Louie Lopez has no doubt how he'll spend the $900 economic-stimulus check the federal government is sending his way: He's taking a family vacation.

"With the economy and everything the way it is, it's better to use it for recreation," said the father of two, who is trying to beat record-high gas prices by taking TRAX to get to work. "Sometimes, you need a little escape."

Sounds like the Salt Lake City resident will do what Uncle Sam wants.

Beginning today, the federal government will send people who filed a 2007 tax return up to $600 apiece, plus up to $300 per dependent child, hoping they will go out and buy something or do something fun.

But it looks like not many Utahns plan to kick up their heels.

In a new Dan Jones & Associates survey for the Deseret Morning News and KSL-TV, just 9 percent of the 291 Utah adults surveyed who are getting stimulus checks said they'll spend the money on leisure or non-essential items.

In contrast, 72 percent of respondents said they planned to save, invest or spend the money on bills or debt.

The survey, conducted this past week, has a margin of error of 5.74 percent.

Some personal-finance experts say it's a good idea to save or invest the money or pay off debt — especially, credit-card debt, which is akin to a hole in your pocket.

But some question whether those people surveyed will live up to their savings or debt-payoff pledges.

"Going into it, they might have good intentions," said Jason Stoddard, Utah District retail leader for Key Bank. "But once they get the check and see something they want, they'll spend it."

The $168-billion stimulus effort aims to boost consumer spending and jump-start the nation's economic activity. President Bush on Friday announced that the stimulus money would come a week earlier than planned, and he said the money also could help cash-strapped families cope with skyrocketing food and gasoline prices.

Seventy-two percent of 404 Utah adults surveyed by Dan Jones & Associates — the overall poll had a 5 percent error margin — said they were getting an economic-stimulus check.

Of that group, about 1 percent said they would use it to buy food or gas.

Forty-four percent planned to pay bills or reduce debt. Twenty-five percent said they would save the money, and 3 percent said they would invest it.

Some financial experts in Utah say those answers are on the right track.

"As a financial educator, I can't say that's a good thing to do, go out and spend," said Ann House, Utah State University Extension assistant professor in family finance and debt management. "We've got a government telling us ... that's good for the country. But what's good for the country is how we're doing individually."