An Envious Canadian: Take Advantage of Rebates

The following is a guest post from Monique Rowe of Stretching the One Income Dollar.

I live in Canada. Back in my younger days when I was 14, ( I’m now 43), there was an abundance of coupons and rebates. I lived at home, and since mom didn’t coupon or refund, I would go to the grocery store when she would need to go, and bring along any coupons to save her a few cents here and there.She didn’t have an interest in it and wasn’t much of a penny pincher,so I’m not sure where I had all this instilled in my head.

I loved the rebates, and they were always plentiful. I would babysit at a lady’s on our street, that had a drawer full of upc codes in envelopes and newsletters, so I began to learn then, how to refund. I started saving my own forms, and upc codes, and getting my own newsletter, and before you know it, I too was getting rebate cheques in the mail.I thought this was great. There were free gifts I could get too- I loved mail days, and cheques and gifts, and soon was hooked- and I was only 14.

Over the last 10 years, there has been so little for rebates in Canada. I see all the blogs that have so many great freebies,and rebates and coupons, that I would love to live in the USA just for that reason alone! I love looking at the photos of the tables of groceries that you got for next to nothing and think- how great! If you play the game, there really is alot you can get for free or next to nothing, and nowadays you need to be able to do that.It’s great too that there are so many blogs where people can share all their great money saving ideas, swap coupons,and give others sources for doing and getting exactly what they are getting.

Nowadays I still use coupons, visit the monthly double coupon day at our local drugstore, and try to take advantage of the offers that do come along here, but it is nothing like what is available there- and for that, I am envious.

Enjoy what you have and use it to it’s fullest!

Monique Rowe is a Canadian who blogs at Stretching the One Income Dollar and will soon have a book published on one income living.