In my last post, I introduced you to a brilliant way to easily save money each time you shop online using Rakuten. Today, I’ve got a similar online shopping helper to show you: Mr. Rebates. It takes just minutes to sign up and you’re on your way to having more cash back in your pocket. Save money today using Mr. Rebates!
What it is
Similar to Rakuten, Mr. Rebates is an e-commerce and online retailing portal that is basically a database for cash back and coupons. After creating a free account, the user can browse the portal for opportunities to earn cash back on purchases they would have made in the first place. More free money!
Also like Rakuten, you won’t sacrifice any other store coupons already applied to your cart. For example, say you need a new pair of gray sweatpants to wear around the house because your frugal self has worn a hole all the way through the inside of the waistband of your current ones (man, my wardrobe is taking a beating these days…). So you’re browsing the Kohl’s website (big fan of Kohl’s here at FIby35) and find a reasonably priced pair that should last well into your planned early retirement. You’re in luck…Kohl’s just so happens to have a 15% off coupon to apply. (Seriously, if you ever buy anything from Kohl’s at full price, you’re doing it wrong). Mr. Rebates allows you to use the 15% coupon AND still give you whatever deal it currently offers for Kohl’s!
How to use it
Browse to Mrrebates.com and click Join. Enter in your email address and a password for login, a referral email in case you heard about Mr. Rebates from somewhere else (*cough*fibythirtyfive@gmail.com*cough*), and your mailing address so they know where to send your rebate check.
As with Rakuten, I highly recommend installing the Mr. Rebates browser extension, as it remains active during all your browsing sessions. It operates in the background, waiting to alert you to money-saving opportunities. It even works at the same time as the Rakuten extension, so you can get multiple notifications on a given website. Comparison shopping at its finest!
How to save money today
Once you have created a Mr. Rebates account, there are two main ways to earn cash back: 1) shop directly through the portal on Mrrebates.com, or 2) browse to your preferred store’s website and let the browser extension work its magic, notifying you if there is cash back available.
Option 1 is a fairly easy way to sort by category and see what cash back deals they currently offer. You can even browse for gift cards! Option 2 is better served for those that already have a store or two in mind for their particular purchase. I tend to use a mixture of these two strategies depending on what I am shopping for, and then compare deals between Mr. Rebates and Rakuten to optimize.
So you make a few purchases and take advantage of some sweet cash back deals…now what?
Mr. Rebates will notify you each time you earn cash back and keep a running total in your account. Once you accumulate $10 in cash back, you can request payment in the form of a check, gift card, or PayPal or Venmo deposit. Mr. Rebates does not charge a fee or take a commission on your purchases (at least not from you), so it costs you absolutely nothing to use.
But wait, there’s more!
Want $5 in cash back for free? Use this link to sign up for a Mr. Rebates account and you’ll be halfway to earning your first $10 cash back payment. (Full disclosure, I’ll receive a 20% bonus on all rebates you earn in the future. Thanks in advance).
Better still, once you’ve created your account, you can refer others for the same deal: $5 for them and a 20% bonus of their cash back amount with no limit on time or amount. It sounds like one of those multi-level marketing schemes you see all over social media, but it costs you absolutely nothing. Justin at Root of Good notes a few dollars in Mr. Rebates referral cash back each month from subscribers that used his referral link, so it must be ok.
Conclusion
As I’ve said before, I’m not a fan of shopping. But cash back browser extensions like Mr. Rebates make a bit of a game out of buying the things I would regularly buy anyway by getting free cash back, even if it’s only 1-2% of the purchase price. It provides a great alternative to Rakuten in that Mr. Rebates often offers different cash back deals, allowing you to effortlessly save the most money.
Like any coupon or discount, it doesn’t do you a whole lot of good if you’re going out of your way to buy things you didn’t need just for the sake of getting a discount. But when used strategically and with restraint, Mr. Rebates can certainly help you save money today.
What other websites/browser extensions do you use when shopping online? Leave some suggestions in the comments below!
