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November 18, 2009 3:43 PM

Stimulus Spending: What Americans Did With $600

By
Jill Schlesinger
(MoneyWatch)  While ambling around the Bureau of Labor Statistics site (a fantastic trove of information), I stumbled upon a Consumer Expenditure Survey that details how Americans spent their 2008 Economic Stimulus Payments, which were actually IRS tax rebates.

Here's how 130 million income tax filers spent their $600 (for individuals) or $1,200 (married filing jointly):


These results beg the question: what exactly did this money stimulate and was it worth the cost? Let's think long and hard before we start doling out "Stimulus II"...

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.
  • Jill Schlesinger

    >> View all articles

    Jill Schlesinger, CFP®, is the Editor-at-Large for CBS MoneyWatch. She covers the economy, markets, investing or anything else with a dollar sign. Prior to the launch of MoneyWatch in 2009, Jill was the chief investment officer for an independent investment advisory firm. In her infancy, she was an options trader on the Commodities Exchange of New York.

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