Scrolling Through the Second Stimulus Check Chaos
Back in late 2020, when the United States finally confirmed the second round of COVID-19 relief checks –
the famous (or infamous) $600 “second stimulus check” – the internet did what it does best:
it turned disappointment into memes. As Congress agreed on a new relief package that included smaller checks
than the original $1,200 sent under the CARES Act, people headed straight to Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and
Facebook to vent with jokes instead of tears.
Bored Panda captured this moment with a list of “30 Of The Funniest Memes In Response To The Second Stimulus Check,”
rounding up some of the most viral reactions from social media. Similar roundups appeared on U.S. outlets like
Newsweek, Refinery29, Insider, and local news sites that treated “stimmy” memes almost like
a new kind of political cartoon. Together, they prove one thing: give the internet a controversial dollar amount,
and it will deliver world-class comedy.
Below, we’ll walk through 30 hilarious meme themes people used to respond to the second stimulus check
plus what those jokes reveal about money, frustration, and the weird comfort of laughing together online.
Why the Second Stimulus Check Became Meme Fuel
The second stimulus check was part of a massive spending bill that combined federal budget funding with COVID-19 relief.
For many Americans who had lost jobs, taken pay cuts, or drained savings, the amount felt painfully small compared with
the scale of the crisis. That gap between people’s real needs and a relatively tiny check was exactly what turned the
announcement into a meme generator.
News and lifestyle outlets covering the rollout didn’t just report the numbers; they embedded tweets and images with
captions like “$600? What am I supposed to do, buy half a sandwich?” and “The government: Best I can do is $600.”
These jokes were funny, but also deeply relatable. Memes became a way to say, “I’m stressed and underpaid… and also here’s
a SpongeBob screenshot that explains my mood better than therapy.”
30 Second Stimulus Check Memes, Explained
Bored Panda’s list didn’t just dump screenshots; it showcased the many styles of humor people used.
Think of the list as a time capsule of how the internet processed one very specific moment in economic history.
1. The “$600 Won’t Cover Rent” Meme
One of the most common meme formats showed someone staring at a massive bill while holding a tiny coin, or a person
trying to pay rent with Monopoly money. The message was simple: $600 doesn’t even scratch the surface of
real-life expenses like housing, utilities, and food.
2. Dollar Menu Royalty
Another popular trend imagined people “balling out” with $600 at places like the dollar store or the fast-food value menu.
Screenshots of folks dramatically entering McDonald’s or Dollar Tree with captions like, “Me walking in after my stimulus hits,”
turned a small check into a reason to joke about pretending to be rich for 30 minutes.
3. “Stimmy Hit” Celebration Memes
These memes treated the direct deposit notification like a surprise party. Characters from movies and TV shows dancing,
popping champagne, or stepping off private jets were used with captions such as, “When the stimmy hits and you can finally
afford guac and extra chips.”
4. Loading Screen and Buffering Jokes
Waiting for the money became its own meme genre. Think spinning loading wheels, “buffering” animations, or skeletons
sitting on benches with text like “Still waiting on that second stimulus check.” These memes captured the irritation of
constantly checking bank apps and IRS portals.
5. First Stimulus vs. Second Stimulus Glow-Down
Side-by-side comparison memes showed glamorous photos labeled “First stimulus” next to something much sadder labeled
“Second stimulus.” It was a visual way to say that the original $1,200 felt like a windfall, while the $600 felt like leftovers.
6. Luxury Dreams on a Tiny Budget
Some memes poked fun at how people fantasize about spending the check. Screenshots of expensive cars or private islands
were captioned, “Me with my $600 stimulus check,” highlighting the hilarious gap between daydreams and reality.
7. Video Game Microtransaction Energy
Gamers joined in by comparing the check to in-game currency. Memes joked that $600 in today’s economy buys you about as
much as 100 coins in a mobile game: a new skin, a minor upgrade, and your dignity gently removed.
8. “Government as Stingy Relative” Memes
Many people imagined the federal government as a wealthy relative who barely opens their wallet. Memes showed a rich uncle
tossing a couple of crumpled bills at a struggling family with captions like, “Don’t spend it all in one place.”
