As you sift through your ads and make your shopping list, you might also want to consider the rebates. Sometimes it’s in fine print, but other times it’ll be bold, depending on what angle the retailer is headed for. For example, the price may be advertised as $5 and in fine print it’ll say “after $20 rebate”. Or, it may say in smaller print that the offer is $15, but get a rebate check for $5 or cash back upon purchase or even a gift card for $5 or so.Pay attention to these as they may make you decide to purchase the item elsewhere or not to purchase the item at all. If you pay with a credit card, a rebate may be just the right thing for you. Why? You make the purchase now and the bill comes due in December or January. By that point, your rebate check will have arrived and you can use the monies to make your first payment! Perfect!One bad thing about the rebate check coming in the mail is that you must front the money at the time of purchase. It’s great to get a digital camera for only $40, but if you have to pay $120 now, then is it worth it? It is if you won’t miss that money. A lot of us will have a struggle to make the initial purchase, so it’s not a bargain if you won’t be able to make your mortgage payment.Be careful of hidden price fluctuations. The stores make the offer sound great to get you in the door, so pay attention to what else they have to offer you.