How are you spending your stimulus?

[Sith1s]

Had this joke email sent to me today... I'll post the contents as it gave me a bit of a laugh...

Stimulus Payment Information.

“This year, taxpayers will receive an Economic Stimulus Payment. This is a very exciting new program that I will explain using the Q and A format:

Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?
A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money?
A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?
A. Only a smidgin.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment?
A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set or some such thing, thus stimulating the economy.

Q. But isn’t that stimulating the economy of China ?
A. Shut up.

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the Australian economy by spending your stimulus cheque wisely:

If you spend that money at Kmart, all the money will go to China .
If you spend it on petrol it will go to the Arabs.
If you purchase a computer it will go to India .
If you buy a car it will go to Japan .
If you purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan .

And none of it will help the Australian economy.
We need to keep that money here in Australia. You can keep the money in Australia by spending it at garage sales, going to a cricket match or footy game, or spend it on prostitutes, beer and wine (domestic ONLY), or tattoos, since those are the only businesses that may still be owned by Aussies.
Thank you all Australians,

Your mate,
K.RUDD.

 

[white_goodman]

any news when the youth allowance recipients receive their $950?

 

[Struzball]

Into the bank, along with another $5billion or so of stimulus payments.
Good news for banks. Bugger all for the economy.

 

[darnsmall]

i think i'm now going to buy some gold and dip it in oil...lots of oil...well what ever is left over after buying the gold

 

[prawn_86]

any news when the youth allowance recipients receive their $950?

Between the 26th of march and 9th (I think) of April. Its on Centrelinks website

 

[sinner]

The last few weeks has provided me with some time to further ponder this $950 and what I could do with it.

$950 is about the cost of half a semesters worth of post-graduate subjects, so maybe I could do a PGC Education or PGC Computer Forensics or even an MBA!

$950 is also a bit over two months living expenses for me (not incl rent, with $214 left for charity or precious metals allocation) so I could finally up my "f you fund" (where I put money in case I need to tell my boss "f you") to 6 whole months of living expenses. I am kind of tempted to do this after seeing an article on Mishs blog stating a huge portion of Americans don't even have one months living expenses saved up.

$950 is just under one years health insurance paid off in full.

$950 is more than enough to buy some new DJ equipment. I have been pining for a schmick USB MIDI controller for months.

Remember guys, money is not all serious. I would like to see some people having fun spending their cash!

 

[skyQuake]

Come on 4, 11, 13, 23, 34, 37!

 

[nizar]

I would like to see some people having fun spending their cash!

Im going to Abu Dhabi & Dubai in a couple of weeks.
Will be using the $900 to top up my spending money

 

[numbercruncher]

Im going to Abu Dhabi & Dubai in a couple of weeks.
Will be using the $900 to top up my spending money

tsk tsk ... thats hardly stimulating the Oz economy or bolstering up Aussie banks now is it .... All these pesky school kids can look forward to higher taxes to pay back your OS party

 

[adobee]

have to spend it on my accounts fees to do my tax return to get the money..

 

[glads262]

Our $1900 will either pay for our last holiday to Sydney/Newcastle ($15000 for the month) or pay for our next holiday to Mt Buller (about $5000), or the Piano we just bought ($1200)
But hang on, this is all stuff we were going to do anyway?
Maybe...
Donate $2500 to charity ($1900 plus the 30% deduction)
Buy a solar unit for the roof (in SA, will save money each year)
Buy a solar hot water unit (see above)
Put in insulation (save money each year, plus get more $ from Krud)
Put in a rainwater tank plumbed to the toilet etc (save money each year)
upgrade an old fridge (save money each year)
Take it to Coles & buy $2000 worth of Australian made canned food, toiletaries, laundry detergent, toilet paper, whatever else. (save paying for foreign groceries for the next 12 months)(this might sound crazy, but at least it benefits Australia... and if stuff is on special it might save you money)
Any other ideas out there??
If you didn't get the money, don't stress or whinge cos there is nothing you can do about it.
If you did get the money, don't stress or whinge - think of something positive to do with the $$ to help yourself, the environment, the less well off, and the Australian economy in general.

