Reminds me of the Futurama episode on rebates

[Tris]

http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/29/news/econo...sion=2008082911

Yes consumers spent more after their rebate checks. However, actual real-world income fell. Why? Because suddenly grocery stores and oil companies realized... oooh... big cash influx into the economy, let's raise prices.

I find it interesting, that at least locally, prices on many items at the grocery store have backed off a bit since the end of the stimulation. (Roughly the same effect as price manipulation around the first of the month to get people when they have social security checks).

Net result of the "Stimluation" Americans lose, big business profits:P

[kandrathe]

Why? Because suddenly grocery stores and oil companies realized... oooh... big cash influx into the economy, let's raise prices.
...
Net result of the "Stimluation" Americans lose, big business profits.

You have it backwards.

Actually, oil went from $30 per barrel to $130 per barrel in a short time period. Gas and diesel went from ~1$/gallon to almost $4/gallon. The price of petroleum factors into the entire economy. Fertilizer, asphalt, plastics, fuel for tractors, hauling crops to market, running industrial plants, and almost every part of the supply chain. Want to see the price of everything go up? Mess with the price of energy!