Stimulus Spending: What Americans Did With $600

This post by Jill Schlesinger originally appeared on CBS' MoneyWatch.com.

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):

2008 Economic Stimulus Package (tax rebate) used mostly for

Paying off debt	49%
Spending	30%
Saving	18%
Reason not reported	3%

Source: Consumer Expenditure Survey, June 2008-March 2009
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"...

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(CBS)

Jill Schlesinger is the Editor-at-Large for CBS MoneyWatch.com. Prior to the launch of MoneyWatch, she 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.

Jill Schlesinger

View all articles by Jill Schlesinger on CBS MoneyWatch »
Jill Schlesinger, CFP®, is the Emmy-nominated, Business Analyst for CBS News. She covers the economy, markets, investing and anything else with a dollar sign on TV, radio (including her nationally syndicated radio show), the web and her blog, "Jill on Money." Prior to her second career at CBS, Jill spent 14 years as the co-owner and Chief Investment Officer for an independent investment advisory firm. She began her career as a self-employed options trader on the Commodities Exchange of New York, following her graduation from Brown University.

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