 

[prawn_86]

Take it to Coles & buy $2000 worth of Australian made canned food, toiletaries, laundry detergent, toilet paper, whatever else. (save paying for foreign groceries for the next 12 months)(this might sound crazy, but at least it benefits Australia... and if stuff is on special it might save you money)

If you did get the money, don't stress or whinge - think of something positive to do with the $$ to help yourself, the environment, the less well off, and the Australian economy in general.

Why should i want to help the Australian economy? I will spend mine overseas thankyou very much

I dont see why we should buy any differently with this money (IE - buy Aussie goods if we dotn normally) than with any other money

 

[glads262]

Why should i want to help the Australian economy? I will spend mine overseas thankyou very much

I dont see why we should buy any differently with this money (IE - buy Aussie goods if we dotn normally) than with any other money

Prawn, every little bit adds up. If everyone in Australia just changed from buying say, foreign toilet paper, canned food, etc etc, then we wouldn't have a trade deficit.

My rationale for buying aussie goods with the money is, the money has come from the Aus gov't and will need to be payed back eventually. By spending it on Aussie made goods, you are boosting the amount that will naturally go back to the govt via taxes, higher employment etc. This means that WE ALL will have to pay less of it back later than if we all went out and blew it on cheap crap from China (of which fed govt gets nothing - GST 100% to states.)

Rather than spend it on cheap crap that detracts from ours and our childrens future, spend it on stuff that will benefit the country(ie ALL OF US)
If that means using it to switch from Toilet paper made in China and shipped a few 1000kms to you, to Aussie made - so be it.

Cheers.

 

[prawn_86]

Buy WHY would i pay more for the same quality product? I want to maximise my gains/returns/utility, so why should i buy something from Aus?

I just dont see the point to be honest.

I guess its the whole globalisation vs protectionism arguement. Im all for globalisation, but ideally it would be true laisse-faire style with no tarriffs etc.

 

[nunthewiser]

Buy WHY would i pay more for the same quality product? I want to maximise my gains/returns/utility, so why should i buy something from Aus?

I just dont see the point to be honest.

I guess its the whole globalisation vs protectionism arguement. Im all for globalisation, but ideally it would be true laisse-faire style with no tarriffs etc.

dont you be whinging to us that some indian call centre dude has just stolen your job in the future m8

we reap what we sow . dont buy austrailian ........ australia goes out of business

 

[white_goodman]

the reason people dont buy a lot of aussie products is that their not compeititve on price/quality... thus we should not have to subsidise them by playing the old "buy australian" line...

my $1850 is going directly into my forex account in which I will then enter a live trading comp and win a billion gajillion dollars and by that I mean blow the lot MWAHAHAHA

 

[nunthewiser]

the reason people dont buy a lot of aussie products is that their not compeititve on price/quality... thus we should not have to subsidise them by playing the old "buy australian" line...

totally agree ..... tis a knife that cuts both ways

 

[prawn_86]

dont you be whinging to us that some indian call centre dude has just stolen your job in the future m8

we reap what we sow . dont buy austrailian ........ australia goes out of business

In theory Australia should adapt towards being an information economy. But our pollies are too useless to even get us top of the line Internet speeds.

And there's already no/very few jobs for us finance graduates nun...

 

[nunthewiser]

In theory Australia should adapt towards being an information economy. But our pollies are too useless to even get us top of the line Internet speeds.

And there's already no/very few jobs for us finance graduates nun...

Totally agree . there are many areas in which oz can and should lead the way in but thered tape and the hurdles our OWN guvverment places in the way dont give much incentive to do so ...

sorry to hear about the job situation in your chosen line .... could always join the indian stock xchange heard there booming with all the work heading there way

 

[Grinder]

tossing up between a getaway to the Whitsundays or a Trek road bike I saw the other week.

but come to think of it I'll probs just throw it into the trading account.