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How To Do Your Holiday Shopping Through Rebate Sites

This article was written by in Consumer. 10 comments.


Over the next couple of weeks, six finalists will be auditioning for the opening of “staff writer” at Consumerism Commentary. Each will be providing two guest articles to share with readers. After the six writers have shared their guest articles, readers will have an opportunity to provide feedback before we select the staff writer.

This article is presented by VCMcGuire, a regular contributor to the New York Times and other publications.

I hate shopping. A lot. I have been known to buy the wrong thing, for the wrong price, just to get out of the store.

Buying gifts is the worst. Here’s what happens on a typical shopping trip before Christmas. I’m standing in a store, holding something in my hand, and I’m thinking, “Will this book/sweater/candle show my grandma/father/spouse how much I love them? Do I really know them well enough to know what they will like?”

This is followed closely by another glance at the price tag, and the realization that this month’s credit card bill is going to be bigger than our mortgage payment. Right about then, somebody usually starts hanging on my arm and asking if we can please buy a soft pretzel now, Mom?

That’s when I either convince myself that my father will love that shade of fuschia, or I walk out of the store empty-handed.

Thank god for online shopping. I can do it at home. I can find the best price. In most cases I can find the perfect color and size. And by spending a few extra minutes, I can often get a pretty good discount on my purchase. My goal is to get a discount big enough to cover the shipping charges.

I do this by using a third-party cash back site to get a rebate. I’m a member of several rebate sites, and most of the online stores I buy from participate in at least one of these programs.

But how can you find out whether, say, Macys.com, participates in any rebate programs?

I use a site called Ev’Reward. (Flexo reviewed Ev’Reward back in 2006.) This site lets you plug in the name of a store and find coupons, or rebate sites that will give you a kickback. Online coupons consist of a code you can enter before you buy, and your savings are instantaneous. Rewards sites usually require you to sign up for an account, then click through from their site to the retailer. Once you have accounts with a few rewards sites, though, this is pretty fast. The downside is you have to wait to get your rebate–usually about 90 days from the date of purchase. This gives the retailer time to make sure you’re not going to return your purchase.

I’ve tried a number of rewards programs, and I’ve got my list narrowed down to about four that I use on a regular basis. I don’t participate in any rewards programs that cost money to join. And I don’t use any of my travel reward accounts for this purpose. I get miles and hotel points when I travel, but I would rather have cash money as a rebate for shopping, not miles or points.

Here are my favorite rewards sites, and a summary of their advantages.

  • Fat Wallet. Unlike most of its competitors, Fat Wallet has no minimum balance before you can withdraw your money. You still have to wait a couple months for the rebates to clear in their system, but then you can request to be reimbursed through Paypal. The site has a lot of other good features, like a thriving discussion board for bargain hunters, that make it worth a longer visit.
  • Mr. Rebates. This site often has the highest rebates for specific merchants. Recently, the minimum withdrawal was lowered to $10, making Mr. Rebates more attractive. This site also has the best referral program. You don’t get anything when you initially refer a friend, but you get 20% of all their rebates for as long as they’re members. If you refer a few big-time online shoppers, you can earn a steady trickle of passive income.
  • Ebates. Ebates also has relatively high rebates compared to other sites. Another plus is that they automatically send your rebates quarterly once you reach the $10 minimum pay-out. That means you don’t have to remember to come back and request to be paid. Ebates also has a referral program. When you refer a friend and the friend makes a purchase through Ebates, you get a $5 bonus, but there’s no ongoing kickback for your friend’s future purchases. I recently bought a bunch of school uniforms for my kindergartener from JCPenney.com, and got 3% back from Ebates.
  • Upromise. This site’s kickbacks for online shopping are usually much lower than the other 3 I’ve mentioned, but it’s worth signing up anyway. You can register grocery store rewards cards with Upromise, and get a few cents in your Upromise account when you buy selected products. You can ask friends and family to sign up for Upromise accounts, naming your kid as a beneficiary, although some of my relatives were understandably skeeved out by the idea of letting yet another company track and analyze their spending. The rebates accumulate in your Upromise account until you roll them into a 529 college savings plan. We all know college is wicked expensive, so every little bit helps. I’ve been participating in Upromise for a few years now, and I’ve saved a few hundred dollars–enough to pay for a single textbook. Maybe.

So, with the holidays approaching, I’m looking forward to avoiding the malls and getting rebates on all my gift purchases.

I’ve probably missed some good rewards sites, and I know there are other sites besides Ev’Reward for looking up online discounts. What are your favorites?

Don’t forget to check out these recent Consumerism Commentary guest posts on couponing and smart holiday spending for more ideas.

This is a guest article by VCMcGuire, one of six finalists interested in being Consumerism Commentary’s staff writer.

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I Got a Relatively Good Deal on Bedroom Furniture

This article was written by in Consumer, Shopping. 5 comments.

I have been struggling for the past month or two to find decent, basic bedroom furniture for a good price. I’ve tried the department stores (JCPenny, Macy’s and Sears), Ashley Furniture, Raymour & Flanigan, Peir 1, and some other stores, but everything was out of a reasonable price range or was horribly cheap.

After expressing my frustration at work a few days ago, a co-worker suggested Bob’s Discount Furniture, not too far from the office. My girlfriend had mentioned Bob’s previously, but for whatever reason, I didn’t pursue it at that time. Once we determined there was a store close by, my girlfriend and I decided to stop in on Saturday to see what they had available.

