MIR – Have you heard of the term before?

Mail in Rebates are awesome! After getting into the world of couponing, I decided it was time to try a new task ;) and MIRs it was. You love FREE product, right? Who doesn’t?!?! Well, using MIRs you can now expand your FREE product stash! This week it’s Nexcare Band-Aids, Sun Burnt Gel (why not stock before Summer?), $12 cash back off a $15 purchase at GAP, FREE Finesse Shampoo or Conditioner after coupon and MIR, up to $6 back for Filtrete Filters (Furnace filters, something you NEVER see coupons on!), $10 gas card with 10 Kellogg’s UPCs (you come out ahead after this one b.c you can get boxes of Kellogg's cereal for $.90 or less!)…oh the list goes on and on!

I am still sticking to my challenge of a $25 a week grocery budget (which I have to confess I went $8 over budget while on vacation. My son was sick from dinner and I had to pick up unexpected meds! It’ll teach me to pack better. Now I’m less $8 this next week!), however after talking with my husband, I think I’m going to start an initial set amount for MIRs. It takes up to 8 weeks sometimes to see your money back, but being patient pays off. My starting budget will be $75 total. Now, I won’t add to this other than the $ I get back from the MIRs. I wonder how many FREE items I can get (or items our family needs that you never get discounts on…like furnace filters!) without running out of money :). Oh boy, I see another challenge!!!

VERY IMPORTANT! You have to stay organized to make this work! It’s not hard or time consuming, just find a system. I keep an envelope in my coupon binder that I wrote MIRs on. I immediately stick my receipt for the MIR items in there. I MAKE myself fill out the form that day or the next. If you don’t you forget and waste money. So far, I have 4 MIRs out – total out of pocket is approx $25. Sorry, I don’t have my receipts sitting in front of me! I will get all of my money back less the stamps – but I used .55 off coupons on my band-aids so technically I’ll break even with paying taxes. (1 of the MIRs is my mothers’ so that’s not out of my budget!), still a great deal for 6 boxes of band-aids and 2 tubes of Sun Burnt Gel!

Here are the sites I have been visiting to find out about MIRs:

http://mail-in-rebate-forms.blogspot.com/

http://mygoodcents.net/2011/01/39-mail-in-rebate-offers/

Sites for FREE samples:

http://www.mysavings.com/free-product-samples-section/

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-Free-Samples.aspx

Products Facebook pages always have giveaways for free products. Redbox, Tide Stain Release, Old Spice, Country Bobs…TONS! So, go LIKE every product page you can find  It’s worth the all those feeds on your page!