Walgreens 101

I have had several people ask for more information about how to shop at Walgreens. I've been meaning to write a post about it for several weeks, but I keep putting it off. Let me start out by saying that Walgreens is definitely the most difficult store to understand, and I don't think you will truly understand how to effectively use coupons and Register Rewards until you go in and try deals yourself. Once you learn how to work your coupons at Walgreens you will be AMAZED at how much you can save!!

Some Basics at Walgreens:

Weekly Ads
You'll find a Walgreens ad in your newspaper each Sunday. Walgreens ads run from Sunday until the following Saturday. If you happen to not get an ad in your newspaper they are available by the front door at most Walgreens. (You can also browse the weekly ad at www.walgreens.com). In order to effectively shop at Walgreens you need to look through the ad and see what the deals are for the week. You will NOT get good deals at Walgreens unless you learn how to effectively shop the weekly sales! Every week I try to post the Register Reward deals for the weeks and tell you what coupons to use to maximize your savings with these deals.

Register Rewards (RRs)
Each week Walgreens will run several special promotions where if you buy a certain product you will receive a Register Reward. When you purchase an item that will generate a Register Reward, a catalina coupon will print by the cash register. The cashier will hand this to you along with your receipt once you have made your purchase. The Register Reward is a manufacturer's coupon that can be used to purchase other items at Walgreens. (With a few exceptions...prescriptions, tobacco, alcohol, stamps, lottery) When you receive a Register Reward be sure to keep it in a place where you won't lose it...it is like cash and cannot be replaced if you lose it!!

Register Reward Restrictions
-A Register Reward is a manufacturer coupon. It is not a coupon for a specific product, but can be used to lower your total purchase price. If you have a $4.00 Register Reward that you want to use, you must purchase at least $4.00 of merchandise...can't use a $4.00 Register Reward to pay for $3.50 of merchandise.
-If you buy two of the exact same products that will generate a Register Reward in one transaction, only one Register Reward will print out at the register.
Example...if Herbal Essence Shampoo will generate a $2.00 Register Reward this week, and you decide to buy 2 Herbal Essence Shampoos at one time, only one $2.00 Register Reward will print, BUT if you break your trip up into two different transactions...Transaction 1: You will receive a $2.00 Register Reward, and Transaction 2: You will receive a $2.00 Register Reward. Note, this is only the case if you are buying multiples of the exact same deal. If you were to buy 3 different products that will generate 3 different Register Rewards in one transaction, all three will print Register Rewards.
-You can not "ROLL" your Register Rewards into the same deal.
Example: Buy Herbal Essence Shampoo and receive a $2.00 Register Reward. If you buy it the first time a $2.00 Register Reward will print, but if you then try to go back through the store and buy Herbal Essence Shampoo again and use the $2.00 Register Reward you just earned to pay for it, you will be able to use the Register Reward, but a new Register Reward will NOT print.
-Register Rewards cannot be "rolled" into a deal by the same manufacturer.
Example: You have a Register Reward that you earned from buying a Proctor and Gamble product. If you use this Register Reward to try to buy another product from Proctor and Gamble that is supposed to issue an additional Register Reward, a new Register Reward will not print.

Make Money From Register Rewards
-Anytime you earn a higher value Register Reward than your out of pocket expense it is considered a money maker.
Example: Gillette Body Wash is priced at $4.50, and you will earn a $4.50 Register Reward when you buy one. You have a coupon for $2.00 off Gillette Body Wash from the newspaper. You will then pay $2.50 and receive a $4.50 Register Reward. You have earned more than you spent.
Note...a lot of coupon sites will say that you received the product FREE and made a profit of $2.00. I believe that is a little misleading...You will still have the initial cost of $2.50, but you will make a profit of $2.00 (not in actual cash, but in "store cash" in the form of a Register Reward).

How to Save the Most at Walgreens
-Roll your Register Rewards from one Transaction to another.
Remember you can't "roll" your Register Reward from one deal and do the exact same deal, but you can roll them on different deals.
Example: Buy Herbal Essence, and receive a $2.00 Register Reward. Then buy Gillette Body Wash. Use the $2.00 Register Reward that you just earned, and receive an additional $4.50 Register Reward. You can continue to roll these Register Rewards in a number of ways!
Once you earn your first Register Reward you will be able to take this Register Reward and purchase other items that will earn you even more Register Rewards. You can roll Register Rewards from deal to deal. By rolling your Register Rewards you will be AMAZED at how much you will reduce your out of pocket expense week after week. Some people only buy products that will generate more Register Rewards, and some people take Register Rewards that they've earned and use them to lower the price of grocery/cleaning/toiletry staples that they have a hard time finding a good deal on.

Walgreens Coupons:
-Walgreens has a monthly coupon book filled with Walgreens coupons. These are considered store coupons and can be combined with manufacturer's coupons to double up on savings. These are found at the front of the store next to their weekly ads. If you have a hard time finding them, ask a cashier and they should be able to help you.
-You'll also be able to find coupons in the actual weekly ad. These are again store coupons and can be combined with manufacturer's coupon.
NOTE...with Walgreens store coupons, if you are buying 3 of one particular item that you have a Walgreens store coupon for...you will not need 3 different Walgreens store coupons. If you hand the cashier 1 Walgreens store coupon, it will deduct the amount from each item that you have purchased. THIS IS NOT THE CASE FOR MANUFACTURER'S COUPONS!
-You will also find Walgreens store coupons online at walgreens.com
-Combine Walgreens store coupons with manufacturer's coupons to maximize your savings! (This is called "stacking").

Coupon to Item Ratio:
-When you are checking out at Walgreens you MUST have an equal number of products to manufacturer's coupons. (Walgreens store coupons do NOT count in this equation...ONLY manufacturer's coupons!!) If you buy 3 products, you will only be able to use 3 coupons. If you try to use a fourth coupon, the register will beep and you will not be able to use it. Why is this important? The Register Reward is considered a manufacturer's coupon. If you have more coupons than products, you should look through the store and find a small, inexpensive "filler" item so that you will be able to use an additional coupon.
Example: You are buying 3 Gillette Body Washes, and you want to use 3 $2.00 off Gillette body wash coupons. You also have an additional $4.00 Register Reward to use. Now you have 3 products and 4 coupons...pick up a pencil, small pack of gum, or clearance item...now you will have four items and four coupons and you will be able to use all of your coupons!!

Order to Hand Coupons to Cashier:
When you are checking out at Walgreens, you should hand your coupons to the cashier in this order: Register Rewards, manufacturer's coupons, and finally Walgreens store coupons.

I know all of this seems very confusing and overwhelming, but I promise that once you get the hang of it, you will be saving so much money and be having so much fun doing it!! If you are just beginning, I would suggest going through the Walgreens ad and finding just one deal that will generate a Register Reward. Go to Walgreens and just do this deal...buy one product and receive one Register Reward. The next week look through the ad again and use your Register Reward that you received from your first trip to lower the cost of your second trip. Once you see how easy it is, you'll be rolling Register Rewards left and right and barely breaking a dollar bill! :)

All of the examples that I've used are just examples. Look through the ad and find some real Register Reward deals, or go to my latest Walgreens Ad/Coupon Match Up to find some deals!!