9. Barely Covering Groceries
Grocery-cart memes highlighted inflation and rising food prices. The visual contrast between overflowing carts labeled
“What I need” and sad baskets with two items labeled “What $600 gets me” hit a nerve and sparked a lot of nervous laughter.
10. “Thanks, I Guess?” Reaction Faces
Reaction memes featuring confused, slightly insulted faces summed up the national mood. Characters from sitcoms and reality
shows were used to show people trying to look grateful while clearly thinking, “Is this a joke?”
11. Animal Reaction Memes
Bored Panda fans love animal content, so naturally there were cats, dogs, and raccoons reacting to the second stimulus.
Wide-eyed cats staring at empty food bowls or dogs side-eyeing their owners captured the dread of doing math on bills vs. income.
12. “Half the First Check, Half the Respect”
Several memes used math jokes: “First check: $1,200. Second check: $600. Respect for Congress: also cut in half.”
Charts, graphs, and pie slices showed 50% in bold red, turning statistics into punchlines.
13. “Stimulus Check as DLC”
Another gamer favorite compared the second stimulus to downloadable content. Memes joked that life in a pandemic came with
a very expensive base game and the stimulus was a mini DLC that unlocks nothing meaningful.
14. Pop Culture Crossovers
Memes borrowed from Marvel, Star Wars, and classic movies. Scenes where heroes receive powerful weapons were captioned as
people receiving the first stimulus, while scenes of them grabbing random junk stood in for the second.
15. “Stimmy as a Disappearing Magic Trick”
Many memes jokingly noted that the check was spent before it even arrived. Screenshots showed bank balances going from $5
to $605 and back to $5 in one instant, suggesting that rent, bills, and debt swallowed the money like a magic trick.
16. “Financial Advisor: Don’t Spend It All in One Place”
Some memes mocked generic financial advice. A common setup: “Financial advisor: invest wisely. Me:,” followed by an image
of someone buying drive-through coffee and a scented candle with their entire check.
17. The “Treat Yourself (Lightly)” Meme
Not all memes were purely negative. A few leaned into the idea of using a sliver of the money to do something kind:
ordering takeout, tipping generously, or buying a small gift. These memes acknowledged the struggle but also celebrated
tiny joys.
18. IRS Tracker Obsession
Another meme category showed people compulsively refreshing the stimulus payment status page. Imagery of someone hitting
refresh every 10 seconds or staring at a blank screen all night captured the anxious wait.
19. “2020 Boss Battle” Memes
For some, the second stimulus check felt like the final boss of 2020. Memes showed video game characters facing an absurdly
powerful enemy while equipped with a wooden sword labeled “$600 stimulus.”
20. Student Loan and Debt Dark Humor
People with student loans, medical bills, or credit card debt used black humor to cope. Memes joked that as soon as the
$600 check appeared, debt collectors materialized like villains in a movie who can sense money.
21. Timeline Memes: “Three Months Later…”
Timeline memes used “before and after” panels to compare hopes vs. reality. One side showed the announcement of the check;
the other side showed people months later still in the same financial chaos, wondering what exactly the money changed.
22. “Stimulus Check as Tip” Jokes
Some memes exaggerated generosity: people imagined tipping their barista the full $600 and saying, “The government wanted
me to have this, but you deserve it more.” The joke emphasized how small the amount felt compared with actual needs.
23. “My Bills Laughing at $600”
These memes used classic reaction gifs of characters laughing hysterically. The caption: “My rent and utilities after seeing
my stimulus check.” It was a quick visual way to show the mismatch between expenses and assistance.
24. “Second Stimulus as Participation Trophy”
Some memes compared the check to a participation trophy for surviving 2020. The prize: a small sum of money and the honor
of continuing to struggle in a pandemic.
25. Minimalist Memes: Just the Number
A few posts were painfully simple: just the number “600” on a blank background with sarcastic commentary. The minimalism
actually made them funnier, as if the meme was shrugging along with everyone else.
26. “Parents vs. Non-Parents” Stimulus Memes
Because families with children received extra money, memes contrasted parents calculating their total with non-parents
doing sad math in the corner. It was a lighthearted way to acknowledge the different realities households faced.
27. Astrology and Stimmy
Astrology accounts got involved too. Memes claimed certain zodiac signs would blow the check in one day, while others
would invest or hoard it. It was a playful mash-up of horoscope culture and financial anxiety.
