MJRube's 2006 Challenge

[mjrube94]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

Imasaver, I saw you ask about Sharebuilder on another thread. If you decide to go ahead and open account(s) for you and anyone else, there are ALWAYS bonuses available. If you can't find an active one, let me know, because at the very least you can be referred from someone here who already has an account (including me ). You'd get $25 that way...(although I've seen other Sharebuilder deals with $50 bonuses).

[mjrube94]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

I'm mailing out 2 $10 rebates today. The first is for Del Monte products and the second is for Colgate-Palmolive products. I would have bought the stuff anyway, so I'll include them in my challenge when I receive them. I have another rebate for Unilever in the works. I'm a bit bummed because I didn't think it out as thoroughly as I should have. I'll see what the grand total of the rebate is, and how much I would have bought anyway, and will add that to the total when I get it.

I also cashed in the recyclables at the grocery store for a grand total of...$.65! This is the only part of my plan that I'm rethinking. I notice in my first post, I'm shooting for $100 from recycling for the year. That works out to roughly $2.00/week, which works out to 40 items per week. I'll never come close to this! We just don't drink enough soda, beer, etc. to have the number of cans and bottles needed for this. So I'll continue to do it and add to my total, but I'll need to make up the difference somewhere else...

New total: $9.71

Outstanding items: $3.81 (ebookdrop), $25.49 (ebookdrop), $75 (Affinity Bank), $10 (Del Monte Rebate), $10 (Colgate Rebate)

[Ima saver]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

I use to save aluminum cans and turn them in, but now there is no place to take them around where I live. The closest place is 50 miles round trip and I am not sure of they still take them either. By the time you pay for the gas, you won't make much.

[mjrube94]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

Went to the used bookstore yesterday for my usual Thursday run. Combined with a few things I had at home, I put together a package for ebookdrop that will net me $26.67-$8.67 (cost) = $18! So I'll take out the $8.67 today and add the $26.67 when I get it.

Also, Affinity Bank called today to confirm some information on my application. Everything is a go, and they were sending out the signature cards to me yesterday. I have to say that every interaction I've ever had with them has been positive, which is pretty good for a bank!

I noticed about $.20 worth of recyclables on my counter today (whoopee!). I'll take them to the grocery store this weekend. In my Outstanding Totals, I'm also adding in a few other rebates I have outstanding. My goal for this week is to narrow down my next bank opening offer and get that started. Hopefully I'll shoot to get that done next week...

New total: $1.04

Outstanding items: $3.81 (ebookdrop), $25.49 (ebookdrop), $75 (Affinity Bank), $10 (Del Monte Rebate), $10 (Colgate Rebate), $26.67 (ebookdrop), $20 (Norton Security rebate), $20 (Wireless Router Rebate), $8 (Games Make Great Gifts Rebate), $5 (Amazon Rebate - not sure if I'm getting this because I didn't submit the packing slip).

[asmom]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

For example, the deal I'm taking advantage of now is from Affinity Bank. Open an account with $100, get a bonus of $75. .

Arggghhh! I missed the $75 deal for Affinity!! I just opened an account with them so I could get the 10% savings rate for some accounts for my kids. Was there a code to get that bonus?

[mjrube94]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

Asmom,

I don't think you need a code. I opened my kids' accounts first, and I noticed on their statment an offer to open a free checking account and get the $75 bonus with direct deposit. When I called to open my account and asked about it, it seemed kind of automatic. They've always been great on the phone when I've spoken with them. Call them up and tell them that you opened up a checking account and (have or will) start direct deposit. Will you still be eligible for the $75 bonus? My guess is yes. Let me know how you make out...

[asmom]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

Asmom,

I don't think you need a code. I opened my kids' accounts first, and I noticed on their statment an offer to open a free checking account and get the $75 bonus with direct deposit. When I called to open my account and asked about it, it seemed kind of automatic. They've always been great on the phone when I've spoken with them. Call them up and tell them that you opened up a checking account and (have or will) start direct deposit. Will you still be eligible for the $75 bonus? My guess is yes. Let me know how you make out...

Thanks I'll do that.

[mjrube94]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

A little more progress on the challenge: I got a $6 rebate in the mail yesterday from BJs that I completely forgot about...it was for buying oj and oatmeal. Today, I hit the local library for their used book sale. Spent $3 to get $10.57. Not bad, and there was a whole other room of books that I can check out next month, so that's promising.

I also returned some items to Eckerd and got their all-in-one rebate form for the Unilever products, so I'll fill that out this weekend. Kimberly Clark is advertising a $10 rebate this week. I think I'll be able to take advantage of that twice, one for me and one for my dad, because we use a lot of those products. Here are the new totals:

New total: $4.04 (+6 rebate - $3 books)

Outstanding items: $3.81 (ebookdrop), $25.49 (ebookdrop), $75 (Affinity Bank), $10 (Del Monte Rebate), $10 (Colgate Rebate), $26.67 (ebookdrop), $20 (Norton Security rebate), $20 (Wireless Router Rebate), $8 (Games Make Great Gifts Rebate), $5 (Amazon Rebate - not sure if I'm getting this because I didn't submit the packing slip), $10.57 (ebookdrop)

[mjrube94]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

I sent out the first $10 Kimberly Clark rebate today. I find that rebating goes much smoother if you do it as quickly as possible after bringing the groceries home. I also filled out a second rebate form, and now need to put the info into an envelope and mail that out. I'll be thrilled if I ever see this $10, as I'm sending it to my dad's house (only one allowed per address) and can't guarantee that it will stay there until my next visit. We'll see.

