How to put mail in rebates to work for you

Two weeks ago Staples was having a promotion for a ream of paper which would be free after rebate. Being one who doesn't like to pass up on anything I can get for free I went and picked up the paper (as well as a couple of other items I've been meaning to get). The rebate process was actually quite easy. The cashier highlighted all the info needed, as well as the website to go to where I could submit for my rebate. When I got home I entered my information, and was sent an e-mail to monitor the status of the rebate.

I'm still waiting on receiving my rebate check, but according to the link it was sent out a few days ago. When I get the check it will feel like found money (well, about $5), since I have already paid for the paper.

I haven't yet decided what I will do when I get the check. But I can tell you that I'm not going to turn around and spend the money immediately. My options include putting the money into a savings account; transferring the money to an investment account, or applying it to my mortgage. It may only be $5, but in my mind I've already spent it, so I'm going to try to put it somewhere it can help me.

How to save money the next time you feel like playing the lottery

There is a certain lure that the lottery brings. The jackpots are so large, maybe, just maybe, I'll win some of it. But what happens more often than not is you don't win a thing, and worst, have just wasted your dollar. If you play regularly, you've probably lost a lot of dollars along the way, which far exceeds any modest win you may experience.

So, next time you feel like playing the lottery you need to pay yourself first and put that dollar into a savings account. Imagine if you transferred one dollar a day into your savings account -- you would have an extra $365 in savings at the end of the year. And the best part is you probably won't even miss that dollar.

Even if you don't play the lottery this is good practice. And if you don't want to do it every day, you can deposit $7 per week, or $14 every two weeks, depending on when you get paid. It will pay off in the long run!

Save ink by not printing every e-mail

I like to sign up to receive discounts via e-mail from some of my favorite restaurants. No need to pay full price when you know that discounts exist. But most of the time I get many more coupons via e-mail than I will ever use. So, what do you do?

What I've found works for me is to save the e-mail as a PDF and place it into a coupon folder on my computer. As I'm saving it I'll make sure the file name includes the restaurant as well as the expiration date. This way I'll have my coupons handy and can print on demand, rather than printing each e-mail that comes through. This tip saves both ink, and paper. And if you sign up for discounts you can save the next time you dine out.

Think Long Term To Save Money

When it comes to saving money there's the immediate benefit you get by making simple changes in your life, but there also long term savings to be realized with a minimal upfront investment. I have a few ideas from my life that come to mind immediately, but I would also love to hear your suggestions as well.

A couple of years back I had a slow shower drain that would get better after pouring some drain cleaner down it, but get worse pretty quickly. I found myself frequently spending money drain cleaner. Then one day in the aisle with the drain cleaner I saw a rubber "hair trap" that you place over your shower drain to keep hair from going down. It was only $0.99 so I figured I would give it a try. Since that day a couple of years ago I have not had a need to buy any more drain cleaner. That $0.99 investment saved the cost of many, MANY, bottles!

Another example I have relates to auto repair. In the spring of 2008 I got a 2006 Saturn Ion. That summer I hit a pot hole that caused a flat tire. I had been going to Firestone for years, so I went there to get my new tires (had to replace both front tires). At that time they offered to me unlimited lifetime alignments for a one time $20 payment on top of the cost of a regular alignment. I did some simple math and quickly saw the benefit since the car was only 2 years old and I would more than likely need future alignments. I was able to take advantage of one free alignment when I went back in 2009 to get my rear tires replaced. Unfortunately my car saw an early death as it was totaled in a multi-car pile up on an icy highway. I fully intend to add the lifetime alignments to my new car.

With a little upfront investment I'm sure you too will find ways in your life to save money in the long run.

Are coupons worth it?

I just came across this article from the Wall Street Journal about the rise in coupon redemption. It's a great article!

Farmers Markets

I'm sure it seems like prices continue to rise on the fruits and vegetables you regularly buy. You'll be able to stretch your dollar farther by buying directly from the farmer at a market. You'll get fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown right in your area, rather than picked early and shipped across the country (or the globe!). You'll also get to by more for the same value than you can at your local grocery store. If you're finding that you aren't able to go through all that you've bought you can try splitting the cost with another person (friend, family, etc.). Not only will you be saving money, you'll be helping the other person save as well.

Comparison Shop Online

This morning I finally got back to looking at grocery store circulars to help me prepare my shopping list. I used to do this every week before I canceled my subscription to the Sunday paper. I realized I was already reading my news online, and the only reason I was keeping the paper was for coupons. But I was spending more for the paper than I was saving in coupons, so last year I made the decision to cancel my subscription. Since then I really haven't taken the time to compare grocery store prices too much. I had signed up to receive the weekly circular from the store I shop at most, but I never knew if I was missing out on deals from other stores. So this morning I loaded up the online circulars from all the area grocery stores, and found some great deals I may have missed had I simply gone to my main store of choice.