How do YOU feel about rebates from stores such as Walgreens or Rite Aid?
Do you feel your spending more or less?

Is it worth your time to drive to the store, buy the item, reply for the rebate then get your money back?

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My choices yesterday create my today. My choices today create my tomorrow.

My DH does the shopping in-between work and coming home in the mornings, so he prefers to do it all at one place. Plus, the only place that is usually open at 6 a.m. is Wal-Mart anyway.

I do go to Rite-Aid to have film developed so I take advantage of their rebate for that.

I've never been that good about rebates UNLESS it is for a high ticket item like computers and such- typically I forget about the rebate and have heard that it takes awhile to receive your rebate check.

I would definitely prefer to just have lower prices.

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~Happiness is a large family~

Me too but the companies know that most people will forget to send in the information to get their rebates so that's why they offer them instead of just lowering the price. Plus, if they put the item on sale, we can just take the ad to Wal-Mart and they'll match the price so they would lose more business than they do by making you come in for the promised rebate. Plus most will buy more once they're in there than just the rebate items. Not that you didn't already know all this!

I usually only do them for higher ticket items too. But, we were in Walgreens today & needed AA and AAA batteries. When I saw that there was a $3 rebate for both sizes for the Duracell ones, I chose those over the Energizer. They will let you fill out the rebate form online now, and just put in the receipt number. It was very easy, and since I signed up to get the rebate in a Walgreens gift card (which I know we'll use), I get an extra 10% back! I can't say that I'd go in specifically to get something for the rebate, but if it is something that we need anyway, I'll definitely take advantage of it.

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Erin, aka Quentinsmommy, mom to Quentin (1/03) and Ian (1/06)

This is me now. I used to NOT do them at all. But now I am more of an every dollar counts. I would prefer to have lower prices but I know the scam and why they do the rebate.

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Grace

Wife to Stoney

Mommy of Sarah (8.5), Hannah (7), and John(5)

I like the Walgreens rebate because you can use coupons on the item and still receive the full purchase price back . I do the rebates online (so easy) and opt to get the gift card for an extra 10%. I don't pay out of pocket for rebate items anymore, I use the giftcard.

As for other rebates it just depends. If we're going to be buying something anyway, like computer equipment, electronics, etc and there happens to be a rebate then we'll submit it. But we won't buy something just because there is a rebate.

I always rebate. I have done rebates for as little as a dollar. One thing I do not do is buy an item just to get a rebate, but I will choose one brand over another because of a rebate if it is cheaper in the end.

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"Families are like fudge... mostly sweet with a few nuts."
~Unknown~

The thing that drives me nuts about Walgreens (and CVS for that matter) is that if you don't get there the first day of the FAR sales, you pretty much are out of luck. I have been consistently doing the Walgreens rebates (only the free ones) for about a year now, but unless I can get there that first Sunday, I don't bother making the trip b/c it depresses me to get to where the product should be and find the shelf empty.

The other thing I need to be careful about is using the gift card for other things besides the next month's FARs. It's like "oh cool, I have $10 on my gift card, so I might as well stop there for _____ instead of getting it cheaper at Walmart." I need to be better about keeping the gift cards strictly for future FARs, ya know?

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Michele

Mommy to Jack (06/01/06) &
^Bernadette^ (entered heaven at 37 wks on 10/17/07)

http://myobaby.blogspot.com