I have strange tastes when it comes to furniture. Without a lot of experience shopping, it’s hard for me to know what to look for in the beginning, but I can easily identify what I do not want. I’m not looking for furniture that I will keep for a lifetime or pass down to my children. It’s likely that when I get married, I will have to defer all furniture decisions, so I just need something I’d be happy with for a relatively short time. Wood purists prefer solid wood rather than medium-density fiberboard (MDF), but that’s not an issue that’s important to me. I just want something that looks nice, won’t fall apart, and is affordable. The designs I like tend to be simple and not overstated.

While walking around the store, I found one set I liked. In fact, at first I saw the set in the smaller version for children, and thought it was just about right for what I wanted, but my girlfriend quickly pointed out the adult set would be much more appropriate. I wasn’t interested in all the pieces listed in the package, so I subtracted the chest and mirror from the set that included the full bed rails, footboard, and headboard.

I had to search for a salesman and bring him to the bedroom area to discuss the pieces. I was expecting to be followed around like at Raymour & Flanigan, but most of the salespeople were chatting with each other towards the front of the store. Joe, the salesman randomly selected to help, mentioned it would not be normal for me to take two pieces — the chest and the mirror — out of the full package and still receive the “discounted price,” but he would talk to his manager. As I expected, Joe returned and mentioned the best price he could give on the set I wanted was $730, not the $630 price I calculated from the full set discount. We thanked him and walked away to look around the rest of the store.

He must have spotted me coming back to the area a few minutes later. I decided that I would purchase the dresser only. The other pieces weren’t as necessary as the dresser. Right now, all of my clothes are hanging up or piled on top of shelves in my closet. It’s a disorganized mess and I have problems reaching the shirts at the top of the piles. The dresser is the first priority. Since I liked the construction and the look of this particular set, I decided I would spend the money for that one piece.

Joe must have seen us returning to the area. He mentioned he had another idea, and would try talking to his manager again to see if he or she would agree to a different combination of starting package and substitutions to come to the configuration I wanted for the price I wanted. He came back offering the pieces I wanted for $630, so I decided I would go ahead with the dresser, full bed set, and the night stand. This is $200 off the non-discounted price, or $100 off the discounted price they would originally “allow.” The salesman commented that this type of deal was unheard of and the manager has never allowed this before. While their normal procedures allow for the removal or replacement of one item in in these package deals, this was a removal of two items. Joe’s claim is obviously nothing more than fabrication designed to make me feel good about the purchase and not back away, but the negotiated price was fair based on what I had seen at other stores.

Joe tried to add on the four-year protection plan for $99, but I had no interest, so I politely declined. He didn’t press the issue. I don’t expect much damage to come to my bedroom furniture, and even if something were to happen, like Frank noted about his experience with Bob’s Discount Furniture, the insurance probably wouldn’t cover the event anyway. Additionally, Joe didn’t mention that the protection plan is only valid at the same address where the furniture has been delivered. I don’t plan on living in this apartment for longer than one or two years.

After “taking my information” and the order, Joe directed us to a section of the store where they offered free drinks, cookies, and candy. I’m trying to cut down on junk, but I had a cookie and water on the house. On the face, it seems like a good customer appreciation service, but I wonder if this delay is automatically built into the process in order to influence the customer in some way.

Joe returned after ten or fifteen minutes, and we moved to the cashier to set up the delivery date. Delivery and tax added more to the total. I had to push delivery to a date on which I had no other plans, so I’ll receive the furniture in a few weeks. My girlfriend’s sister experienced some problems with Bob’s delivery recently, but an item of hers was not in stock, causing a delay. I am hoping for no problems, but I did confirm that if any piece is damaged on arrival, they will redeliver until I’m satisfied. I would prefer if there’s no need to put that guarantee to the test.

Part of the reason I was willing to make a larger purchase (a set) than I originally planned when moving in (just the dresser) was due to a housewarming gift from a family member in the form of a check for furnishing the apartment. I’m always grateful for these gifts. Without it, I would have likely purchased just the dresser.

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Favorite Purchase, June 2006: Braun Electric Toothbrush

This article was written by in Reviews. 9 comments.

braun.jpgEvery once in a while, I may share my thoughts on a particular purchase I made that I feel is worthwhile. In this case, I’m writing about the BRAUN Oral-B Braun 980TX Bright Advance Power Electric Toothbrush. I purchased it for $30 from Macy’s and Amazon.com has it for the same price.

It was sort of a spur-of-the-moment purchase — I do one of these about once a month. However, it is something I’ve wanted for a long time. When I was younger, I didn’t pay much attention to my teeth, but after I left college I decided I didn’t want to hear my dentist chastize me. I gained better habits, eventually had my wisdom teeth removed, and focused on giving myself a nicer smile.

While I haven’t measured this scientifically, I believe I’m getting better results from the electric toothbrush than from the regular brushes I used to use. My gums are less sore, and combined with flossing and occasionally using an interdental pick, my teeth appear healthier. Don’t get me wrong, my teeth and gums were always healthy, but I wanted some improvement.

The only drawback to the electric toothbrush is the need to occasionally buy new brush tips. It’s no worse than buying new blades for a shaving razor.

A quick search on Amazon.com tells me the price I paid was appropriate. My choice was neither the fanciest nor the most basic brush, and so far, the brush has operated flawlessly.

No one paid me to write about this item, nor did anyone suggest to me that I do so. With all the “paid web content” incentives gaining popularity, I think it’s important that readers know.

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