It seems that more of you have Walgreens nearby, so we’re going to talk about Walgreens first and CVS later.
The drug store deals take a little extra work, but for the extra effort, the payback is very good. If you simply walk through CVS or Walgreens, you would probably say that the prices are generally higher than your grocery store or Wal-Mart prices, but when you learn how to shop at the drugstores, you realize that there’s no place you’d rather shop!
The biggest part of learning about shopping at either of the drug stores is learning how to use the loyalty programs. Walgreens’ loyalty program is called Register Rewards. You don’t have to sign up for this at all. It is an automatic program. When you look through the ad, look for items that are listed as having Register Rewards attached. When you buy items with Register Rewards, when you check out, the register prints out an extra ticket along with your receipt. This extra ticket, your Register Reward, functions like a coupon that applies to the balance of your next purchase. The next time you make a purchase, present your coupons in this order: manufacturer’s and store coupons, RR and then finish the balance with your cash. It’s so much fun to watch the balance drop as those coupons get scanned in!
Sometimes items are listed as free after Register Rewards. If you have coupons for that item as well, you’ve really hit the jackpot. Say you find that Walgreens is selling toothpaste for 2.99 per tube, but you get 2.99 in Register Rewards when you buy it. If you have a $.50 off coupon, you only pay 2.49 for the toothpaste, but you get back 2.99 in Register Rewards.
Walgreens has many sales listed in the circular besides RR deals, and there are also often store coupons in the circular. These sales and coupons can be combined with your manufacturer’s coupons to save even more. For example, if you have two coupons for a buy one get one free sale or a buy one get one half off sale, use both coupons and see just how little you have to pay for those two items.
Some Walgreens shoppers do multiple transactions per visit. That way, you buy a few items per transaction and use the Register Rewards from one transaction to pay for the next transaction. It’s pretty incredible, though I’ve not had the inclination to try that out more than once. But if you do want to try it, I will help you sort it out if you’d like. One thing you need to know when you do multiple transactions is that you can’t “roll” the RR. That means you can’t use the RR from one transaction to buy the same item on a future transaction and receive the RR again. You can receive RR each transaction, but they need to be on different items. Just remember if you try this out, be polite. Multiple transactions can take a little while, so let other people go ahead of you. It’s only fair. You’re spending a lot less than they are, so have pity and let them pay full price first.
Each month, Walgreens puts out a booklet that is kept in the store next to the circulars. Make sure to look it over (lists of included coupons are usually available online at the great deal blogs) and match it up with the manufacturer’s coupons you’ve gathered.
If your coupon is for more than the price of the item you’re redeeming it for, the coupon will be adjusted. You won’t find the Walgreens clerk giving you money back (unless you count your RR that is!)
If you get a coupon from Walgreens that says $ off $$ - if you spend so much you get so much off your purchase, keep in mind that the total purchase has to be after all of your coupons have been applied.
A very important thing to remember when you’re putting together your deals is that at Walgreens, your number of coupons cannot exceed your number of purchased items in a transaction, including your RR. It’s really easy to remedy, so long as you keep it in mind. If you’re going to purchase five items, but you’re using eight coupons to do it, you need to purchase three more items in order for all the coupons to run. One of my couponing friends keeps a list of small house essentials that she purchases when she needs a “filler” item. That can include batteries, pens and pencils, or really any other item that you’ll use anyway.
Here’s an example:
This Saturday, I am going to Walgreens for one item. I don’t usually make a trip for just one item, but it’s too good a deal to pass up. I’ve become attached to a particular brand of floss, and it is on sale for $3.50. The monthly Walgreens coupon booklet has a coupon for $2.00 off. I have a manufacturer’s coupon that is for $.75 off. And last week, I bought a bottle of Listerine mouthwash that earned me $1 RR. If you’re keeping track, that puts me at one item and three coupons. And with a negative cost of $.25 before tax. But I need two more items. I’m not sure yet what they will be, but I’m hoping to get two things that are less than $1.00 together. So for this nice floss and a couple of other items, it will put me around a $1.00 OOP.
What was that you were telling me about how your grocery store is so much cheaper than the drug stores?
If you have any questions about shopping at Walgreens, please feel free to ask. It can be a little overwhelming at first, but it’s worth taking the time to figure it out.
Here is a link to the Walgreen's coupon policy. You might want to look it over and even print it out and keep it with you when you shop. Sometimes the cashiers don't know policies as well as they should. :) Walgreens Coupon Policy
(If you do more research online about shopping at Walgreens, you might find something called an Easy Saver or rebate booklet. Unfortunately, they don’t do that program anymore.)
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