Rain Checks
I love store sales. I always try my best to take advantage of the sale items for the products I use most often. Generally for a non-perishable product, I buy those in quantity. What I really hate, is that after I plan my shopping, pair up my coupon and head for the store, I find the store is out of the advertised special. Of course, they are always nice, and offer a rain check. The problem with rain checks is that I sometimes forget I have it, or the corresponding coupon expires before the stock is replenished.
Still, rain checks have value. It’s almost a hedge against rising prices. Recently, Turkey Hill Ice Cream was on sale for $1.99 (Limit 2). My flavor, Mint Chocolate Chip was all sold out so I headed for the courtesy desk for a rain check. The best price for the same item is now 2/$5 so I’m a little ahead of the game with my rain check.
Be sure to always ask for a rain check on out-of-stock items. Depending on the store, some rain checks are good for up to a year. In order to best utilize my rain checks, I keep them at the end of my coupon file, and go through them when making out my shopping list. That way I’m less likely to forget about them.
