What did you do with your free money?

[Mikey 16,626]

We had a bunch of people here for Easter weekend, five families total. Talk turned to the handout and it turns out three of the guys bought an AR-style rifle with theirs. Two of them got a Springfield "Saint" and the third found a lightly used Ruger mini-14. Another couple pooled theirs and put it down on a two person SeaDoo. Me, I got my usual luck. One day after the deposit hit the bank, our water well went out. By the time the Nice Young Men replaced tank, pump, switches and so forth all of my $1400 was gone and 400 of my wife's as well.

A granddaughter turns 18 in May and I think my wife intends to pass down her .38 caliber carry revolver to her and up-grade her own carry to something more (exotic? expensive? alarming? all of the above?)

Anyway, that's how the money went in East Alabama. What are y'all doing/hearing about how the handout was used?

[AURex 2,012]

It wasn't "free money." That was taxpayer dollars that I paid into the IRS honey pot!

 

[Mikey 16,626]

31 minutes ago, AURex said:

It wasn't "free money." That was taxpayer dollars that I paid into the IRS honey pot!

 

What I've seen is that we got handed a bill for $14,300 per tax payer and then they gave us $1,400 of our own money back. Stinker of a deal, right?

[CoffeeTiger 5,133]

On 4/9/2021 at 10:41 PM, Mikey said:

What I've seen is that we got handed a bill for $14,300 per tax payer and then they gave us $1,400 of our own money back. Stinker of a deal, right?

At least they actually put money directly into my hands this time rather than just passing "Tax cuts" that give millions to the rich that they promised would trickle down to me in a few decades or something. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

Let me guess. Dude got banned from politics so he tried to trojan horse a political argument into this forum? I'm shocked. Seems he can't even decide whether or not it was free money.

We still haven't gotten our stimmy. We've stimulated the economy anyway. Put lots of money (for us) into the house. Basically a light facelift.

Also doing a refi, but lenders and lawyers making a little extra scratch off of us doesn't really feel like economy stimulation.

Spent a little extra on McWifey for her birthday and our anniversary, both of which happening in the next month. Probably not really related to stimulus but almost all the money went into the hands of local artists and small businesses.

Stimulus to some, relief to others, needed and/or deserved by all. Good investment by our government and it seems to be working. Zero guilt about accepting my share. If I ever get it lol.

 

[gr82be 14,433]

On 4/9/2021 at 9:12 AM, Mikey said:

I got my usual luck. One day after the deposit hit the bank, our water well went out. By the time the Nice Young Men replaced tank, pump, switches and so forth all of my $1400 was gone and 400 of my wife's as well.

There are two perspectives on this Mikey. One person might look at it as bad luck that they had to spend the stimulus on necessities for a water well. Another person might look at it as a blessing that the extra funds came along just at the right time. Choose the blessing and there won't be any "what ifs". Just an opinion from someone who used to not recognize a blessing right in front of my eyes. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, gr82be said:

There are two perspectives on this Mikey. One person might look at it as bad luck that they had to spend the stimulus on necessities for a water well. Another person might look at it as a blessing that the extra funds came along just at the right time. Choose the blessing and there won't be any "what ifs". Just an opinion from someone who used to not recognize a blessing right in front of my eyes. 

Good reminder to all of us. Appreciate the perspective. I find myself regularly saying out loud, "99% of the people on this planet would kill to have my problems." Math might be fuzzy and kill might be a strong word, but the point stands. 

[Mikey 16,626]

Just now, gr82be said:

There are two perspectives on this Mikey. One person might look at it as bad luck that they had to spend the stimulus on necessities for a water well. Another person might look at it as a blessing that the extra funds came along just at the right time. Choose the blessing and there won't be any "what ifs". Just an opinion from someone who used to not recognize a blessing right in front of my eyes. 

You have a point. Another example: About ten years ago I won $1,000 in a raffle thing at Orange Beach. Got home and the refrigerator had blown, $999 for a new one.

However, in this case, I'd rather have paid for the well repairs out of pocket and not had this huge, onerous, unnecessary debt placed on the American taxpayers. 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,367]

Went toward savings. Bought a house, king size bed, and a lawnmower. 

