The stimulus checks totaled out to what $3,000? That at most covers 2 months of rent in the city. Or maybe a few months of car payments and food. If the stimulus checks were a significant portion of your income that money has been long gone.
While true, what is not being taken into account is the excess money people have from not traveling, eating out, driving to work, paying for child care, etc. How about inheritances from 700,000 dead parents who’s retirements were cut short by Covid? This has little to do with stimulus checks and more to do with financial and lifestyle changes.