Walgreens--Where Did I Go Wrong?

I hardly ever go to Walgreens because I find it to be more of a hassle than CVS and the Register Rewards always seem to expire before I can use them. However, I had heard of the great Huggies diaper deal, so I went.

By the time it was over, I was so confused, I felt like I did when I was 18 and working part-time at a cafeteria and some wise guy managed to swindle me out of $20 from the register. I knew something had gone wrong, but I wasn't sure what.

Please, if there are Walgreens experts out there, tell me how these transactions went so wrong:

Transaction 1:

1 package of Huggies 8.99 (first mistake--the very nice cashier told me if I used my $2 coupon, the RR wouldn't print. I didn't think that was right, but like I said, I don't shop at Walgreens much, so I didn't use the coupon.

Total = 9.80, earned 3 RR

Transaction 2:
1 Dove Men's Body Wash, 5.99, used the 3 RR

Total = 3.53, earned 6.00 RR

Transaction 3:
1 package Huggies diapers = 8.99 - 2.00 Q (she had me try it just to see if it would work)
1 pack Pringles .99 (I couldn't use the RR from Transaction 2 until I added a filler), - 6.00 RR

Total = 2.81, earned 3 RR

Transaction 4:
2 bottles Children's Motrin = 9.98, - 3.00 Q = 6.98
1 candy bar = .69 (again, I needed a filler before the register would take my RR from Transaction 3) - 3.00 RR

Total = 4.95, earned 3 RR

So, I spent a grand total of $21.09 OOP and I have one $3 RR left. Somehow, this doesn't seem like a great deal.

Walgreens, 12/13/09

I tend not to take advantage of the Register Rewards at Walgreens. Because they have only a two week turnaround time, I inevitably forget about them or let them go to waste. I have done this more times than I can count. But a few weeks ago, I had to take advantage of the toy deal and contact solution. I netted $13 in RR, and they were set to expire today.

First I used the $5 RR to buy a 7.99 bottle of contact solution and earn $8 RR. I paid 3.26 OOP.

Then, I did two more transactions, each for a pack of Huggies. For each transaction, I used one $8 RR and paid $1.80 OOP.

Total for all transactions = 6.86 OOP, and I earned $4 RR.

Walgreens, 10/22/09

I almost never shop at Walgreens, but I decided to today to take advantage of some good bargains.

(I almost wish I hadn't though, because some father brought his very sick little girl--she had a nasty cough, a flushed face and glassy eyes. I am hoping my son did not catch any of her bugs as she was coughing without covering her mouth.)

Play phone toy (for DD for Christmas) 6.99
2 Campbell's tomato soup $1.39/each (was supposed to be .59 each, but apparently the cashier didn't scan the coupon)
4 Starbucks icecream = 10.00 - 2 $1.00 Qs = 8.00 (a pregnancy craving)
1 infant Motrin drops = 10.99 - 1.00 Q = 9.99
I also used a $5/25 order coupon

Total = 21.95

I shared this post at Money Saving Mom.

Why I Buy More Than I Need

When I first started the CVS and Walgreen's game last summer, I wasn't very good at it because I tried to buy only what we needed. That approach caused me to see minimal savings. However, when I began focusing on the sales items, my out-of-pocket costs dropped considerably.

Take for instance a few weeks ago when I purchased two bottles of Dentist's Natural Health mouth rinse. They were on sale for $6.99, I had a $2.00 coupon and I could earn $4 ECBs on each bottle. Total cost for each after coupons and ECBs was .99 cents. To make the deal sweeter, I could send in for a $10 rebate, which I did. Did I intend to use this product? No. I bought them because they offered me a way to rotate out my ECBs (they have an expiration date of about 3 weeks), and they helped me get my order to $25 with minimal out-of-pocket expenditure. (Now that I shop CVS weekly, I always get a coupon for $5 off a $25 order.

The best deal is when I can get an item that is free after coupons or that I earn a dollar or two on. That then allows me to buy things I truly need like diapers at a much lower price. This is how I have been able to drastically reduce our expenditures for toiletries.

Once I got the hang of the CVS game, my storage closet quickly filled with items I had no intention of using. I found out about a wonderful organization called Soldier's Angels. They are a not for profit organization that helps injured and deployed soldiers. One of their needs is for toiletries.

Now, every two months or so, I pack up a box of my extra items that I got for free or nearly free and donate them to US soldiers. It is for a good cause, and my extra items are going to good use.

The picture above is of the products I donated this month. These items combined have a retail value just shy of $100. I would have never been able to make this donation if I purchased all of these items out-of-pocket at retail or sale price.

Now I comfortably buy items I don't need that are at the right price so I can save money and make a donation to a good cause.

I shared this post at Life as Mom.