Couponing...At The Drugstores

Drugstore couponing can occasionally be complicated, but once you get the hang of it, you can get many products inexpensively, or free, when you take into account their Store Rewards.

The Basics

• Each Drugstore has it's own Rewards Program. In their ads each week, they will list the price of a participating item, then list the Rewards Credit you will get back with each purchase. 
• For example, a recent deal had Gillette Pro Fusion Razors at one of the drugstores for $9.89. But, for every razor you purchased, you got $5 credit to use on your next purchase. You could have also used the $4 Manufacturer's Razor coupon, bringing your out of pocket expense to $5.89. When you count the $5 Credit for your next purchase, it would have been like paying $0.89 for the razor.
• You can use one manufacturer's coupon and one store coupon for each item.
• Make sure to print out each store's coupon policy, since my experience has been that the cashiers can sometimes give you a hard time about coupons. CVS does not have a printable Coupon Policy, and they reserve the right to change their coupon policy at any time. Walgreens Coupon Policy is listed HERE, and Rite Aid's Coupon Policy is HERE.

CVS

• CVS has an Extra Bucks program. You need to sign up for their Extra Care card. When you walk into the store, they should have an Extra Bucks kiosk where you can scan your Extra Care card and receive coupons. 
• You can find CVS Online Coupons HERE. Some of these coupons are Store Coupons, others are manufacturer's. 
• Every 3 months, you should get Extra Bucks, based on your spending at CVS. 

Rite-Aid

• Rite-Aid's Reward Program is called UP+ Rewards. You must sign up for their Wellness+ Card.
• Their Wellness+ has a tiered discount on each purchase depending on how much you spend at Rite-Aid. To see the details, look HERE. You can earn up to 20% off ALL your purchases.
• You can receive Rite Aid Store Coupons or Manufacturer's Coupons by watching videos in their Video Values section HERE.

Walgreens

• Walgreens Coupon Policy is probably the most confusing of the bunch. Here are the main points.
• They don't have a card, and their rewards are called Register Rewards.
• You MUST NOT have more coupons than products. For example, they won't let you check out if you are buying one product and are trying to use a manufacturer's coupon and a store coupon. You need to add a filler item (typically an inexpensive candy bar or something), to ensure your number of coupons are less than or equal to the number of items purchased.
• You cannot use Register Rewards (RR) from one offer purchase the same product, also eligible for Register Rewards.
• This one gets kind of tricky. But, basically, you can't receive $2 RR from purchasing, say, Colgate Toothpaste, then turn right around and use it to buy another Colgate Toothpaste to earn more RR.

Do Multiple Transactions

• Use your Rewards in a new transaction to cut your out of pocket spending.
• Example--if you've just received $10 in UP+ Rewards from Rite Aid, save some of your items for another transaction so you can purchase them with the UP+ Rewards instead of cash.

Drugstore Shopping can take a while to completely figure out. One of my favorite resources is The Krazy Coupon Lady. HERE, you can pick a drugstore and see all the best deals for the week.

Good luck, and Happy Couponing!