brass Blog

The federal government started its check distribution of the much-touted economic stimulus bill this month. In the end, the U.S. Treasury will send checks to about 130 million taxpayers by July.

Individuals who filed taxes in April and make less than $75,000 annually should be receiving a check for $600; couples should receive $1,200; and parents will get an additional $300 for each child.

Direct deposit payments are well under way, but payment via paper checks will take a bit longer. Want to know when your check will be sent? The stimulus payment schedule is arranged according to the last two digits of your Social Security Number. You can check out the schedule HERE.

In the end, with Americans spending their checks on all sorts of things across the economic board, the government hopes to start the U.S. economy on a swing toward recovery.

So what are you planning on using your stimulus check for? I asked brass staffers what they’re planning to spend their checks on, and the answers were pretty diverse.

• Katie Kacvinsky plans to do her part in “boosting” the economy by traveling around the Pacific Northwest and to “kick back, drink wine and love life.”
• Jennie Bartlemay also says she wants to use the money to travel. She’ll be heading to Las Vegas this summer with friends.
• Brady Sahnow says he will put his children’s portions into their investment fund. For himself he might splurge on an Xbox 360 game and save the rest to pay for groceries.
• Joel Ranck is thinking about stashing his check in a rainy day fund, or throw it into the pot for an eventual down payment on a house.
• Zack Marker is likely to spend it on high-quality groceries. Having miraculously recovered from his ketchup only diet, he gave a great link to a site listing what other people are spending their stimulus money on. Check it out HERE.
• Sarah Higginbotham says she will be taking a big bite out of her student loan debt.
• As for myself, I will invest in my photography business. I recently upgraded to a Nikon D300, and my stimulus check will help make up part of the cost.

At brass, we’re doing our part in all kinds of ways and having fun while we’re at it. Well, some of us at least. Happy spending.

– Peter