Rebates

As you follow the blogs I've mentioned in other posts you'll probably hear about rebates that are available. Often when there is a rebate there is a possibility of 'making money' off of the rebate. (See the example below.)

Here are some things to remember when you try to do a rebate:

1. Make sure that you are buying the exact items required on the rebate equal to the exact dollar amount or greater (I think it needs to be before tax?) that is required.

2. Buy the items within the stated dates on the rebate.

3. Keep your receipt (If possible, then try to buy the item separately if you don't want to send a super-long receipt. You also may need that receipt to return an item or for whatever reason.) --Many rebates will only accept the original receipt. Some will allow copies, though.

4. Fill out the info on the rebate form according to the instructions on the form. (Circle the items on the receipt(s), etc. if required.)

5. After everything is ready to be put in the envelope first make a copy of the rebate form and the receipt(s). (I try to copy it all onto one page--front and back if necessary.)

6. Mail it off to the Manufacturer and watch for the rebate check (or whatever the prize for the rebate) to come in the mail!
7. If you haven't received your rebate as soon as you think you should, then you may want to contact the manufacturer to move things along. 

Here is an example of an Olay rebate I submitted:

One Olay rebate was for the amount of $20 if you purchased $50 worth of Olay Facial Moisturizers, Facial Treatments and/or Facial Cleansers. The $50 worth of products was able be met BEFORE factoring in coupons. Some rebates require you to spend a total amount AFTER factoring in coupons, but often that is not the case and you just have to buy a certain dollar amount of products and then you can use coupons.

So, Target had a pretty great sale on Olay facial moisturizers and face wash. Target gave a $5 gift card for every two Olay facial moisturizers and/or face washes purchased. The Olay products were also on sale! There was a $2 coupon for Olay facial cleansers, and I had a $3 coupon for a facial moisturizer. Here's my transactions (This is also an example of 'rolling a deal'.):

Transaction #1:
6 Olay Face Washes at $3.69 each
Total before Tax: $22.14
6 $2/1 Coupons for any Olay Face Wash
Total after Coupons (before tax): $10.14
I used a $10 gift card I received from transferring a prescription to Target
What I paid after tax: $0.63 (And I received 3 $5 gift cards!)

Transaction #2:
I did the same transaction as #1 again and used two gift cards that I received from transaction #1.

Transaction #3:
Olay Face Wash $3.69
Olay Complete Face Lotion $7.69
Total before tax: $11.38
$3/1 Coupon for any Olay Face Lotion
$2/1 Coupon for any Olay Face Wash
Total after Coupons (before tax): $6.38
I used a $5 gift card from the previous transaction.
What I paid after tax: $1.96 (and I got a $5 gift card for purchasing two Olay items)

Total of all products before tax and before coupons: $55.66
So, I qualified for the rebate!
Total amount that I paid OOP: $3.22

AND I still had four $5 gift cards left to use (I received three from the first transaction, used two on the second transaction, got three more, used one on the third transaction, and received one more=4 gift cards)

AND I received $20 for qualifying for the rebate! So, I spent $3.22 and received $20 in the mail AND $20 in giftcards! Can you believe that? Couponing can be so much fun!! I've never been so giddy shopping before!!

*Note: Some of you may think that I am greedy for buying so much. FYI: The face wash coupons expired on the first day of Target's sale, so there was only one day available to really take advantage of this deal. I wasn't even able to make it to Target until about 3:30pm that day, so I was surprised that there was still so much stuff on the shelves. Also, there was still lots more available even after I bought what I bought! So, I felt okay taking that much. 

*Another note: I first went to a cashier to buy my stuff and some manager said that since the picture wasn't the same as the products I was buying they wouldn't accept the coupons. I wasn't surprised and politely asked for all the products and coupons back and for the cashier to delete my transaction. I then wheeled over to Guest Services and inquired about the coupon. The person behind the desk noted that the coupon said ANY facewash, so she happily rang me up, thankfully!

