Use Your Stimulus Money For Your Home Office
While the title might sound like a boring way to spend your Federal Stimulus Payment, it actually does what the government intended—for you to spend the money—while also using it on something responsible.
If you haven’t received your check—which is $600 for an individual and $1200 for a married couple (along with $300 for each child under 17)—you should be getting it soon. A lot of people have already spent the money according to the Web site Howispentmystimulus.com with a lot of people buying everything from energy drinks to guns to video games.
Here is the official information on the package:
Starting in May, the Treasury will begin sending economic stimulus payments to more than 130 million households. To receive a payment, taxpayers must have a valid Social Security number, $3,000 of income and file a 2007 federal tax return. IRS will take care of the rest. Eligible people will receive up to $600 ($1,200 for married couples), and parents will receive an additional $300 for each eligible child younger than 17. Millions of retirees, disabled veterans and low-wage workers who usually are exempt from filing a tax return must do so this year in order to receive a stimulus payment.
A quick glance around the Web will show that various sites are encouraging you to spend the money on one thing or another. Discussion boards are filled with the question, how are you going to spend it? And of course as a journalist I’ve been getting pitches on how I should tell my readers to spend their stimulus payments, which I’ll do in just a second.
Of course there are those that would say “pay off your debts,” or “put it in the bank for a rainy day.” Well, the Feds obviously want you to spend it; hence it is a Stimulus Payment, not a savings booster. That said, buying a month’s supply of energy drinks might not be the best investment, and it begs the question if anyone can really drink $600 worth of energy drinks in a month!
Instead I’m suggesting that the money go to your home office. First, you could buy something that you’ve been putting off, such as putting the money towards a faster computer or a larger monitor. Likewise, you could use the money towards that Aeron Chair I talked about recently and make your office more ergonomic with a new keyboard and wrist rest for your mouse.
Another good reason for the money towards your home office is that you can possibly use this purchase as a write-off on next year’s taxes, but check with your accountant first on that one, and please don’t blame me if you get audited! But the point is that an improvement to your office should be worthy of a legitimate business deduction.
So even if you can’t write off the purchase of a new desk or desk chair, it is money that should be considered well spent. Just by spending your stimulus money on your home office you’re doing what the government intended, you’re spending the money and hopefully stimulating the economy.
More importantly you won’t feel guilty for squandering the money after the energy drinks have been drunk.
