When and if those $600 checks go out, even if you're planning on paying bills with it,

[predfan]

how about spending at least some of it at your local farmers market? You'll get better food, and the money just might stay in your local community a cycle or two longer. Doesn't do much for the stock market, or Wal Mart, but does help our fellow Americans.

[SoFlaJet]

1. funny thing is

I'm either gonna have to use it to make up for money I paid in taxes or to help pay off credit cards...it never friggin ends or gets easier

[Warpy]

5. Most people will be catching up on the heating bill

so that it'll be paid off by the next heating season. If you get enough to pay off part of that high interest plastic debt, you're way ahead of the game.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. always shop there

starts up again in March

[Iwasthere]

3. Saving the entire $1800.00 check so I can pay it right back next year

If I have to... I was sooooo mad the last time * gave us a check and I had to pay 100% of it back (by then I didn't have it)

[FlyingSquirrel]

7. If you have credit cards,

it's better to pay one off with it, then put the card away. That way you're not being charged the interest, and then you can use the credit card to pay the IRS if necessary. At least you'll save the interest for almost a year. That could be a couple hundred bucks or more.

Not to mention that if you have it in savings, they'll charge you tax on the interest.

[kestrel91316]

4. In the ultimate irony, I will probably just have to use mine to PAY TAXES. Oy vey.

[mattvermont]

6. as an organic farmer

in Vermont, I thank you for your suggestion. Local spending is the best.

[predfan]

9. I'm a retailer in a small tennessee town, and the local farmer's market is about

three blocks from my store. These folks, for the most part, spend their money locally as well, and I'm not sure people realize how important keeping money circulating in a small town is, before, it finally gets sucked into the Bentonville drain and heads to China.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. I live in Arkansas and don't shop WalMart

I will say that the farmer's market brings folks like me to town--and when I'm done shopping there, I always go and shop at the stores nearby. The backbone of America, I think, are the local farmers and the downtown merchants.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. always support organic farmers

we have two organic blueberry farms here--I'm in heaven every June when I go pick. And I go to the farmer's market on the square every Saturday in season. Great food, you know how it is produced, and you know it isn't loaded with chemicals.

[pitohui]

8. because i can't afford it

my local farmer's market has prices 3 times or more the cost of the grocery store, who cares if this food is "better" if i choke on it going down

i'm no good to anyone else if i can't pay my own bills, and the farmer's market is for people who can afford boutique foods around here, the doctor's wives are going to have to take up the slack, it isn't priced to feed real people

if my fellow americans gave a damn about me, instead of just wanting to jack me for the last penny in my pocket, maybe i'd feel differently

i envy you who have farmer's markets who have fairly priced foods, but this is not the case where i live

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

12. where do you live?

I've shopped at farmer's markets in Illinois and Arkansas, and the prices were always the same or much better than the local stores.

Sorry to hear of your plight. Do you have the ability to grow some of your own food? You don't have to have a garden space-a window will do.

[eilen]

13. It all goes into one big pot

I'll either need it to pay taxes or will use it to fill my tank. I usually try to pay off any time payments (credit cards) whenever I can in full. I love the farmer's market, we have a fantastic one, it is so vibrant and busy! I may use a portion of the money to pay the CSA membership.

I don't go to Walmart, ever. We have a local grocer chain here called Wegmans which is my favorite but can be expensive when you load up on gourmet goodies, although their meat is expensive. However, I don't think their clean meat (no antibiotics or additives) is more expensive than the grass fed meat I've purchased from farms. I will buy some of their stuff too sometimes but it is very expensive.

I don't purchase sweatshop clothes anymore. I mostly buy from the thrift stores (rescue mission, salvation army), or sew my own. But I do end up buying new for my son and I wish there were more alt-teens focused shops that don't stock their stores from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Korea, and China--he likes Hot Topic. Luckily he is no clothes horse and we do make our own cool tshirts (reclaimed). My husband orders his union made from a firm in Texas--mostly work clothes, he is an IBEW journeyman electrician.

I am bugged we don't have much choice in regards to elecronics. I enjoy Apple products and I wish they built them here.

There are many in my rust belt town looking forward to these checks. I don't think we ever hit the kind of real estate boom that happened through other communities around the US, I think our tax rates effectively dampens that.

[leftofthedial]

14. and the food is way better