Fresh$avers

There are many rules to follow to get the most savings at Walgreens.  

Here’s what you need to know:

Sale Dates:

Recently I discovered that weekly sale item tags now display an 8 day length starting on Saturday (prior to the start of the next day’s Sunday ad.)  The store I was in was a 24-hour Walgreens, so I’m not sure if this is true only for 24-hour stores or if you can get sale prices a day early in all stores now. 

Register Rewards:  

The Walgreens Register Reward program is a coupon system where you buy certain items or groups of items and when you pay at the register, the Catalina machine (coupon printer) will print a Register Reward coupon which can be used like cash during any subsequent transaction with a few stipulations.  Be sure to read all the rules below to take full advantage of your Register Rewards.

RR rule #1:  You must not use a Register Rewards coupon to purchase an item from the same manufacturer.  Example:  Robitussin and Advil are both made by Wyeth.  If you have a RR for Advil that you bought, you can’t use it to buy Robitussin.

RR rule #2:  You can only get one Register Reward coupon for any RR deal per transaction.  If you want more than one RR for the same item/set of items, you must ring the items up in a separate transaction.   You can do multiple deals in one transaction.  Example:  You can’t buy two Pantene conditioners and get two RR coupons in one transaction, but you can buy one Pantene conditioner and one Walgreens Omeprazole (generic Prilosec) and get two RR as long as the size/quantity stipulations are met for each RR deal.

RR rule #3:  The total number of Register Rewards and manufacturer coupons must not exceed the number of products in your transaction.  Example:  If you have five items in your cart then you cannot exceed a total of 5 manufacturer and RR coupons combined.

RR rule #4:  The value of the item you are purchasing must be equal or greater than the RR value.

RR rule #5:  Be sure to use your Register Rewards soon.  Most expire within two to three weeks.

Coupons:  

Walgreens has several ways to get coupons.  Be sure to review the rules for combining coupons too.

Where to get them:

1)      Printed Newspaper – weekly coupons are available in the Walgreens ad in most Sunday papers.  The same weekly ad is available in the store near the front door.

2)      Printed – In-Store Flyer – look for a single white sheet printed coupons near the store flyers at the front of the store.  These are seen frequently in some stores and not in others.  They may be labeled ‘Monthly In-Store Specials’.

3)      Printed – Monthly Coupon Booklet – look these near the store flyers at the front of the store. 

4)      Online Coupons – found at Walgreens.com.  Click Weekly Ad at the top and then look for the Extra Coupon heading.

1)      Children’s Activity Books – these are published yearly as near as I can tell.  Some people report that their pharmacy hands these out.  My local store sells these for .99 (the price marked on the cover.)  Be sure to check the date on the coupons inside – I’ve seen outdated ones still on the shelf.

2)      Pharmacy publications – look for any printed material.  Currently there is a Diabetes and You Magazine with several various coupons.  New editions of Diabetes and You come out seasonally.

3)      Bonus!  Text the word EMAIL to 35047 to receive discounts, coupons, and promo offers via email from Walgreens.  **standard text messaging rates will apply

At the Register:  

Combine Coupons:

1)      In addition to using manufacturer coupons and register rewards (which when combined are not to exceed the number of items) you may use one or MORE Walgreens coupons per item.  For example, if you have a coupons from the Children’s Activity Book and also from the Monthly Coupon Book you may use both in addition to any RR or manufacturer coupon for that item.  Some cashiers are uncertain about this, but most proceed as long as the register will ring it.

2)      ALWAYS hand over your manufacturer coupons before your store coupons.

3) When using Walgreens coupons, only one coupon is needed even if you are purchasing mutliple items.  For example, if you have a $1 coupon and buy 2 items, the cash register will automatically deduct $2 for one coupon.

Around the Store:  

Be sure to look for ORANGE tags around the store.  These are corporate clearance tags and should be the same in every store.

Clearance items are commonly consolidated to either the end cap near the back of the store in the corner near cosmetics or in the center seasonal aisle near the rear of the store, but may also be found throughout the store.