Free Money in Your Mailbox: Mail-In Rebates

Special rebate offers are often available, from both the stores and the product companies themselves. This is free money that requires a little more work to take advantage of than coupons. Without a good system in place, it is too easy to let it slip right through your fingers. The first step is to determine if a rebate is valuable to your family. Buying something you will never use, even if the rebate would make it free, isn’t always worth the time and wait associated with rebate submissions.

Look closely at the rebate’s details. Some will require a specific size or variety. Some will have additional purchases needed to qualify. Once you have determined you want to use a rebate, cut out the form, fill it out, address an envelope, write the postmark deadline where the stamp will go and then keep it in your kitchen.

As you purchase a product on the rebate, put the receipt in the envelope when you get home from the store. Then cut off the necessary UPC as the product is used or removed from the package. If the expiration date approaches, I’ll take a look at the product to determine if I can cut the UPC off or empty the package into a reusable container. Then I make a copy of the envelope and all its contents before adding a stamp and sending it on its way. This step is important if you have questions about your rebate as you wait for the checks to arrive.