Saving Money for Shoeboxes through Ebates

If you follow this blog, you know we like to find ways to save money on shoebox items to be able to pack more and better boxes.  One easy way we like to do that is through rebates when we're shopping anyways. By the way, this post contains affiliate links which I'd love you to use if you're going to give Ebates a try.  They won't cost you anything to but I may get a small commission if you act through them which gives me more time to dedicate to this blog.

Often we do this through Swagbucks (you can read more about that on my other blog: How to start saving at Swagbucks).  But another way that is easy and often you get more back is Ebates.  And now is a great time to try it as you can join free and get a $10 gift card after your first purchase of $25 or more.!!  And with how we shoebox shoppers like to hit clearance, etc-imagine what we could get with say a $10 Walmart Giftcard?  If you're unfamiliar with Ebates, here's how it works online

• Sign Up is Free
• Shop as usual but first stop at Ebates and click thru the link to the store you want to shop at.
• Check Ebates for coupons for your order, too.
• A percentage of your order total will be added to your Ebates account 
• Then when it builds up to enough in your account they'll mail you a check.

So, if this interests you, why not try it out?  Join free and get a $10 gift card after your first purchase of $25 or more.

How I Fund My Crafting Habit for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

By crafting many of the items I include in my Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, the cost per box is greatly reduced.  Especially since I have a lot of fabric and yarn that I've inherited.  But I still need to buy trims and thread and other supplies.  And I don't know about you, but I struggle every time I spend money -- Is this really necessary?  Can I get by without it?  Isn't a plain dress without decorations at the hemline just as good?  Most often the answer is I could make do, but it will be

Microsoft Rewards: Earn Free Gift Cards for Searching the Web ~ Financing Shoeboxes Series Part #1

I have shared how I like to earn free gift cards at online earning sites so I can pack more Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.  I recently discovered what has become my favorite site so far:  Microsoft Rewards.  I think what I like best is the simplicity and the daily earning limit.  With the earning limit I don't have to wonder if I should spend more time doing more to earn more, it is easy to reach the limit each day, too.


We think Microsoft Rewards is by far our easiest way to earn a $5.00 Amazon gift card each month.  They reward members with points for searching thru the Bing search engine, taking quizzes, shopping and browsing.  It is simple and straight forward. We have made Bing our default search engine so anytime we search we earn and usually reach our 150 points throughout the day by searching naturally.

We like Bing at least as well if not better than Google for searching.  We especially like their images. By clicking on the number of current points at the top right of the page we find any special offers for the day (see image above).  If we take the Coffee break quiz in this image we will earn 30 points--they are quick and easy to do.  By clicking on "King of the blues" it will take us to a Bing search and we will earn an additional 10 points.  We also earn 5 points for every search up to 150 points a day.

By doing these few things each day at Microsoft Rewards we easily earn a five dollar Amazon gift card each month.  The gift card costs 5250 points.  There are more ways, to earn as you can see by the image to the right, but we currently are not using those options. They offer several other reward options such as Hulu, Skype, Windows Store, Xbox, GameStop, Starbucks, donation options, sweepstakes entries, and more. We highly recommend Microsoft Rewards as an easy and safe way to earn some extra spending money. Click this link to sign up and start earning today:  Join Microsoft Rewards, it's free.

Five dollars can go far in helping to build an Operation Christmas Child shoebox stockpile.

You may want to see these other ways we Find Extra Money for Packing Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes.

Ebates Cash Back Check: $66 to Help Pay for Shipping Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

As I have shared in the past, one way I am raising funds for shipping my Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes is thru Ebates.  Whenever I shop online I start at Ebates and go thru the links on their site for the stores I want to shop at.  They offer cash back in the form of a check -- what they call the Big Fat Check.  They mail it out automatically quarterly, I don't even have to request it.

When I shopped with the $250 Kohl's Card I won in a blog giveaway I earned from 3% to 6% on each order.  I have even ordered items from local chain stores and picked them up in the store and still earned cash back, including Lowes.  I've also earned cashback for shopping at Walmart.

This check is a little larger than normal, $66.28, as they offered special bonuses around the holidays for having people sign up under you.  If they shopped and spent $25 at a qualifying store I received big bonuses. I don't remember exactly what they were, but I think $20 for the first and $25 for the second. Usually it is $5.  So this check will mail nine boxes with some left over.

I have shared details about Ebates on my other blog.  You can find them here if you are interested:  How to Use Ebates to Earn Cash Back for Online Shopping.

You may want to check out all the ways we Find Extra Money for Packing Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes.

2015 Packing Experiment: Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes Packed & Shipped with $0 Out of Budget

Now that my 2014 shoe boxes are packed, I have an unusual packing experiment planned for the 2015 Operation Christmas Child collection.  I am going to see how many boxes I can pack and ship without spending any money from my personal budget.

