Walgreens starting their own reward program!

It's been a while, I know. I have to confess that during the summer my fishing time greatly increased and my couponing decreased. I guess we could say I was exploring other ways to live frugally and I plan to share some of them with my readers very soon!

The news that Walgreens was starting their own rewards program excited me. Walgreens is one of my favorites, if the THE favorite store for bargains. I think I enjoyed the challenge of couponing at Walgreens because you could score amazing deals but it took a little brain power. Walgreens Balance Rewards program begins on September 16, 2012 and you will need to be part of the program to access the weekly sales. It looks as if you accumulate points for each purchase and certain other activities, such as filling prescriptions and you can redeem those points for Redemption dollars, which I assume are similar to Register Rewards. The example given was 5,000 points equaling $5 and 40,000 points equal to $50. You can also earn points for programs such as Walk with Walgreens. Also similar to Register Rewards, you will not earn points for purchases where Redemption dollars are used. The complete rules and fine print can be found here.

Like any of the reward programs that seem to be offered everywhere we go these days, it appears that the Walgreens program will take some getting used to and some time to iron out any kinks that arise. I didn't find any information on how this program will affect the sales and promotions Walgreen currently utilizes, such as Register Rewards. I am unsure if Balance Rewards will be in addition to or in place of that program. I can definitely see a benefit in storing Register Rewards on a store card rather than printing them out and handing them to each customer. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out.

You can sign up for the Walgreens Balance Rewards program at any store or through your online account. Right now they are running a promotion which enters you in a contest for one million Reward Points for signing up online. It also gives additional entries for each referral. Signing up now will save you time when you pop into the store on the 16th or after and need the card for your purchases. Until your card arrives, they give you the option of using your phone number to access your savings. They also offer iPhone and Android apps to track your rewards and sales!

Friday is Mega Swagbucks day!

If you aren't already signed up for Swagbucks, you really need to be! It's the easiest rewards program I have tried since I began couponing last May. You can earn Swagbucks for a variety of things, including searching the internet and doing surveys...best of all, you can print coupons through Swagbucks and receive 10 Swagbucks per coupon redeemed. There are many prizes, including gift cards for which you can redeem your Swagbucks. I was able, in just a few months, to save up enough Swagbucks for a $50 Amazon gift card! Just click one of these banners to get started!

Excellent App for Traveling around town or across states!

I went on a very lengthy trip this weekend from Kent to St. Louis and back. When I got my first smartphone two months ago, I added some random free apps, one of which was called Gas Buddy. I liked the idea that I could check the gas prices around me with a couple of taps on my phone. The app is simple to use and and quick to install, it works wonderfully on my HTC EVO. It uses the GPS on your phone to access the data they have stored for your general location and gives you the prices of gas at gas stations local to you. You can search by location or price. It was very helpful on the trip as neither of us had made the trip before. We had no idea where to find the best gas prices and we were able to quickly access the prices and plan our stops according to what was cheap. You can go to the map and scroll further along your route to see what prices lie ahead of you. It worked beautifully across four states and impressed others enough that we got calls to find out the cheapest gas prices as we were leaving to head home.

In addition to the phone app, Gas Buddy has an interactive website that links you to a local website for your area and facebook page. The facebook page contains a lot of interesting information on how gas prices are determined and the various market areas in the U.S. The website contains fuel saving tips, runs contests to win free gas, and has a function that will help you log your trips to determine the gas mileage of your individual vehicle. The local website has a scroll at the top of the average gas prices in your area, how they are changing, the averages for the state and their status, and national averages. The data is gathered by individuals reporting prices and both the app and the website have easily accessed points where you can do this. I waited excitedly on our trip to find a place where Gas Buddy was incorrect and I could report a price, but alas, Gas Buddy was never wrong!

From the company facebook page:

Our mission is to serve motorists by providing a real time gas prices forum so that consumers can have access to the information necessary to locate the lowest fuel prices available. By working together as a community everyone will save money at the pumps.

GasBuddy.com was developed as an initiative to provide the general public with access to local current gas prices. This is an entirely free service that depends on users to input gas prices on a daily basis to keep the database of prices up to date. Since the price of gas is often extremely volatile, posted gas prices may vary as much as 20% within only a few blocks of each other. By having access to the most recent prices at GasBuddy.com consumers now are able to locate the most inexpensive fuel price in the city and fill up on a budget.

 Be sure to check for this app, or join the website if you are without a smartphone. Considering the price of gas these days, no one should be without a way to locate the best prices in their area!