Rebate checks: How to spend 'em

Homemaker, 45, North Port, Fla.

I am welcoming the money we are getting. My father has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and we need to go "home" to see him. He lives in Germany. The airline tickets are so expensive it's ridiculous.

My husband has not been given a raise in over a year and was just informed the company is not giving out any raises this year. My husband makes a good salary but we are starting to feel the pain at the gas pump and the grocery store also.

Our house has dropped in value and what was once our nest egg is now our "pain." One house foreclosed on our street and another is on the way there. Mind you we only have six houses on our street!

Do I think the rebate checks will help the economy? No it's a temporary fix and the root still needs fixing. Tons of people we know are having problems.

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