Stimulus schimulus....

Guess what I got this weekend???

That $600 stimulus check from our rusty, non-trustworthy government. I logged onto my bank account on Saturday to see of my payments had cleared and noticed I had WAY too much money in my account. So, I clicked on the detailed report...and low and behold, I had the 600 smackeroos from the government.

I am still annoyed by this whole idea of the stimulus checks. Everyone keeps saying how great it is that we are getting "free" money from the government. It's not free people...and it's not the government giving us anything. We are so far into debt that we are taking loans left and right from places like China *gulp* to keep us afloat as a nation. So, we are giving ourselves 600 bucks....that we had to take a loan to get and will no doubt be paying back with lots of interest in the future. So, enjoy the "free" money.

And...I'm not hopeful this stimulus package is going to work. I don't think it's going to jump start the economy like they hope it is going to. People are scared about where the economy is heading, so spending the money on a flat screen tv or a down payment on a new car....not really what people are jumping to do. I personally feel that if the government really wanted to help the economy...they should be controlling gas prices. They could do it in a variety of ways...but that I think would actually work in stimulating the economy. If gas was cheaper...people wouldn't be so worried about filling their tank. And...prices would go down because the cost to transport goods wouldn't be so expensive. People wouldn't have to decide between groceries and gas, like many are now. So, if gas was in the $2 range...instead of the $3-4 range, I think the economy would naturally start to turn around some....a lot more than these random checks that people are afraid to spend because they are waiting for the next shoe to drop.

So, what did I do with my stimulus check? I did exactly what the government didn't want me to do with it. I made a $600 payment on my student loans. I figure...my loans will get paid off just a smidge faster. It's not helping the economy any...but it is helping my personal finances. So, Sallie Mae...consider yourself stimulated!

Have you gotten yours yet?? What do you plan on doing with it???