WALGREENS

So I thought I would do a post on Walgreen shopping. I know that some of those who may read this blog have been trying to learn how to shop at Walgreens. I am still not very confident when I go try to shop there. It seems that they vary greatly from store to store as to what the policy is and if you don't get a very friendly checker, things can not go so well.

That being said, there are some really good deals to be found there. This weekend, they have a few items that when they are bought print out a Register Rewards which can be used on almost anything in the store, thus your product is basically free. The trick is that you can't use a Register Reward to then pay for the same product, but you can use it to buy another product of a different kind and get the Register Reward from that product. This creates the need to do multiple transactions, and again some stores will let you do as many as you want and others won't let you do more than one.

They also have the policy where you have to have coupon to item ratio, so if you are using a coupon and want to use a Register Reward to pay for it, you need to make sure you have an item per coupon and a Register Reward is considered a coupon so make sure to have a "filler" item to match with it. You get the best deal if you can keep your filler item low. You also cannot pay for any tax with a Register Reward, so double check your price exactly before heading up to pay. Also, there is sometimes a small pamphlet that Walgreens put out that has store coupons in it. You can usually combine these with Manufacture coupons to get a really good deal. They are often found right at the front of the store as you walk in or else back by the pharmacy, so keep you eye out of those. I have not yet seen them, but they say the December booklet should be out in stores

I love to read the blog I Heart Wags She has some great scenarios every week and usually ends up with a profit in the end. It is quite amazing to watch. The other blog I want to share is Kingdom First Mom who puts on a Walgreens $5 Challenge
every week where she list a scenario for Walgreens that week spending under $5. She then has a spot for other bloggers to link their $5 scenario that you can click on to get some more ideas. Some of them start out with Register Rewards from the previous week, others start out with nothing. It is a great way to learn the ropes and to start out slowly in building up the some hygiene products and medicine without having to spend a lot at one time. Also, if something goes wrong (as I am sure it will once in awhile) you are not out very much.

And finally, for those that are visual learners, and learn by watching Hip 2 Save has a Follow Me Monday video on her blog you can go and follow her as she does her shopping and explains a few things.

Good luck on your shopping trip! And remember it is okay to ask questions, find out when the really helpful checker is working, it makes a huge difference. And one last tip I have been given is it is often better to check out at the cosmetic counter when using a lot of coupons or doing a lot of transactions. The line is always shorter, and the cashier is usually a lot more helpful!

Thanks Hip 2 Save , Kingdon First Mom and I Heart Wags for all the great info and help!