The Process of Filing Coupons

Filing is a tedious task for some, and I admit that at times it's the last thing I want to do, but I often find the process of filing relaxing--as long as I'm not in a hurry. Here's how I file my coupons:

I clear the kitchen table and grab the following things:

Scissors
Tape
Box or container big enough to hold a pile of coupons (ex. an adult sized shoebox works great)
A place to put the scraps

Idealy I have at least 4 of the same insert to cut (and possibly misc. coupons to cut from magazines, etc.). The more inserts you cut at a time the faster it will go (not only because the time you spend cutting is less, but because all the same coupons are together and don't need to be filed separately), but the higher the risk that you'll cut through a barcode. Tape can often repair a coupon...

One thing that drives me nuts is that sometimes the same insert from different papers have slightly different coupons from insert to insert, so before you cut make sure that each insert page has the same coupons in the same spot on each page!!! Sometimes there will be 'loner' pages that don't match any other pages' layout.

I like to set the inserts in a row so I can tear each page and put the same page from each insert in a separate pile one on top of the other (sorry if that's confusing--I'll try to get a picture up soon). Once I have them all in a pile I begin cutting the coupons. (NOTE: Not all coupon inserts are lined up exactly the same--meaning sometimes at the bottom or top of a page there is a 1/4 inch of space, and no space on the same page from a different insert. So you need to do your best to line them up so that you don't cut through a barcode!!!)

There are many ways to sort coupons before you actually file them away. Some couponers like to take 8x11 sheets of printer paper, divide them in threes, and label each section of the folded paper according to the categories of their notebook. That way all the coupons can be filed into the section in which they belong and you don't have to flip back and forth between the sections as you're filing the coupons away. For me that takes up the whole table, and with two kids I sometimes need to rush off and deal with something, and it's just way to easy for a fan to blow the coupons away, or a little hand to mix them all up again... So, I just put all the coupons in a box (one for each notebook, since I have two). It takes a bit more time having to flip through all the sections to find where the coupon belongs, but I can put up the box quickly, if needed.

Then I file each coupon away in my notebooks under the category it belongs. Sometimes a coupon can be used on more than one product, so I do my best to put it in the category that I think I'll look for it in later.  There is sometimes confusion as to where a coupon goes. For example, does a coupon for Eggo Waffles go in the frozen section or the breakfast section? You decide!! :)

While I'm filing the coupons away I try to find all the coupons that are expired. I recycle the coupons.  Some people like to send expired coupons overseas (where expired coupons are accepted) for families in the navy and such.

Gift Cards and Prescriptions

If you have a prescription to fill, then you'll want to take advantage of the gift cards available at certain stores. Several stores will give you a gift card for the store if you transfer your prescription to that store. Most stores will only give you a gift card if a new prescription is being filled, or an existing prescription is being transferred. Stores usually have an ad either at the store or in their weekly ad you receive in the mail, or they may send you an ad in the mail.

So, first watch for ads about getting a gift card with a new or transferred prescription. You can also call stores to see if they give gift cards with prescriptions, and see what is required, and how long they will be giving out the gift cards. (Ex. Ask if you need to bring a coupon in [which probably expires sometime], or if you just need to mention it at the prescription counter.) Once you've filled a prescription at one store, then transfer to another store that gives gift cards for transferred prescriptions. Then transfer back to the original store or to another one. This way you always get a gift card whenever you need to fill a prescription (as long as there is a gift card deal happening when you need the prescription refilled).

*Note--if you can get the smallest dose possible, then you'll make more money. For example, when we were living in Utah it is recommended that children have a prescription multivitamin with fluoride added. There were different sizes of prescriptions to choose from. There was a larger bottle that was $20 to fill, and smaller bottle that was $5 to fill. Yes you have to fill the smaller dose more often, but if you get the larger prescription, then you'll only get one gift card for every $20 you spend on refills (in my example). If you fill the smaller one, then you get a gift card for every $5 you spend.

