Getting Started: Walgreens

Shopping at Walgreens is very rewarding, once you get the hang of all the little quirks that go along with coupon shopping there.  I started out with Walgreens, and did get frustrated at times when things wouldn't work out like I had planned, but I am glad I stuck with it and learned the ropes.  Trial and error is sometimes the best learning tool.  I find that once I make a mistake, I usually don't make that same mistake again there. 

You can find a wealth of information at the Walgreens blog http://www.iheartwags.com/ (also linked on my sidebar under money saving blogs). This blog usually has upcoming ads posted so you can look ahead at future sales to purchase or trade for coupons.   It also lists some great coupon match-ups and links to printables for the sale as well. 

Register Rewards:

* Walgreens prints out catalina coupons called "Register Rewards"(RR's). Usually these catalinas are tied to purchasing a particular product.
* RR's are usually manufacturer coupons and do not state that you can only redeem them at Walgreens.
* You can use coupons on the items you are purchasing to get the Register Rewards.
* You will only get one Register Reward per item per transaction. You can get multiple RR's in the same transaction as long as they are all on different items. If you want to get more than one of the same RR, split it out into seperate transactions.  
* If you purchased the right items and didn't get the RR, you can return the items before you leave the store, or call the catalina company at 888-322-3814. Have your receipt handy because they need some information from it.  They will be able to see if the machine was working properly and if you bought the correct items to generate the RR.  If everything looks like you should have gotten the RR, then they will mail one to you. 
* If you use a RR to pay for a transaction that you are expecting to get a RR from, then you will want to be sure not to use one that is from the same parent comapny as the product you are expecting the RR on.  If you pay with a RR from a company that is issuing a RR, it won't print.  (RR's usually don't "roll" at Wags.)
* In the fine print on the RR's there is a list of things that they can't be used on such as tobacco, liquor, lottery tickets, gift cards, etc.
* RR's are just like cash - only with an expiration date.  Don't let them expire!  Use it or loose it!

Store Coupons:

* Walgreens puts out some great store coupons, there are always several coupon books with Walgreens specific coupons at any given time. 
* Walgreens weekly sale flyer usually has store coupons in it.
* You can also find printable store coupons on their website. 
* The pharmacy area is a great place to find a lot of their coupon books. 
* There is also a monthly coupon book that is usually located up in the front of the store by the sale flyers. 
* Walgreens also puts out a children's coloring/activity book that has great coupons in it. 
* Remember, store coupons can be "stacked" with manufacturer coupons on the same item.  You can even use TWO different Walgreens store coupons and a manufacturer coupon on one item as long as both Walgreens store coupons have different numbers (on the bar code). 
* ALWAYS hand over the manufacturer coupons first and then the store coupons.  (This is the only way that you will get overage, if the store coupons are scanned first, you will never get the overage.)
* You only need one store coupon per transaction, not per item.  If you have a store coupon on a particular item and you are purchasing two of that item, you only have the cashier scan the coupon once and the register will deduct the amount of the coupon times two (the number of that particular item you are buying).
* You DO NOT need to give the cashier the store coupon, you can just have them scan it and then you keep it.  You always want to hang onto those store coupons, they could be very valuable in the future too.   You don't even need to cut the coupon from the flyer or coupon book, just have them scan it right out of the book and then put the book in your bag or purse.

Some other things to remember when shopping at Wags:

* You must have the same number of items as manufacturer coupons.  If you are paying with a RR, these count as a manufacturer coupon.  If you need to you may have to find some cheap "filler" items to boost your item number so you can use all your coupons.  Some great fillers are cheap candy, gum, etc. or other things that are generating a RR that you don't already have manufacturer coupons for.  Sometimes they have holiday pencils that make great fillers, or grab a can of pop or bottle of water.  Anything works!  Walgreens store coupons do not count toward your number of items when figuring in how many coupons you can use.

* Many Walgreens stores keep manufacturer coupons behind the counter, all clipped out and ready to go.  If there's a coupon that you are looking for, ask - they just may have it there for you to use. 

I LOVE shopping at Wags, but I am not really fond of playing their game when it comes to rolling the RR's into other transactions.  I usually get all the deals with RR's and then go do my grocery shopping at Jewel and "spend" the RR's there....it's just so much easier and less hassle.