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5 Ways to Save at Walmart – Lesson #4 – Mail-in Rebates

Feb 14 2013 by Leave a Comment

If you are just tuning into the How to Save Money at Walmart series, here are some posts you may have missed:

Long before I started couponing, I hated rebates. Thought they were a big fat waste of time and energy. I mean who really has time to fill out a rebate form, cut the UPC label & send in a receipt JUST to get money back? I hope you sensed a little sarcasm there…because um…the last time I checked…we could all use a little extra money!

Rebates come in a variety of forms. You can find rebates online (like this $10 Valvoline Rebate). Some rebates are found attached to the packages in the form of stickies or peelies and sometimes you find rebates on a tear pad in your grocery aisle. But my favorite type of rebate is the kind you find on beer (like this one)

Below are some of my favorite rebate tips:

1. Send it in immediately – The longer that you wait to send in the rebate, the more likely you will forget about it. It’s happened to me and I just want to kick myself for not sending it in right away.

2. Don’t throw away the packaging – Most times you will also need to send in the UPC label from the packaging, so be sure NOT to throw out the box before you get a chance to cut out the UPC label

3. Keep your receipts – The first thing I do when I get home with either a Rebate form or making a purchase at Staples, I take out the receipt and rebate form and put them aside near my computer, so the next time I sit down to work or surf the net, I’ll remember to do the rebate.

4. Make a list – If you are sending out a lot of rebates, you may want to keep a list of all the rebates you send out along with their expected delivery time (usually 4-8 weeks) and a contact email or phone number to inquire should your rebate never arrive.

5. Extra Savings – One thing I like to do with the rebate checks I receive…is deposit them into a special fund account like Christmas or Vacation. It’s money I’m not missing anyway, so I might as well stash it away as soon as it comes in. Because if it’s in my checking account…I WILL spend it!

Filed Under: Extreme Couponing, How To Save Money, Pro Tips, Walmart

3 Tips on How To Save Paper When Printing Coupons

Jan 28 2013 by Leave a Comment

Printer printing money

As a couponer, we go through a lot of printer paper! Luckily, we can usually find a good deal on paper at Staples! I thought I might give you a couple of tips on how you can conserve paper when printing coupons.

1. Print 3 per sheet – Most coupons print 3 per sheet, so if you can…try to select multiples of 3 coupons each time you print coupons, you will actually save paper, by filling up the entire sheet with coupons, instead of just 1 coupon.

2. Use the backside – If you do end up printing only 1 coupon, you can quickly flip the paper upside down and print on the backside. You’ll need to practice this a few times before hand to get the hang of it, because all printers print from different ends.

3. Use scrap paper – Your paper does not have to be pristine on both sides in order to print a coupon on it. If you’ve got some scrap paper, throw it in the printer and print on the clean side, it doesn’t matter what’s on the back of the coupon, as long as the bar code is scannable on the front.

Bonus: Here’s one more way you can save on paper & printer ink

Filed Under: Extreme Couponing, How To Save Money, Pro Tips

Get the Best Travel Deals this Holiday Season with Sherman’s Travel!

Dec 22 2012 by Leave a Comment

Sherman's Travel

Planning on traveling this holiday season? Make sure you are checking out the travel sites, like Sherman’s Travel, to grab the best deals on travel! With Sherman’s Travel, you will be emailed weekly with the top 25 best travel deals! This is a great site to bookmark and use when you think about traveling!

Sign up for Sherman’s Travel top 25 Travel Deal Newsletter.

Filed Under: Deals, How To Save Money, Pro Tips

How To Make Onions Last Longer

Oct 24 2012 by Leave a Comment

You know what I hate? I hate when I spend my hard earned money on non-coupon items and they go bad before I get a chance to eat them..yes I’m looking at you onions, asparagus & brussel sprouts!

Luckily, I found this clever way to store onions that helps them to last longer in storage! The trick to storing onions is to keep them in pantyhose…(yes, knee highs will do too!). Place your onion in the pantyhose, tie a knot and then insert another onion, until all of your onions are in the pantyhose. Then hang them from a shelf or ceiling or like in this picture..under the stairs. Onions are said to last up to 8 months when kept like this!

Credit: SeriousEats

Filed Under: How To Save Money, Pro Tips

Extreme Couponing – How to Manage Mail In Rebates – 5 Tips!

Oct 17 2012 by Leave a Comment

I know that rebates can be annoying, because you have to fill out a form, cut out the UPC label, mail it in and then wait 4-8 weeks to get your money back! I mean..who the heck wants to wait 6 weeks to get $2.99 back in the mail? BUT, like I always say in my couponing classes..do NOT be afraid of rebates. Yes, they are a little bit of work, BUT it’s FREE money..so you might as well take advantage of them.

How To Start Extreme Couponing: Tip #1 – Start Collecting Coupons

How To Start Extreme Couponing: Tip #2 – Start Small

How To Start Extreme Couponing Series: Tip #3 – Find a Local Blogger

How To Start Extreme Couponing Series: Tip #4 – Master the Coupon

How to Start Extreme Couponing: Tip #5 – Get to Know Your Rebates

Here are 5 tips that I recommend doing to manage your receipts and keep yourself organized:

1. Send it in immediately – The longer that you wait to send in the rebate, the more likely you will forget about it. It’s happened to me and I just want to kick myself for not sending it in right away.

