Well, I am happy to say that the deals worked as predicted and I was able to make the most of them! We started at just before 1AM this morning where we tested some of the Register Rewards deals at our local Walgreens and found they were working.
Over the course of several trips today, we were able to acquire over $2200 worth of products and only spent $61.52 in 'out of pocket' cash. In addition to this, I still have $244 dollars worth of Register Rewards to spend over the next 2 weeks. More than likely, these Register Rewards will be rolled back into additional deals that also produce RRs so watch this space as the totals might change!
I lost track of the number of separate transactions I made but I had a HUGE pile of receipts!
Walgreens has basically just paid me $182.48 for the pleasure of stockpiling these items!The Blood monitors helped me start off the deal - each one cost $1.39 but then generated a $5 register reward which then got rolled into all the other deals. With over 50 Walgreens within a 10 mile radius of our home this meant there were plenty to go round.
Not only have I been able to score some awesome deals but I look forward donating the meters to several local charitable organizations so more people get to share the benefits with me!
Here's the math!
Total Before Coupons: $2243.82
Total Money Spent: $61.52
Total Saved: $2182.30 Plus $244 of Register Rewards
Total Savings 108.1%
Total Savings 108.1%
*I wanted to clarify for those with questions about how I had so little out of pocket expense. I also started with almost $45 in Register Rewards from last week. I rolled every RR I could to minimize my oop expense. It took longer and more transactions, but it's possible.*
15 comments:
Wow! That's amazing!!!! I am just starting to shop at Walgreens and am learning the ropes. What are some of favorite filler items? Today I could seem to find anything less than $1! I would also love to hear any more details you would care to share about this shopping triumph. Thanks for all you do!
Jessica
Some of my favorite filler items are the individual tissue packets for .29 and clearance items. Today I was able to find mints for .25 each tin and chapstick for .47 each.
I love it! I do have a question for you...How are you rolling the Register Rewards? I've been told that you can not use a rr and receive a rr in the same transaction.
How are you paying so little out of pocket?
As far as the rolling, you have to so separate transactions. This was the accumulation of MANY transactions throughout the day. Plus I have one favorite cashier that let me do quite a few a her beuty counter so as not to hold up the front of the store lines. As for the little oop, I was fortunate enough to be able to find some cheap clearance fillers and also to be able to use coupons on almost everything I bought.
I'm new to the Walgreens world and just found your blog over the weekend. I've mapped out five transactions for this week using the $4 RR I have left from last week and coupons. Aside from your beauty counter cashier, do you usually just do one transaction at a time? Do you bring stuff out to the car and go back in an do another? I've got two children under two and only one Walgreens close by, so I'm wondering how to best go about this. I don't want to upset anyone at the store (or get in trouble--can you?), but I also can't make five trips on five different days. Also, is it true that you have to have more items than you have coupons (including RR)? Is that why you're buying filler items, or is it just to get your total up? THANK YOU!
Okay- I do one transaction at a time to keep my out of pocket expense down so I can "roll" my register rewards. Also, most of the deals are all "limit one" meaning you only get one RR per transaction/product. My suggestion to you since you have small children would be to get your items and go to the beauty counter/photo counter/or even the pharmacy if they are not busy and just say I need to do a few different transactions if that's ok and they are normally more than happy to accomodate you. You cannot "get in trouble" for doing so. I have never left a store, put things in my car and went back in for more transactions. That's just me. If it makes you more comfortable to do so, then do it, but I do not. It is true that you have to have as many items as you do coupons/RR's. That's why I use fillers. Also RR's will not pay for any of your tax, so if you have a $5 RR and a 4.99 bottle of Nivea you have to have a filler to make up the penny. I hope that helps! Happy Shopping!
Thanks, Diane! That was all helpful. I'll have to keep up with your blog to learn how you ever got all of those free or deeply discounted diapers (that you mentioned a few posts back), as we could use them around here :)
You have a wonderful blog ! I really enjoyed reading it.
Claudia
http://www.claudiafranson.blogspot.com
I have a hot topic for you and your readership which I'm genuinely and sincerely interested to have discussed, possibly even big enough for it's own blog post.
How would you defend the practice of using coupons and store rewards programs to get as many products for free as possible, against those who consider it "a legal form of shoplifting"?
And to better answer that question, it would be good to know if this practice negatively or positively impacts the bottom line of the manufacturer and/or reseller?
/p.s. My wife is addicted to coupon shopping.
Ben~ I defend the practice of getting as many products for free as MY family can use. I shop for my family and some extended family as well. I do not shop for the fun of getting things for free or for the intention of hurting a store's bottom line. However, to people who use this argument against couponers I say phooey. These companies pay people lots of money to figure out these scenarios for them and i firmly believe that they are aware of them before we are. They know that there is a small percentage of the population that will use coupons in this manner, and have that worked out far in advance. but, as you suggested, possible a post to be opened up to the readers to hear everyone's thoughts on it. I will try and put it together this week!
Wow. I'm absolutely stunned! You did a great job. I always get so nervous going in, because I've been accused of coupon fraud twice!! Fortunately, the management is really nice at my local Walgreens, and always took care of the issue... but it still makes me feel nervous.
Do you ever feel nervous?
Pearl~ I used to feel nervous when I first started out. I don't anymore because I'm doing nothing wrong and I know I am doing what is right for my family- saving money! :)
wow I wanna be you whenever I finally grow up, lol!!! you rock!!!! I am taking notes!! :}
Oh my my head is spinning from just thinking about your trips, phew. by the way this is Laura from when we did the yopliat study together.
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