Saving Money and Tackling Teen Hygiene with the Walmart #SavingsCatcher

I’m helping my boys to get excited about good hygiene with some savvy shopping thanks to the Walmart Savings Catcher! This shopping experience is part of a sponsored post for Socialstars. All thoughts and opinions are that of Rural Mom.  #SavingsCatcher

Back-to-school shopping, for me, used to be simply about getting the best quality school supplies and clothing for the most reasonable price. Now that both of my boys are in middle school, I’m still all about quality and savings, but my number one priority has shifted to odor defense!

Let’s face it, preteen and teen boys are, well… stinky. Not to miss mentioning, they are plagued with other problems like acne and occasional bad breath and dandruff.

My responsibility as their mom is to encourage good hygiene habits to counter-act nature’s propensity for twisting teen hormones into an icky, smelly mess. If successful, it’s a win-win for everyone!

To take on this monumental task of odor combat, I needed a sound plan of attack:

1. Find a way to encourage my sons to want to have good hygiene habits
2. Not spend a fortune in the process or resort to excessive bribes

Now, the number one thing I’ve learned as a mom of three is that the key to getting a middle school-er to cooperate is to make sure that what you are proposing is both “cool” and most of all, their idea, not yours. I can lecture about good hygiene until the chickens roost but if it has no “wow” factor, it’s going to swim right out both ears that weren’t listening.

Enter Walmart. Two things I know about trips to Walmart:

1. My sons will be happy to go as they love to check out the game and toy aisles.
2. I’m going to find low prices on the products I want, and now I can even get price protection with the new Walmart Saving Catcher.

The Walmart Savings Catcher is a new program that helps ensure you always get the lowest price possible.  Walmart is committed to having the lowest prices and this tool allows you to be sure you can get the best price on the items you need without having to shop multiple locations.

Now (in select locations,) you can shop at Walmart, submit your receipt to the Savings Catcher and Walmart will scan competitors to find the lowest advertised price.  If your purchase price was more than the lowest price found, you’ll receive the difference on a Walmart e-Gift card.

I signed up for this handy tool at the Walmart Savings Catcher page and headed off to Walmart with my two sons to execute my master body odor-fighting plan.

Here’s where I think I deserve a pat on the back for momentary mommy brilliance in addition to shopping savvy… as we strolled past the health and beauty section of Walmart, I casually suggested to my boys that if they wanted, they could pick out their own bath products for the school year – any that they wanted, not just the ones on sale!

Now this might seem mundane, but trust me, their eyes simply lit up at the idea that they wouldn’t be subject to use whatever sale product mom brought home but would have say in the scents and style of products.  From my perspective, the decision to do this might cost me a little bit extra in the long run, but having them fully invested in and excited about hygiene products will be far more rewarding.

The reactions were priceless when they discovered they could snag “cool” products with scents they loved, tailored for men.  (They are still boys to me, but alas we are crossing the man bridge and being able to choose “manly” products really puffed their egos out!) 

To really make this an exciting deal, I picked up two shower caddies to house their new hygiene stash with the ulterior motive of helping them stay organized and keeping their items separated to avoid confusion.  It’s also a great way for me to keep up with who needs what item replaced during future shopping trips.

How do I know this was a true success in the war on stink?  Well after picking out all the necessities like deodorant, shampoo, body wash, toothbrushes, face wash and such, they were super eager to try them all out when we got home.  Chalk up one for mom, zero for stink!

My money saving efforts were a win, too.  I simply entered my receipt number and date of purchase into the Walmart Savings Catcher and the program did the rest.  A few days later, I had a comparison report and learned that three lowers prices had been found, netting me a rebate of $7.16!

Want to give Savings Catcher a whirl?  Keep these helpful tips in mind while shopping:

• Nationally branded grocery items like snack foods and beverages are easily compared.  Generic brands or Walmart branded items may not have a comparison available.
• Submitting receipts with 10 or more items will maximize your chance of having an item matched.
• Seasonal items like school supplies for back-to-school will have plenty of potential to be matched.

What I love best about the Walmart Savings Catcher?  It’s like having a little electronic security blanket for shopping.  I can purchase an item with confidence without having to shop around for a better price.

Now that I have money-saving shopping tactics in place and teen hygiene tackled… it’s onto addressing messy bedroom syndrome.  Wish me luck!

What are your back-to-school challenges?  Have you tried the Walmart Saving Catcher program?