Will the rebate checks help u balance ur household budget or are the rebate checks just a minor convenience...

WASHINGTON - President Bush said tax rebates will start going out Monday, earlier than previously announced, and should help Americans cope with rising gasoline and food prices, as well as aid a slumping economy.

Democrats said they were glad the rebate checks were about to go out, but suggested that multinational oil companies were not among the businesses the stimulus package was originally designed to help.

"Starting Monday, the effects of the stimulus will begin to reach millions of households across our country," Bush said Friday in remarks on the South Lawn of the White House.

Those first rebates will be directly deposited into people's bank accounts. The Internal Revenue Service had been saying direct deposits wouldn't start until next Friday. Bush said paper checks would begin going out on May 9, a week earlier than previously announced.

"The money is going to help Americans offset the high prices we're seeing at the gas pump, the grocery store, and also give our economy a boost to help us pull out of this economic slowdown," Bush said.

Bush's emphasis on fuel and food prices differed from other comments he's made since signing the economic stimulus legislation, intended to aid the economy by boosting overall consumer spending 鈥?which accounts for roughly two-thirds of the nation's economic activity.

When I have an excess of money, it goes into some sort of savings. Problem is, the idiot government (thanks Dems!) taxes any gains as either income, capital gains, or both so saving for a comfortable retirement is all but impossible. I guess they just want everyone dependent on the government; power and all of that.

Looking like I might spend the bulk of my check paying down some more of my bills, then filling the two cars to Full then possibly taking the wife out for a very nice dinner for out 16th Anniversary.

the truth? I'm going to use it to pay off debt, thanks to this horrible economy! I wouldn't have said the same 2 years ago. I would have told you I wanted new jeans and some jewelry. Priorities have changes, and so have the times.

Although I have definitly noticed the increase in prices at the store and at the gas station, our family budget is pretty much under control. We are using ours to buy a new couch and get some work done on our car.