I think it is safe to say most everyone who packs a shoe box wishes they could pack another.  Those who pack many wish they could pack many more.  So I have decided to seek out ways to pack more and share my journey here at Simply Shoe Boxes so others may be able to take advantage of some of these and also have the opportunity to pack more boxes.

Below is a list of many of the ways I hope to acquire items to fill my shoeboxes.  As I go thru the year I will elaborate more on each one and hopefully post reports on how my stock is adding up.  And I

Earning Rebates for Online Shopping ~ Having More for Packing Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

I do a lot of online shopping because of health problems, and I am always looking for ways to save while doing it, especially for packing more Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.  I recently joined Ebates and have been enjoying checks back for my online shopping.  It is quick and simple -- two of my favorite things.

Before I order anything online I hop over to Ebates to see if they offer a cash back reward for the store I want to order from.  If they do all I have to do is click on the link that takes me to the store and I will earn whatever percent they offer--usually from 2% to 10%.  They often run double cash back deals.

For our Spur of the Moment OCC Packing Party we needed a large number of balls CHEAP.  We found Walmart offered the playhouse balls at a price that fit our budget perfectly.  Ebates offered 5% back from Walmart purchases, so we went thru the link.  Next time they send me a check, there will be a rebate from the Walmart purchase.

If you are interested you can check out this post on our other blog:  Ebates ~ Cash Back for Online Shopping.

You can also check out all the ways We Find Extra Money for Packing More Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes.

Shop Year Round to Fill More OCC Shoeboxes for Less Money

An example of an April shopping trip
to CVS.  The egg dye I got for free
and it had stickers in it that I could
add to my Christmas shoe boxes.

This may not be new to many of you, but shopping year round for Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts helps make filling MORE boxes possible as well as filling them more inexpensively. Combining coupons with sales often make for free hygiene items.  And shopping after holiday clearances nets lots of great toy & clothing prices.

One of my main sources is CVS.  With their extra buck program along with manufacturer and CVS coupons we rarely pay for toothbrushes and get soap at rock bottom prices.  And I often net clothing and toys for pennies on the dollar on clearance.  If you'd like to learn how to deal shop all year round check out the other financing Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes posts here at Simply Shoeboxes.

My 2011 CVS deal shopping stockpile for
Operation Christmas Child.
Image Source:  Simply CVS.

UPDATE 2017:  Candy, gum and toothpaste is no longer allowed in OCC shoeboxes.

You can see more of our shopping trips here:  Shoebox Stockpile Saturday ~ Adding to Our Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Stockpile.

Utilize Free Swap Sites for Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Items

If you have any free swapping services, such as Freecycle or Craigslist, in your area check them out for free or cheap supplies for your Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts.

My area has neither, but I have read on Joy With Purpose's Facebook wall of others who often request or find craft supplies and other items for their Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.  One gal, I can't remember who, requests Beanie Babies on Craigslist.  She noted that when a specific non-profit is noted in the listing it will be removed, so she just says she is using them for needy kids and when she is contacted she gives the details of what organization she is donating thru.

That gave me the idea to make a Beanie Baby WANTED! Poster.   Someone pinned it and a generous lady saw it on Pinterest, contacted us and sent us a big box of Beanie Babies to pack in our shoeboxes.  You are welcome to print it or share it online if you'd liked to use it for collecting donations for your Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.

You can check out all of shopping and donation fillers here:  Shoebox Stockpile Saturday ~ Adding to Our Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Stockpile.

Use Price Matching to Get Great Deals for OCC Shoebox Packing

 A great way to take advantage of weekly sales for Operation Christmas Child shoebox packing without hitting a lot of stores is to take advantage of  price matching.  Many stores will match a competitor's advertised price for the same product.  Walmart is the best known store to do this.  Grocery stores usually only price match other grocery store sales and I don't know of any drug stores that price match--tho I have heard of individual stores price matching because of high competition, so it never hurts to ask.

Office supply stores are another source of price matching--and during back to school sales is a great time to utilize price matching anywhere with their ads.  Office Max price matches as well as Staples and Office Depot.  They all actually state that they will price match up to 14 days AFTER you make the purchase.  You can find the details of the office supply stores' policies on their websites.

This is just one of many ways we find extra money to pack Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.

Winning Items to Add to Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Gifts

Another way to obtain goodies to fill Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes with gifts for those in crisis is by entering blog giveaways.  Bloggers offer many products in giveaways that can be added to shoe boxes and often offer gift cards.  I asked JRFrugalMom from Frugality is Free to share about entering and hosting giveaways since she is an expert.

Image compliments of JRFrugalMom @ Frugality Is Free.

