Stretching Your Stimulus Check with Bonuses Offered by Retailers
By beaniecat
@beaniecat (329)
United States
April 25, 2008 2:01pm CST
Several retailers are offering bonuses to entice you to redeem your stimulus check with their store.
So I found the following stores offerimg such a bonus : Supervalue, albertsons,Cub Foods, Shop 'n Save, Kroger and Sears.
I considered doing it. Krogers owns Dillons in our area. They tend to be higher priced than Price Chopper, so I buy only items on sale. Which means at best, we'd spend $100 a month there. I thought if I got the gift cards, whenever I shop there I'd just transfer the bill total to our savings. The catch is that you have to redeem your entire stimulus check. With two of us, that would be $1,200.00. It would take me over a year to use up the rebate cards.
What do you think? Are you going to consider stretching your stimulus check in this manner?
2 people like this
6 responses
@beaniecat (329)
• United States
27 Apr 08
I read that if the average couple getting $1,200 back put it in an IRA, by retirement they would turn it into about $20,000. That's an interesting thought. We both contribute to our employer 401ks. But we also have individual ROTHs and that might make a nice little boost to retirement over the years. Providing, that isn't the next big finanical scandal!
@callarse1 (4783)
• United States
27 Apr 08
What is a stimulus check? I don't know you are taking about. Are you referring to your income tax check? Well if you got all that money back you should put it into savings (CD or IRA) I put my income tax check in savings and it's already earned 4 dollars in interest 
I definitely wouldn't want to spend all my refund in one grocery store because I go to so many different stores.
Pablo
I definitely wouldn't want to spend all my refund in one grocery store because I go to so many different stores.
Pablo@beaniecat (329)
• United States
8 May 08
No, I'm talking about my regular tax refund. I'm talking about the tax rebate checks the government is sending out to stimulate the economy. You get up to $600 for each adult and $300 for each child. It's prorated after your income hits a certain point.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
26 Apr 08
That is an okay deal. I don't know if I would want to be tied to shopping just at one place though with my check.
@KrauseHome (36447)
• United States
30 Apr 08
You'd have to use your whole $1200 for 2 people on these savings cards to be able to save anything? How many people can ever afford to do this? My husband and I have bills and such some of ours will have to go to. And since we are wanting to put our Condo up for sale, we have some things we need to do to fix our place up and get it listed as well.
So I don't think very many people will be taking advantage of this, so they do not have much to worry about do they? This would be a lot of Food.
@happythoughts (4109)
• United States
26 Apr 08
Im not sure I could spend $1,200.00 in one store. Well I know I could if I tried but I dont know if I should. I was hoping to find a great deal on some new furniture since we are in need of it. We have never bought new couches before. They have always been used so after 9 years of marriage we are due a treat. A cheap treat I hope.
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
25 Apr 08
I wouldn't do it. I don't remember how much we're getting but I know it's too much to spend all in one place. Yes we do spend a lot at certain places over the course of a year so in that sense it would be a good investment but we need that money now.
