Rebate?

Anyone who had read this blog enough to read some of my political rants can figure out I swing Republican, it's not hard to see. That does not mean you know what I think about the President, this war, immigration, universal health care, fiscal policies, or any number of politically charged debates sweeping the countries right now, unless I have already ranted about them here. A good amount of my views go hand in hand with the GOP, to a point. Not all, and in my advancing years I actually am learning a little diplomacy. A little. Political Correctness can can go to Europe, and stay there. I have no patience for that.

Here is one view I will share with you today. I think the tax rebate is a completely hare-brained idea that will do no good. The first one, we didn't get. We were too poor. I think we were still getting EIC at the time and so that disqualified us and so I didn't really pay attention to the debate or any ramifications. In the colleges years, it was really just babies and Dan, that was about all I could see. Although back then, I would have gladly taken the money and not cared about any affect to the country.

A few years later, here we are in very different circumstances and the country is too. So Mr. Bush comes in to save us with a better idea than what he did before, more money this time. Everyone listen, we will save this economy by spending our way out of it. What would Rosie the Riveter do? She would go get herself something pretty to wear for after work and maybe a Coach purse, too. We will stop this recession from happening (because we all know we aren't already in one, don't we, come on, prove it) by acting the same way as what got us into it. Does this make sense to anyone?

I found little Johnny smoking today so I made him smoke the whole pack.

My brother is an alcoholic so we took him on a four-day binger to make him so sick he'll never want to touch the stuff again.

The country is in such bad debt and can't handle their own personal finances, let's give them more money and encourage them to use it all at Best Buy, not save or pay down debt, use on mortgage or bills. It will help our economy.

Does anyone else think that maybe, just maybe we are past the quick fix ideas here? It may be easy to get into debt but it does take time and work to get out of it. Does a retirement account just grow with magic beans? Is this whole country just going to work until they die?

ABC News all this week has been doing a segment every night on the power of 2. Just 2 things you can do to make something better. One night, health, environment, etc. I think it was Wednesday they did personal finances. The two things are so simple and easy. 1.) Pay yourself first. Just start saving some money. They showed one woman who was a single mom in her 40's who didn't save. Had she started at 25 with 25 a week she would have $28,000.00 now. 2.) Pay with cash. Can't handle the credit cards? Put yourself on a cash only diet. Not a debit card, cash. It makes you much more aware of what you are spending when you budget for the week with cash and when you are out of cash for the week you are done for the week. Buy a $100 of groceries on a credit card and then only make minimum payments you will spend $212 on those Crunch berries and impulse Oreos, ouch. So simple, how many of us do it?

All that being said. I am really against this idea of the rebate. I don't like it. I also haven't researched yet what it will do to our next year's tax filing. Although for us it shouldn't do anything, combat pay, tax exempt. For us it's like we aren't making anything this year. Looks like another year for EIC, sweet! Anyway.

So what do you do when all of a sudden there it is in you checking account? The full rebate amount, so pretty. Best Buy did come to mind. A coach purse did not, I like them, I'll admit I have a baby one (got it at the outlet store) but can't pay full retail for those things. All my principles are against this money but come on, there is no way I'm giving to charity or something. I'll pay tithing on it sure. But help the economy by shopping spree? Sorry, Mr. President, not in the cards.

I promptly paid the tithing, paid half to debt, a third to savings. That leaves a whopping 7% left. What am I going to do with it? Maybe I could bend a little. It is Super Saturday tomorrow. Not to brag or anything but I have lost 25 lbs now and busted the skinny jeans off the shelf and now they are getting loose. A small principal to compromise, especially if it means I get to go shopping.