A-B-C Frugality

Couponing 103

Step 6:  Refunds and Rebates

Once you’ve gone through the checkout lane, handed over your coupons and gotten your mile-long receipt of savings, that’s your moment:  the coupon high is in full swing; this is as good as it gets, right?  Nope.  There’s one step further that can save you even more money—rebates and refunds.

Rebates and refunding involve saving your receipt (and often the UPC Code or Proof of Purchase) and then sending these items, along with a form (generally, but not always) to the Manufacturer, who then sends you some form of reimbursement: a check, product coupons, a promotional item like a DVD …the possibilities are endless.  Rebates are great for stacking with on-sale products that you have a coupon for.  Often, you are reimbursed for the full purchase price; if you have a $1.00 coupon, you may pay only $4.99 for a product but receive a rebate check for $5.99, making the purchase a moneymaker.

• Collect any and all rebate forms you think may be worth your time.  Consider your return on investment (ROI): many people have a certain threshold of preference; for instance, they’ll  only submit rebates that are over $5 or so.  My philosophy is that money is money, and if the product is something I know I will use and it is free or a moneymaker after rebate, then it’s worth my time.

• How to  find rebate and refund offers:
  • Check your local newspaper.
  • Check throughout the store, down the aisles, in the grocery advertisements and on the bulletin boards. Most are on little tear-pads near the designated item(s).
  • Look on packages of products. They maybe on the back (especially for promotional items for children) or inside the packaging.
  • Look through family-type magazines. Family Fun, Woman’s Day, Parenting, and Real Simple are all magazines I’ve found rebates in.
  • Look for hang-tags around the necks of beverages. Soda and Juice sometimes have these.
  • Browse the Internet and sign-up for newsletters from favorite stores or on the manufacturer’s homepages of your favorite products.
  • Subscribe to our feed via email or RSS and we’ll keep you up to date with the latest Manufacturer’s rebates.

• What to Hang on to:
  • The original, dated store receipt
  • Proof of Purchase. This can come in many different forms. The most common POP is the UPC symbol from the package. UPC stands for Universal Product Code, and is the bar code that is scanned by the cashier when you check out.
  • Some other possible POPs include box tops, weight circles, special POP seals, foil caps or even plastic caps.  This doesn’t cover everything, but it’s a good starting reference for what the company may ask for.

• Don’t trust your memory.  Keep careful notes of the following:

1. Date the completed refund offer was mailed . This will give you a time frame of when to expect your reward.
2. If a form was required for the offer ( I simply mark Yes or No).
3. The name and address of the manufacturer where the refund offer was sent.
4. The expiration date of the rebate offer.
5. The cash value of the item – How much you paid out of  pocket.
6. What qualifiers were required for the refund. Example – Three UPC codes & register receipt.
7. Follow-up notes.
8. Date you received your refund and amount
9. A copy of the original register receipt and the UPCs (I like to lay them all on one sheet of printer paper and make a copy so I have a record, then file it with my Rebate Tracking Form.

• Methods of Tracking: If you are a paper person like me, I have created a .PDF version of the form I use to track rebates.  Feel free to download and use my Rebate Tracking Form. For you techno-gurus, there is also free rebate tracking software available for download. Whatever method you choose to use, be consistent and stay on top of your rebates, and your savings will really start to add up!

• Find a way to organize your rebate items. I keep an accordion file that I take with me to the store with my organized coupons, and there is one section for rebates. I place each rebate in a separate envelope along with the receipt, form, and proofs of purchase.  I mark the expiration date and the required purchases on the back of the envelope.

• Before You Mail Your Rebate: There are a few things you’ll want to double check before you mail out your rebates. Please, remember to respect the “One per Household” rule if it applies. Submitting multiple rebates is a quick way to get ALL your rebates, current and future, denied. Do a quick double check on the following:
  • Is the form filled out properly? Read the fine print. Send everything that you need to send.
  • Make sure that you are not using an address label to fill in the information if it must be handwritten.
  • Are the POPs correct and accounted for? (You can tape UPCs to a larger piece of paper so that they don’t get lost.)
  • Is the CRT within the purchase dates, an original (if required), and are the appropriate items circled, underlined or highlighted as required?
  • Have you made a copy or scanned all of the required items before you seal the envelope? If your rebate is denied or never arrives, you will have proof that you completed the requirements.  Thanks HCW for this checklist.

• Be Patient. Most rebates take up to 6-12 weeks to process, so watch your mailbox carefully, but don’t hold your breath.

Rebates can time a little time and extra effort, but that’s extra money in your pocket. I know women who make an extra $2500 a year simply by submitting rebates on products they got for free or nearly free in the first place. Remember, a penny saved is MORE than a penny earned!