Any one use coupons and rebates??

[shesemsmom]

I used to years ago. In the recent past I started again and wow, have we raked in. I bought $200.00 worth of items and spent $42.00 and will be getting rebates back on at least part of that. Anyone else into it?

[calico1]

1. I do use coupons but only on things that I like and

would buy anyway. I don't consider it saving money if I buy something because I have a coupon but wouldn't otherwise and then it ends up going to waste! I used to be pretty good with rebates. I should start again.

[shesemsmom]

4. Due to economic reason I wanted to stock up

I have enough TP, paper towels, bath soap, dish and dishwasher soap,vitamins,toothpaste, cleaning supplies,deodarant and canned goods to last a whole year. Literally. My Hubby laughs when I come home from shopping. He says the stores will start sounding an alarm when I come in. We have enough now that I can maintain our stash for pennies.

[MarianJack]

6. THAT is the Danger of coupons!

If, as you said, you buy something you don't want/use, you aren't saving any money.

The only exception I make to that rule is when we're going to try something new that we were interested in trying anyway!

[Deja Q]

2. Not since I was gyped out of 2 of them...

Apparently just a little too late on a $30 competitive upgrade rebate (so I won't be buying any JASC products in the future...) Paint Shop Pro 9 is likely worth the whole price, but still...

The other was a $100 rebate from Maxtor. They said I didn't include my original receipt. Well, the !*&^ing rebate form said a COPY OF wold be sufficient.

Maxtor makes shit anyway. Probably shit with * flags on them. I'm stickin' to Western Digital. I can get 250GB drives for only $119 anyway.

[MarianJack]

3. We Use Coupons,

...but we have never saved like that.

The true blue cheapskate in me would love to know how. I'm usually happy if I save 10-20%!

[shesemsmom]

5. I only use the coupons for what is on sale. I double them when I can

it's a sort of adventure.

[MarianJack]

7. I Would only Shop at Double Coupon Stores...

...when we lived in PA.

Up here in Central Maine, we haven't found a store that does that.

[shesemsmom]

9. Here I have 2 places that double

I watch for their sales. I am lucky in that aspect

[calico1]

11. All the 4 supermarkets in my area

do double coupons, so that is good. Plus its more competition so they do other things like give free eggs or juice or something with a certain $ purchase.

[shesemsmom]

12. I call that real savings

I love the buy one get one free to and use 2 coupons.lol

[calico1]

8. I will try different detergents, house cleaners,

things like that. I also stock up on the TP, paper towels, etc. I have a stash in my attic and fiance just rolls his eyes like I am nuts.

[shesemsmom]

10. I don't think you are nuts

saving all that money helps to buy the things you really want on need. I use very little laundry soap. We bought laundry ball since we are all o sensitive to soaps and only use detergent on the really grubby stuff, like my hubby's work clothes

[Liberal In Texas]

13. I never count on getting the rebate back.

Maybe half the time a check will show up. If you try to run down why you didn't get your rebate, you get a run-around; you didn't use a number 2 pencil instead of a pen when you filled out the form, etc. Sometimes they say they didn't get the UPC code when I know it was sent. After awhile, it's just not worth it, so I never count on getting the rebate, so it's a pleasant surprise when one shows up.

Coupons, yes. As long as it's something you would be buying anyway. Otherwise, you can start drowning in a sea of little paper coupons for stuff you'll never buy.

[shesemsmom]

14. I know what you mean about the rebates

I have a neat file I bought years ago that looks like a small brief case.I can find what I need very easliy. It sure helps.

[calico1]

15. I agree about the rebate thing.

I was just screwed out of a $30 one for a Lexmark printer. I did exactly as the instructions said. They sent a letter back saying I did not include the cash register receipt. I think many of these companies offer rebated to reel you in. Then they claim you didn't send in all the necessary stuff. :mad:

[dr.strangelove]

16. I've never had a problem.

I usually only buy products from companies I know and trust already, but I will buy from a new company from time to time. I have never missed out on a rebate. I follow the instructions, fill out the form and mail it in. I have a file where I keep copies of all the forms I send, just in case I have a problem, but I never have. A few years ago my wife and I added up all the rebates we have received and got a total over $10,000 (that includes $3,500 on a car). the rest was all electronic devices, groceries and such.

[shesemsmom]

17. WOW that is AWESOME

don't it make you feel good. Look at all the thinds you were able to do with the 10 grand!!!

[dr.strangelove]

19. Thats over 20 years

but it still is alot of money to get back.

[Liberal In Texas]

20. That's an awesome record.

I keep track too, but they sure don't make it easy to get the rebate.

1) It takes forever from the time you send it in to the time they send you the check. Most people have long forgotten 3 months later that they were supposed to get $20 back on the phone or DVD player they bought.

2) The company you bought the product from, is not the company that processes the rebate. Usually they're some obscure processing or "fulfillment" center in Minnesota or North Dakota or someplace with a P.O. box number 15 digits long. If you get one digit wrong, no rebate. I often wonder if these companies don't make some kind of commission on the number of rebates they're able to reject.

3) The forms are hard to read, have arcane procedures you must follow exactly, have deadlines that are absolute, require the exact UPC symbol from the box (they're may be 2 or 3 on the package) that's made from blade-dulling fire-tempered cardboard, and only allow 1 rebate per household even though you may have needed 2 units or more to make a system work. (Wireless computer PC adapters come to mind.)

4) I called one company that kept me on the phone for almost an hour as they looked up my file, and after finding it, and verified that everything was in order, apologized and said it was some glitch on their end and would send it off in a week or two. Who has time to follow up on these things? And if I hadn't called, would I have ever gotten the rebate?

Cavaet emptor.

[Not Me]

18. Re: Rebates

I never had a problem with any consumer rebate when I lived in NY State.

After I moved to Florida, this changed. Most recently, I was screwed by iRiver on TWO different rebates, each for $50. (They claim I didn't send proof of purchase bar codes-- I did, and now I can't prove it.)

I firmly believe that Elliot Spitzer's presence in NY is the difference.

[xmas74]

21. Of course.

Sometimes I find some great offers that way.

[Danmel]

22. It was one of my New Year's resolutions

Last year I resolved to be less cynical. That lasted all of about 3 hours! So this year I resolved 2 things- one was to drink more which has been working quite well for me. The other was to cut out coupons and actually use them. I'm OK on that- could be better.

[RebelOne]

23. Here's a good Web site for on-line coupons and rebates.

http://www.dealhunting.com/

[Lannes]

24. Rebates are no interest loans to manufacturers

I avoid buying products that make you lend them money.