About Rebates and Refunds

Learn How to Earn Cash Back

  All About Rebates and Refunds.

You may think you can’t get “something for nothing” in this world.



However, in this competitive consumer market, many companies are out to prove you wrong in hopes to gain a loyal shopper along the way.

The concept of buying a specific product and then receiving a full or partial refund for your purchase by sending a receipt into the manufacturer has been around for a long time.

Rebate and refund programs are growing more and more popular, and if you are willing to put in a few hours a month and wait a few weeks for your rebates and refunds payoff, you could save your family hundreds of dollars a year. 

In fact, if you have a keen eye for combining coupons with rebates, you can even make a few bucks each month!

A quick note: the terms rebates and refunds are essentially the same. Rebates and refunds can be used interchangeably.

How Can Rebates Really Help Me Save Money?

If you are very brand-loyal and don’t like trying new items when it comes to household products, toiletries, etc., then rebates and refunds may not be worth the effort for you.

However, if you are open to giving new or improved items a shot, then you can easily collect enough toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, deodorant, shampoo, razors, pain relievers, dishwasher detergent, make-up, hairstyling products, etc. to last you and your family an entire year!

Most of the larger rebates and refunds programs offer items for women, men and children and occasionally offer items, such as a new kind of candy, nutrition bars or home décor items, that would be useful for any household.

Not only can you save a huge amount on your grocery bill by avoiding the Personal Care aisles regularly, but if you have a watchful eye and a pair of scissors, you can even earn yourself a few extra dollars each month.

When many large companies release new products, they are accompanied with a marketing strategy that includes lots of advertising along with free samples, coupons and rebates.  By clipping coupons for new products that you might be interested in trying, you can wait until that item comes up as a free-after-rebate and then use your coupon to maximize your savings (and earnings!).

All this by using rebates and refunds.

Rebate Examples

For example, say a new Air Freshener from Glade is advertised for being on sale for 2.99 this week. 

They are offering a free-after-rebate deal, so you will pay 2.99 (plus tax) and then receive 2.99 back in the form of the check at the end of the month.  You remember seeing a Buy-One-Get-One-Free coupon for those same air fresheners 2 weeks ago in your Sunday newspaper coupons. 

So you use the coupon, pay 2.99 plus tax and actually end up getting TWO Air Fresheners for free (after your 2.99 is refunded).


Or, maybe the new Adidas men’s body wash is on sale for 3.99 with a free-after-rebate offer.  You have a 1.00 off coupon for any Adidas body product. 

You use the coupon and only pay 2.99 plus tax, but your refund will be for 3.99.  If you count the tax, you just got free body wash, plus made about .80 on the deal!


  Another great idea reason you may want to participate in a rebate program is that it is a very inexpensive way to collect items that would be very useful and appreciated when donated to a charity or homeless shelter or women/children’s shelter.

  Maybe your family does not use Aquafresh toothpaste ever, but imagine how grateful a family who has nothing would be for any kind of toothpaste at all.  It is a really nice way to give some much-needed help to the community.

 

Helpful Rebate Tips

Keep these rebate and refund tips in mind when you are shopping for good deals!

1)      Make sure to read weekly ads as soon as possible after they are released (either print ads or check online for new ads as well) and hit the store quickly. 

As refund programs become more popular, there will be more people at the store shopping for their freebies. 

Stores may easily run out of items within a day or two.

2)      Keep a month’s worth of coupon circulars in a file.  That way, you can go back and compare this week’s rebate offers with any valid coupons that may have already been released. 

If a rebate is offered all month, you may want to wait a week or two (assuming it is not a very popular item that is not likely to be restocked frequently) and see if a coupon emerges.

3)      Mark your calendar each month for submission deadlines (both for mailing in or online versions) for your rebate checks/gift cards.  While the online programs are very user-friendly, you still need to remember to actually request the refunds prior to the deadline each month (or all will be lost!)

4)       If you use mail-in forms where you send in receipts, be sure to keep photocopies of all your receipts and the form you filled out on file.  The form will have a company’s contact info so you can check your status and then you will have proof- just in case something gets lost in the mail. 

For online programs, be sure to keep your receipts until the check/gift card is in your hand- just in case something gets lost in cyberspace!

5)      Check with your favorite stores frequently!  Competition for your business is heating up, so many more stores are adding rebate or rewards programs.

 

Helpful Rebate Websites

Walgreens Rebate Club

Rite Aid/Eckerd/Brooks Rebates

CVS Pharmacy Rebate Program

Staples Rebates

Ace Hardware

 

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Why?

Simply because Refund Cents is the best coupon, refund, deals, and freebies site on the internet.

It is run by Michele Easter, and has been in existence for literally decades.

Refunding Makes Cents is the most distributed coupon and refund newsletter in the world.

There are two portions to Refund Cents, the print magazine, which has 11 issues a year, and the online access.


The online access is a membership based site, but the dues are extremely low, costing less for an entire year than most sites charge a month. (About $1 per month)

If you are new to couponing, or if you are serious about this hobby/income sources, I highly, highly suggest you invest a few dollars into Refund Cents.

If you can afford it (around $25) get the print issues and the online access. Make sure you pick up a copy of the Beginner’s Bonanza. If that is too steep for you, then just get the online access.

Deals are posted by other members, in real time. Check "Michele's Updates" and "Chit-Chat" daily.

Trust me, you'll make up the purchase price in a few days. You'll be emailing me thanking me for introducing you to this wonderful information source.

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