Raleigh News & Observer Logo

Centsible Saver: Reap extra savings with rebates | Raleigh News & Observer

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • Support
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Sponsorships
    • Stay connected
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Social Media Directory
    • N&O Store
    • Buy Photos
    • Databases
    • Archives
    • Newsletters

    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Health
    • Local
    • North Carolina
    • Nation/World
    • Science
    • Thumbs Up
    • Traffic
    • Weather
    • Weird News
    • All News
    • Counties
    • Durham County
    • Johnston County
    • Orange County
    • Wake County
    • All Sports
    • Baseball
    • Canes
    • College
    • Columns & Blogs
    • High Schools
    • NASCAR & Auto Racing
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • NHL
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Panthers
    • Soccer
    • Schools
    • Duke
    • East Carolina
    • NC State
    • North Carolina
    • All Politics
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • State Politics
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • PolitiFact
    • PolitiFact NC
    • Rob Christensen
    • Under the Dome
    • All Business
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Health Care
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Shop Talk
    • Stocks Center
    • Technology
    • All Living
    • Video Now
    • Best-Kept Secrets
    • Blogs
    • Celebrations
    • Comics
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Fitness
    • Food
    • Games and Puzzles
    • Home and Garden
    • Horoscopes
    • Mouthful
    • Past Times
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Video Now
    • Arts News
    • ArtsNow
    • Books
    • Contests
    • Dining
    • Entertainment
    • Games
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Television
    • On the Beat
    • Happiness is a Warm TV
    • All Opinion
    • Columnists
    • Dwane Powell
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Letters
    • Opinion Shop Blog
    • Other Views
    • Submit a Letter
  • Obituaries

    • Advertise with us
    • Place Ad
    • Apartments
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Jobs
    • Legals
    • Obits/In Memoriams
    • Weddings
    • Today's Daily Deal
    • Special Sections
    • Today's Circulars
    • Rewards
    • Photo Store
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Legals

Personal Finance

Centsible Saver: Reap extra savings with rebates

By Amy Dunn - adunn@newsobserver.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

October 18, 2014 08:00 PM

Editor’s note: For daily tips on saving money, check out the Centsible Saver blog on newsobserver.com. Amy Dunn writes every day about coupons, saving money and frugal living. Below are recent excerpts from her blog.

In the workshops I teach on how to save money on groceries, I devote the majority of the three-hour classes to discussing the ins and outs of coupons.

But coupons aren’t the only way to trim your supermarket spending.

Mail-in rebates are a great way to reap extra savings, especially on items for which coupons are rarely issued. Think meat and produce – as in $5 back for spending $10 on fruits and vegetables, or $25 back for spending $50 at the supermarket.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Of course, nothing is as easy as it sounds. First, you have to find the rebates, then you have to deal with all those pesky receipts you’d rather just leave crumpled in the bottom of your grocery bags. And, third, you have to mail them before the deal expires.

Here are a few tips for cashing in mail-in rebates:

• The supermarket is one of your best sources for mail-in rebates. Look for tags or stickers attached to packages with “try-me-free” or “money-back guarantee” offers.



• Don’t forget to check out the beer and wine displays at your supermarket. Beverage companies are known to sponsor grocery rebates as a marketing tool. Not a drinker? Not to worry. North Carolina residents do

not

have to purchase the alcohol to qualify for the rebates. Look for the exclusion printed on rebates distributed in North Carolina.



• Other places to score rebates include magazines, websites of your favorite products and the weekly coupon booklets found inside Sunday newspapers.



• Many rebates are seasonal. Oftentimes, offers will coincide with a particular time of year. In June and July, rebates are common on grilling meats. In January, near Super Bowl time, rebates on pizza and deli meats are plentiful.



• Read the fine print. And I do mean fine. If you’re over 50, as I am, you might need a magnifying glass to read the rebate instructions.



• Pay attention to detail. If the rebate requires that you spend $10 on produce, you need to spend the full $10 – before taxes. If the rebate specifies using only one receipt, then be sure to purchase all your qualifying items in one shopping trip.



• Once you have your rebate form filled out, your receipts assembled and your envelope addressed, make a copy of your submission. In the old days, I used to photocopy the rebates, but now I take photos of them on my smartphone. It’s a lot less hassle and saves on paper and ink.



• If your rebate is denied, call the phone number included on the rejection form, typically a postcard. After more than a year of approvals, I recently received three rebate rejections in three days. When I politely mentioned to the customer service representatives that I had photographed my submissions, my rebate checks were approved on the spot.



In four to six weeks, I’ll have $32.50 in my pocket.

Flu shot bonus

If you’re planning to get a flu shot this season, at least two Triangle-area stores are offering customers a bonus for rolling up their sleeves.

At Harris Teeter pharmacies, customers receive a $5 coupon for groceries after receiving a flu shot. The incentive is valid through Dec. 31.

At Kmart, a $5 gift card is being offered to folks who present the coupon that has been running in the chain’s store circular. You must also be a member of the loyalty program.

  Comments  

Videos

An inside look at Rick Siskey and one of Charlotte's biggest frauds

What to do after the Equifax data breach

View More Video

Trending Stories

Three observations from No. 8 North Carolina’s 88-72 road win over No. 1 Duke

February 21, 2019 02:18 AM

Zion Williamson injured as No. 1 Duke falls to No. 8 UNC

February 20, 2019 11:11 PM

Zion Williamson injured during Duke-UNC game after foot blows through shoe

February 20, 2019 09:53 PM

Will Zion Williamson play again for Duke? He’s listed as ‘day-to-day.’

February 21, 2019 04:43 PM

What in the world happened to Zion Williamson’s shoe? A sneaker expert weighs in.

February 21, 2019 05:15 PM

Read Next

Business

Man sentenced to 28 years for sexually abusing 5 women

The Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 22, 2019 09:02 AM

A registered sex offender will spend the next 28 years in prison for raping and sexually abusing five women.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE PERSONAL FINANCE

Business

New Mexico bill to boost school funding heads to House vote

February 21, 2019 10:48 PM

News

House passes measure to create long-term care program

February 21, 2019 06:52 PM

Business

NJ lawmakers advance bill to pressure Trump to release taxes

February 21, 2019 06:37 PM

Business

Parson says lawmakers are ‘grandstanding’ on tax mistake

February 21, 2019 04:27 PM

News

Gov. Evers pitches $28Mfor women’s health care issues

February 21, 2019 03:41 PM
3 experts explain the changes in the Trump tax law

Business

3 experts explain the changes in the Trump tax law

February 21, 2019 02:10 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Raleigh News & Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Triangletoday.com
  • Legal Notices
Advertising
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Our Ads
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • N&O Store
  • N&O Photos
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Report News
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use


Back to Story