America, don't blow this rebate

You'll be in good company, according to recent polls. Forty-seven percent of those polled by Harris Interactive for CCH and 42% polled by Zogby International for TransUnion said they planned to use the checks to pay down debt. (The Harris poll didn't provide a margin of error; the Zogby poll's margin of error was plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.)

In both polls, 21% said they planned to spend the check. The rest said they'd save or gave some other answer.

Middle- and lower-income householders were more likely to say they were going to pay off debt. Debt payers included:

• 52% of those with household incomes of less than $35,000.

• 57% of those with incomes of $35,000 to less than $50,000.

• 50% of those with incomes of $50,000 to less than $75,000.

• 44% of those with incomes of more than $75,000.

Just remember that paying off a chunk of debt won't get you ahead if you just wind up charging up the cards again. Check out the Smart Spending blog for ideas on how to trim your expenses and create a debt payoff plan so you can say goodbye to credit card debt forever.

Once you have your tax-rebate check in hand, consider satisfying the urge to splurge by spending a portion of the check -- 10% maybe, 20% max -- and saving the rest.

If you don't think it's worth saving such a small amount, read "Why you need $500 in the bank" to learn how a cushion of just a few hundred bucks can have truly life-changing benefits.

If you're going to buy, buy American

The whole point of these checks is ostensibly to keep the U.S. from sliding into a recession. Buying more stuff made in China won't accomplish that end. In fact, it will make our already mind-blowing trade deficit even worse.

So no plasma TV for you, bucko. If you care about the U.S. economy, buy an Oreck vacuum, a Speed Queen washer or dryer, a Whirlpool dishwasher or an Amana fridge. Or plan a nice little getaway somewhere local, so you're spending on food, services and lodging that will keep the money in the U.S. rather than on foreign oil. (Try "A cheapskate's guide to 29 cities.")

Liz Pulliam Weston's new book, "Easy Money: How to Simplify Your Finances and Get What You Want Out of Life," is now available. Columns by Weston, the Web's most-read personal-finance writer and winner of the 2007 Clarion Award for online journalism, appear every Monday and Thursday, exclusively on MSN Money. She also answers reader questions on the Your Money message board.

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