4 Secrets to Saving Money at Rite Aid

Don't shop at Rite Aid without reading this.

Rite Aid is a pharmacy where you can get prescription drugs, but it is also much more than that. The drugstore sells a wide variety of items, from personal care products such as cosmetics and toothpaste to grocery and home items.

Rite Aid's prices are pretty competitive, with the store often offering deals comparable to or better than what you might find at grocery or warehouse stores. And there are some steps you can take to make those deals even better, so you save even more money as a Rite Aid shopper and charge less on your credit cards.

Here are four tips to reduce your Rite Aid spending while still getting the same products you love.

1. Sign up for Rite Aid rewards

Rite Aid offers a loyalty program that enables you to earn points that you can redeem for bonus cash. You can sign up online for your Rite Aid Rewards membership and earn points for purchases made in-store or online. When you pick up prescriptions at Rite Aid, you'll get points for this as well.

Once you've earned 1,000 points, you can qualify for $2 in BonusCash to spend. You can also take advantage of periodic promotions, such as a BonusCash Challenge that enables you to earn up to $100 in bonus cash just by selecting "challenges" to complete. These usually involve buying certain amounts of a specific brand or type of product.

2. Shop with coupons

Rite Aid accepts manufacturer coupons for products. The company also offers its own digital coupons you can access online. You can sign into your Rite Aid rewards account, clip the online coupons directly into your rewards account, and save when you shop for the discounted products.

If you can combine manufacturer coupons with special Rite Aid deals in store, you may be able to get a wide variety of personal care products, cosmetics, or other drugstore finds for just pennies on the dollar.

3. Take advantage of benefits for seniors if you qualify

If you are 65 or over, you can also take advantage of Rite Aid Rewards 65+. This is a free program for seniors that offers benefits like five times the Rite Aid Rewards points for all shopping done on Wednesday.

Rite Aid Rewards 65+ members also get a free pharmacist consultation so they can get help reviewing medications, immunizations, blood pressure testing, Medicare Part D issues, and more.

The extra points you earn can help you score bonus cash faster. And your consultation with the pharmacist could potentially help you pick the right Medicare prescription drug plan and save substantially on the pills you need.

4. Sign up for promotional emails

Getting a bunch of junk in your inbox isn't fun, but if you have an email address you're willing to share with Rite Aid, you could actually end up getting some valuable offers sent to you.

You can sign up for the Rite Aid email list online and will be sent exclusive offers available only to email members. This can help you spend less on items you might need to help maintain your health and well-being.

By taking these four steps, you can keep more of your hard-earned money the next time you head to Rite Aid to pick up some of the essentials.