2. Don’t throw away the packaging – Most times you will also need to send in the UPC label from the packaging, so be sure NOT to throw out the box before you get a chance to cut out the UPC label

3. Keep your receipts – The first thing I do when I get home with either a Rebate form or making a purchase at Staples, I take out the receipt and rebate form and put them aside near my computer, so the next time I sit down to work or surf the net, I’ll remember to do the rebate.

4. Make a list – If you are sending out a lot of rebates, you may want to keep a list of all the rebates you send out along with their expected delivery time (usually 4-8 weeks) and a contact email or phone number to inquire should your rebate never arrive.

5. Extra Savings – One thing I like to do with the rebate checks I receive…is deposit them into a special fund account like Christmas or Vacation. It’s money I’m not missing anyway, so I might as well stash it away as soon as it comes in. Because if it’s in my checking account…I WILL spend it!

Filed Under: Extreme Couponing, How To Save Money

Extreme Couponing – How to Manage Mail In Rebates – 5 Tips!

Oct 17 2012 by Leave a Comment

I know that rebates can be annoying, because you have to fill out a form, cut out the UPC label, mail it in and then wait 4-8 weeks to get your money back! I mean..who the heck wants to wait 6 weeks to get $2.99 back in the mail? BUT, like I always say in my couponing classes..do NOT be afraid of rebates. Yes, they are a little bit of work, BUT it’s FREE money..so you might as well take advantage of them.

How To Start Extreme Couponing: Tip #1 – Start Collecting Coupons

How To Start Extreme Couponing: Tip #2 – Start Small

How To Start Extreme Couponing Series: Tip #3 – Find a Local Blogger

How To Start Extreme Couponing Series: Tip #4 – Master the Coupon

How to Start Extreme Couponing: Tip #5 – Get to Know Your Rebates

Here are 5 tips that I recommend doing to manage your receipts and keep yourself organized:

1. Send it in immediately – The longer that you wait to send in the rebate, the more likely you will forget about it. It’s happened to me and I just want to kick myself for not sending it in right away.

2. Don’t throw away the packaging – Most times you will also need to send in the UPC label from the packaging, so be sure NOT to throw out the box before you get a chance to cut out the UPC label

3. Keep your receipts – The first thing I do when I get home with either a Rebate form or making a purchase at Staples, I take out the receipt and rebate form and put them aside near my computer, so the next time I sit down to work or surf the net, I’ll remember to do the rebate.

4. Make a list – If you are sending out a lot of rebates, you may want to keep a list of all the rebates you send out along with their expected delivery time (usually 4-8 weeks) and a contact email or phone number to inquire should your rebate never arrive.

5. Extra Savings – One thing I like to do with the rebate checks I receive…is deposit them into a special fund account like Christmas or Vacation. It’s money I’m not missing anyway, so I might as well stash it away as soon as it comes in. Because if it’s in my checking account…I WILL spend it!

Filed Under: Extreme Couponing, How To Save Money

How To Save Money on Gas – 5 Tips

Oct 11 2012 by Leave a Comment

I don’t know about you, but I’m finding it damn depressing pulling into the gas station every week to fill up. The prices keep climbing, the patrons get skeezier & the windshield washer is always nasty :) My car is 9 years old and I love it, it’s a Volkswagen and gets decent mileage, but I’m always looking for ways to save money on gas. Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years that can help you reduce your gas costs and keep more money in your pocket.

1. Rewards Programs – Companies like Shell Gas offering a program called Shell Fuel Rewards. You use the card at participating groceries and other retailers and earn points each time you make a purchase. Then you can redeem those points for instant savings at the pump. All you do is swipe your Shell Fuel Rewards before pumping gas and you can watch the savings instantly!

2. A Steady Foot Will Save you Money – Does this sound like you? Speed up, braaaake, Speed up again….braaakke again? This style of driving can actually be bad for your gas consumption. Your vehicle uses the most gas when it has to speed up or accelerate.  So the name of the game is to actually keep a steady pace and a good distance between you and the car in front of you so you don’t have to brake and accelerate often. If you happen to be driving on a highway, cruise control will be your best friend for this reason.

3. Turn off your Air Conditioner – I know that the thought of turning off your air conditioner in the hot summer heat, can make you break into sweat just in itself, but your car’s air conditioner can actually be costing you gas. When an air conditioner is running, it causes your car’s motor to work extra hard, which makes your car use more gas. Some of the ways you can actually make your car cooler, are to park in the shade, and roll down your windows to create a little air circulation in the vehicle. (If you have to, wear one of these)

4. Carpooling – Carpooling can be fun, think of it as a morning party :) Each morning a bunch of us moms have to trek up the hill to make sure our kids get on the bus and what it’s turned into a is a nice opportunity to have a mom party each morning and catch up with each other’s lives. If you can find some friendly co-workers or friends you can share the commute, cost of gas and get your day started in a friendly and happy manner.

5. Hybrid cars – Hybrid cars are all the rage right now and it seems like every celebrity is bouncing around Hollywood in their Toyota Prius, but guess what….these cars are actually very gas efficient.

Do you have any tips on how to save money on gas? Leave a comment!

 

 

Filed Under: How To Save Money
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