My Sister’s Brilliant “Rain Check” Rule Gets Me Free Jarred Pasta Sauce Every Single Week

She’s the one who first clued me in to this rain-check trick five years ago — and I’ve been filling my cart with free groceries every month ever since. (Yes, really!)

A rain check is a voucher from the grocery store that allows you to buy on-sale items — at their sale price — on a later date. I’ve gotten rain checks for jarred pasta sauces, coffee creamers, chicken strips, bags of lettuce, cookies, and more. As long as any one of the flavors that is part of the sale is out of stock, the store will give me a rain check. The best part is, I can use it to buy the flavor I actually want when I come back a week or two later when it’s no longer on sale.

So any time I see a Buy One Get One (BOGO) deal on a grocery like jarred pasta sauce, regardless of whether I need it, I ask the store for a rain check. But before I even enter the store, I do a little research. I know Publix, Kroger, Safeway/Albertsons, Winn-Dixie, Giant Food, and Wegmans offer rain checks, but it’s a good idea to check with your local store or its website for specific policies. 

I start by checking the grocery store’s website for upcoming BOGO items. Then I search for specific brands — in this case, of jarred pasta sauces. Sometimes I’ll find Rao’s Homemade, Carbone, and other premium pasta sauces on BOGO. Most of the time, it’s the more budget-friendly brands.

I usually wait four or five days after the item goes on BOGO. This way, I know the store will be out of some flavors, which is key to securing a rain check. When I go to the store, I find one that is sold out and, even if I dislike that flavor, that’s the one I’ll request from customer service. At Publix, rain checks don’t expire for 30 days. 

Recently, I went to Publix to buy Botticelli Premium Pasta Sauce on BOGO for $7.99. My nearby location was out of the roasted garlic flavor. So I asked for a rain check and then purchased a jar of the grilled peppers tomato sauce and classic marinara during that same shop. I even used the marinara to make chicken Parmesan the following day.

You do not have to make a purchase to receive a rain check. There are times when I go to the store and search for a sold-out item on BOGO to get a future rain check. I might not want to spend the money today, but maybe in a couple of weeks I’ll want to stock up and buy the maximum eight single items allowed.

Yes, you can combine rain checks with coupons. I use websites like SouthernSavers and Coupons.com, and also check the websites of my favorite grocery items. Some, like Springer Mountain Farms, offer coupons in exchange for an email address. 

I always get a rain check for the Springer Mountain Farms Chipotle Lime Chicken Strips, which usually cost $4.99 per bag and are often out of stock, and come back when I wait until I have at least four coupons and a rain check to buy them. Three weeks after the BOGO sale ends, and the Chipotle Lime is back in stock, I end up paying just $3.98 for four bags.

Do you have a smart money-saving grocery tip to share? Tell us about it in the comments below.