Other than that, not much new on the challenge front. I'm still waiting for the account information from Affinity...should be getting that today or tomorrow. I can't get to the used bookstore tomorrow because I need to run an errand at lunchtime, so I'll miss that this week. No biggie...

New total: $4.04 (no change)

Outstanding items: $3.81 (ebookdrop), $25.49 (ebookdrop), $75 (Affinity Bank), $10 (Del Monte Rebate), $10 (Colgate Rebate), $26.67 (ebookdrop), $20 (Norton Security rebate), $20 (Wireless Router Rebate), $8 (Games Make Great Gifts Rebate), $5 (Amazon Rebate - not sure if I'm getting this because I didn't submit the packing slip), $10.57 (ebookdrop), $10 (Kimberly Clark Rebate).

[mjrube94]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

Stopped by the local library with the kids. While they were picking out their stuff, I wrote down the last row of books they had for sale and checked them out when I got home. Ebook would buy 2, for a total of $2.03. Considering they would only cost me $.20, it's worth it. I'll pick them up tomorrow afternoon on my way to get DS from school. I can also add them to 3 books from home that I can sell for an additional $3.12.

I went through my half.com inventory tonight, added a bunch of new books and deleted other books that I've sold through ebook. I still have a few more to get through, sometime later this week.

Finally, I did receive my Affinity Bank account number so I'll set up direct deposit tomorrow. It should be effective for my Jan 31 pay, so I'm hoping that the bonus will come shortly thereafter.

[mjrube94]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

Stopped by the library today but could only find one of the two books for sale. So I bought the one, combined it with a few others from home and put the order into ebook. Total for the order was $4.58-$.10(cost for book) for a net of $4.48. Not bad.

I also updated my direct deposit for Affinity. When I called to get their routing number, I asked when I should expect the bonus and they said it comes in after the 3rd direct deposit. A bit of a bummer because the earliest I can get it is early March. Better late than never I suppose...

I also have the second Kimberly Clark rebate ready to go out tomorrow, so I'll add that to my list of outstanding items.

New total: $3.94

Outstanding items: $3.81 (ebook), $25.49 (ebook), $75 (Affinity Bank), $10 (Del Monte Rebate), $10 (Colgate Rebate), $26.67 (ebook), $20 (Norton Security rebate), $20 (Wireless Router Rebate), $8 (Games Make Great Gifts Rebate), $5 (Amazon Rebate - not sure if I'm getting this because I didn't submit the packing slip), $10.57 (ebook), $10 (Kimberly Clark Rebate), $4.58 (ebook), $10 (2nd Kimberly Clark Rebate).

[mjrube94]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

I found my next bank bonus. (Actually, it found me!). Chase is opening a new branch in the next town over. They mailed out coupons for different bonuses based on the type of account you open. The one I'm likely to open is a checking account, free with direct deposit. The normal bonus for this account is $50, but if you open the account during a particular 2-week period in February, they'll double it, for a $100 bonus. Minimum deposit is $100, and you need to leave the account open for 6 months. The great thing about Chase is that they allow one cash bonus per customer per calendar year, so I can take advantage of this, even though I already got bonuses from them in 2005. Last year, I also got a $100 bonus from a local branch opening and about 6 weeks later, they sent me an offer for $50 or $75 to open a savings account. Hopefully, they'll do the same thing here! For those of you interested in taking advantage of bank bonus offers, your local newspaper and "junk mail" are great sources for offers like these.

[mjrube94]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

Went to the grocery store today, and turned in a whopping $.30 worth of recyclables. (Hey, it's better than nothing!). I also bought the soda and chips necessary for the $10 Pepsi rebate. The store was running a great sale - buy the 4 12-packs of soda for $10, get the 3 bags of chips/pretzels for free. That worked out well for me, because I wouldn't normally have bought the chips, and I did need soda. (We're not big soda drinkers, but I like to have some on hand and I'm completely out from the holidays). So, the new totals are...

New total: $4.24 (thanks to $.30 recycling)

Outstanding items: $3.81 (ebook), $25.49 (ebook), $75 (Affinity Bank), $10 (Del Monte Rebate), $10 (Colgate Rebate), $26.67 (ebook), $20 (Norton Security rebate), $20 (Wireless Router Rebate), $8 (Games Make Great Gifts Rebate), $5 (Amazon Rebate - not sure if I'm getting this because I didn't submit the packing slip), $10.57 (ebook), $10 (Kimberly Clark Rebate), $4.58 (ebook), $10 (2nd Kimberly Clark Rebate), $10 Pepsi rebate.

[mjrube94]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

Sold a book for $5 at half.com. I'll update the totals when I ship it out. This just goes to show you the stark difference between half.com and ebook. When I initially checked this book out at ebook, they were going to offer $1.75 for it. Instead of acting immediately, it sat around for a week and when I went back to ebook, it was no longer in demand. So I went ahead and put it on half.com for $5. (Had no idea if it would get that much, but there were only a few copies of them for sale). It sold within 2 days! If that happened everytime it'd be great, alas I usually have books sitting on half.com for months...

[mjrube94]

Re: MJRube's 2006 Challenge

I am going to start reporting on my 2006 challenge within my blog. Please check it out for future updates!