Is It Really FREE?

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On the way to Michigan, we stopped at Menards.  They were running some special sales over the weekend - Friday thru Sunday - and Jeffrey wanted to get some 6 foot long hdmi cables they had on sale for $4.  He got four of them, and then we started looking at other stuff.  They had a lot of stuff on sale, with rebates.

We got some really nice folding chairs that will be $10 after rebate and some magazine racks that will be 99¢.  We got tennis racquets and soccer balls, and I found some Stainless Steel Soap and some floor mats that will be free after rebate.

We were telling our friends about all our good deals and how it's hard for me to say no to FREE when we mentioned that the rebates are in the form of a merchandise credit check which is only usable at Menards, and that brought up the question - is it really FREE if you have to spend the money you get back in the same store?  In our case, we've decided it's a good deal, because we know we're always going to be buying something at Menards, and the check doesn't expire so we have as long as we need to spend it.  Yes, we have to spend the money in the first place, but then we get to spend it again.

Time for a Trip to Sears

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Around Fathers' Day I mentioned the Sears spend $50 get $50 deal. You had to spend $50 or more on any combination of men's pants or jeans, and Sears would give you $50 to spend on men's apparel. Well, we got the $50 Sears card last week so Jeffrey has until the end of October to buy new clothes at Sears. Even better? I can get me a little something, too because I just printed this coupon for $10 off Juniors' apparel at Sears. It's good now through November 14th, and there's no minimum purchase.

I wonder what Sears has on clearance?

Guest Post (and an HP Coupon, too)

The following is a guest post from my computer. Her name is Rosie:

---

Hi, I'm Anna's best friend. We're practically like conjoined twins - joined at the fingers and keyboard, we're so close. I've been a big part of her life for 3 years now. I've helped her design web pages and that 'award winning' school calendar she did all those years. Did I get credit for that? No, it was all her and Mary, but let me tell you - she could not have done it without me.

She tells me everything. Sure, she posts a lot of it on her blogs so the rest of you can read it, too, but just remember - she tells me first. And couldn't post it without ME! What do you call a blogger without a computer? Lost, completely lost. She'd be lost without me.

Like I said, we're best friends. That's why I'm not worried, even though she's been looking at this HP dv6z Artist Edition 2. Sure it's pretty, and I'm getting a little worn, but it is not my fault the letters are wearing off my keyboard. The N is practically gone! I choose to believe that we have a deeper relationship than that, and that Anna won't be swayed by a pretty face case. I can edit photos and videos and help her stay connected to her family and (other) friends just like this pretty computer. Also, I'm pretty sure she's planning to keep me around for a while, since she just bought me a new battery, and my service plan doesn't expire until next summer.

Her husband has been looking for a new computer. Maybe she was looking for him. Yeah, that's it. I've got nothing to worry about. Right?

---

Yep, that's my Rosie. I love her - we really do spend a lot of time together, and she's right, I'm not planning to trade her in any time soon. You, however, might be interested in this HP coupon code I promised:

Get $500 off instantly when you purchase an HP HDX 16t with $300 coupon code NBN3248 + $200 Instant Rebate.
Valid through 8/23 or while supplies last. Restrictions and exclusions apply.

Shh, don't tell Rosie, but this laptop's really nice looking, too. $500 savings! Perhaps you can use them to get a best friend of your own.

Thank You, Kellogg's!

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I made a special trip to the grocery store last week to buy Kellogg's products. They were on sale, I had coupons, and even better, there's a Fuel for School $10 rebate on 10 products. I bought cereal, the Keebler cookies that Jeffrey likes so much, crackers, and the new Cinnabon bars that Deb reviewed a couple weeks ago - they looked so good, I just had to try them. With the sale and the coupons, I got all 10 items for around $15. Combine that with the $10 rebate, and that's goes down to $5 or around 50¢ per box or package.

