I'm Fixin' To: Are you using Ebates yet?

I'm sure you've seen commercials on TV or noticed badges on blogs about Ebates. I have been using Ebates for a little over a year, and I am a huge fan. You get paid to shop online... what could be better? Here's how it works:

Let's say I'm online shopping and I want to order something from J.Crew. I go over to the ebates website and sign in. I find J.Crew on the site, and I click on it. So, I'd get 3% back on my purchases. It also gives any coupon codes that may be available.

So, I click "Shop Now" and it generates a tracking ticket for me, and then sends me straight to J.Crew.

Be sure to leave your Ebates tab open in addition to the website you're shopping. If for some reason I were to click out of J.Crew's website, I would have to go back to Ebates and start the whole process over with a new tracking ticket so I could be sure to get paid for shopping. Usually, within a day or two of shopping, I get an e-mail that gives me my cash back update. You can either get a paper check sent to you or you can have it deposited into your PayPal account. I get mine deposited into my PayPal account and have been paid every quarter.

If you return a package that you ordered online, your cash back will be deducted from your amount owed.

If you purchased something using Ebates and it hasn't shown up on your amount owed or in your e-mail, you can check your tracking tickets and contact their customer service. I've had to do it a couple of times where I send them the invoice I received from the store and they will update my cash back manually.

I have multiple tickets from the same store because I usually use my phone and somehow manage to click out.

Here's where you can contact customer care if you have any questions about a tracking ticket.

Additionally, if I wanted to order something from Lowe's or Home Depot for the house, I could order it online and select for in-store pickup. That way, I still get my Ebates, but I also get around paying shipping. I've done that for bridal gifts from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

I also love that you can use Ebates on Groupon and Living Social deals. Ebates also offers double cash back at stores. You'll get e-mails about the shops offering the double cash back. It's also great because you can shop around on their website to find the store that's offering the most cash back. Ordering flowers online earns a lot of cash back too!

Also, Ebates is making this easier than ever in case you are forgetful about using your Ebates. If you use Chrome, you can add the Ebates app to your tool bar. So, if I'm shopping on my laptop, my Ebates button flashes red if there are Ebates available. Sometimes, a tab will come down letting you know how much cash back is being offered. All you have to do is click "ACTIVATE CASH BACK" and it generates your tracking ticket for you!