I remember hearing the term “rain check” as a child growing up while shopping with my mom. At the time I really thought it had a lot to do with rain (wow, was I sheltered!). A rain check is another great tool to use for shopping that I frequently forget about.
Here’s the drill: you go shopping at your grocery or drug store and the item that is on sale isn’t in stock anymore. You make a mental note to remember to get a rain check for this item because it’s a great price. The thing about sale prices are that they are cyclical and will normally come back around again. Due to inflation and our economy we can’t guarantee that the price will remain the same the next time it’s on sale, so this is where a rain check will really help you out. At most grocery stores you will simply need to go to their customer service counter to request a rain check. At drugstores like Walgreens and CVS you can ask while checking out at the register.
Rain checks are a great way to save money. On occasion an item will be excluded from rain checks, but any other time a rain check will definitely save you money in the long run. Rain checks also come in handy and can save you some money on items where you get the sale price of the item and you have a coupon that will give you even more savings. If it’s something you use on a regular basis, get a rain check. Check your local grocery store for their procedures on issuing rain checks and when they expire. CVS has rain checks that never expire, while Walgreens will put a time limitation on theirs occasionally.
Tags: Coupons, rain check