28. “Stimulus Check Outfit” Memes
Some people imagined themselves buying a single over-the-top clothing item a huge fur coat, sparkling boots, or a
designer jacket and calling it their “stimulus outfit.” The visual contrast between luxury fashion and a modest check
made the joke land.
29. Cross-Generational Stimulus Jokes
Memes contrasted older generations saying “Be grateful for anything” with younger people pointing out the cost of
modern living. Screenshots from family text threads showed parents praising the check while their kids replied with memes.
30. “At Least We Still Have Memes” Meta-Humor
Finally, some memes admitted that the real stimulus wasn’t the money – it was the content. Posts joked that the only
thing keeping people going was a steady stream of jokes and memes, including the Bored Panda compilations themselves.
What These Memes Really Say About Money and Morale
At first glance, these second stimulus check memes are just jokes about a number on a screen. But step back, and they tell a
bigger story about how people handled a global crisis: with frustration, creativity, and community.
- They reveal financial stress. When so many memes focus on rent, groceries, and debt, it’s clear
that people were not just being dramatic they were genuinely worried about survival. - They show how humor softens hard news. Instead of reading dry policy briefs, people processed the
stimulus discussion through SpongeBob, Marvel characters, and dancing gifs. - They create connection. If you laughed at those memes, you instantly knew you weren’t alone in
feeling stressed or shortchanged.
For Bored Panda readers and social media users alike, sharing a second stimulus check meme was a way of saying,
“This situation is absurd, but at least we can laugh together.” In a year packed with uncertainty, that kind of
shared laughter might have been the most valuable stimulus of all.
Real-Life Experiences with Second Stimulus Check Memes
Beyond the screenshots and headlines, the second stimulus check memes came with real stories. Talk to people who were
online in late 2020, and almost everyone remembers at least one meme that nailed exactly how they felt.
Some people recall sitting at their kitchen table, laptop open to news coverage of the relief bill while their phone buzzed
with meme notifications. One moment they were reading about unemployment numbers and rising case counts; the next, they
were snorting coffee over a joke about spending the entire check on a single grocery run and a streaming subscription.
A common experience was the “group chat meme avalanche.” As soon as rumors about the $600 amount started trending, friends
began dropping memes into their chats faster than the IRS could update its website. One person would send a picture of a
skeleton labeled “me waiting on my stimulus,” another would reply with a still from a movie character dramatically fainting
at the sight of a $600 deposit. Within minutes, whole conversations turned into scrolling galleries of jokes.
For many, the memes were a pressure valve. People who lost hours at work or had to close small businesses describe those
days as a strange mix of fear and absurdity. On paper, nothing about the situation was funny. But when you saw someone else
post a meme that said exactly what you didn’t have the energy to say out loud, it felt like a small emotional rescue.
“I’m not the only one who thinks this is wild,” you’d think, laughing at a meme of a raccoon holding a single dollar bill.
Others remember how the memes helped them talk about money with family and friends. It can be awkward to say, “I’m worried
about paying rent this month,” but it’s oddly easy to send a meme of a cartoon character trying to stretch a tiny slice of
pizza into ten pieces and add, “Mood.” Those jokes often opened the door to more honest conversations about debt,
unemployment, or how hard it was to navigate the relief system.
There was also a creative side to all this. Plenty of people made their own second stimulus check memes. Some used
simple caption apps on their phones; others fired up Photoshop for dramatic, movie-poster-style parodies. A few of those
homemade memes went viral, then landed in compilations on sites like Bored Panda, giving regular people a moment to see their
own jokes shared worldwide.
Looking back, the second stimulus check memes feel like a snapshot of how the internet copes under pressure. The checks have
long since been spent, bills have changed, and life has moved on, but the memes remain floating around on Pinterest boards,
in Twitter archives, and in Bored Panda lists. For the people who lived through that time, those memes aren’t just funny;
they’re reminders of a season when humor was one of the few things that didn’t run out.
So when you scroll through “30 Of The Funniest Memes In Response To The Second Stimulus Check | Bored Panda” today, you’re
not just revisiting old jokes. You’re revisiting a collective experience: a moment when millions of people looked at the same
number $600 and decided that if they couldn’t change it, they could at least meme it into something we could survive
together.
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