The housewife is normally the one who buys the groceries and she often looks for bargains. It is fun sometimes to watch shoppers buying products how they check out each item carefully. Then the average shopper pulls out their coupon holder and checks to see if they have a rebate or coupon savings. The average shopper expects to save from $10 to $50 dollars or more when they go shopping for the family. Even if the shopper needs to send in the UPC label and sales receipt to get a rebate it is considered money in the pocket.

Money in the pocket is what the housewife is looking to get every time she goes shopping. The housewife never expects to shop without some sort of a cash back or coupon savings. It is fun to watch how they check out each item but place it back on the shelf if there is no discount or coupon. The reason many shoppers watch out for these bargains is because the economy is not that good and a good shopper can add more income to the family budget by using coupons or rebates. Many people who are unemployed find that the use of rebate money every month helps pay a bill or perhaps puts gas in the car for the family. Rebates are a growing method used by many merchants to help entice customers to stay with the merchant or bring in new customers.

Many stores are using rebates because the manufacturer is now giving the merchant a break on their products in order to get more sales. Some stores issue a booklet at the start of the month with items in it that the manufacturer will give the consumer money back (rebate) if they buy the product. The only instruction is to keep the UPC label along with the sales receipt and send it into the manufacturer and you will receive cash back for your item.  The items range from shampoo’s to larger electronics. You might get $1 from a company if you buy a certain brand shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant etc or perhaps you might get as much as $50 rebate if you buy a larger item like a CD player. Many people who are interested in buying these types of items watch for merchants who have rebate books each month in there store before they consider buying anything.

The idea of getting money back for trying a product is claimed to be the invention of the housewife who liked to shop at the local grocery store. No matter who thought up the idea it is a great plan for both the shopper and the merchant. The shopper gets to try out a new product while saving money and the merchant gets to make more sales on an item that he might normally never move off the shelf. The manufacturer can keep his industry growing by letting the consumer try the product and saving. It is a win, win situation for everyone who shops!