The Basic Bits of Walgreens

Ok before I start, there are a few things you need to know about Walgreens. Basically there are a few ways to save when shopping at Walgreens: The Weekly Flier, The EasySaver Catalog, Stacking Coupons and Register Rewards.

1- The Weekly Flier is obviously an advertisement for what their sales are that week, but also there are numerous coupons to be used. For example, the flier will have a coupon for Dawn Dish Soap for $.99, but in order to get it for that price the coupon must be used. Sometimes the salesperson will have one at the register and will scan it for you, but many times they won't. You wouldn't want to purchase the item at regular cost if it's on sale, so it's better to be prepared with your own coupon, but you don't have to cut it out to use it, just show it to the cashier and they will scan it. Also, that coupon might have a limit on it. For instance, the dawn dish soap coupon might say "limit 4" which means if you purchase 4 dawn soaps in one transaction, you can use only one coupon and it will ring all 4 soaps for $.99 automatically.

2- The EasySaver Catalog is a rebate booklet that can be found next to the store fliers inside the store, which are normally by the shopping carts. Be sure to grab one before you start to shop. This booklet has Walgreens coupons inside called Instant Value Coupons aka IVC. These compuons are considered "store coupons" so they can be stacked with manufature coupons for even bigger savings, which is how you get the item FREE some of the time. Again, you do not have to clip these coupons if you do not want to.

3- Stacking Coupons is allowed at Walgreens, but there is a catch. You must have the same number of items as you do coupons. For instance, you might have a Buy one candy, get one free coupon. So you pick up the 2 kinds of candy and you also have a store coupon for $1.00 off 2 candies PLUS a manufature coupon for $.25 off 1 candy. Well since you have 3 coupons, all for the same candy, but only 2 candies, you will need to grab what is referred to many times as a "filler" item to take place of the 3rd item to match with 3 coupons. It sounds more confusing that it is. It doesn't matter if you use 3 coupons for one item, you just have to have 3 items total in the transaction. Don't worry, I'll explain this more when we get to the deals.

4-Register Rewards, also referred to as RR's, is a coupon that will print out after you complete a transaction that is like getting cash to spend at Walgreens. You earn Register Rewards by buying the qualifying item that is listed in the weekly flier. There are usually only a few of these items per week, but some of them are great and FREE after RR, which is a total steal! There are two rules with Register Rewards: 1)You can not use a RR to buy the same product and get another RR! For example: If you buy chapstick for $1.99 and get $2 RR back, you can not turn around and use the $2 RR to buy another chapstick. The RR will not print. It must be used to purchase ANOTHER brand item. 2)In order to use the RR your total BEFORE tax must be equal or more than the RR. So, using the chapstick example... If I had a $3 RR from another product and the chapstick is $1.99 I can not use the RR on the chapstick because the total is less than the RR. So I would need to add a filler item to bring my total to $3 to use my $3 RR.

Now, you got that? Hope so, because it's time to GO!!!! So grab your coupons, sissors and let's get ready to SHOP!