Most stores give out $10 gift cards, but I've seen some give out $25 gift cards. 

Other Stores in Washington

QFC

QFC is a Kroger grocery store. They have some great sales and catalina deals here and there. If you shop at QFC, then you'll definitely want to get their Rewards card. When you use this card in-store you can earn points to go towards up to 15 cents off their gas prices and toward other things. (You'll have about a month to use the points before they expire, I think.) If you want to take advantage of some of the sales, then you'll need this card.

K-Mart

I don't care for K-Mart much. Their prices seem way overpriced, and they don't have very good promotions. They do have a double coupon promotion from time to time, but you can only double  up to five coupons in one transaction (sometimes they'll double coupons up to $0.99---why it couldn't be $1 I have no idea, and they'll double up to $2 coupons sometimes). In most cases you need to spend at least $25 before coupons, so it's rarely worth it for me to go to K-Mart. Sometimes I go to see if they have anything on clearance, but usually they won't let me use a coupon on clearance items. Honestly, I thought they'd be out of business years ago...

WinCo

WinCo seems pretty similar to Walmart. Some of their prices are lower than Walmart's prices, and some of Walmart's prices are lower than WinCo's. WinCo accepts coupons, but doesn't have a coupon policy that I know of. They periodically put out coupons in the mail for free items, so always look through your mail and price match at Walmart if you don't live close enough to a WinCo. WinCo doesn't price match.

*Note: You have to bag everything you buy.

Cash and Carry

Cash and Carry is like a mini Costco of bulk foods. Their prices for produce, frozen veggies, and other foods are worth it to me to make a trip over there every week or two.


Costco


I haven't had a Costco membership since 2007. I finally renewed it this year and am wondering if it was worth it. I can usually get everything I need cheaper with coupons, and I can get my produce (there aren't a whole lot of coupons for produce) at stores like Cash and Carry or Fred Meyer for around the same price or less than what I could get them for at Costco.

Fred Meyer

Fred Meyer is another Kroger store. They have some of the same sales as QFC (and all other Kroger stores). Some weeks their sales are pretty good, and other weeks they really seem to be lacking in good sales.

Walmart

One can generally find some pretty good deals at Walmart. Walmart price matches other store's prices, so if you live close to a Walmart, then in many cases you can just go to Walmart instead of a bunch of other stores. 

One can score some pretty sweat deals at Walmart--with regular prices and with Rollback prices.

There's a part of the coupon policy that many cashiers don't know about. If a couponer uses more than 40 coupons, then a manager has to come and put their key in the register and say that it is okay. Sometimes the manager comes over and puts their key in and leaves--they don't even tell the cashiers what they're doing sometimes! So, I try to fill the cashiers in on the scoop...

Walmart's coupon policy (also found on the right side of my blog):
Walmart's Coupon Policy

*Note: I find that I can spend a lot of money at Walmart--even with coupons. I have to exercise much self control and say no to many deals that seem awesome, cause otherwise I don't keep to my budget. Like I said before, if you spend $0.50 ten times, then you've spent $5, and when you're in a huge store with lots of deals that are under a dollar, then it's easy to get a little carried away!!

Target

Here is a great post about Target over at Hip2Save:
Target Store Guide

Here is the Target corporate phone number for guest relations (also located on the right side of my blog)

1-800-440-0680

Here's the website where you can print off Target coupons: Target Coupons I guess they used to all be Target store coupons, but now there are manufacturer coupons as well. Some of the manufacturer coupons have the Target logo on them, though, so other stores don't accept them sometimes.

Walgreens

Walgreens is a drugstore similar to Rite Aid. Some are open 24 hours, and some aren't. Walgreens has weekly sales from Sunday to Saturday. They have store coupons, which are called Register Rewards. Register Rewards (RR) are catalinas that print from a machine by the register. Register rewards can be used like money, but you can only use them in Walgreens (unless you have a store that will accept RR as competitor coupons). They also expire a week or two after they print out.

