Why Rebate Checks Matter...

One of the questions Ali and I get asked is “Do you really send off for rebates? Does it even matter?”

The short answer is “YES, we do” and “YES, they really matter.”

This month I’ve received $69 in rebate checks – for Up, Olay Buy $50, Get $20, $15 Olay Buy Two Regenerist Products, $10 Kraft Keep the Jingle in Your Holidays, and $20 Nabisco Back to School. Most of the products I submitted rebates for were either FREE after rebate or I made money because I paired a good sale with coupons.

As coupon cutting – price-book loving – strategic shoppers, you know the power of a good sale. But many people we talk to say rebates just confuse them or they forget about submitting the rebate till it is too late. It is important to understand rebates, the process, and when to submit them – and if done correctly – can be just like icing on your already “coupon high” cake.

Here is a rebate organization process that works for me.
1. When you see a rebate that you will use – print it out. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to find the form on-line after the fact.

2. Have a place for your rebates near your coupon organization area so they will be top of mind.

3. When there is a killer sale for the rebate items see if you have any coupons to make it better. Also – read the fine print on the rebate form. Know if all of the purchases have to be on one register tape, do you have to cut out UPC labels, or how many items/which items you need to buy. (Believe me you don’t want to go to the store again to buy a box of Wheat Thins so you can submit the Nabisco rebate – been there, done it.)

4. When you get home from the store – fill out your rebate form and put it in the mail the same day. The chances aren’t good of finding the receipt 30 days later.

5. Create a list in a book or on a spreadsheet for your rebates. Mark when the rebate was mailed, the number or email address where you can check the status, and the dollar amount. When you get the rebate check – mark the date received in the book too.

Once you get in the habit of completing rebates, here are some ideas of how you can use the rebate money.

– add it to the existing grocery budget for additional stockpile purchases or spluge items,

– put the toward a long-term saving goal (in my case – that’s for a treadmill),
– or if it is a tough financial month – use it to supplement the smaller grocery budget.

So the long (and short) answer is “YES – rebate checks do matter.”

How about you – do you use rebates at all? What are some of your organization techniques?