Last Thursday we polled our readers for what they plan on doing with their money when they get their tax rebate checks. The result is that Consumerist readers mainly plan on using their money in precisely the opposite way that the politicians want them to, paying off debt (46.3%) and saving it in the bank (30%). All the other options combined, which would have a supposedly more directly stimulating effect on the economy, add up to only 23.8%. Food came in at 1.5%, depreciating assets 8.2%, discretionary spending 4.5% and stimulating the critical beer and cigarette industries 9.6%. It seems our readers are more concerned about their personal finances than the national economy. Good. Maybe if more people were like them we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.
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@Mayor McRib: Jump that to .002%.
Pudding ’08!
The last time they did this I didn’t get a rebate, so I doubt I will get one this time. Alot of these people don’t know that you’re supposed to pay taxes on this “rebate check” just like last time or did you have to deduct it from your taxes.
If I did happen to get this it would go to paying off credit card.
I wonder too what would happen to the economy if people were frugal.
@saintjohnson: I certainly agree that it’s only fair (and logical) for us to look to our personal finances and improve our situation with this rebate. I don’t think any rational person will agree with you that the government is making choices in the best interests of THEIR finances, though. “Let’s change a surplus into monstrous, unprecendented deficits! Won’t that be fun?”
I just clicked on “paying down my debt” because there wasn’t an option for “getting the hell out of Iowa and moving back to Seattle!” Well, the $600 won’t do that entirely, but it will sure help.
Why don’t they just give us Best Buy gift cards instead of checks? Oh wait, apparently we’re not good at spending those either.
Sure, NOW people say they’re going to save it, pay off debt, etc. That’s the “right” thing to say to a pollster. But when that check shows up I bet there’ll be a run on iPhones and XBoxes.
-hic – Any Consumerists that voted “Booze & Smokes” meet at my house when the checks come out.
We’ll par-tay!
(I guess this means, when we’re good, we’re good. When we’re bad, we’re very bad… I’m happy with that designation.
)
And, pretty darned proud that Sin is the #1 vote-getter, besides the “Gallant” options.
If Goofus is, “Buy expendable consumer items on your credit card before the ‘rebates’ are available,” and Gallant is, “Deposit the sucker,” who’s name do we apply for the “Rum, the Lash & Sodomy” Consumerists?
Huh…Imagine that…
I was planning to spend my rebate (plus more) on a new home theater system…but the a$$ plungers that call themselves democrats decided I shouldn’t get any rebate…
Oh well, looks like the economy’s still gonna tank…guess I’ll just buy gold and euros instead.
Who’s to say that paying down debt isn’t the ultimate goal? As I’ve said before, it would be a bank bailout by laundering it through citizens.
The return on your investment in Ron Paul is 1000%, payable in Liberty Dollars backed by the full faith and credit of the Montana Militia.
For the love of all that’s unholy, can we please make it an insta-banning offense for Paultards to spam Consumerist?
Love ‘em to bits on Wonkette – where they receive the warm, loving embrace* as orphan-gobbling Wal-Mart executives do here – but their trolling has no place here.
* Wonkette commentators’ promises (or threats if your masculinity is precariously balanced) of vigorous assf*cking lovingly added – gratis!
I second the Ron Paul notion.
Trai_Dep’s Ron Paul notion, rather than the actual Ron Paul notion, that is.
For the love of all that’s unholy, can we please make it an insta-banning offense for Paultards to spam Consumerist?
Pretty, pretty please? With a cherry on top?
Honestly, I think the Ron Paul spammers are actually trying to stop people from voting for him by making us all hate him in much the same way that phishing e-mails hurt the company the scammer is pretending to be even when we know the e-mail is a scam.
How is it trolling or spam? This post is about how we will spend our tax rebate. Have you even looked at Ron Paul’s ideas? If you did then you would see how donating to him would be the best way to spend the tax rebate.
Or are you just trolling?
Donating to Ron Paul will only ensure that he won’t owe money on travel and consulting expenses once he’s ultimately forced to end his presidential campaign.