Ebates: A Painless Way to Save a Little Money

I am a dedicated online shopper -- I do as much shopping online as I possibly can.

I signed up with Ebates.com several years ago, and as of today, I've gotten $373 in rebates. They have over 800 stores signed up with them -- my only regret is that Amazon.com only offers coupons through them (Barnes & Noble does have a small rebate deal, though).

Click here http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?id=1935512 to check it out. Yes -- full disclosure -- I will get $5.00 for people who sign up and use the service if you go through this link. But you too will get a "free" $5.00 if you sign up.

If you have a disability that impacts the whole shopping process -- which can be a whole range of disabilities -- or you just like avoiding crowded stores and witless store clerks, try the online process.

Some people are really afraid of giving out financial info online, but I have so far not had any problems using any of the stores through ebates. One of the things to keep in mind is that you have to start with the ebates.com "portal" to do the shopping, or it won't track any of your purchases for the rebates. A couple of times, I have forgotten until the very last minutes, and have logged out and started over, just to get my rebate.

I think the average rebate is only 3-6%, but over time it adds up -- and seems like free money, when you get your rebate check in the mail.