Then I got home and read the rebate form more carefully. The Cinnabon bars and the Special K crackers weren't listed. I immediately emailed Kellogg's to clarify whether or not these products qualified for the rebate, and tried to figure out if I could go back to the store, grab a couple boxes of PopTarts or something and have them re-ring everything, if I had to - because all the products must be listed on the same receipt. Luckily, I don't have to do that because I got an email from Kellogg's last night letting me know that even though those products aren't listed on the rebate form, they still qualify because they are Kellogg's products.

There are so many Kellogg's products, I guess it would be impossible to list them all, wouldn't it? Thank you for getting back to me, Kellogg's. Now I can cut out UPCs and get my rebate ready to mail without worrying.

There's still time to get your own Kellogg's Fuel for School rebate. Buy your Kellogg's, Keebler, Sunshine, Morningstar Farms, and Eggo products by 9/30/09, send in the rebate form (get it here, lower right hand side), UPCs, and cash register receipt by 9/30, and get $10, plus a $70 coupon code from Dell, good toward select Dell Inspiron Mini and Studio laptops.

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• Kellogg's Coupons + Freebies! (momblognetwork.com)

Receipt Surveys

Do you fill out those surveys you get when you check out at the store? It seems everywhere you go, they're asking for feedback, and if you fill out their survey withing 48 hours you'll be entered into a drawing for a gift card or something. Usually I ignore them, or just plain forget about them until my time is up, but we got one last week that I thought was worth the time. Jeffrey and I went to the mall and had dinner at the food court. I got this Szechuan chicken that was actually hot and spicy (Yay!) - so I needed some milk. Jeffrey went to Arby's and got me a milk - 70¢ for a little carton of milk is pretty ridiculous, but it was good. On the back of the receipt was an invitation to fill out a survey, not for a chance to get something, but for an actual code to get a FREE Beef & Cheddar sandwich. So, Jeffrey tried to go online and fill out the survey, and was told that that location was no longer accepting surveys. Then he tried calling the number to actually talk to someone, and they hung up on him! Talk about rude - they ask for feedback, he wants to give it to them and get the free sandwich they offered, only to find out they aren't taking feedback. Why did they even ask/offer in the first place? Very frustrating!

I did just complete a survey for Sears, even after the frustration with Arby's. Jeffrey and I were at the mall in the first place to see if we could find him some dress pants, because he needed them, and because Sears has that promotion going on - if you buy $50 or more of mens pants, jeans, breeches, you get a $50 Sears card to spend on other mens apparel. So we found him 2 pairs of pants on clearance for $24.99, which of course only added up to $49.98 and didn't quite hit that $50 mark, so we had to find something else too. Luckily they had some light black jeans on clearance for $10, exactly what Cory has been looking for - so we grabbed those. Yes, over $50 in clearance pants and jeans, and they qualified for the promotion! I mailed my rebate yesterday. And today I filled out their survey, because they actually gave me 7 days to get to it, and we could win a $4000 Sears gift card. I could buy a lot at Sears for $4000.

I guess it's all about the incentive.

Sears Has a Deal for You

My dad just sent me this link in an email (Thanks, Dad!) - Spend $50, Get $50.

Through 6/21, when you buy $50 or more on any combination of men's pants or jeans, Sears will give you $50 to spend on men's apparel. That's $100 worth of men's apparel for $50!

You have to submit a rebate (postmarked by 6/30), but you'll get $50 in Sears Rewards Cash by mail - so this could be the Father's Day gift that keeps on giving. Give Dad some pants or jeans for Father's Day, and when the Rewards Cash comes, give him another $50 to spend.

Writing El Paso

...or my own version of a stimulus plan...

I've been putting together rebates - for the software we bought when we bought TurboTax, and for the kids' cell phones. All together, over $500 worth of rebates. That's why I'm very, very particular and obsessed with doing these right.