When Cheryl asked me to tell about the great possibilities of blog giveaways, I was very excited, because as a giveaway host and a giveaway winner I personally know just how fantastic blog giveaways are.  From my own experience, and from

Deal Shopping for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes: CVS/pharmacy & CVS Extra Bucks

My favorite store to save at with a combination of coupons, sales and store promotions is CVS/pharmacy.  I pick up many items each year at CVS for my Operation Christmas Child shoebox donations--see image below for my 2011 OCC CVS stockpile grand finale.

In April of 2010 I began a blog dedicated to teaching the basics of CVS shopping and sharing tips and deals so others could save, too.  You can visit Simply CVS and read lessons on the details of CVS shopping and making the most of their Extra Buck program. We have since stopped posting weekly deals there, but there are lots of tips and lessons still available to read.  Here are the basics that make it possible to save money while shopping at CVS (this info was accurate as of FEB 2012).

Sign up for a CVS Extra Care Card.  The card is necessary to receive sale prices and to participate in the CVS extra care buck program.  You can either do this online at CVS.com and they will mail the card within two weeks, or you can pick up a form and a card at any CVS store and start saving the same day.

Extra Care Bucks, or commonly known as extra bucks, are the basis for the large savings possible for shopping at CVS.  Extra bucks are coupons received at the end of the receipt and are like extra “bucks” when shopping at CVS (they must be used with the card they were issued for).  There are a few restrictions for what they can be used on:  stamps, alcohol, prescriptions, gift cards, tax and tobacco all the ones I know of.   Extra bucks can be used on other extra buck deals and even on the same deal if the limit is more than one.   Extra bucks are earned in three different ways and usually expire within 30 days.

1.           Quarterly extra bucks are issued four times a year and are calculated on the shopper’s spending.  Two percent of the amount spent on most items is earned in extra bucks (some restrictions apply).  This is after coupon price—the total paid on the receipt.  They are also issued in 50 cent increments so the shopper must spend $25 to get any quarterly extra bucks and then it increases in $25 spending increments or $.50 in extra bucks.
2.          Quarterly extra bucks are earned for prescriptions filled.  Along with the 2% quarterly extra bucks, shoppers receive $1 for every two prescriptions filled.  UPDATE:  CVS is often changing its program so check for details with your pharmacy.  You do need to sign up at the pharmacy to earn on prescriptions.
3.          Weekly deal extra bucks are issued immediately when a shopper buys an advertised “extra buck” item.  These range from “free after extra buck items” like “buy Toothpaste @ $2.99 get $2.99 extra bucks back” to “buy $15 worth of products listed and receive $5 extra bucks back.”  There are limits, usually one or two, for weekly extra buck deals.

2011 CVS Freebies for Shoe Boxes

Manufacturer coupons and CVS coupons can be combined.  CVS accepts manufacturer coupons (including internet printables if they will scan) as well as issues their own coupons.  CVS coupons are emailed, sent in the mail, found in various publications or tear pads, issued at the Kiosk where shoppers can scan their cards, and printed at the end of receipts.  You can use one CVS coupon and one manufacturer coupon per product purchased.  Extra bucks do not count as coupons so can be used on top of these.  It is actually possible to “make money” shopping at CVS by using CVS and manufacturer coupons to pay for an item that will issue more extra bucks back than cash used to pay for the product.  CVS also often issues total order coupons such as $5 off a total order of $30—the $30 is pre-coupon price.

Numerous transactions are helpful in spending the least out of pocket cash.  Using extra bucks on other extra buck earning deals is commonly referred to as “rolling extra bucks.”  The beauty of rolling extra bucks is it helps you spend less out of pocket cash.  You can check out numerous times each week, using the extra bucks earned from transaction #1 on transaction #2 and so on. This is also the way to keep the expense down from week to week.  As you continue to shop at CVS your extra bucks will slowly build up and you will be able to virtually keep spending the same extra bucks over and over again, because each time you use them on new extra buck deals you receive more with a later expiration date.  Each week at Simply CVS we share which CVS Extra Buck Deals are the best to roll onto.

CVS issues rain checks for most advertised deals.  If an advertised item is out of stock, and the ad does not state no rain checks issued, CVS will issue a rain check for the sale price AND the extra buck amount, if one is included, to be used by the customer when the store is restocked.

1.      CVS rain checks never expire.
2.      The Extra Bucks will be printed manually by the cashier after the purchase is made.

Rain Checks are great to save for when a great coupon comes out for the product, you have extra bucks expiring and there is no current sale that interests you or to have when you get a $5/30 to help you get up to the $30 total needed to use the coupon.  You can read more about CVS rain checks at Simply CVS.


Saving money while shopping at CVS is easy with their weekly deals once you learn the basics.  You can find all the current deals each week at Simply CVS--the links are under the banner.

Information in this post was accurate at time of posting.  CVS Extra Bucks program can change from time to time.

You may want to check out all the ways we Find Extra Money for Packing Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes.