Gotta Love Rite Aid

I am sure I am not the only one with a weekly habit. Some people go to starbucks or maybe let themselves eat out once a week. But what is one of my favorite little habits? My weekly trips to Rite Aid. Now, before I began my little coupon habit I never went to Rite Aid, I mean, why would I, everything cost more there, and they don't have a lot. But as soon as I figured out there "UP Rewards" I was hooked. For example, last week I had a great coupon for covergirl makeup, so of course I stocked up, I ended up spending a total of nine dollars on 4 eye liners, 2 eye shadows, one foundation, and three powders, oh and a pack of pez that Max wouldn't put down {my trips are always at least a dollar more if Max is with me} as my receipt printed I also got a ten dollar "UP" reward, so I spent nine, but they gave me back ten. Now to some people this doesn't equal free, but for me it works out great because I know I will be back the next week to get the new deals and I will have ten dollars to use towards whatever I buy in the store. So with my ten dollar "UP" reward I came back this week to take advantage of all of there products that were "free" after the UP reward. I got, hand sanitizer, Burts Bees cough drops, one pack of cold medicine, throat spray, nasal mist, and an assortment of other cold and flu products. I knew I would eventually need these things as the winter hit, so I figured I would buy them now. I ended up spending 20 dollars {this may sound like a lot, but the cold medicine alone is usually 12 dollars, and Max was with me so he had to get his juice} So before you wonder why I think this was a good deal I will add in that I got $21.50 back in UP rewards to spend next week. So to me I may have spent 20 dollars this week, but next week I have 20 dollars to spend on whatever is on sale, or whatever I may need that I can buy there. As long as you keep up with their weekly sales and remember to use your rewards you can end up with a nice weekly cycle of free to next to nothing buys. Some weeks will be better than others, like this week was just okay, I may have got a lot but I still spent 20 bucks, but next week I hope to get a lot and spent under a dollar, since I will be using a large reward.  I can't tell you why I have so much fun doing this every week, maybe I am crazy, but if it keeps me happy then I will keep heading to Rite Aid. Actually, the only thing I miss about my apartment is that I had a Rite Aid a couple blocks away, and now I have to go to Boulder just to get my deals, it seems Walgreens has taken over Westminster and left no room for my favorite drug store. Who knew one day I would look forward to my little trips to Rite Aid, but once I started having so much fun with my coupons on my groceries I guess this was bound to happen. I am sure Rite Aid counts on people never using their rewards or letting them expire, but they are out of luck with me, I will be there every week, so they better get used to it.

Kelly Callahan