Adventures in the Drug Store Game: Walgreens

As I promised another post about The Drug Store Game.  This one focuses on Walgreens and the Register Rewards program.  This helpful information is from My Sweet Savings.  I think her directions and explaination is the best out there right now.  She is who I first learned from in my endevors to play the Drug Store Game.

Shopping at Walgreens, in many ways, is a lot like shopping at CVS. Like the Extra Care Program at CVS, Walgreens also has a rewards program called the Register Rewards Program. When you purchase certain products or a certain dollar amount of an item, you will receive a coupon called a Register Reward for your purchase. This coupon is valid on your next purchase and is to be used as a form of payment.

The best way to maximize your savings at Walgreens and to get items for FREE or for pennies on the dollar is to combine a manuf. Coupon with your Register Rewards.

Here are some of the most important things that you need to know for shopping at Walgreens:
-Shopping at Walgreens does not require a store loyalty card like CVS does.
-You will only receive Register Rewards one time per each deal for each transaction that you make.
For example:
 Colgate toothpaste is on sale for $1.99 with $1 Register Reward you will need to make separate transactions if you wish to receive more than one Register Reward. You cannot purchase 2 tubes of Colgate in one transaction and receive 2 Register Rewards-your transactions must be separate if you wish to receive multiple Register Rewards for the same deals.

-You cannot roll your Register Rewards at Walgreens on like or the same items. Unlike CVS, where you can roll an ECB from one deal and do the same deal again to pay very little Out of Pocket Expense, you cannot do this at Walgreens.
You can, however, use the Register Reward that you received from  one deal to purchase another item that is producing a Register Reward and still receive a Register Reward back for that purchase. I know this seems very confusing and unfortunately, that is the way that the system at Walgreens works!
Example: 
You can take your $1 Register Reward from purchasing the Colgate toothpaste and apply that towards a purchase for Herbal Essences Shampoo which is $2.99 that week with $2 in Register Rewards. Then, if you wish, you can use that Register Reward to turn around and buy the Colgate again.  You could keep rolling back and forth between the two deals if you choose to do so, just remember that you cannot roll Register Rewards on like items and you should be good to go!

Like CVS, Walgreens offers their own store coupons that you can stack with manufacturer’s Coupons to really maximize your savings even more!
Walgreens store coupon s typically come in two different forms:

Weekly Ad Coupons-these are the coupons that will be in the weekly Walgreens flier. You can stack those coupons with any manufacturer’s coupons that you have to score FREE or very inexpensive items.

IVC (Instant Value Coupons) These coupons can be found in the monthly Walgreens coupon booklet which is usually located next  to the weekly flier.

You cannot have more coupons than items in your transaction at Walgreens. This is a very important tip to remember when shopping at Walgreens! If you have 6 items in your shopping basket but you have 8 coupons, you will need to have a couple of small filler items. (candy bar, gum. Pencil, something from the clearance section) If you don’t have filler items, the register will beep at the cashier and you will not be able to use all of your coupons. Important Note: IVC coupons and Weekly ad coupons should not make the cash register beep if you have more coupons than items in your transaction. It is typically when you have several Register Rewards with manufacturer’s coupons and more coupons than items that causes this to happen. Did you know that those Register Rewards are really manufacturer’s coupons? That is why the register will beep if you have more manuf. Coupons than items in your shopping basket!
Example:
You are purchasing Tylenol for $4.99. You have a $2 manufacturer’s coupon and a $2 Register Reward from a previous purchase. You have two coupons, but you are only purchasing one item. You will need to have a small filler item to cover that extra coupon.

You should hand over your coupons in a certain order when shopping at Walgreens. Typically, I like to hand over my coupons in this order:

• Manufacturer’s Coupons first
• Any Walgreens weekly ad coupons or IVC coupons secondly
• Register Rewards last

If you hand over your coupons in this order, you will be able to receive Overage on occasion if your store allows. With that being said, I highly suggest that you print out a copy of the Walgreens Store Coupon Policy HERE and keep it with you at all times.  It is Walgreens policy to adjust a coupon value down if it is more than the price of the item. You will find when couponing that this will happen on occasion. This is a way to add items to your stockpile for FREE!

Search for Money-Making Deals!
Example:
This week at Walgreens, they have Neuragen PN Pain Relief Topical Solution on sale for $14.99 each with $10 in Register Rewards.
Use the $10/1 manufacturer’s coupon from the 12/5 RP insert
Pay $4.99 OOP and receive back a $10 RR! You will come out ahead $5.01 on this purchase! This is what we call a money-making deal! You will only pay $4.99 of your own money, but in the end you will $10 in Walgreen’s money (Register Rewards) to use on your next trip at Walgreens…..very sweet indeed!

Treat Register Rewards like Cash! These are really a form of payment and if they are lost or stolen. Walgreens will not be able to reissue them for you.

Watch those expiration dates on your Register Rewards! Unlike CVS, where your ECB’S (Extra Care Bucks) have a month-long expiration date, Register Rewards expire 2 weeks from the time that they are issued. Watch your expiration dates very closely! I have had several Register Rewards expire on me before and that is no fun to a die-hard couponer like me who pinches every penny!

Don’t forget to donate your extra items! I love to help others and donate my extra stockpile to those in need whenever possible. If you are new to couponing, you will quickly find out just how easy it is to accumulate FREE items! Donate some to those in need!