Many of their weekly deals involve RR. (Some weeks are better than others.) Here are some examples of RR deals from previous weeks:

Buy $25 of Vicks products and get $10 in RR

Buy one Ecotrin Asprin at $1.99 and get $2 in RR

Walgreens also puts out monthly booklets with Walgreens coupons that can be combined with manufacturer coupons. Walgreens also sometimes puts out a sheet or two of additional coupons. Sometimes you can print out Walgreens coupons online at walgreens.com. Combine all three (Manufacturer coupons, Walgreens Coupons, and RR) and you can score some great deals!

Fairly often Walgreens has RR deals that when combined with the other coupons will get you a 'freebie.' Sometimes no additional coupons are required to score a RR freebie. For example, the Ecotrin deal up above is considered a freebie because you get as much money back as the amount that you paid (not factoring in tax).

However, in my opinion, if you spend any money, it's not a freebie. Some people buy all the RR deals and then use the RR for the RR deals the following week and keep doing that week to week. That's another example of 'Rolling the deals' (see my misc. tips post). Sometimes some weeks aren't very good by way of RR, though, so that doesn't always work. The Ecotrin actually was a freebie deal because there was a $2 coupon for the Ecotrin, so you paid tax and got $2 in RR. I try to not spend more than $5 per week at Walgreens. The way I do this is by doing several transactions so I can roll the RR deals. (See my examples further on down this post.)

Here's the part that had me going in circles until I finally grasped it. At Walgreens there's this sort of rule that you need at least one item per coupon. So, lets say that you want to buy some shampoo and you have a coupon for it, but you also want to a RR coupon. You are trying to buy one item, but you are trying to use two coupons, so you will need to buy another item to make the amount of items that you are buying equal with the amount of coupons that you are using. Whew!! Hope that makes sense!! This extra item is often called a 'filler' item. It can be anything, so usually I go for the cheapest thing I can find.

One more tid bit about RR that can also get confusing. In most cases RR do not roll on the same item. Meaning if you buy some shampoo and get a RR for it you can use the RR on another bottle of the same shampoo, but another RR will not print out. Sometimes the machine goofs and allows the RR to roll, but that's usually fixed by the Tuesday of the week or sooner. You can buy the bottle of shampoo, get the RR, use the RR on another RR deal and then use the RR from the other deal to pay for another bottle of shampoo so you can get another RR. Whew!! It was so crazy trying to wrap my brain around that when I first started familiarizing myself with Walgreens. Hope that makes sense!! Let me know if I need to explain it better!! :) *See my examples below and it might make more sense.

*Note: RR cannot be used to pay for tax. Meaning, if you want to use RR then your total (after other coupons have been taken off the total) has to equal the amount of the RR before tax is factored in. For example, if I bought some shampoo for $3.95 and wanted to use a $4 RR, then I would need to buy something to get my total over $4.

Here's an example of a week at Walgreens (this was when I think my goal was to not spend more than $10 per week at Walgreens):

Transaction #1:
I bought:
Dentek Floss $2
Dove Shampoo $4
2 Hershey's PB Cups 2/$1.59 (filler items)
Total: $7.59

Coupons:
$1 Dentek Floss MC
in-ad coupon to make Hershey's $0.39 ea. (took $0.81 off total)
$1 RR (From the previous week)
$2 RR (From the previous week)
$2 Dove Shampoo MC
Total Coupon Amount: $6.81

Total after Tax and coupons: $1.21
Received $2 RR for buying the Dentek Floss, and Received $4 RR for buying the Dove Shampoo

Transaction #2:
Bought:
6-pack of water $2.49
Dulcolax Laxative Powder $10
2 Hershey's PB Cups $2/1.59 (filler items)
Total: $14.08

