This month has been very exciting to me because I feel like I am totally in my groove with Walgreens. If you notice, for the last two weeks, my out of pocket expenses have been $0 with each and every transaction. How does she do it? I will tell you!!! I love to share! In the past, I have enjoyed CVS more because their system is easy to use and the savings are instantaneous. The only things I didn't like about CVS were their limits on how many times you could do a deal and the small OOP that you regularly had to pay with each transaction. With Walgreens, I have been able to do a few little things to make sure I have $0 OOP:
1. Purchase several monthly rebate items. With each month (if you get a gift card with your rebate reward on it), you will get an automatic 10% added to the amount of Rebate items you purchased. So if you purchased $30 of rebates the first month you will actually get $33 on the gift card. Then, if you spend that $33 dollars on rebate items for the next month, you will get $36.30 the next month. This amount can grow for you. At some point, I think you may find it difficult to roll the entire amount into other rebate items, but you should still be able to grow that amount a little bit each month.
2. When purchasing new rebate items, use manufacturer coupons, IVCs, and Register Rewards to lower the amount that you actually spend on those rebate items. Notice in my last post that my OOP (paid for with my gift card) was $.24 and yet I earned a $2 rebate for the Glade and a $2 rebate for the Oust.
3. Use your gift card rebate money to pay for your OOP expenses. If you are rolling those register rewards and utilizing your coupons you should be able to keep your OOP fairly low. That gift card rebate money will go far. If you are careful, it should not only pay for your next month rebates, but also cover those
small expenses with each transaction. Making your OOP $0 every time. That initial investment, purchasing monthly rebate items, will go very far!4. Plan out your transactions. This was the hardest part for me at first, but the more I do it the better I get. It takes less time each week to get prepared for my shopping trips. A little bit of planning can go a long way in your savings. Use a calculator and figure out some transactions that will allow you to get your rebate items and roll the RR with a low OOP each time.
That's it! I have to admit, in the beginning of this coupon adventure, I really was intimidated by Walgreens and couldn't see why anyone would shop there. Now, I see the benefits of the system and like it even better than CVS. HTH! Good luck!!!
**Note: Since this post Walgreens has eliminated their Rebate program, but still offers their Register Reward Program. Unfortunately, this makes it a little harder to get $0 transactions, however, good deals are still available with a little planning.
8 comments:
i want to be you when i grow up. this whole couponing thing is intimidating. it's hard! you really do have to plan everything out. the most frustrating thing for me is there are so many people here who coupon, that there is not much left at walgreens when i go. my sil and i even went monday morning at 12:01 (questionalble, i know) and there was not much to choose from. so frustrating!!! but dangit... i'm not giving up! thanks for sharing your smarts with us!
Keep at it Bonnie and be sure to get your rainchecks if they are out of a deal. I am always getting rainchecks so that as soon as the sale is over and they are restocked I can cash in on the deal. Every time you go to Walgreens, pick up a raincheck. For CVS, I believe you are limited as to the number of rainchecks you can cash in on, but sometimes you can really get a better deal with the raincheck depending on when you cash it in and what kind of coupons are out at that point.
BTW--I have done the 12:01 thing too. Haha! Sometimes it is so irresistible. I know for CVS their weekly deals go into the computer saturday evening. Check with your favorite store as to when the deals actually begin. Maybe they start before Sunday. GL!
it's the rr they are alway out of. can you get a raincheck for a rr?
Hey good info Ali. I'm just starting to do more Walgreens stuff too, so this helps. But I heard a rumor that this is the last month for easy saver rebates! I'm hoping it's not true, but I've seen it in several different forums.
Bonnie--sad to say but you cannot get a raincheck on a RR. The register reward is preprogrammed into the machine so they can't print one off for you even if they make an error in your transaction. Usually in those cases they will refund you the RR amount on a gift card or something. You can get it for an ECB deal though. Sorry! But if it is for a sale price or a rebate you can so at least take advantage of it in those situations.
Garnet--I have heard those same rumors since I started in November. I have no idea what they will do, but I am hoping it isn't true because it is such a great program as it is. ;) With some of these rumors, I kind of feel skeptical even though I have also heard it in several different forums. People have also said it about the CVS monthly deals as well. Who knows. Cross our fingers it is all conjecture. ;)
I've been reading your blog and would really to understand how to do this better. It does seem overwhelming. How do I get started?
Thanks
Candy
Hi Candy! Have you read each of the 101 educational posts? They are intended to give you the basic information needed to begin shopping with coupons. I would start there. ;)
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