After reading how tearing up credit card applications is not enough, I was motivated to go buy a cross-cut paper shredder. (Cross cut means the paper ends up as confetti rather than strips.) So today I headed into Staples to find my new machine.

I’m no expert on paper shredders so my only real requirements were that it needed to shred cross cut and shred credit cards. After scanning the shelves, I settled on the light-duty Staples 6 Sheet Crosscut Shredder, priced at $40.

Then I walk downstairs and happened to pass a display of these very shredders. It turns out that there’s an instant $10 savings + a $15 easy rebate. I paid the $29.99 + tax and headed home to mail in my rebate.

As I soon learned, ‘easy rebate’ means you can apply online at stapleseasyrebates.com - no upc labels to mail. Just enter the numbers printed on the receipt and submit. My $15 will be mailed to me within 4 weeks. If only all rebate offers were this easy to complete! And they provide online tracking.

It looks like Staples is running specials on a number of different shredders so now seems like a great time to buy. The offers expire 3/25/06.

Update: J&R Music World has a DVD/CD shredder on sale for $19.99 (with $9.20 shipping - ouch!) I was debating buying one of these as well but the cheapest at Staples was about $40. This doesn’t actually ’shred’ cds but it does render them useless to ordinary media readers. For the stuff I’m disposing of, that should be good enough. I’ve been heavily scratching the discs up until now.

Still, a paper shredder and a media shredder for about $47 (including tax and shipping for the online purchase) isn’t bad.