First, I listed all the rebates and requirements to make sure everything came out free like it was supposed to (on the software) - and I found that I had grabbed the wrong version of the Print Shop. So, Jeffrey went back and got the right one. Then, I just started going through all those rebate forms, filling them out, seeing which ones I could fill out online, cutting out UPCs, and making lots and lots of copies of everything. As I finished each one, I put all required materials into the envelopes, but I did not seal them. No, first I have to look each one over at least once to be sure everything is right, and I have to enter the info into my spreadsheet - so I can keep track of what rebates have been requested, for how much, when they were mailed, and when they are received. That way I can easily see if there are any that need tracked down. Hopefully I won't need to do any of that, but at least I will have all the documentation if I ever need to.

All in all, it's good to know that the money will soon be rolling in. No, it's not money we can go spend on luxury hotel rooms or vacations, because it's money that we've already spent. We're just reclaiming it. Still, it works out, doesn't it? We spend the money in the first place - so the software manufacturers can stay in business, the stores can stay in business, those rebate processors in El Paso can keep their jobs, and it really only costs me some time, some envelopes, and some stamps. I say, if they want people to spend more money, offer more rebates. Even if I don't really need it, I'll often buy it if I can get it for free.

Rebates & Movies

Jeffrey and I went and bought TurboTax today, along with a bunch of other software that will be free after rebate. I have a hard time resisting free stuff. Have you noticed? We got several different Internet security titles, a PDF converter, PrintShop 23, and some other stuff. I will have to spend a bit of time reading over rebates and making sure everything adds up, and then putting stuff together to mail, but it's all worth it in the end, right?

It will have to wait until at least tomorrow, though. Right now we're watching Ocean's Thirteen. We talked about going to a movie since we were out, but decided to come home and watch some I got from the library instead. We could have watched them on the big screen, so it would sort of been like going to a movie. I could even have made some popcorn, but instead we're just watching on the television - the one on the tv stand in the living room. It's probably too cold to go down in the basement anyway. That's our story, and we're stickin' to it.

Update on my Walgreens Rebate

I found out today that, if I forget to submit my rebates at the end of the month and Walgreens has to do it for me, they will issue a rebate check instead of putting it on a gift card. I thought that it would automatically go onto my last gift card, but instead I will be getting a check in the mail.

What this means is that I do not get my 10% bonus, which would have been around $2. I still come out even, since the Pert Plus was free after rebate, and I used a $2 coupon. Still, I like it better when they end up paying me to shop there.

The good thing is that Walgreens processed my rebate, and I will be getting $20.76 in the mail. In the future I will finalize and submit my own rebates and claim my 10% bonus.

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• Why I Love Walgreens

Why I Love Walgreens

I got an email today from the Walgreens EasySaver Club (their rebate program). It says:

Dear Anna,

Our records show you entered rebate information for the Easy Saver August 2008, but did not redeem it prior to the 09/06/08 expiration date.

As a courtesy to you, we processed your eligible rebates to redeem as a Walgreens gift card. You should receive the following within two to three weeks:

	Cash Back Offers
	Offer	Product	Rebate
	2	Chc Liv Sol Vacuum Bag	$5.99
	4	bioINFUSION Hair Care	$5.99
	6	jane.Be Pure Mineral	$4.99
	7	Pert Plus 2 in 1	$3.79

		Sub-Total Rebate	$20.76
		Walgreens Gift Card Bonus	$0.00
		Total Rebate	$20.76

- emphasis mine where they say 'as a courtesy to you.'

I love shopping at Walgreens, mostly because of their rebates, and especially because of the FREE after rebate items. I was even more excited recently when they updated the system so that I don't even have to mail my rebates in any more. All I have to do is log in to the Walgreens site and enter a number from my receipt. Then, at the end of the month, I can submit the rebates, finalizing everything and choosing how I would like to receive my rebate. I always choose a Walgreens gift card, because they add an extra 10% to my rebate - so I have more money to spend at Walgreens!

What's even nicer about this is that, if I forget to go back and submit the rebate for the receipts I've entered, like I obviously did this month, Walgreens does it for me! I didn't mean to forget, but it's so nice to know that Walgreens will take care of me if I do.