Coupons:
in-ad coupon to make Hershey's $0.39 ea. (took $0.81 off total)
$2 RR (from buying the Dentek in the previous transaction)
$4RR (from buying the Dove in the previous transaction)
$4 Dulcolax MC
Get free water with purchase of Dulcolax up to $1.99 MC
Total amount of coupons: $12.80

Total after tax and coupons: $2.05
Received $10 RR for buying the Dulcolax

Transaction #3:
Bought:
Tylenol Cough/Nose $4.99
Tylenol Cough/Nose $4.99
Dove Conditioner $4
Dentek Floss $2
Reeces PB Cup $0.89 (filler item)
Total: $16.87

Coupons:
in-ad coupon to make Hershey's $0.39 ea. (took $0.50 off total)
$1 Dentek MC
$2 Dove MC
$3 for buying two Tylenol Cold MC
$10 RR from buying Dulcolax
Total amount of coupons: $16

Total after tax and coupons: $1.47
Received $2 RR for buying Dentek, $4 RR for buying Dove, and $5 RR for buying two Tylenol Cold

It was a really great week to be at Walgreens, so I went back a couple of days later and did this transaction:

Transaction #4:
Bought:
Simply Saline Nasal Spray $7
Planner on clearance for $0.25 (filler item)
Total: 7.25

Coupons:
$1 Saline MC
$5 RR from buying the Tylenol
Total amount of coupons: $6

Total after tax and coupons: $1.75
Received $7 in RR for buying the saline spray

Then Saturday came around and I decided to see if they had any more RR deals in stock, so I did the following two transactions.

Transaction #5
Bought:
4 big jars of yummy planter dry roasted peanuts $0.87 each (found them on clearance)
Dulcolax $10
Arrowhead water $1.79
Total: $15.27

Coupons:
$4 Dulcolax MC
$1/2 Planters Peanuts MC
$1/2 Planters Peanuts MC
Free water for buying Dulcolax up to $1.99 (took $1.79 off total)
$7 RR for buying Saline Spray
Total amount of coupons: $14.79
Total after coupons and tax: $1.32
Received $10 RR for buying the Dulcolax

Transaction #6 (last transaction of the week--whew!!)
Bought:
Simply Saline Nose Spray $7
Dentek Floss $2
Dove Shampoo $4
Total: $13

Coupons:
$1 Dentek MC
$1.50 Dove MC
$10 RR for buying the Dulcolax
Total amount of coupons: $12.50

Total after tax and coupons: $1.39
Received $2 RR for the Dentek, $4 RR for the Dove, and $7 for the Simply Saline AND I still had a $2 RR (from the Dentek) and $4 RR (from the Dove) from transcation #3!!

The Grand Totals:

This is all that I bought:
2 Simply Saline Nasal Sprays
2 Dove Shampoos
1 Dove Conditioner
3 Dentek Floss
4 Big Jars of Planter Dry Roasted Peanuts
2 Dulcolax Laxative Powders
1 6-pack of water
1 large jug of water
2 Tylenol Cold medicines
1 Small Yearly Planner
5 Reeces Peanut Butter Cup Candy Bars

What I would have paid for all of those items had I not used any coupons: $74.06 (These items were also on sale, so the original prices are even higher. I just don't feel like digging to find the original prices!! :)

What I did pay for the week: $9.19 AND I still had $19 in RR to spend!!!!! Wowzers!!

Also, Dove Shampoo and Condioner is my favorite, I love the Dentek floss, I had been wanting to put some water in the car for times when we might need it, I LOVE planters dry roasted peanuts, I'm prepared if my husband or I get a cold, etc. Anyway, I've been asked before, "Do you even use the stuff you get with coupons?" The answer is "Yes!!" Or, I give it away to someone else who needs it.

*Note: Not all weeks are this great! And not all weeks am I motivated enough to work that hard to score the deals!

