News - Thrifty Living

POSTED: Monday, Jan. 12, 2009

Savings on prescriptions, glasses and more

Get a monthly check from Rite Aid

Rite Aid's monthly rebate program doesn't offer immediate savings, but shoppers who use it will get a check in the mail every month (a little bonus for being frugal).

In order to take advantage of it, shoppers should browse the rebate's site, riteaid.rebateplus.com, for the products they want to purchase. This month the site has 128 items eligible for rebates, including $2 off Tampax tampons and up to $7 on Crest Whitestrips (a total of $540 worth of discounts). After you shop, register online and enter your receipt number (you don't have to mail the receipt in) and the site will add up your rebates. At the end of the month, Rite Aid will send you a check for the amount of that month's savings.

Be careful to stick within the rebate program dates, though. This month's offers are good from Dec. 26 through Jan. 22, and all receipts and the check request must be entered by Feb. 23. New rebates will be posted at the end of January.

Be an Amazon affiliate and earn commission

Jeremy Zongker, founder of the money-saving Web site destroydebt.com, suggests signing up as an Amazon.com affiliate to earn commission on products you already intend to buy.

Here's how it works:

Sign up to be an Amazon Associate at https://affiliate-program.amazon.com. The registration requires your name, address, your personal Web site address, and social security number (in order to pay you).

In order to participate in the program, you must have your own Web site address or blog to post links to Amazon. When someone clicks through the link to purchase something from Amazon or Endless.com, you earn a commission (the commission starts at 4 percent of the purchase and can go up to 15 percent). You can get your commission through an amazon.com gift card, direct deposit into your checking account or have a check mailed to you.

Zongker suggests creating links to products you already plan to buy and then buying them through your affiliate link to get cash back.

And Amazon is not the only online affiliate program out there - there are many others, including buy.com and Ebay. You can find all kinds of affiliate programs at affiliatescout.com.

Here's another note: If you don't already have your own blog, there are tons of free blogging Web sites that can help you easily create one. Try blogger.com or wordpress.com to get started.

Web sites offer deals of the day, week

Here are a few online websites that offer a "Deal of the Day" or a "Deal of the Week," saving you time and money on fabulous gifts for family and friends. Keep a sharp eye out: Some of the deals go fast.

Target.com Deal of the Day

Amazon.com Gold Box Deal of the Day

REI.com Deal of the Week

Get your prescription glasses at a discount

This tip comes from Daily Press executive secretary Ursula Nofal in Newport News, Va.:

Prescription glasses can cost hundreds of dollars - and most insurance companies will only pay for one pair per year. But Ursula found and used the Web site 39dollarglasses.com to replace her glasses for a fraction of the original cost.

According to Ursula, you put in your prescription on the site, choose the frames and other options (like scratch resistance) and the glasses will show up at your door in about a week. Ursula originally paid $400 for her glasses, but she only paid $89 for her replacements, and they had all of the same prescription features. She was also impressed with the nice case that the glasses came in.