[AUDub 11,153]

Redid the rails and stairs on my front porch. 

Lumber is outrageous right now. 

[augolf1716 21,208]

3 hours ago, AUDub said:

Redid the rails and stairs on my front porch. 

Lumber is outrageous right now. 

Just ask yella fella

[SaltyTiger 7,816]

6 hours ago, AUDub said:

Redid the rails and stairs on my front porch. 

Lumber is outrageous right now. 

Been a while since I had a need to look at the lumber market. Ordered some for one of my sons the other day and about had a stroke. Hope the rails turned out well and that you didn’t have any waste.

[AUDub 11,153]

35 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

Been a while since I had a need to look at the lumber market. Ordered some for one of my sons the other day and about had a stroke. Hope the rails turned out well and that you didn’t have any waste.

Not much. Thankfully I chose carefully when on 2*4s and 4*4s and measured fairly accurately. Didn't jack up and of the big stuff like the stringers. Need to talk to home depot regarding consistency of their PT balusters though.

[Mikey 16,626]

9 hours ago, AUDub said:

Redid the rails and stairs on my front porch. 

Lumber is outrageous right now. 

Lumber is indeed high. Somehow, those high prices aren't coming down to timber growers. "They", whoever they are, blame the jump in lumber price on the virus and there's allegedly some reason in there why high lumber prices aren't resulting in high timber prices. Meanwhile, I have some good pine timber to sell as soon as the market suits me.

[Mikey 16,626]

10 hours ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

Went toward savings. Bought a house, king size bed, and a lawnmower. 

You did all that with the pittance of a government handout? Do you hire out as a financial advisor? I could use some tips from a fellow that got all that done with just a dab of money! 

[NolaAuTiger 3,295]

Gave it to charity 

[SaltyTiger 7,816]

14 hours ago, Mikey said:

Lumber is indeed high. Somehow, those high prices aren't coming down to timber growers. "They", whoever they are, blame the jump in lumber price on the virus and there's allegedly some reason in there why high lumber prices aren't resulting in high timber prices. Meanwhile, I have some good pine timber to sell as soon as the market suits me.

A gentlemen giving me the same story yesterday. Lumber markets were roller coaster and screwy a while before the pandemic. Locking in on a big order was a roll of the dice. 

 

14 hours ago, Mikey said:

You did all that with the pittance of a government handout? Do you hire out as a financial advisor? I could use some tips from a fellow that got all that done with just a dab of money! 

Thinking the same thing Mikey

[bigbird 60,567]

On 4/13/2021 at 11:52 AM, ShocksMyBrain said:

Went toward savings. Bought a house, king size bed, and a lawnmower. 

How many kids do you have!!!!

[bigbird 60,567]

On 4/13/2021 at 12:49 PM, AUDub said:

Redid the rails and stairs on my front porch. 

Lumber is outrageous right now. 

Did the same here.  Last year it would've cost a third the cost, if not more.  

[bigbird 60,567]

On 4/13/2021 at 10:55 PM, NolaAuTiger said:

Gave it to charity 

Next time let me know, I'll give you the name/acct of my low income, knowledge enhancing, athletic improving, nonprofit.  

[gr82be 14,433]

44 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Next time let me know, I'll give you the name/acct of my low income, knowledge enhancing, athletic improving, nonprofit.  

I'm guessing the number would be    1-800-BIG-BIRD. 

[I_M4_AU 7,858]

22 minutes ago, gr82be said:

I'm guessing the number would be    1-800-BIG-BIRD. 

Ok, that was a good one.

[bigbird 60,567]

22 minutes ago, gr82be said:

I'm guessing the number would be    1-800-BIG-BIRD. 

[augolf1716 21,208]

26 minutes ago, gr82be said:

I'm guessing the number would be    1-800-BIG-BIRD. 

1-800-dumbass is the number

[jared52 4,354]

8 minutes ago, augolf1716 said:

1-800-dumbass is the number

You have it on speed dial?