Using Rebates to Your Advantage

Today, we're going to talk about rebates. I know, I know, I said it would be chicken breasts but we ate the ones I bought and I didn't get any pics. I LOVE rebates. They are a great incentive to try new products, to BUY products, and to recoup some of your out of pocket expenses. Today is Monday. I went to Food Giant to take advantage of their double coupon policy. Here is what I bought.

2 bricks of coffee
6 bags of sunflower seeds

2 small Sunny D
1 box of cereal
3 French fried onions (snacks!)
3 BBQ sauce
3 canned tomatoes
1 worcestershire
3 packs of napkins
1 large cabbage
1 cucumber
1 bell pepper
1 bag of salad
1 thing of ground pepper
1 salad dressing
1 roast beef spread
1 bottle of spicy brown mustard
3 packs of hot dogs
3 packs of bologna

I spent $9.96 after coupons and tax. I know bologna and hot dogs aren't the healthiest things, but the autistic boy will only eat certain things and certain brands. I don't believe in forcing my kids to eat food they don't like just because it was the best deal. Instead, I stock up when I can get their preferred items for the lowest price.

Now, we will talk about rebates. The box of cereal has a Try Me Free rebate on it. That means that after spending my $9.96, I will get back $4.14 of that. I usually sink about $40 a month into rebates.

A month ago, I bought some really great Johnsonville bratwurst patties for $7.99. As I was loading them into the car, I noticed a sticker advertising an opinion poll on the side of the box. I came home and cooked the patties for dinner and then took the poll. For doing the survey, in Friday's mail, I got a $20 cash card. I will take that card and turn it into $100 worth of stuff. Thanks, Johnsonville! And those patties were fab!

 

I know, not everyone has the time or the inclination to use coupons and rebates and look for the best deals. But just remember when you see that coupon person in the store that they're not necessarily a crazy hoarder with a garage full of diapers and no babies. Maybe they're just an average person who wants to save money in a crappy economy. We've recently started a new homeschooling class that we're calling "Philanthropy". This was our first round of things that we took to the food bank. I don't mind buying things we won't use just so that we can donate them. Even in better times, we weren't able to do this, and here we are now, one downsized job later and high gas prices and we're doing a small part to make the world a better place. And that's huge.

 
Alpha Man says "I'm pretty sure that this means you're the devil."  Hahahah
 
Oh, and if you guys see any rebates in your stores, grab one and gimme a holler!