One of the first refund offers I sent away for was Lipton Cup of Soup. I found the certificate or the write up in a local store. Today, I still find some of these on tear-off pads usually near the product itself or as a write up on the package.

These write-ups are most commonly found on cereal boxes, cookie wrappers, household cleaners and pet food. In refunders’ jargon we call them Specially Marked Packages. Kelloggs, Keebler, Hersheys and General Mills are among the most popular for these unique boxes.

A very big portion of rebates are now found on the internet. These range from rebates submitted directly online or more often where you can print out the necessary form.
I love the internet submissions because it’s easy and nothing to send off. Staples is popular for these easy-rebates as is Rite Aid.

But many other great offers are found on the company web sites under promotions or special offers. I always check that link to see what’s new. As a matter of fact, I daily postings are made to our www.couponqueen.com website so you can see all the new and current offers.

For anyone who sends me an email at: susan@refundlebundle.com I’ll send you a list of 100 plus refund offers to get you started.

I love getting free items in the mail. In any particular issue of Refundle Bundle magazine I have about 50-100 different freebie offers.

I’m able to accumulate this amount of freebies for a few reasons. First, some of my most loyal readers such as Virginia Ann Senyk, Lilly Petronka, Ben Salkin and Maureen Slovaki send them along to me.

I also check a group of my favorite sites from time to time to see what’s available. Kraft has been giving away lots of goodies, but it’s important to have the correct url address to access the freebie.

E-newsletters will sometimes have a freebie listed along with coupons.

Recently I’ve received Granola bars, a sample of Kashi, a Debbie coupon, and a free wonder cloth.

If you come across any free things, please post them on the discussion board for all to share.

Competition among supermarkets has increased in this economic climate. This is all to our benefit.

Supermarkets are now accepting competitor coupons of similar types of stores. For example at my A&P I was recently able to use coupons from Pathmark and Shop Rite.

Pathmark had the 24 count Poland Spring Water for $2.99. What a deal. And from Shop Rite I gleaned a Brawny 6 pack coupon for $3.99.

While they will not match an advertised special they will honor a coupon printed in the flyer.

But the competition is limited to other supermarkets. When I found the Pantene hair care on sale at CVS for 2/$6 with the attached coupon, the A&P considered this a different category of store and turned down my request.

Once again, be specific with the manager, and determine in advance which competitor coupons are accepted at the checkout.

Checkout out at the supermarket has become much easier. You can now self check-out and still use your coupons. This is great especially if the supermarket is busy, and there is always a checker to help the process at the self check-out lanes.

But have you ever noticed errors on your cash register receipt? Even with all the new and innovative systems, mistakes do occur. Most often, it’s because the special price has not been correctly entered into the main computer. So how much do-diligence should you exercise?

I found that if I checked my receipt upon my return home, I almost never returned to the store for the correction.

As a result, lately, I check the receipt before I leave and if and when I find an error I can get it fixed immediately. Recently Edy’s churned ice cream, Steve’s favorite, was on sale 2/$5. They rang up at the full price of $5.98. I got $6.98 credited back to my card.

But then I made a mistake, and the store let me correct it. The sale for Mott’s Apple Juice stated: Buy 1, $ 3.99 each, Buy 2 $2.99 each, Buy 3 $1.99 each. I only saw the $1.99 and took 2. My receipt showed each at $2.99 or $6 for the 2 instead of for 3. They gave me a paid sticker and the third apple juice gratis.

Mistakes go both ways. My store is willing to accept theirs and mine, and make good.

Be careful, check before leaving the store for a quick correction.

Lilly has been a long time subscriber to (http://RefundleBundle.com) and she is always willing to share great deals. Here are a couple of Lilly’s best. I’d love to hear from you too. Sharing is what makes this work.

Lilly: A quick trip to Giant Eagle paid off big time. Hunts Manwich was on sale for $1.00 per can. I bought four and used .50/2 coupons. They also featured Ken’s salad dressing $1.00 for the 8 oz bottles. I bought 6 using $1.00/2. Yoplait yogurt was 20 for $10 with an instant $2 taken off the bill. I used (3) .40 off six yogurt coupons. My total was $30.90, less mfg. coupons $5.20, less bonus c/o savings $2.20 and card and store coupons $12.90, for an out-of-pocket cost of
$10.40. A nice compliment from the new cashier saying wow! Nice deals!

