Stimulating!

With the very last of the stimulus checks being sent out to taxpayers this week, economic analysts are looking forward to viewing the full picture when it comes to how (and if) those taxpayers will use this money for its intended purpose. When the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 was passed on February 13th of this year, the idea was that low- and middle-class Americans who had made at least $3,000 in 2007 (and, more importantly, paid taxes on that income) would receive a tax rebate that would be used to stimulate the U.S. economy and ameliorate the effects of the recession in which we currently find ourselves.

Critics claimed that the money would be spent on items that wouldn't stimulate our economy, but instead that of China, Mexico, India or any other country which mass produces the products that line the shelves of our stores. They also doubted whether or not any of the rebate would be spent on one of the largest crises: paying off or paying down mortgages. In fact, many news outlets encouraged devoting those rebates to areas that were in complete opposition to the government's suggestions.

Since the first of the checks were issued in early May, most taxpayers have proved the critics right, using their rebates to pay down credit cards, past-due medical bills, utility payments, vacations, foreign-made electronics and investments in savings accounts. And speaking of "stimulus," reports have shown that a significant number of people have spent their rebates on the porn industry, with membership numbers on various adult wesbites up 20 to 30% since the checks were first issued. Of course, not everyone received a stimulus check; people who earned more than $75,000 as a single filer or families who earned more than $150,000 saw their rebates phased out in increments of $50 for every $1,000 of income over those limits.

But what about Houston?

Houstonist was curious to find out how and on what our fellow citizens had spent their stimulus checks, so we conducted a (decidedly unscientific) poll. People from across the city, of all ages, from all walks of life and demographics, and of all occupations responded to our question: How did you spend your stimulus check? Some answers were unsurprising while others made us do a double-take, but all of them seem to fit with the critics' general idea of how the checks would be spent:

Collin, grant proposal coordinator, age 31: Spent on a trip to China.

Payam, engineer, age 28: Deposited the $600 into my online MMA. I did not stimulate the economy.

Vickie, administrative associate, age 48: GAS!!!

Mike, HR analyst, age 33: My family did not receive one as my wife makes too much money. If we had, I can guarantee you I would have spent it. I don't see how someone on welfare who received the check and can now afford groceries is going to stimulate the economy.

E, I.T., age 37: Deposited straight into my savings account. I'm not gonna do what Bush tells me.

Sarah, case manager, age 28: A new laptop for school.

Jeffrey, graduate student, age 28: Bills; nothing glamorous here. We graduate students aren't exactly in the "high-earner" sector, so our stimulation went directly into the necessities: food, mortgage, gas, and beer.

Adam, freelance writer, age 29: 80% went to make a credit card payment; 20% to various and sundry items.

Jo Ann, self-employed, age 52: Home improvement (new windows!). It was really big of the goverment to give me my money back.

Wally, museum management, age 60: Put money in savings but drew it out to buy tires. Oh, world!

Jacquelyn, senior accountant, age 25: I used my check to make a large payment on my undergraduate student loan. I am starting grad school in about a month and had to pull out more money, so I figured that it was only appropriate I get one done before I started with another. Probably that practical accountant in me.

Chris, purchaser, age 28: It was absorbed by the money I owed due to self-employement.

Jonathan, new accounts specialist, age 38: I was going to use it to buy a Canon 40D SLR Digital camera. Instead, it got absorbed by bills my wife fell behind on. Supposedly I'll get it back out of our monthly budget next month, but I'm not holding my breath.

Juan, ERP support analyst, age 27: Clearing up credit card debt.

Bruce, banker, age 53: I did not get one; the government gave mine to a crackwhore unwed mother of 8 before I ever saw it. But I'm not bitter.

Carole, student, age 35: Putting it toward the townhouse that we just accepted the bank's offer on today!

Michael, architect, age 29: Both my check as well as my fiancee's check went into our wedding fund, where it slowly trickles out into the world.

Erik, temporary assistant, age 28: Paying my cell phone bill. I sent too many text messages one month.

Sarah, college professor, age 36: New camera and car repairs.

Ian, I.T., age 33: We got a joint stimulus check for $1200, which we immediately spent on french fries. No, just kidding. We're putting it towards a house downpayment.

Chris, engineer, age 30: Used it to pay part of my daughter's adoption expenses.

Shane, pilot, age 28: We bought a Sony surround sound system, the DVD collection of Planet Earth by the BBC, Level 1 of Rosetta Stone Spanish and the rest of it went to get my wife's Advanced Trauma Life Support certification.

Aurora, accounts receivable clerk, age 35: I put mine in savings, since I hardly had anything in there. I will be opening accounts for the kids for $300.00 each.

How did you spend your stimulus check, readers? If you're interested in reading about a larger cross-section of people on a national level, be sure to check out the How I Spent My Stimulus Check project.

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Photo courtesty of flickr user wednesday181.