Messing up at Walgreens

I just discovered how difficult it is to go couponing at Walgreens versus other drug stores. Their system for accepting coupons messes me up all the time. These mess ups cost me more money than it should have so be careful when your trying to coupon at Walgreens.

This happened to me at various Walgreen stores in my area. Maybe you have done the same things described below and was successful. Let me know if you didnt have problems so next time I go in there I can defend myself.

Transaction #1:Get $3 register rewards when you buy 3 of the following prodcuts: Old Spice, Zest, or Gillette Body wash at $3.33 each.

This was a great deal I could not let go, especially since I had a ton of buy one get one free and $1 off Old Spice and Zest body wash coupons. So I got 2 Old Spice body washes and 1 Zest body wash. I used a buy one get one free on the Old Spice so I was going to end up paying only for two of the body washes. But the register did not take these 3 items together so that I could get the register rewards because one of them was for free. So I ended up paying the regular sales price of the body wash (which is more than $3.33) for one old spice, got another old spice free, and paid the normal price for the Zest body wash. Since it did not take the 3 items together I did not get the sales price or the register rewards. I really messed up.

Then I tried to return the items so I could grab 3 Old Spice and 1 Zest, getting one of the Old Spice for free, but still having the 3 I needed to get the $3 register rewards. They told me that they could not return coupons. So I lost out big time on that. I spent some where between $4-$6 more from this little mistake.

So I learned that buy one get one free items will not count towards the required amount of items to get the register rewards, and that they cant return coupons once they have been scanned (supposedly or maybe they lied to me because they didn't want to go through the whole process?).

Transaction #2: I made another mistake which I caught before they finished scanning all my items so I quit the transactions and said forget it. They told me that I could use the coupons they scanned again because I never went to the check out phase and paid for my items. So basically it was like it never happened.

Later I went to another Walgreens and tried to use the same coupon and the cashier told me that it has been used before. I was shocked because I lost a great coupon, (buy one Gillette Body wash get a free Gillette deodorant) which I never got to use. 

What I learned was if a coupon is ever scanned, even if you end up canceling your transactions, it is gone forever. Be careful when you use your coupons.

Transaction #3: Get $7.99 register rewards when you buy Complete contact solution at $7.99. So you get this item for free.

I use contacts so I went crazy over this deal especially since contact solution is so expensive. I went to one Walgreens and bought my first contact solution and got my $7.99 register reward. Later I went to another Walgreens and bought a second contact solution and used my $7.99 register reward from the last transaction so I wouldn't have to pay for anything. My total came out to $0 but I did not get my $7.99 register reward from the second item. In reality, instead of getting both for free I got 2 for $7.99.

I found out later that you cant use the same register reward on the same item. I had other register rewards that I got from some hair bands, and body wash that I could have used to knock my total to $0 and I could have got the $7.99 register reward I was expecting. So beware.

All in all, it is kind of confusing at Walgreens unless you know all the ins and outs.


CVS Experience

For the first time since I have started couponing I tried out CVS. I was reluctant to try them out because they have an extra care bucks (ECB) reward system and I thought they would expire in about 2 weeks like the ones at Walgreens. I did not want to have to worry about expiring money rewards for two different stores because then I would be compelled to hurry up and buy stuff just so I could use them before they expire. However, I found out their ECB expire in about a month after you get it not 2 weeks like Walgreens. Plus you can use them on any items you want. At the end of the receipt it is printed very clearly what extra care buck rewards you have got and from what items.  Plus CVS has a coupon machine that gives you a free daily coupon when you scan your CVS card on it. Furthermore, there is a green leaf shaped bag tag for $0.99 which you attach to a reusable shopping bag and for every 4 purchases you make at CVS you get $1 back. Now I am hooked on CVS.

Yesterday I got some great deals at CVS.

Revelon nail polish get $4 ECB when you buy it at $4.99. You end up getting it for $0.99. What makes this deal even better is that a few weeks ago there was some $2 off any Revlon color products. So I actually got the item for free plus a $1 credit towards my purchase.

Stride gum was on sale for $0.99, plus you get back $0.99 ECB so it was free.

Purex 50oz detergent was on sale for $1.99. I had a $1 off manufactures coupon, so I got it for $0.99.

So I got all these items for free. Of course you have to pay for the items now, to get the ECB rewards which are applied to your next purchase.

My receipt total was $4.96 with out taxes. I got back $4.99 in ECB rewards.