The rebate is just that: a rebate. Transferring our prescriptions to Costco in October provided an annual 2% rebate of $176 this May. The ground rules were for things anyone can regularly do. A rebate of $176 may seem out of reach, but what do your manufacturers rebates total over one year? Try Me Free, $10 with $20 purchase, whatever form your rebates take. They need to be applied to the grocery budget, not at purchase, when you are SPENDING the money, but 6-8 weeks later, when the money back is realized. The check is not a “bonus”; you’ve already spent the money. If you want to get your grocery budget down, you MUST cycle the rebate savings back into the budget.Adding the two stores together, we paid $27 for groceries originally priced at $338. Apply the $20 cash back from the Costco rebate to the total for both stores, and we spent $7. TOTAL! Still think using a rebate was unfair? Okay, let’s see how far we can STRETCH that $20 back at the next store. Here, I shop at a local chain, using the same ground rules.

almost free groceries
costs table
An additional $203 purchased for just under $18. Now we can plan our menus, using our purchases and a few items from the pantry. Salmon with asparagus, spinach salads, omelets, pasta, taco salad, frozen dinners with salads…If you believe these savings are not sustainable…one more trip, 10 days later. This time let’s see how far we can stretch $10:

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