Basics of Walgreens’ Rebate Program: Getting Free Stuff You Will Use
What is better than free stuff from the store? Free stuff that you will use, of course! Most of us could not imagine a store giving away free things. OK, the taste samples in the produce section or the sausage samples on Saturdays that you find in the frozen section do not count. I am talking things like toothpaste, hair gel, body wash, shampoo, razor, etc. And no, these are not the sample sized versions that last you only one or two uses. These are full sized varieties that you may spend two, three, or even four dollars on that the store is instead will to give you for free.
If you have ever shopped at Walgreen’s, you know that when you come in, there is a stand somewhere close by the front door that holds the weekly circular. Have you ever noticed the little booklets that are also on that stand? Have you ever picked one up? Next time you are in, you should. Let me show you what is in there and how to use it to your benefit. It really is not that hard, though I’ll show you some steps at the end to take it to the next level of saving money by using coupons and sales.
First, you have to visit Walgreen’s and pick up a booklet or go online to view an electronic version. They put out a new Easy Saver booklet every month, though it does not always line up with the exact beginning and ending date. Usually I find it starts and ends a few days early. Like I mentioned above, these are right inside the front door where the weekly circulars are. If there are none left, ask the cashier for a copy.
Secondly, glance through the booklet. If you have never done this I would suggest doing this at home where you can look through it several times to get familiar with the layout. On the front cover you will see the dates that this month’s rebate period is good for. Make note of these as it is quite annoying to find that the rebate period for the month ended on the 27th and even though you bought the item on the 29th it will not work.
The first thing you will see when you open the booklet are coupons. These are store coupons that can be used with manufacturers’ coupons. These do not normally match up with the free items you can get, but sometimes they match up with other rebates and can be useful. After these you will see some yellow pages with small print and a table. These are the tally sheets and contain the details of getting the rebates. Read these over several times and underline the steps as necessary. Most states will require you to mail in your receipts and these sheets, but some states are able to enter them online. Check out the Walgreen’s website to see if you are able to do it online. It will not only save you time, but also the cost of a stamp and envelope while allowing you to keep your receipts.
After the tally sheets come the rebate items. Sometimes you might see a few listed before the tally sheets, but most are after. They are numbered in the top corner to correspond to a line on the tally sheet. Look through the rebates and read the print. There is not always room to show all the items so they only show a sample. Read the text.
Thirdly, make note of what if free this month. These are usually the first several rebates and will be noted as Free After Rebate or Free on the tally sheet. Pay attention to the details!!! This can not be stressed enough. Is it for the 8 oz or the 10 oz? Is it for a specific flavor or scent? Highlight or underline these details as needed. If you have a good store, they will have signs up under the products to help you find them or even have them at the end of an aisle so they are easily found.
Fourthly, it is time to go pick up your free items. If you feel confident then pick up some of the other rebates. If you are just beginning, stick to the free stuff. Again, make sure you get the right kind and size.
Your fifth and final step is to request the rebate. Read the fine print again and follow the steps. When it asks whether you want a gift card, check the box for a gift card. This will benefit you in several ways. The first is that they will give you an additional 10% back. For me this covers the tax I paid plus a bit more. Secondly, it gives you the money back in a form that is easy to roll over to the next month. What does that mean? It means you can use the money for next month’s deals and for the months after that. You will be able to add money back onto the same gift card month after month so you will not have multiple gift cards. There will be just one that you keep reloading. If you have a gift card, then write in the number where it indicates for you to. Gift cards are also loaded/reloaded faster than a check is sent, which is another benefit.
Be patient. It takes a while for the first rebate to get to you. If possible, keep copies of the receipts and tally sheets you sent in. If a few months pass and you have not received your rebate, give them a call. Sometimes they will have no record of it, but if you kept copies of what you sent in you can send them copies of your copies. It usually takes several weeks (8-10) the first time to get your first rebate. After that things go quicker, especially if you have a gift card and much more so if you are able to enter it online.
If you are still unsure about this, I would encourage you to try just one rebate. Make it something you would have bought anyway. Toothpaste is a good one as it is a regular participant in the Easy Saver rebate program at Walgreen’s. Do not worry about trying to get it all at once. It may take a few visits to your Walgreen’s before you feel comfortable. Just stick with getting one item till you feel like you can handle more. The goal is not to get as much free stuff at once as possible, it is to save money. You can not save money if you keep buying the wrong thing and have to take it back.
When you feel comfortable with the rebate program and think you have the hang of it, I would encourage you to go one step further and start incorporating coupons. If that toothpaste, which is free after rebate, has a coupon out for $x.xx off 1 use it. When you send in the receipt there is no need to black anything out. Just follow the instructions and circle the item and price on the receipt. This will save you even more. Even better is when you can use a coupon with a sale on a rebate item. The store still gets reimbursed for the coupon and you save money. It is a win/win situation.
After a few months of this, you should have little to no out of pocket expense when doing the rebate program. That is if you have a gift card that is continually reloaded. You will be able to use the same $10 (or whatever amount you started with) over and over to continue to get items your family will use for free. This will not make you rich, but it will help save money on your monthly bills and is a great way to stock up on items you will use in the future. Have fun and enjoy the savings.
