# Help Me Spend My Settlement Check **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 28, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spend-my-settlement-check/374457 "2006-09-28T01:48:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spend-my-settlement-check/374457/1 "2006-09-28T01:48:24Z")
I just got in the mail a settlement check from a class action against First USA Bank that was totally unexpected. I don’t know to do with this windfall. So I am seeking advice from the dopers. What should I do with this $1.71? ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spend-my-settlement-check/374457/2 "2006-09-28T01:56:42Z")
Whoo-hoo! Hey, good lookin’!! ::bats eyelashes and pumps up the cleavage:: Wanna buy a lady a thirstbuster? ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spend-my-settlement-check/374457/3 "2006-09-28T02:05:41Z")
Send it in as a down payment on one of [these](http://www.bombardier.com/index.jsp?id=3_0&lang=en&file=/en/3_0/3_2/3_2_1/3_2_1.jsp). See if they will return your calls. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spend-my-settlement-check/374457/4 "2006-09-28T02:40:57Z")
You could pick up 30 shares of [Cyberlux Corp.](http://app.quotemedia.com/quotetools/clientForward?targetURL=http://www.baystreet.ca/quotedata/partners/allpennystocks/quotes.cfm&action=showDetailedQuote&symbol=CYBL). They were up 26% today. If that trend continues for another week, you’ll have over $8.50! Past performance is not an indicator of future results. Broker fees not included. Return on reinvestment is not guaranteed, your investment may lose money. Actual mileage may vary, and will probably be lower in California. May cause drowsiness and/or insomnia. Do not use if allergic to squid. ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spend-my-settlement-check/374457/5 "2006-09-28T06:55:01Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] What should I do with this $1.71? [/QUOTE] Go to the store. Find Hallmark’s line of 99 cent greeting cards. Purchase a “thank you” card. Purchase a stamp. Write a thank you card to the lawyers who got you this princely sum. (Note: with their $80 million\* fee awarded by the court to get you that $1.71, they no longer have time for the “little people,” but it’s the thought that counts.) \*I have no idea what the actual sum is, but I bet this is close. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spend-my-settlement-check/374457/6 "2006-09-28T07:08:05Z")
I actually just got a similar unexpected windfall. A $0.13 refund check just arrived from my phone company, AT&T, for some supposed overcharge. Don’t tell anyone at AT&T, but if they hadn’t made a big deal about it by sending me a refund check, I may not have even noticed. Their executives could be sitting on a Caribbean beach sipping Mai Tais right now at my expense, and I would be none the wiser. I really stuck it to the man this time. Feels great, huh? ---
**Author:** ![2lazy2pee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/4bbf92/32.png) [@2lazy2pee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2lazy2pee)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spend-my-settlement-check/374457/7 "2006-09-28T08:05:36Z")
I was awarded $13.00 in the recent lawsuit over CD prices. Since it wasn’t enough to cover the price of a CD, I bought a pizza with it. Some good came out of the settlement though. $75,000,000 of CD’s were donated to schools and libraries as part of the settlement. Description of the original [lawsuit](http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/class-action.ars) for those who didn’t get in on it. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spend-my-settlement-check/374457/8 "2006-09-28T11:50:10Z")
So, is that after taxes, or is Uncle Sam gonna’ take most of it? ---
**Author:** ![934spe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/9/90db22/32.png) [@934spe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/934spe)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spend-my-settlement-check/374457/9 "2006-09-28T15:34:42Z")
[QUOTE=2lazy2pee] I was awarded $13.00 in the recent lawsuit over CD prices. Since it wasn’t enough to cover the price of a CD, I bought a pizza with it. Some good came out of the settlement though. $75,000,000 of CD’s were donated to schools and libraries as part of the settlement. Description of the original [lawsuit](http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/class-action.ars) for those who didn’t get in on it. [/QUOTE] I was in out that too.. I was actually suprised when the check appearred in my mailbox.. Being a good college student, I did what every college student should do with it.. I bought beer… ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spend-my-settlement-check/374457/10 "2006-09-28T16:23:42Z")
Lesse…the firm of Blotnick, Blotnick & Schmuck took 55% of the $120 million settlement-leaving the rest to the other 30 million plaintiffs… ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spend-my-settlement-check/374457/11 "2006-09-28T16:37:56Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] What should I do with this $1.71? [/QUOTE] I think the sensible thing to do is to roll this over into participation in additional class-action suits, until you hit the big one. You could use the money toward the purchase of several cartons of “light” cigarettes. If you can manage to contract some health problems from smoking these, you could be entitled to join the pending “I thought light cigarettes were less harmful” CA suit.