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How to Save Money and Get Freebies Using the Internet

Part III

By Lisa Marie Metzler

Take your printout to the store and shop, circling the items on your rebate list so you don't forget them! When you're ready to check out, give the cashier your printout for scanning. Pocket your savings in the form of Web Bucks and use them for your next purchase.

Remember those blue light specials? If you were lucky enough to be in the right store at the right time, you could save on a product you probably didn't even need. Does a $1 bag of charcoal in December ring a bell? To get cash back on products that you do need, try Kmart. Many items on the weekly rebate offering are also part of the weekly flyer. An average rebate check for my family is around $10 to $20, and you can get some good deals. For instance, one week, a cough syrup was on sale and with a $4 rebate offered. Add the $1 coupon that I clipped, and the cough syrup only cost a meager $1.29. You can expect your rebate check in two weeks.

I try to save a bit each week. Some careful meal planning (which alone will save you time and money) can yield a nice little bonus. With the money you save each week, you could take the family out to dinner or have a pizza and video night picnic in the living room. Saving for a family vacation, next year's Christmas shopping or large purchase can be done painlessly this way. Just deposit the rebate checks in a savings account marked for a special occasion.

Chose one or all of the above plans and you will save as much or as little as you want. One thing for sure: it's nice to be rewarded for the weekly chore of shopping. You may even decide to spend a little of that money on yourself!