American households should receive their economic impact payments very soon, according to the U.S. Treasury, with some payments expected to be disbursed as soon as Wednesday.

The government is expected to begin sending out paper checks on Wednesday, which likely means those households would receive the funds within two weeks or so. Those with bank information already on file with the Internal Revenue Service are eligible to receive direct deposit, which means these individuals could see funds as soon as this week.

This will be the second economic impact payment of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the first being a $1,200 stimulus payment disbursed earlier this year. There was push this week in the House of Representatives to increase that number to $2,000, but such a measure has yet to materialize.

The economy has undoubtedly been significantly impacted by the ongoing pandemic, so how can Seacoast residents use their impending $600 stimulus check?

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1. Rent

A number of people have had issues covering living expenses during the pandemic, trouble that would theoretically be eased by economic impact payments. However, $600 would only cover a quarter of the average rent in Portsmouth. Per RentJungle, the average rent in Portsmouth was $2,400 in September.

2. Food

For many, a stimulus check could help put food on the table. According to bestplaces.net, the cost of food and groceries in Portsmouth is 109.2, above average to be sure but not as high as Boston (111.4). Over the Maine border in Eliot, that number becomes 112.3.

3. Playstation 5

Others might decide to use the money for a reprieve on the misery that came with 2020. The hottest item on the market is undoubtedly the Playstation 5, which has been hard to find in stores but may be getting a restock soon as retailers such as Walmart and Target, according to some reports. At the time of publication, Target was listing a PS5 for $500, while some third-market sites have it listed at $1,000 or more due to the high demand.

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