What are you doing with the new stimulus money?

My stimulus money is also pending for the 17th, I'm very excited. The prior two stimulus payments I invested because I was in hunkered down mode. But now that I'm getting vaccinated and expect to re-engage with the world by mid April, I have all sorts of plans for the money. Unfortunately more plans than money.
Big on my list is carpet for two rooms that got all messed up long ago by pets + kid + mice.
But I need to put new baseboards in one room and I don't know if I'm equipped or capable to cut to the right size, so wish the money would stretch for handyman (Home Depot said they only install carpet not baseboards).
I also need two downspouts repaired from storm damage last year. Also a piece of trim up along the roof.
The cat needs to go to the vet and get his teeth cleaned which is always more expensive than it feels like it should be.
And I had planned that the very first thing would be a plumber, but I know the money won't stretch. The toilet tank flap won't seal and the toilet runs through and flushes itself, I have tried many times to get the chain unhooked from the arm and tried to wiggle the flap off, but I'm just not strong enough. So the water has been turned off for months and I fill a bucket in the tub and use that to flush. I think I might, as a last ditch effort, cut the chain and the flap hooks and see if I can get a match at the hardware store and install it myself. I don't know why they make these things so hard to remove. Looks easy when I watch YouTube. Other people must have much stronger hands than I do.
 

HoneyNut said:
My stimulus money is also pending for the 17th, I'm very excited. The prior two stimulus payments I invested because I was in hunkered down mode. But now that I'm getting vaccinated and expect to re-engage with the world by mid April, I have all sorts of plans for the money. Unfortunately more plans than money.
Big on my list is carpet for two rooms that got all messed up long ago by pets + kid + mice.
But I need to put new baseboards in one room and I don't know if I'm equipped or capable to cut to the right size, so wish the money would stretch for handyman (Home Depot said they only install carpet not baseboards).
I also need two downspouts repaired from storm damage last year. Also a piece of trim up along the roof.
The cat needs to go to the vet and get his teeth cleaned which is always more expensive than it feels like it should be.
And I had planned that the very first thing would be a plumber, but I know the money won't stretch. The toilet tank flap won't seal and the toilet runs through and flushes itself, I have tried many times to get the chain unhooked from the arm and tried to wiggle the flap off, but I'm just not strong enough. So the water has been turned off for months and I fill a bucket in the tub and use that to flush. I think I might, as a last ditch effort, cut the chain and the flap hooks and see if I can get a match at the hardware store and install it myself. I don't know why they make these things so hard to remove. Looks easy when I watch YouTube. Other people must have much stronger hands than I do.
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Baseboards are easy, I can do a baseboard so I KNOW you can do a baseboard. Measure, cut, nail, patch where nail is. Paint the baseboard after you cut it but before you nail it. Then after you nail you only have to touch up the paint where the nails are. You can glue them on, but we nail.

Personally, since you don’t want a plumber, I’d ask a neighbor or friend or someone at church first to try and fix the toilet. It’s easy and most guys know how to do this. You pay for the supplies. Otherwise, try it yourself. Or put up a note at the senior senior, if open, asking if someone will do it. (Our centers are not open)

Plumbers costs really vary. We needed a drain put in our laundry room, first bid 5000 and the guy said he had never done one, but was sure he could 😳. Yeah, dude I am using you, not. Second bid 5000, two days if the plumbing was where they thought it was. 🙄

Third bid, 2500. This guy was like main drain is right there. Replaced the too small pipes, the faucets to the washing machine, the pipe up into the ceiling, no charge, broke through the cement, dug to the main drain, put the floor drain in, replaced everything. Pays to call around. It took one day. 😍

Yes, I wished it had been the 2000=4000 for us. It’s not enough. But people with children are really getting enough money which is great. I am so happy for them.
 
hollydolly said:
Can't remember if I asked this before, but do you all get the same amount ?
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No, those with children get a lot more, 1400 for each child. Plus they get tax credits and money, I think, every month. It’s great for the kids. Says it will lift about half of the kids in poverty out of poverty.

For the adults, there is some kind of sliding scale which I do not understand. I am getting the full amount so 2800 for us. Only time since the kids left that I wished they were back home 😂😂😂
 
old medic said:
we dont need the money.
This is nothing more than vote buying
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Apparently the economic benefit doesn't require us to need the money, our only job is to spend it. I am willing to step up to the plate and spend mine!
Although everything politicians do is suspect, I read up a little bit on the internet and it seems stimulus packages are a normal economic strategy. From what I read, last year the USA stimulus of 2.2 trillion was like 15% of our GDP, but Germany put out a stimulus that was close to 50% of their GDP (tho not sure how given, it seems like stimulus can be done in a variety of ways, but the reading started to be boring - made me remember how unexciting I found the Intro to Economics class I took in college).
 
old medic said:
We aren't rich by any means... our income as a couple falls below the single person level and we dont need the money.
This is nothing more than vote buying
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I'm sure that any of us that are really troubled by this deficit can return their checks to the government and we will have done our part to reduce the deficit.

We had a huge tax cut that benefited the "well to do", 2 or 3 years back. I'm sure that with a little digging, we will be able to ascertain how many of these folks and corporations declined the tax cut, also in the interest of cutting the deficit.
 
Gary O' said:

What are you doing with the new stimulus money?​


Put it with the rest

When the new taxes and inflation hits, I'm sure I'll use it
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That's true. I'll be using it soon paying for the higher gasoline prices today. This summer expect to pay near $5.00+ a gallon. Gasoline goes up, so does diesel. What do the big trucks that deliver goods run on? Diesel. Who's going to pay for the increase? YOU! Save your stimulus, you are going to need it later this year and the years to come. ;)
 
eey meeny miny moe, which item do I need the most? Pay for only one of my messed up teeth to be repaired, or a bestest Air Purifier to rid me of stuffy sinuses that come on during my sleep at night causing me to wake up and be unable to get back to sleep, so end up with miserable fatigue all the following day? I choose an especially well made/helpful Air Purifier....... sigh
 


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