We have received “Fixed Cash Handout” of 12,000 yen each today. We have no plan yet whether we spend it for entertainment e.g. good dinner, travel or buying something good or just saving, or donating.
As base idea of “Fixed Cash Handout” is to stimulate Japanese economy, there are many campaigns has started in almost any market/industry.
Gold rush starts for stimulus pay | The Japan Times Online
Businesses nationwide are rolling out special campaigns to take advantage of the extra cash soon to be circulating when hundreds of municipalities start handing out cash to their residents under Prime Minister Taro Aso’s economic stimulus plan.
I doubt a bit that special campaigns will be successful. Because people are not that simple saying “oh, the government gave us money, now let’s spend it for something special to entertain ourselves!!” – I can’t picture such situation. I guess that most of ordinarily people say like “well, the government just gave us such amount of money here, let’s save them, or pay for cost of living.” or “we can donate it for NPO that is doing something good for the society and/or the world.”.
Again, we have no plan with “Fixed Cash Handout”, however, I am sure that we don’t pay it for entertaining ourselves.
See also
Here in Australia many average wage earners recieved about 900 dollars – this was in the second stimulus package and in the first stimulus package – depending on your tax status – a few thousand dollars – I think the aussie government is about to release their third cash splash – I dont think these fixed cash payouts are very helpful to the economy – personally I like the cheques but how many people have saved it or paid off debt….. that has not really helped the economy…
in fact … I worry that tax payers will be faced with higher taxes very shortly and have to give much more back … I am sure the buck will stop with us and not big government! http://www.makepolicy.com
Nearly two months have gone by, notice anything different in the economy since the cash handout?
In Taiwan, they got vouchers, and like fake money, some people made fake vouchers.