So What Would You Do With $17,000 Today!

Jonathan... you are so right! Meanwhile, every CEO is making over there office with the millions (and billions) they are getting from us!! $17,000 would certainly take a little of the stress off. thanks for the post and best of luck in 2009!

Bryan www.beaufortscforsale.com

I would cash the check and ask for 1 dollar bills, spread them around the room on the floor, Jog in place for a few minutes to work up a sweat and then roll around making the bills stick to me all over. What? sounds crazy?? Just as crazy as expecting a check from the government to solve our financial problems or stimulate me to buy somthing instead of paying down debt which is exactly the opposite purpose of a stimulus check. We should all just move to Alaska and get our annual check from the oil companies. That would pay for some new snow tires atleast and comes on a regular basis.

Would love to see a $17,000 buyer credit, not just for first time homebuyers!  Credit card debt, a nice vacation, and a few small investments, sounds like a plan to me.  Might also be worth buying down the interest rate even further.  Low, low monthly payments helps keep the disposable income high every month!

I'm sure some, like some of our wise government programs, would go buy expensive toilet seats or screw drivers, etc.  But $17,000 would go a long way towards helping make ends meet.  My $17,000 would go towards my two in college ... how fast $17.000 could be spent.  Great thoughtful reflection of our government's bailout.  Thanks!

I want to make sure our government has my correct mailing address! lol! $17,000 would surely help a lot of folks get back on track.  Good plan!

I would give my check to some poor CEO who needs, desperately, to redecorate his otherwise shabby office!  Oh wait, I think thats where my 17,000 already went.  Dang!

Terry: You could give it to me and I could decorate my home office. That way, I could then take a winter trip to someplace warm.

Jonathan - paying off your cards is a great idea, but, under the new FICO rules closing your accounts will hurt more than last year. Keep them open and use the cards for a gasoline purchase once every few months to keep them active.

As for the $17,000,  I would see my grandson, put a couple thousand into his college fund, and then, a trip to Australia.

Scott, great idea, I should have thought of that earlier.  Someplace warm?  Like here in Florida?  Sorry had to rub it in a little!

Terry: WHile it is warm in Florida, I could not stand to be around the wingnuts that populate your fine state. If some of our conservative friends on AR are representative of Florida, I will keep chillin' in Mass and hold out until spring. Ttat said, I still enjoy Key West and South Beach.

Yeah I know Scott, its a dilemma.  HOWEVER, they are remarkably silent in my neck of the woods these days.  Unemployment and foreclosure seems to brought them to their senses.  Afterall, it was their guy that let all of this happen!  As a state we did go Blue in November, but my county remained staunchly Red.  Go figure!

With $17,000 I would expand my organic garden, stock up on water and food and ammo and buy gold coins with the rest. I would spend it all because in a few years from now, it won't be worth anything.

Jonathan, or, if my math is correct, you could give about $2,500 to every living legal resident in the country. Family of 4 close to $10,000. Sound like some down payment money for first time home buyers to me.

Jay

That might cover the jet fuel for a trip to DC for some other company with it's hand extended forward. It also would just about cover about 10% of what my 401K lost last year!