I know some people don't like doing rebates because it sometimes seems like more of a hassle than it's worth. You have to make sure you do everything right. You have to keep track of when you mailed the rebate forms and whether or not you've received your rebates, and sometimes have to call multiple times to track the rebates down. It's refreshing to see a company that handles rebates differently, a company that wants you to receive your rebates. Thank you, Walgreens!

Now, if I can just figure out why I didn't get a rebate for weight loss pills. Oh, yeah, I didn't buy any weight loss pills. Walgreens is good, but they only give you rebates for the things you actually buy.

Things Were Jumping into My Cart

After the eye doctor, the kids and I went shopping. I was right about buying more things than I actually needed because I had them with me. Beth was grabbing things off the shelves and throwing them into the cart - mandarin oranges, ravioli (ravaloni), cans of biscuits, some instant ramen noodle stuff to take to work, waffles, fudge bars, and I don't know what else. It sounds like she's really going to eat well, huh? Oh, and 6 boxes of macaroni and cheese. At least she won't waste away to nothing. And if she dares to complain there's nothing to eat, I'm just going to have to strangle her.

After ALDI, we ate lunch at Culver's and then went to Walgreens for milk and other sale items. We ended up with makeup, cold medicine, toothpaste, mouthwash, Twizzlers, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, and who knows what else. Seriously, I think we bought everything but bodybuilding supplements. I don't usually get that much stuff at Walgreens, but they had a lot of things on sale buy one get one free, and they were things we needed anyway. Well, maybe not needed right this second, but needed soon. The makeup was an especially good deal, since it was buy one get one free, and I had printed some of those online coupons I was talking about, so it ended up being almost free. I actually counted the coupons out wrong and could have used one more, and then I think all the makeup - foundation, cover-up, blush, powder, mascara, etc. - would have cost us less than $1. Deal! I'll also get some money back because a couple items are free after rebate. I really can't resist those free after rebate things, whether I need them or not, especially if I have a coupon, too - because then they pay me to buy the product.

I've noticed that when all those things jump into my cart, my job isn't over when I get them home. Everything still has to be put away. How am I supposed to get my blogging done?

15 Down, 5 to Go - I Think

I've been working on rebates this afternoon and tonight. We bought TurboTax and a whole lot of other software on Sunday. Did we really need all that other software? Maybe not, though we did get several copies of different virus protection software. I don't know which one is better, but we figure we can try them all if they're going to give them to us for FREE. Besides, we have to cover all the computers in the house.

We also got some learn to speak Spanish software that I thought we were going to have to return. I sent an email asking about it because two of the rebates asked for the same proof of purchase. I hadn't heard anything back from the email, so I called today and was told that one of those rebates had expired in September. $10 for this language package isn't bad, but still - I wanted it to be free. About half an hour later, I checked my email and found an answer to my original email question. Yes, both of the $10 rebates were good, and she gave me the online codes to use. I'm going with the email. I have it in writing, and printed out my rebates.

Each software title seems to have not one but two or three rebates. I'm putting everything together, making copies, and putting everything into envelopes. Then, when I get them all done, I will go through each envelope to double and triple-check that everything is right - because I'm obsessive like that. It all has to be perfect, because not everyone is like Walgreens.

Cold Weather and Money

The kids didn't have to go to school today because of the cold. The wind chill was 25° to 30° below this morning. I guess they figure that's too cold for the kids to be out waiting for the bus or something. I figure it's too cold to walk, so I didn't go walking this morning, either. The kids slept in as long as I would let them, and then they mostly lazed around all day. Teenagers don't do much but mess around on the computer or watch TV.

I worked on rebates - calling with questions about requirements and such. Those things can be so confusing, and I am so obsessive trying to make sure I do everything right. It adds up to a lot of money this time, and I'm not opening anything until I check and double-check that everything will work together. I also found out that I was supposed to have gotten a check for this website I worked on, but somehow the invoice got overlooked. Now that's all straightened out, and I will be looking for a check in the mail.

And speaking of money - the PayU2Blog people finally sent me a password today. So we'll see how that works out. They told me weeks ago that they accepted my blog...