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I'm mostly hopeless when it comes to using coupons. Yes, I occasionally manage to 1) have a coupon with me when I'm at the store; 2) find the product it's good for; and 3) hand the coupon over to the cashier at check-out. Far more often I manage two one, or even none of those three steps. More than once, heck, more than a dozen times, I've found myself thanking a cashier for noticing a tear-off instant savings coupon on a package after forgetting about it myself in the few minutes between the time I put the item in my cart and when I checked out. I'm lucky to remember to turn in bottle deposit refund slips. I often hold them in my hand while shopping to help me remember. Last spring, I ended up backtracking my steps through the Stop'n'Shop after dropping a $5 bottle deposit refund slip without noticing I'd done so. Found it, yay, but coupons are a pain.
I'm even worse with post-purchase rebates. Last year, I missed out on a $50 rebate on my new cell phone and a $30 rebate from Norton because I just didn't get around to filling in the necessary coupons and mailing them in. Yes, I know the companies are counting on that, and I even take my failings into account when deciding whether to buy something that offers a mail-in rebate -- I usually only do so if I like the price without the rebate.
I'm still annoyed that I blew off that $80. Over the years, I've picked up a couple free bras and some underwear from manufacturer's promotions that typically offer buy two, get one free in the store, then get another one free by mail. Those involve a lot of label snipping and annoying little forms, but the promised products eventually show up. So it's not that I never benefit. I benefit just often enough to suffer from the delusion that I'll collect on the big offers. And then remain peeved with myself (and with the companies) when I screw up.
Which brings us to Staples, and their lovely Easy Rebate program. They do a lot with automatic in-store savings. Look, ma, no coupons. I'm all over that. Yesterday, I finally picked up a paper shredder. I've been meaning to buy one for years, but have been balking at the price. There was a $25 in-store rebate on a $70 shredder, and a $15 post-purchase rebate. I had $37.70 in Staples Rewards checks, and using them toward a shredder seemed like just the thing. As I was checking out, I made some comment about how bad I am with mail-in rebates. Wayne, the Staples employee with the 1,000-watt smile and personality, pointed out that I could register for the rebate online. Whoohoo. And, y'know, today I even remembered to actually do it. Which means I actually got a medium-duty paper shredder for the $30 I think it's worth. And that $30 came from total purchase rebates earned on previous purchases. Rebates I most likely never would have realized if I weren't living in the future where this stuff is either automated or easier than it used to be. Sweet.
I'm even worse with post-purchase rebates. Last year, I missed out on a $50 rebate on my new cell phone and a $30 rebate from Norton because I just didn't get around to filling in the necessary coupons and mailing them in. Yes, I know the companies are counting on that, and I even take my failings into account when deciding whether to buy something that offers a mail-in rebate -- I usually only do so if I like the price without the rebate.
I'm still annoyed that I blew off that $80. Over the years, I've picked up a couple free bras and some underwear from manufacturer's promotions that typically offer buy two, get one free in the store, then get another one free by mail. Those involve a lot of label snipping and annoying little forms, but the promised products eventually show up. So it's not that I never benefit. I benefit just often enough to suffer from the delusion that I'll collect on the big offers. And then remain peeved with myself (and with the companies) when I screw up.
Which brings us to Staples, and their lovely Easy Rebate program. They do a lot with automatic in-store savings. Look, ma, no coupons. I'm all over that. Yesterday, I finally picked up a paper shredder. I've been meaning to buy one for years, but have been balking at the price. There was a $25 in-store rebate on a $70 shredder, and a $15 post-purchase rebate. I had $37.70 in Staples Rewards checks, and using them toward a shredder seemed like just the thing. As I was checking out, I made some comment about how bad I am with mail-in rebates. Wayne, the Staples employee with the 1,000-watt smile and personality, pointed out that I could register for the rebate online. Whoohoo. And, y'know, today I even remembered to actually do it. Which means I actually got a medium-duty paper shredder for the $30 I think it's worth. And that $30 came from total purchase rebates earned on previous purchases. Rebates I most likely never would have realized if I weren't living in the future where this stuff is either automated or easier than it used to be. Sweet.
