Walgreen's rebate program

I rarely purchase shampoo, conditioner or toothbrushes anymore. I'm not picky about what brand of these items I use, so Walgreen's rebate program works great for me.

Here's how it works. When you walk into the store, find the display set up just inside the door with that week's circular plus that month's rebate booklet. Open the rebate booklet to find nearly a hundred items listed. About half are money-off coupons at the register and half are rebate items. Usually, there are 2-5 personal care items listed as "Free After Rebate."

Collect the items from around the store. When you pay at the register, be sure to save your receipt as well as the rebate booklet! I simply tuck mine inside the rebate booklet and keep it at home inside my bill organizer. If you make multiple trips for eligible rebate items, save the receipt every time.

Check the deadline inside the rebate booklet and plan to mail your rebate form & receipt in by this deadline. It is usually the last day of the month or later but not always. If you are a day or two past the deadline, mail your rebates anyway.

Filling out the form is very simple. Follow the directions carefully and you will have no problem. You do not typically need UPC symbols or any other snippets of the packaging materials. You will need your receipt(s) and rebate form from inside the rebate booklet. If, by some chance, you have misplaced your rebate booklet, you can download a copy online from walgreens.com.

You have the option to request a check or a Walgreens gift card. If you choose the gift card option, you will get 10% more than what you actually spent added to the card. I use this option every time. It's an easy way to grow my rebate dollars so that after a month or two, I don't have to spend any actual out-of-pocket money on my next rebate trip. You can expect to receive your rebate check or gift card within 4-8 weeks.

By the end of each year, I have a closet full of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste & toothbrushes that I can either use or give away. If you have a surplus, these could make nice gift baskets for Christmas presents or for new parents. You could also do as my dear friend does and donate your surplus to women's shelters or other similar charity groups. What a great return on just a few mintues of work!

Get Moving: If you have a Walgreen's in your area, go to the Walgreen's website and download their rebate booklet. If you see anything that could be useful in there for free, you can schedule in a quick stop.

Annoying but necessary disclaimer: All information contained herein express my opinions only and are based on my health status & location. Each person's situation, health, and local laws & ordinances are different. By all means, use your own common sense & don't do anything you see here if someone more important than me (like your doctor, your local police, your own conscience) would disagree. If you're easily persuaded by everything you read, and you think I might cause you to hurt yourself or break the law, quit reading my site, please.