Rebating - Your questions Answered

I often get lots of questions regarding rebating. What is it? Am I buying stuff just to get money back? How hard is it to do, etc.

Here's the skinny on rebating.

#1. Its Easy
#2. I don't buy things just because there is a rebate out. I buy the things we use/need and save my receipts. If I find a rebate for the things I have purchased, great! If not, thats ok too because I would have purchased them anyways.
#3. Alabama is a no beer purchase necessary state, meaning that in Alabama, you don't have to purchase beer for all the great rebates that the beer companies put out. Most rebates are for meat, salty snacks, soda, paper products, seafood, deli products and produce. So where as other states might have to buy $15 worth of meat and 1 12 pack of Coors Light to receive $10, in Alabama, you only have to purchase the $15 worth of meat. To me its like getting $10 back on the $15 worth of meat I was already buying.
#4 Rebate forms are hard to come by. I rarely find them in stores around my area. So....I trade for them at hotcouponworld or buy them off eBay. Simply search "beer rebates" if buying off eBay.
#5. Wine companies also put out rebates (most are no wine purchase necessary in AL) but I must admit that they are not as easy as the beer rebates. Wine companies tend to find one way or another to reject your rebate.
#6. Other rebates are offered at grocery stores for buying x amount of products. Publix usually does alot of rebates to go along with specific food brands. An example would be the recent Kraft foods rebate. You received a $10 Publix gift card by mail when you purchased $25 worth of Kraft products. These rebates are generally pre-coupon so you can use coupons and save even more or come out even in the long run.
#7. You need to be organized! This is a must. Simply because for most rebates you need the form plus your receipt and sometimes even the UPC codes. I have a zippered pouch (think elementary school pencil pouch, LOL!) that I put my rebates in. Once I buy the product, I put the receipt behind the rebate. When I get home, I go ahead and address the envelope and place everything in it.
#8. I track my rebates at Rebate Tracker. This is simply a place where you can input the rebates that you are sending off and it will tell you when to look for the check in the mail. According to rebate tracker, I am currently due a total of $204 in checks. How cool is that? Free money for buying stuff I already buy.

I think I covered it all but maybe I missed something. Do you have a question about rebates that I didn't answer? Leave me a comment and I will try to answer!