Stimulus?

So, apparently, rebate checks are hitting bank accounts and mailboxes a little earlier than expected.
And Bush is now putting an empasis on spending this "free" money on oil and groceries. According to the article on CNN, Sen.Charles Schumer said "It's galling to think that taxpayers' stimulus checks will be lining the pockets of OPEC. The sad truth is that the average American family will spend almost their entire stimulus check on higher gas prices this year." I whole heartedly agree.

As far as spending more on groceries, I am currently working on putting in my garden. It should supply us with lots of yummy, pesticide-free veggies. My mother and I are both joining a local CSA, so that should pretty much take care of all of our produce for the next 25 weeks. I cannot wait! That will seriously reduce the amount of money spent at the grocery store. We don't eat much meat, and I am currently cutting down on the dairy in our diet. So I am excited to see that grocery bill drop immensly this summer and hope to never look back. How can you save yourself some money?

Now, on gas. I have restricted my traveling to three days a week. It is amazing what you can do with a little planning. All of our errands are run on Tuesdays, although since we are not buying much the errands we "have" to run are at a minimum. We go to the park for a play date or to the local library on Wednesdays and I allow Saturday or Sunday for a free day to go see the grandparents or head up to Amish country for some eggs and such. So far this month I have spent $40 on gasoline, two $20 fill-ups. Granted, I am a SAHM. But, tweak it to fit your lifestyle. What can you do to reduce your consumption? Cancel that summer vacation? (gasp!) Carpool? Ride your bike to work? (This is my husbands answer to this problem)

I don't think my rebate check will be going into my gas tank. And lets say it does, it will take me 15 months to spend it.
What am I gonna do instead? Pay off that last lingering credit card. This is on our radar, stimulus check or not. We are just gonna be able to do it that much faster. My husband's it going into the emergency fund, and my daughter's....straight to her retirement fund. Yes, she is two. We have decided that to really bless her, we will set up her retirement. So even if she flunks out of college, she will still be able to grow old gracefully. Think about it, it brings tears to my eyes.

What are you gonna do with yours?