Another thing. Sometimes I buy things I don't use so I can take advantage of the RR. Then I find someone to give the item away to or keep it for a desparate situation. (Ex. the Dulcolax--I prefer to just use prune juice if ever we need a laxative, not that you wanted to know...)

Walgreens now has a coupon policy. Here's a link to it here. Also, if you have an issue, and the coupon policy doesn't clear it up with the cashier/manager, then call their corporate office and see what their view is of the situation. The phone number for Walgreen's corporate office is 1-800-WALGREENS (You can also find this number on the right side of my blog.)

Rite Aid

Before I began couponing I can't remember the last time I shopped at Rite Aid. I always thought they were way over priced. Now I actually score lots of great deals at Rite Aid with coupons and sales. 

Rite Aid has weekly sales (running from Sunday through the following Saturday). In addition to their weekly sales they have a "Single Check Rebate" program. Usually every month they have different rebate offers. Some rebate offers run into other months. They usually have a rebate booklet you can pick up in the store, or you can view the rebates online at https://riteaid.rebateplus.com/. Watch for rebate items to go on sale, cause then you save even more money, and can often get items for free after the rebate.

Submit your receipts online at the above mentioned website. You'll need to sign up for an account. Once you're signed in you should see a link toward the top of the page that says "Enter Your Receipts." Follow the instructions to enter your receipt.

Once you enter the receipts you'll be taken to a page that shows what rebates you've qualified for (note: it takes up to 2-5 days for the information you enter to show up on the site.). You'll also see a box that says "Request My Rebate - Click Here." Do not push this button until you are done submitting your receipts for the entire month!!! You can only push it once, so if you push it at the beginning of the month, then you won't be able to get anymore rebates that month. Rite Aid will then send you a check (it looks like a post card) that you can either cash in the bank, or bring to Rite Aid to use as cash. Or, sometimes the rebate is for a gift card and the gift card will be mailed to you. (Ex. Buy $50 worth of certain products and you'll receive a $25 Rite Aid gift card)

In addition to sales and single check rebates Rite Aid also has an online program called "Video Values." (VV) For this program you can go here and register to watch videos (commercials for products ranging from about 30 seconds to 2 minutes). For watching each video you will be able to print a Rite Aid coupon for the product in the video. These Rite Aid coupons can be paired with manufacturer coupons and can only be used at Rite Aid.

Click on the 'my rewards' tab at the top of the page (after you've watched some videos) to see what coupons are available for you to print. 

When you go to print the coupons first select the coupon, hit the 'print coupons' button, and then hit the 'print' coupon in the pop-up window. You'll then be able to print the coupon. You can select how many you want to print, but don't select more than one, because the store will now only accept one of each VV coupon per VV account. (You used to be able to use as many as you wanted.)

Some people have multiple VV accounts for themselves, but if you actually read the terms that you are agreeing to when you set up your account, then you'll read that there is only one VV account allowed per person. Also, when you agree to the terms, you agree that you won't use another person's VV account. So if you want to be honest, then no setting up accounts under other family members, unless they are willing to watch the videos and come to the store with you.

So, watch for sales--especially for the rebate items--pair the sale with a Rite Aid Video Values coupon and a manufacturer's coupon, and you'll find that you can save a lot of money at Rite Aid!!!

*Note: Pretty much all Rite Aid coupons say "Manufacturer's Coupon" on them, but as long as the letters RC are before the numbers of the bar code you can combine the coupons with manufacturer's coupons.

I don't shop on Sundays, so often by Monday morning many of the great deals have been snagged. I used to be so bummed, but I don't mind when they get out of stock anymore because they are usually very good at giving out rain checks. Also, if the store isn't restocked before the single check rebate period ends for the month, then you can still get the rebate when the item comes back in stock. Just tell an employee that you are purchasing items with a rain check for a previous month's rebate and they will fax in a special form with a copy of your receipt and you'll be able to get the rebate! (It should show up on your account 2-5 business days after the fax is received.)

