Truth to the jingle: Save big money at Menards

Its jingle is a bit annoying, especially when it sticks in your head for a full afternoon. But I believe firmly you save big money at Menards.

The key to saving this big money is Menards’ rebate program. I tabulated my savings over the past 12 months: $431.

Out of all the home improvement stores, Menards stands out as offering the best deals, so long as you diligently submit store rebate forms. With that said, when I need hand-holding for projects and require advice on installing certain parts, I turn to traditional hardware stores, such as Ace or True Value. Traditional hardware stores can be a little more expensive, but the price is often worth paying if their staff can help you solve a project problem.

Rebates are now easier to claim

Getting back to the savings issue, Menards has recently made it easier to claim rebates. You used to need to send a separate form for each product qualifying for a rebate (unless the rebate was 11% of your total purchase). That meant sometimes filling out four or five forms, depending how many purchased items qualified for a rebate. Now, there’s just one form for all rebate receipts. This consolidation was long overdue, as one of my long-standing irritations was hunting for the proper rebate forms after checking out.

Menards rebates come as store credit, which isn’t a problem because Menards sells many necessities, from laundry detergent to toilet paper to water-softener salt. At the register, store credits act like cash. So, if you pay with store credit during an 11% rebate offer, you will get an 11% rebate on that store credit. Used strategically, these credits can earn interest.

Menards shopping strategies

During much of the coronavirus pandemic, Menards kept in place its 11% rebate on total purchases. By January 2021, Menards returned to offering rebates on individual products, which tend to be the most lucrative. During “normal” times, I shop Menards by monitoring their circulars and looking for the big rebates on individual products or brands. Some of the best rebates encompass an entire manufacturer’s line of goods, such as Clorox or Procter & Gamble products. With these offers, you can get a 25% rebate on purchases over $20 or $40.  My strategy has been to hold off on certain purchases–such as batteries, dish soap and garbage bags–until a rebate is offered, and then I load up.  

Some items rarely or never qualify for individual rebates. For these items, I keep a list on my refrigerator and then purchase them only when Menards offers the 11% rebate on the total purchase.

Occasionally, Menards runs a 15% discount on everything you can fit into a bag. You get this discount at the register, not as store credit.

Don’t forget about groceries

An overlooked part of Menards is the grocery section. I’ve had customers give me puzzled looks and ask me where I found the gallon jugs of milk in my cart. Some of them don’t know Menards sells food.

I have a weak spot for sparkling water and find some of the best deals on La Croix at Menards. The trick is to buy La Croix when it goes on sale, coupled with an 11% rebate, reducing the final cost of a 12-pack to under $4.

If you really want to pile on the savings, you can stack coupons on top of sales and rebates. I’ve purchased shampoo this way at less than $1 a bottle.

You’re not going to do your regular grocery shopping at Menards, but keep an eye out for good deals on staples, including cereal, coffee, tomato sauce, razor blades, and shampoo.

Read about my other favorite store

Response to criticism of Menards rebate programs

Finally, I’ll address the criticisms and complaints I sometimes encounter on the internet about the rebate program. Some people say they applied for but never received a rebate. I’ve applied for dozens of rebates over the years and have received my rebate every time.

I even received a rebate for a receipt that had been damaged in a kitchen incident involving toast and peanut butter. You could read the receipt, but barely.

All I can say to this criticism is that you need to pay close attention to the terms of the rebates. There is a mailing deadline and sometimes purchase limits. (I’ve had success receiving rebates on receipts submitted after the mailing deadline). If you follow program rules, you should have no problem receiving rebates or spending the store credit at the store. Rebates reward the most organized shoppers and, in general, are a more powerful savings tool than coupons.

Bottom line: You can save big money at Menards if you shop strategically.