Sauza Tequila for $1.39 a bottle after rebate (That’s cheaper than Coke!)

Rebates are huge during the holiday season.  Companies want you to serve their product at their parties, and competition is stiff.  Alcohol is one of the most popular product for rebates, along with crackers and other snack items.

Even if you don’t have a Ralphs near you, read on for clues on getting cheap food and drink.  For those of you who do, and who imbibe,  Ralphs and Kroger stores this week (through Tuesday) have the cheapest tequila deal I’ve ever seen!

Normally $17.99, 750 mL bottles are on sale this week for $7.99.  Further, they have a 20% off special when you buy 6 bottles, dropping it to $6.39/bottle.

Here’s where the rebate comes in.  I was scoping out rebates when I stopped by Ralphs yesterday, as I generally do, just in case something pops out at me.  It takes only a minute to do this and adds to your exercise walking the store.  I found this tag on one of the Canadian Club whiskey bottles:

Rebates: A Sure Sign of the Holidays

Buy 6 bottles, and get $30 back.  Even though the rebate was found on a whiskey bottle, the Sauza tequila brand was also included, and that provides the best deal here.  Remember my strategy?  Add sales + coupons (or discounts, like here) + rebates to get the best possible deal!The calculation, after rebate, looks like this:

$6.39 x 6 = $38.34 – $30 = $8.34 — just 35 cents more than ONE bottle’s sale price, and almost $10 less than the pricepoint of one bottle at regular price.  That’s a steal of a deal!

I can’t drink right now, but I was happy to pass the deal on to a tequila-loving friend of mine, as well as one of the workers at Ralphs, who saw me peering and was curious about what I was doing and asked.  Maybe you will enjoy it, too!  Even if tequila isn’t your thing, I’ve shown you some important rebate basics.  And now, a summary.

KEYS TO REBATING:

• Keep your eyes peel for rebates whenever you shop, especially during the holidays!  If you’re on holiday somewhere (say, visiting family), make sure it’s good in your state.
• Read all details carefully before you buy.  Make sure you know exactly what is required of you before you bite the bullet and purchase.
• Keep all items together until you mail: here–the bottles, the receipt, the form.
• Photocopy, scan, or photograph (digitally is best for record purposes) everything so you have proof you followed all the rules.
• Complete the form legibly and carefully.
• Mail the rebate on time.  If you made the purchase but miss the postmark requirement, you’re stuck.
• Keep a record of the rebates you do.  I have a simple Excel spreadsheet that details that I got, where, the date I sent it, and when the check is expected (normally between 6-12 weeks).  When you get the check, mark it off on your list.