How are you going to spend your Tax Rebate?
April 30th, 2008 by ariana
Ok, technically its called Economic Stimulus Payment and for the record I’m totally against the whole principle of these but that doesn’t mean I can’t think of eight bazillion ways to spend it!
Here are a few we’re considering:
Visio flat screen TV, $749 from Costco.com
If you saw the configuration of our bed and the tv in our bedroom, you’d know why we NEED this as opposed to just WANT it. Ok, maybe need is a strong word, but you get the idea.
Cannon Digital Rebel Xsi (the NEW model) $889.99 from amazon.com
Not that you would EVER guess it from looking at the pics on this here blog, but I used to be a fairly decent photographer back in the pre-digital days when I had a manual SLR. The digital revolution and my adopting a digital point and shoot as my primary camera cured me of any previously displayed talent rather quickly. I’ve been dreaming of the best of both worlds (digital & SLR!) for quite some time now, and the impending arrival of becoming-baby is just the excuse I’ve needed to take the plunge. He’s only going to be a baby once and damned if I’m going to take crappy pictures of that special time. Oh yeah, the house pics will look a whole lot better too (no more blurry low light pics because I refuse to use the flash!)
Bugaboo Chameleon 2007 model stroller, on sale for $719 at bugaboostrollers.com (not in that color)
I must say that when I first heard all the fuss about the bugaboo I rolled my eyes and thought how could anyone spend that much on a stroller? But after trying out all the knock offs in an effort just to avoid the original I finally broke down and it was LOVE. Not so much for the looks, because there are tons of cool looking euro strollers out there, but because it weighs almost 10lbs less than all those other ones. I didn’t think of weight as a major factor until I actually tried lifting those 30+ lb monstrosities in person, and now its on the top of my list of features.
And lastly, French doors to replace the crappy old sliding glass doors that lead from our dining room to the patio.
Existing craptastic sliding glass doors that don’t lock properly and are really drafty.
Paned french patio doors would go so much better with the french doors that go from the living room to the dining room don’t you think? Or is it better to get the unpaned kind so better to see the back yard? I’m thinking paned, but you know how I am about decisions.
So how are you thinking of spending your government check? Or are you planning on being a bad consumer and (gasp!) paying off debt or saving it?
PS, you can use this link to figure out how much you are going to get http://www.irs.gov/app/espc/Â
And this chart to figure out when you are going to get it:
If you sign up for direct deposit on your tax return, find the last two digits of your Social Security number to determine when the tax rebate will be deposited into your account:
00 – 20, May 2
21 – 75, May 9
76 – 99, May 16
If you didn’t sign up for direct deposit, expect a paper check in the mail during these dates, according to the last two digits of your Social Security number:
00 – 09, May 16
10 – 18, May 23
19 – 25, May 30
26 – 38, June 6
39 – 51, June 13
52 – 63, June 20
64 – 75, June 27
76 – 87, July 4
88 – 99, July 11
I’m being anti-American and saving it. But it’s going towards our down payment savings, so that we can buy an American made house. Let’s just call it delayed stimulus. :)
My vote is for the doors or the camera. Especially the doors since it can save some on your energy bill.
Ill say what I say to all couples about to be parents: GET A DIGITAL SLR! Not having one and trying to take photos of a moving newborn with a slow moving point and shoot should be a crime. You will be looking at these photos for the rest of your life – get a good camera!
Most parents eventually get one but they generally have blurry photos for the first 3-6-12 months of their first borns life.
Its so worth the price!
So many good things about this post! First, thanks for posting the tax refund days — I didn’t know what they were. And though I agree with you that I’m against the idea of them, let’s face it, I’ll be happy to have the money.
Also, I love my digital Canon, though I think I may have the model below this one. I’m still trying to figure out how to get decent pictures sans flash (I think I may need a better lens). Thankfully, our wedding photographer has offered his helpful hand in the weeks to come to teach me some tricks.
Finally, I don’t even have a child yet (though we’re trying) and I already love that stroller. How we’ll ever be able to afford it is another story!
Umm. I got my check Tuesday (direct deposit). You may want to check that schedule since they moved it up a week. ;)
hmmmmm…i vote for the camera or the bugaboo!
the camera is beautiful. i have actually been toying with the idea of getting a good model like this. the only thing stopping me is that i’m an AWFUL photographer. but i love pictures, and i feel like if i have something worthwhile to play with, better than my old point-and-click, i’ll be inspired to learn more about it and hopefully become semi-decent at capturing nice shots.
and as for the bugaboo, my cousin has one for her 9 month old and she LOVES it. she got the Frog, and didn’t need a bassinet. the baby slept in the bugaboo bassinet in their bedroom for the first 5 months or so until they transitioned her to her nursery crib.
good luck and have fun with it :) our check is going into our savings, a.k.a. “future-home-down-payment-fund.”
You totally need the DSLR! It’s FIRST on my list to buy when I get pregnant… and we aren’t even PLANNING yet! Immagine the great pics you can take. Pics of babies last a lifetime… lots longer than anything else!
Get the french doors where the panes snap in and out – you can have BOTH looks.
I vote for the digital SLR of course! Being the proud owners of a new 40D, I can’t think of a better way to spend the extra cash! Unfortunately, ours is going straight to savings :(
I love you all for your encouragement to go for the camera.. particularly since jeff has been totally against the idea!
Highernest, check out this lens, it’s supposed to be super fast and great in low light situations for portraits (and you can’t beat that price!)
Iloveupstate, what are these doors you speak of??? I must find them right now.
Kathie, thanks for letting me know about the schedule change..that means we may get ours tomorrow, how exciting!
I vote for the doors. Maybe the savings on your energy bill will be enough for the camera… or at least be a good excuse to buy it, too. :)
I must say that I have that same TV, we got it for Christmas and it is a dream. But then again the DSLR camera is great too. I got the Nikon D40 and love love love it. So if I must choose one I would say the camera.
I love my camera and take it everywhere.
http://thahotness.com
Well, May 2 has come and gone. No rebate check. Heavy, angry sigh! Anyway, I already spent the bucks on a lovely chain link compost bin. Very nice! French doors will be perfect + you are adding to your home equity so in the long run, the amount you spend now will increase as time goes by. Smart!
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