Rite Aid offered the following: 15-roll Scott paper towels on sale for $10.99 and has a $2.00 single check rebate with one rebate being the limit. We bought 2 of the 15-roll pkgs and used the $20 Rite Aid Gift Certificate we earned during the Christmas holidays. We paid $2.10 for both but…we still get the $2 back so the final cost is .10. That’s got to be one of the best deals I’ve found for a long time.

I wanted to bake a pear bundt cake but I didn’t have the cake mix so I went onto this site and found a basic cake mix from scratch I’m going to use as I do have these ingredients in the house.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cake-Mixes-from-Scratch-and-Variations/Detail.aspx

Everyone has jumped on the savings bandwagon. The Sunday newspaper today is chocked full of sales brochures, coupons and refund opportunities. Pet items, stationery, hardware shops have all found the benefit of offering coupons, rebates and loyalty programs. Here’s how it works.

I needed a few office supplies so I checked out the Staples flyer, also found online.
Not only were many of the products on sale, but there were rebates offering 100% of the cost or substantial discounts. I just got back a full refund on a new electric pencil sharpener on sale for only $10. I returned 3 used ink cartridges and got a $9 credit toward future purchases, and in a couple of weeks, when I need a new security program from Norton, I’ll look for the $20 rebate.

Next stop, Petco, where they were offering a $5 coupon on a $25 purchase. I picked up the Iams dog food, and with a purchase of 10 bags over the year, I’ll get one free.

It’s easy to rack up the savings. Think of your favorite stores, check the Sunday papers, and of course the internet. You’ll find a wealth of deals.

Finding useful and unique gifts for a new baby or bride can be a challenge. I have the perfect gift for both occasions. And it will be at a great savings for you. This tip was passed onto me from one of my subscribers to (http://refundlebundle.com) and I’d like to pass it along to you.

For the baby shower I start with a large basket. Next, I accumulate all different baby product coupons. As I see needed items on sale, I buy them and start to fill the basket. Items would include baby wipes, shampoo, diapers, baby wash, and powder. With the basket full, I wrap it with cellophane and tie a large bow in blue or pink. The final touch is a coupon saver filled with baby coupons to get the new mother started.

The Bridal Shower is slightly different. I purchase a large bucket and fill it with various household products. Some important items would be detergent, fabric softener, glass cleaner, paper towels, kitchen cleaners and cleansers; all purchased with a coupon and on sale. I wrap this similarly and top it with a large bow. The coupons are a must for the new bride. It’s never too early to save money.

These have been among the most well received items I’ve ever given, and are much appreciated by these young families.

Thirty-seven years ago I became a super-shopper and began Refundle Bundle Magazine, a guide to coupons and refunds. After a few years of doing television and radio shows I was contacted by a book publisher to write and share my secrets with others. I was thrilled. I worked with a writer who put all of my ideas into a book, Cashing in at The Checkout: www.refundlebundle.com

Cashing in at The Checkout was a dream come true. After all was said and done, it had sold 100,000 hard-cover copies and 1 million in soft-cover. I received thousands of letters from consumers learning how to coupon shop and save. I felt like a celebrity going from a New York City school teacher to a coupon expert. Today I thank all my loyal readers.

I’d love to receive your letters too, we can print and post them in Refundle Bundle. Just go to www.refundlebundle.com and click on ‘contact us’. I read and answer every piece of mail I receive.

For the past 37 years I have been publishing Refundle Bundle Magazine: a couponers’ and refunders’ 48-page guide to available refunds, coupons, deals, tips, freebies and much more. Each issue boasts about 400 various types of offers that can help you save hundreds of dollars on your grocery bill. 37 years ago I was dubbed the Coupon Queen by Betty Furness when I paid $7.07 for $130.00 worth of groceries.

I’m proud to see that so many other shoppers have attained a similar title and the same ability to save. It’s a testament to the fact that couponing and refunding work. 37 years later, the savings are just as dramatic as they were the day I met Betty Furness’ staff at Key Food in Yonkers. You can join the ranks of these super-savers. Subscribe to Refundle Bundle at www.refundlebundle.com and tell me about your success stories too. We’d love to print and post them.