Women at work and their tips, challenges, advice, complaints, and experiences

Whose business will you be stimulating with your rebate check over the next few weeks?  Will you pay off debt, buy a new TV, put a down payment on a new car, or simply stock up on the necessities like food and gas?  Or will you indulge in a few niceties that mark things off on your "want" list with this new windfall?

Many people have already figured out the amount of their stimulus rebate (we were told automatically what ours would be when we filed our taxes back in March) and have budgeted accordingly to pay off debt, fill the pantry, or get the kids' summer activities lined up and paid for well in advance.   Others may not even know when their rebate will come, or how much it will be.  For those who are not already committed to a budget, the retailers are calling.  So far Wal-Mart seems to be at the head of the pack on the "may get some of our family's money" list thanks to their efforts to help folks stock up on basics rather than blow the whole sheebang on toys (for young and old alike).  For those receiving paper checks, Wal-Mart is even cashing them for free, no purchase necessary.  Handy, that.  

Other options:

• Sears:offering a 10% bonus if you convert your stimulus check to gift cards usable at Sears, Kmart, or Lands' End
• Kroger: offering additional gift cards of $30 to $120 when shoppers load gift cards in $300, $600, or $1200 increments (corresponding with the IRS payment amounts - basically 10% of the increments).
• Supervalu: will add an additional $30 to each increment of $300 put on a SUPERVALU-owned store card (including but not limited to Acme, Albertsons, and Jewel-Osco stores).

I'm wondering about the logistics of it all for any stores that are saying that they'll give percentage bonuses when you cash a Stimulus Rebate check.  What if you used automatic deposit (and saved a tree) and won't receive a paper check?  I'd hope they'd have something in place for those folks, rather than only focusing on paper checks.  I understand there's a check-cashing market in certain areas where people don't use banking/automatic deposit, and it pertains quite highly to stores like Wal-Mart and grocers; let's just hope the customer service folks know all the options for those who don't need a cashing service.