Smarter Money Management

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With the Treasury starting to send out tax rebate checks this week, retailers have started clamoring for your business. To entice you to spend your new found money at their stores, many retailers are offering bonuses and discounts if you spend your tax rebate check with them. Many retailers, for example, are offering a 10% bonus if you exchange your tax rebate check for a gift card.

So in the spirit of smarter money management, I’ve compiled this list of retailers that are offering a bonus or other incentive in exchange for your tax rebate check. I’ll update this list regularly, so be sure to check back. And if you know of an incentive not listed here, please leave a comment, and I’ll be sure to add it. With that, here’s the list of retailers offering tax rebate check deals and incentives.

Albertsons: The grocery store chain is offering a 10% bonus if you buy a gift card with your economic stimulus check.

Fry’s Food: Get a $30 bonus for every $300 in tax rebate checks exchanged for store gift cards.

Home Depot: Frankly, this is not much of an incentive, but Home Depot is discounting some of its environmentally friendly products and encouraging shoppers to put their rebates toward going green.

Kmart: From May 14 to July 19, 2008, Kmart will exchange tax rebate checks for a gift card with a 10% bonus. Simply take your tax rebate check to any register at a Kmart for the exchange.

Kroger: Beginning Friday, Kroger will exchange a tax rebate check for a Kroger give card, and tack on a 10% bonus. is offering customers the option of exchanging their tax-rebate check for a gift card with an extra 10 percent tacked on. That means consumers with a $300 rebate can get a $330 gift card and those with a $1,200 check can get a $1,320 gift card. That’s a lot of free groceries.

Lands’ End: Also owned by Sears, Lands’ End is offering a 10% bonus when you exchange your tax rebate check for a gift card.

Radio Shack: You’ll save 10% on purchases of $50 or more when you use your rebate check or tax refund as payment.

Sears: The home of Craftsman Tools is offering the same 10% bonus deal as Kmart (remember, Kmart is owned by Sears).

Shop ‘n Save: Earn a $30 bonus for every $300 in tax rebate checks exchanged for store gift cards.

Supervalu: Parent company to Jewel-Osco and Cub Foods, Supervalu is offering an extra $30 when you redeem your tax rebate check for a store gift card. The offer is available May 2 through July 3.

Wal-Mart: While not offering a 10% bonus, Wal-Mart is offering to cash rebate checks free of charge and is offering a “special selection” of in-store discounts after getting their cash. Wal-Mart will also refund the fee for its MoneyCard if you put any of your economic stimulus check on the card.

And remember, if you know of other tax rebate incentives, please leave a comment and I’ll add it to the list.