How I Stimulated the Economy (and failed) by Jodi Beck

I received my letter from the government last Monday (in case you don't know, delivery of the stimulus checks was based on the last two digits of your social security number) telling me my check would be mailed to me by July 5. For some reason I was not eligible for the entire 600. They docked me $47. "That's okay," I thought, and I proceeded to spend the week dreaming about what I was going to do with this treasure that had befallen me. I first thought that I should put it in the bank and pay down some of my debt, but it was the week of our country's independence and I was reminded of my duty to country. This was called a Stimulus check, for Pete's sake, and I would go out and stimulate! I felt an odd sense of pride on Saturday as I spent the money I had not actually received (it didn't end up in my mailbox until today). I bought a duvet cover, sheets, lunch for OB and me, Rollerblades (I've had the same pair for at least 10 years), and a manicure and pedicure. I stopped at this point because I got nervous that the check might get misplaced in the mail and as per the letter I'd received, I wouldn't be able to call the government to ask about it until six weeks had passed. But that gave me some needed time to reflect on the money, and I've decided it's going in the bank. It may seem patriotic to spend the stimulus check, but I want to have some money in the bank when the Chinese come knocking to have our debt repaid. I thank them so much for the joy of new (and cheap) things (yes my Rollerblades were made in China), but it's America that I live in and America's birth I celebrated on Friday. Spending money that should be saved has become the American way, but it's the least patriotic thing we can do. Saving it helps us all become a tiny bit freer of the tangled web of debt that we have created and the Chinese buy up like it was land in Manhattan. They will want it back at some point and you have to believe it will probably happen at the least convenient time. So, that is how I tried to stimulate the economy and failed. How did you do?