Second Stimulus Approved, How Are You Spending It?

On Friday it was announced that Americans would receive a second stimulus check after months of Senate gridlock over the details of the package. They settled on $600 per adult per household, $300 for each eligible child--about half the amount given in the stimulus package Trump signed at the end of March earlier this year. Debate has been heated since the announcement, many arguing it's not nearly enough to make the necessary impact Americans need to get their finances back in order since the pandemic hit. But there's not much to do now other than figure out how you're going to spend that money.

For me, it's bills, bills, bills. Like many other families in the Treasure Valley, we've been playing catch up in a lot of ways since the pandemic hit. And now with the holidays dinging our budget, the stimulus will take care of one month of bills. But the temptation to say "screw it!" and get frivolous with it is wildly tempting. After the year it's been, wouldn't it be nice to have a little extra cash to do something fun and self indulgent. I think everyone deserves that.

A friend of mine noted that as a single woman without kids who is drowning in student loan debt, $600 entering her household will not be the end all be all for vanquishing debt. She's going to take that money and go the "Treat yo self!" route with a staycation, shopping spree, and a fancy dinner where she'll over tip.

Whatever route you take with your stimulus funds, I hope it provides some sort of relief from the gutter sludge that is 2020.