Walgreens Trip 1/1/12 Lots of product, lessons learned

Retail Value: $85.91

Total OOP $12.07 + tax, received $3 in RR

Net Spend = $9.07!!

One of my 2012 resolutions is to branch out to other drug stores more rather than just CVS (which I do still love).  My first addition this week is Walgreens.  Next week, I'll be adding Rite Aid.

Since I've mostly been shopping at CVS with an occasional trip to Walgreens, I've become old hat at CVS policies but Walgreens and Rite Aid are definitely "newbies" for me.  Rite Aid, more so than Walgreens.  With new stores, comes new learning experiences.  Policies, rewards, new managers to befriend, etc.

Yesterday, I had planned 4 transactions, but ended up having to do 5.  Having been used to the CVS policy that if the reward requires a certain dollar amount to be purchased, it doesn't matter what coupons you use (store or manufacturer) after you've achieved the amount required, you will still receive the reward.  Walgreens is NOT the same. I was already a student of filler items, but this was a new lesson for me.  If a reward requires a dollar amount to be spent, store coupons will be deducted first and do not count towards the amount required.  I'll show you more as I get thru the transactions.

Thanks to a wonderful Asst Mgr and a patient cashier, I feel that I now have a strong understanding of Walgreens and am excited to add it to my weekly stockpile arsenal.

Before starting my transactions, I had $1 Register Reward (RR) from my paper products purchase Friday night.

Transaction #1
Aussie Sprunch Spray $2.99, receive $1 RR
Muscletech Protein Bar $1.99, receive $1.99 RR
Used $1/1 Aussie/Herbal Essence q 
and $1 RR
Total OOP $ 2.98 + tax, received $1 and $1.99 RR

Transaction #2
(4) Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Meds $4.99/each, spend $15 receive $5 RR
EOS lip balm $2.99, receive $2 RR
Hunts Tomato Sauce $.39 filler (with in ad q)
Used (4) $2/1 Alka Seltzer Plus 
and (4) $2/1 Alka Seltzer Walgreens q (Jan coupon book)
and $2.99 in RRs from transaction #1
Total OOP $4.34 + tax, received $2 RR for EOS, not my Alka Seltzer RRs

This is where I learned that by using the Walgreens coupons, my total was under $15 and it would not trigger the RR.  The asst. manager explained to me that if I bought one more,  he would manually trigger it.  Thank goodness I brought my binder and had another Alka Seltzer Plus coupon! 

Transaction #3
(1) Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Meds $4.99/each, spend $15 receive $5 RR
Used (1) $2/1 Alka Seltzer Plus 
and (1) $2/1 Alka Seltzer Walgreens q (Jan coupon book)
Total OOP $.99 + tax, received $5 RR 
Oh and I received (2) coupons for FREE Breathe Right Strips up to $7.49!! one for each transaction!!!

Transaction #4
(2) Triaminic Multi Symptom Fever Reducer $5/each, buy 2 receive $5 RR
Aussie Sprunch Spray $2.99, receive $1 RR
Q Tips $1.99 filler (with in ad q)
Hunts Tomato Sauce $.39 filler (with in ad q)
Used (2) $3/1 Triaminic fever reducer
and $1/1 Aussie/Herbal Essence q
and $6 in RRs from Transactions #2 and #3
Total OOP $1.37 + tax, received $5 and $1 RRs


Transaction #5
Honey Nut Cheerios, Banana Nut Cheerios and (2) Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal
Buy 4 for $10, receive $3 RR
Neutragena Mascara on clearance $5.19
(2) Marshmallow Santas $.10 each fillers
Used (2) $.50 off Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal coupons.com printables
and  $1/2 Cheerios coupons.com printables
and  $2/1 Neutragena lip, eye cosmetics Walgreens Jan booklet
and $3/1 Neutragena cosmetic All You Magazine Dec 2011
and $6 in RRs from Transaction #4
Total OOP $2.39 + tax, received $3 in RRs