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The other day I got a rebate check in the mail for a whopping $4.99 for buying the mouthwash and toothpaste that I normally use. While that one rebate may not seem like a lot, I’ve found that over time those little checks do add up. Many people don’t think rebates are worth their time. But it only takes a few minutes to fill out a form, copy receipts, and put them in an envelope. And these days you can save on postage by applying for rebates online.

Not only have I gotten money back for things like Advil, makeup, and detergent, but I’ve also gotten rebates worth hundreds of dollars for big ticket items like kitchen cabinets, appliances, and storm doors.

Keep an eye out for rebates

You wouldn’t know it but most things you buy offer rebates. I’ve gotten rebates that paid for:

• cell phones
• gas
• books
• and gift cards

I often check the bulletin board or customer service center at drugs stores, supermarkets, and other places I shop to see which products are eligible for rebates. The Sunday circulars of retailers also may list rebates. I’ve visited rebate Web sites to look for deals, but don’t really believe in paying a fee to sign up when I can get the same information for free.

About the Author
Francine L. Huff is a freelance journalist and the author of The 25-Day Money Makeover for Women. She has appeared on a variety of TV and radio shows.

(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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It’s no secret that food is getting more expensive these days. The average price for a gallon of milk is $3.50 and the price could jump as high as $5 by the end of the summer. And the overall price of groceries in June was 6.4% higher than a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Stretch your food budget

Here are four ways I’ve changed my shopping habits to make my family’s food budget stretch further:

• I stocked up on canned goods at my local grocer’s “can-can” sale, which offers huge discounts on canned goods a couple times a year.
• I read all the circulars that come in my Sunday paper to decide if it’s worth it to shop at more than one store. While I don’t recommend burning up gas running around to a bunch of stores, there are times when it’s worth it to make a detour to more than one supermarket.
• I’ve started buying items that are marked down because the expiration date is near. Recently I was able to buy some steaks and chicken at about a 60% discount because the buy-by date was near. There was nothing wrong with the food, but most supermarkets toss out items that have expired.
• I no longer pass up ugly produce. I picked up a dozen limes last week for 79 cents that weren’t the prettiest, but they sure made a tasty pitcher of limeade.

Sources
Bureau of Labor Statistics

About the Author
Francine L. Huff is a freelance journalist and the author of The 25-Day Money Makeover for Women. She has appeared on a variety of TV and radio shows.

(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Remember the days when gasoline was $0.99/gallon? At that time few of us cared if we saved 5 cents a gallon; however, as the gasoline prices are inching closer to $5/gallon, we are all looking for ways to save some money.

We here at DebtHelp.com, put together a list of 7 ways to save money on gas this summer.

1. Use the Internet

Given that you are reading this on the Internet, we highly recommend using the Internet to find the best gas deals in your neighborhood. There are multiple sources on the Internet that provide information regarding lowest prices in your neighborhood and some of them offer text messaging services for your convenience. Our top 3 favorite Internet sites for gas comparison are MapQuest, GasBuddy.com and GasPriceWatch.com. While GasBuddy.com and GasPriceWatch.com rely on volunteers or the stations to post prices from around the country (and Canada too), MapQuest uses Oil Pricing Information Service (OPIS) to track gas prices. As a quick case study, we used GasBuddy.com to check gas prices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and New York just to check how much could one really save - we were impressed. It turns out that in Los Angeles, the range of prices for regular were $4.09 to $4.68 that is a 59 cent difference, which means you would be able to save $11.80 per fill-up on a 20-gallon tank. In San Francisco, the price difference was 48 cents, bringing the savings to $9.60, in Chicago it was 52 cents with savings of $10.40 and in New York the difference was 30 cents, bringing the savings to $6. As we have just demonstrated it does pay to shop around (especially from the comfort of your own home). If you are on the road, you can use your cell phone to get a text message with the lowest prices. Although these services are free, you will have to pay for the text message. In order to take advantage of these services, just send a text message to gas@gasbuddy.com, sms@mobgas.com or gas@fuelgo.com.

2. Be aware of your surroundings

Often times, the gas right around freeways, in expensive neighborhoods or around repair services tends to be more expensive - you pay for convenience. So if you are driving on a freeway and spot a gas station, take the exit but proceed a few more blocks and chances are that you will find cheaper gas.

3. Pay attention to local advertising

If you have independent gas stations in your area, watch out for price wars as some of them may engage in these practices in order to take away the customers. Also, many smaller gas stations will offer different pricing if you pay with cash rather than a credit card - so keep some cash handy. Another suggestion would be to look at the complementary service offerings - in some instances, car washes with gas stations will offer lower pricing to customers who take advantage of both services - we have seen discounts as high as 20 cents a gallon from these promotions.

4. Check out wholesale clubs

Costco, Sam’s and many others often offer the convenience of gas stations right in their lots. As part of the service to their customers (read - membership fees), they offer lower gas prices. Therefore, if you are already a member this may be a great opportunity for you - otherwise, you may be spending the money that you saved on gas to pay for their membership.

5. Price-shop discount retailers

Stores like Wal-Mart and other discount retailers may use gas prices as a way to “lure” you into their store. They may charge a lower price per gallon in the hopes that they will be able to make the margin from all of your other purchases at their store.

6. Consider a gas-rebate card or a gas-station card

Many credit card companies offer gas-rebate cards, with which you will be able to get cash back on your purchases. Some gas stations, like Shell, also offer gas discount credit cards.

7. Last, but not least, consider signing up for a general purpose rebate card

Many credit card companies will offer various discounts, rebates, points or cash-backs on their credit cards. If you are already using a credit card for your purchases (be it gas, food or any other purchase), you would be able to get something back in return. Many of these companies also offer additional benefits to their card holders.

Now that we have armed with you with these 7 tips on saving money on gas, here is one thing that we recommend that you DON’T do is follow that one woman’s example and try to set gas stations on fire in your protest of the higher gas prices. We can guarantee that this will NOT save you money on gas and will only result in more financial and legal trouble.

If you have some other gas saving suggestions, please share as we always love hearing from our readers.

DebtHelp.com Team

(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)

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