What are you spending your stimulus check on?

[monstermonster]

My coronabucks landed today. Has yours arrived? What mustachian thing are you using it for? Is anyone sending it straight into investments while the markets are (relatively) down?

I'm in a relatively good financial position compared to almost everyone I know right now with a 7-month emergency fund and no debt and automated retirement savings. While I'm inclined to save it, I've decided to put half on charity and mutual aid and half towards buying from local small businesses. The charity part is easy to handle, but spending money doesn't come easily to me.

Things I'm considering: buying a CSA share from a friend who runs a farm to help her cash flow and get me produce during the summer, art and jewelry from small businesses,  gift certificates to local businesses I don't want to close (independent movie theatres, something that makes my town great, the donut shop under my apartment.)

[redhead84]

Due to our AGI, our stimulus payment is only a couple hundred. We are still saving plenty of money from our normal income so we are going to use it to stimulate the local economy. We'll get our growler filled at the local brewery where the owners know our names and sincerely appreciate our support.

[OtherJen]

It's going in our savings account for now because we don't know if either or both of us will be out of work soon, and my work is likely to see delayed effects. It will bump us up to 6 months of bare-bones expenses in savings.

[geekette]

Since we're retired, we don't need no stinkin' caronabucks (good name).  A big chunk of mine went to the local food bank.  Another chunk went to the cat shelter I (used to) volunteer for (the thrift store is closed for now and yet it's still kitten season).

I think I'll spend the last bit on some fancy chocolates that I will drop off at friends' houses.  Someone sent me chocolate last week, and it made me happy!  So I'll support a chocolatier and make my friends happy too!

DH would like to give his to someone/some family in need, but has no idea how to do so.  I say there are charities who probably are good at helping people, but for some reason he just wants to give directly.

[MonkeyJenga]

@geekette https://www.givedirectly.org/covid-19/

[geekette]

@geekette https://www.givedirectly.org/covid-19/

Thanks!  Forwarded.  Funny that it's called "give directly" and that's what he wants to do!

[Rob_bob]

I used mine to pay Fed and State income taxes, it wasn't enough.

[ShastaFire]

Just in time to pay for property taxes!

[Bloop Bloop]

I've never received a stimulus payment in my life. The Australian government undertook two rounds (first after the GFC and now this year) and I've missed out on everything.

[FLBiker]

Savings for now.  We intended to be househunting in Canada at the end of March (currently in the US) with an eye towards moving in May.  We're still hoping to move in July or August, but with all the uncertainty we've been building our emergency fund for the past several months.  We'll add this to that, for now.  Once we move (and are confident that our jobs are stable) we'll put it all in investments and keep our usual (lean) emergency fund.

[formerlydivorcedmom]

Ours essentially paid for the air conditioning work we had done last month.  That means my savings account is back to the level with which I'm more comfortable.  I want to build our cash savings up a little higher before we start putting extra into the market (currently maxing our IRAS, one 401k, and half a 457 and then also contributing to college funds).

We're doing our part for the economy in other ways.  The money we aren't spending on our commutes and the money we got refunded for events that were cancelled has been redirected to takeout (with giant tips).

[Cassie]

Into savings. Eventually will be spent on travel.

[lhamo]

We've got issues with our main sewer line, so stimulus + refund are likely going to that.  If we have anything left (unlikely) we're getting some trees in the backyard trimmed up so that we have more sunlight for gardening.

[Buffaloski Boris]

Well, wifey vetoed my idea so it just went into the slush fund. We’ll peel off a few Benjamin’s for some informal charity work. The rest will be invested eventually I suppose.

[poetdereves]

We are using ours to top off the last bit of emergency fund we wanted to have, to put the final cherry on top of my gravel bike fund so I can more easily travel under the power of my own two feet, and to help out some friends and family that don’t have as fortunate of a situation with work/life at the moment.

[NV Teacher]

Mine will sit in the bank until my property taxes come due in a few months.

[dodojojo]

I got a partial check.  Have to do 2019 taxes--if I owe, that's where it's going.

If not, it will be divvied up between two food banks and a community help center. 

[cangelosibrown]

Haven't gotten mine yet, but I'm thinking it'll go straight to charity. Maybe I'll put my son's $500 share into an account for him. I haven't decided what the best charity would be at this point in time, but I know for sure that I don't need the money.

[DadJokes]

$380 to an xbox + some games for my wife (and me).

We are sitting on the rest. I would like a covered back porch, which will cost at least $10k. So we’ll have to find other sources of funding as well.

[ChpBstrd]

I will probably use the cash as collateral and sell put options or options spreads.

But what I'd really like is a shiny new mountain bike.

[zolotiyeruki]

My car is at 230k+ miles, DW's minivan is at 190k.  So we're currently socking it away in anticipation of new (to us) vehicle purchases in the future.

[kpd905]

Maxing out a 529.