Lastly, Rite Aid has one more program. It's called their "Wellness Program." You need to register to become a member at http://www.riteaidwellness.com/ or in any Rite Aid drugstore. With this program you will receive a wellness card. It's a free program, and if you would like to get the sale prices at Rite Aid then you need to have a card.

Along with this program comes 'Up Rewards.' These are pretty much the same thing as Register Rewards at Walgreens. When you buy a qualifying item you'll receive an up reward coupon for a certain dollar amount that you can use only at Rite Aid. These Up Reward coupons used to print out at the bottom of your receipt, but now they are automatically added to your card, and you can't use them at least until the following day at 6am. Something should print out on your receipt stating that an up was loaded to your card, and when the up will expire. Up rewards have restrictions and cannot be used to pay for tax. Read the fine print on your receipt.

As a wellness member you receive points for how much you spend in the store (before coupons). Once you reach 1000 points you become a gold member and receive 20% off almost everything in the store. You need to reach 1000 points every year to be a gold member the following year. You can read about the amount of points that give you a certain discount at the wellness site I mention above. A gold member is the highest level.

When I receive my rebate checks I like to take them to Rite Aid, and use them as gift cards, or I ask them to put the rebate checks on a gift card. Just ask a cashier to do this for you. I posted in another post about an awesome Rite Aid deal I got where I spent $40.42 on $150 worth of products and got back $40 in rebates. That was a wonderful day. Since then I've been using the rebate money and gift cards to buy more products at Rite Aid and then I receive more rebates and gift cards. If I'm real careful, then I often only pay tax at Rite Aid.

Does Rite Aid seem a bit overwhelming? Don't worry. Just follow the blogs I mentioned. They actually tell you what to buy and what coupons to use and stuff. I'm so grateful for those blogs!! They saved me a ton of work in the beginning!! (It was still work, but without those blogs I would not have been scoring the deals that I scored!!) I still follow them as I said, but now I'm also able to work out my own deals according to my family's needs and wants.

Here is a link to Rite Aid's coupon policy here. Sometimes cashiers don't even know the coupon policy, so showing them what the policy states can clear up issues sometimes.

Rain Checks

I used to wake up really early so I could get to a store when it opened so I could get the deals before everyone else bought all the items on sale!! I don't shop on Sundays, so even just by Monday morning the deals I was most excited about were sometimes gone. I hated that!!! Then I learned more about rain checks, and I now rarely wake up early.

Most stores offer rain checks. A rain check is a piece of paper the store gives you that you can bring back to the store at a later date when the items are back in stock and then get the items for the sale price.

Not all stores do rain checks the same way. Some rain checks have expiration dates. Some stores limit how many items you can buy with a rain check.

Some stores will actually call you and let you know when the items are back in stock. 

Here's a couple of tips when using rain checks:

If you are pairing the sale with a coupon, then make sure that the coupon won't expire before the store is restocked. 

When you go to redeem the rain check, tell the cashier BEFORE he/she starts ringing up the items because the rain check price needs to be entered in manually. If the cashier scans the product and then you show the rain check the cashier will have to go back and delete the item price that was scanned, which is a bit annoying, if you can understand...

What To Do If A Catalina Doesn't Print

Sometimes there's no way to tell when a catalina will print. Other times you will know in advance when a catalina is supposed to print. Sometimes when a catalina should print it doesn't. It's possible that the wrong item was purchased, or the wrong quantity or wrong dollar amount was purchased. It's possible that the machine isn't working properly and needs more paper or something. Let the cashier know that you were expecting a catalina, and see if he/she and or the managers can help you.

Also, if you're pretty sure that you should have gotten a catalina, then you can call the following number to request your catalina from the Catalina Marketing Corporation:

1-888-8COUPON (1-888-826-8766)