Tech Stuff Tuesday * Holy Cats What Rock Have I Been Under?!

You're probably all going to laugh at me. Totally. And it's ok. I deserve it. Cuz I've kind of been an idiot. You see, I've heard about this Ebates thing before but never bothered to check it out. Have you heard of it? It's a website that you sign up with and when you shop online at your usual stores, you earn rebates and get some of your cash back. It's like free money. If by free money, I mean money you've already spent that comes back to you magically. It's kind of like a FSA plan but better since you didn't have to go the doctor to get the money back and you get cool stuff you already wanted.
Here's how it works:
1. Go to Ebates using this link (this is my personal "sign up my friends" link and yes <full disclosure>, I get credit if you sign up using my link. You can do the same with your friends) and sign up with your email address: Ebates Sign Up. That's it.

2. Ebates has over 1700 stores and vendors for you to choose from. Like Neiman Marcus, Sephora, Ulta, BlissSpa, Target (I possibly just listed all of my holy grails), Macys, Walmart, Kohls, ProFlowers, Amazon, Disney, Ugg, Overstock, TOMS, TheLadders (it's a job search site) H&R Block (yes, you can get a rebate for getting your taxes done. Finally . . . an upside). . . . you get the point. You start at the Ebates page after you've signed in and either look up a store or look up a product (like the Sorel Winter Boots I just bought. Hello warm feet while in Chicago next week for Thanksgiving). It will connect you to the store/product at a participating store. You make your purchase like you normally would and BAM. You just made between 2% and 50% back. The most common rebates are between 4% and 10% (I'll be getting $12 back on my boots purchase). And they even have the existing coupons that the stores are currently offering online for you. All in one place!

3. You can also download an Ebates button that sits to the left of your browser address bar.   This makes the shopping even easier (and I've downloaded it myself, as you can see in the pic below). When you go to a website and the button lights up with a check mark inside it, that means you can just shop and that store will let Ebates know about your purchases for a rebate. If it lights up with an ! inside, then that let's you know to click the button so it can let the website know you're an Ebates subscriber. If it's neutral, that website doesn't participate. 

4. Shop. Just like you normally do. If you're like me, you buy lots of the stuff you need online. Heck, I buy my favorite dental floss on Amazon because it's hard to find in stores. And now with little to no effort, I can get a rebate back for the shopping I'm going to do anyway (hello money back on floss). 

5. How/why does this work? Think of Ebates as an aggregator. You know you want some Sorel boots (or new Hanes underwear or a coat. Whatever). You go to the Ebates website and either type in the item you're looking for or scan the stores that work with them. The stores love it because Ebates is going to help send you their way and they don't have to spend money on advertising to make it happen. Advertising is expensive, so they'll kick a little back your way instead. Much cheaper for them. And I mean come on - you're more likely to go to a store online offering you cash back for the very same product than you are a store that won't offer you anything back. 

6. And you don't have to give Ebates anything beyond your email address and your street address if you don't want to. You can connect your Ebates account to a PayPal account or you can just have them mail you a big fat check or pay you in gift cards. So, your bank account is safe and sound and you're still earning cash back.

I'm pretty new at this, I'm ashamed to admit. So new that my boots purchase today hasn't shown up yet. I should have done this ages ago, but I just didn't take the time to learn about it. I have friends that have been using Ebates for a while now and they're making $100-$300 a month back! That's insane! Making that much back buying things that they would be buying for themselves and their families anyway. 
I'm hooked. It's safe (no exchange of bank account stuff), smart (who doesn't want money back?) and I already know folks using it successfully and they have been for months. And just in time for all of the Christmas shopping. The Hubbs is even excited about it, and that's saying something when it comes to The Hubbs and shopping.
You can thank me by buying me something from Sephora with your Ebates rebate while getting another rebate because you're shopping at an Ebates store (utopia double dipping). And you're welcome.