June 9 2008 Permalink

G. Miller Smyth, Check out this link, it is a calculator for the Economic Stimulus Checks, etc... hope that is helpful... http://www.irs.gov/app/espc/