Manassas Journal Messenger | Many uses for child tax credit refund checks

Mike Messier said he’s been hearing people talk about child tax credit refund checks, but he hasn’t gotten his yet.

When he does, he hopes to pay some bills, but understands that his wife might have other ideas and uses for the money.

“She’ll probably want to fix the house up,” said the chief deputy of the Prince William County Sheriff’s office.

“She’ll probably say, ‘When that check comes in, you just endorse it over to me and don’t worry about it,’ ” Messier said.

The U.S. Treasury Department started sending out the checks in the last week of July. While some people are still waiting, many have already spent the money.

Retina Everett who was recently laid off from Union Pacific Railroad said her check came just in time.

“I actually got my check before I got the notice that it was coming,” said Everett, 38, who has used her free time to complete a business degree.

The Woodbridge woman said she would use her check for home improvement.

Adelle Gibson said she paid bills with her check.

“I got it really, really quick,” Gibson said as she shopped in a Woodbridge department store. “You’ve got to be responsible.”

Melissa, of Lake Ridge, who preferred not to give her last name, said she was going to do her part to jumpstart the economy which is what the Bush administration hopes the refund will accomplish.

“They send out a whole letter to you too, just asking information to make sure the facts are right, that what you claim on your taxes are true. They talked about President Bush, about the reason he was doing it was to boost the economy,” the stay-at-home-mom said.

“It’s $400 per child,” she said.

“I’m going to spend it on a new bed for my daughter. We’re doing what they want us to do. Spend it,” she said.

Andi McNeil, a Dumfries volunteer rescue worker, also found several uses for her refund.

“We paid off a few bills and invested the rest,” McNeil said.

Annette Johnson, of Dumfries, is going to keep her refund for a while.

“I’m going to need it. I can’t say I’m going to save it, but I know something’s going to come up. Car taxes are due in October and that’s always a problem. So they’ll probably be getting it back that way,” Johnson said.