I headed to Walgreens to spend a $25 voucher I received recently for transferring a prescription from another pharmacy. On my way to the store I called a friend who knows I am a bargain hunter.
“You’re going to the drugstore? Are you going to use coupons?”
“No,” I said sheepishly.
“Really?”
“I was too lazy to look through anything but the Sundays coupons,” I confessed.
“Ohhhhh. I’m going to out you on your blog,” he teased.
“Hmph.”
At Walgreens, however, I realized there were a ton of ways to stretch my dollars – without coupons. I bought everything you see in the above picture, which has a retail value of $49.07, for $3.42! Here’s how I did it.
- I first checked the Walgreens store circular for coupons for items on my list (see below). I found two.
- I wasn’t brand loyal. Instead, I started with a general list and took advantage of a buy-one-get-one free sale on batteries and other deals.
- I carefully reviewed cosmetic prices and leveraged a sweet deal on Revlon products, which were 40 percent off. Plus, if I bought $10 in Revlon products I would get a $5 voucher to buy more Revlon products.
- I bought off-brand candy (the gummy bears).
- I bought products on sale (Hershey’s chocolate, beauty tools, polish, batteries, tissues).
- I went back to ask the manager when I noticed a pricing mistake on my receipt and got a refund.
- I quickly used my bonus $5 Revlon voucher before it could expire. (Walgreens Register Rewards have to be used on your “next” purchase, which means you can come back another day or wait in line again. RR are only good for a few days so I like to spend them on the same trip.)
Even if I did not have the $25 voucher, my tab would have come to $28.42 – a 42% discount over the $49.07 retail price. Not too bad for leaving my manufacturer coupons at home.
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
Great savings but some of the stuff was junk, like candy. Eating that stuff can cost you money in the long run. that is my major complaint with coupons. A lot are for junk food we would be better off without.
however, I love your blog. Have you noticed on airplanes you have to pay for drinks, movies, etc with a credit card. they don’t take cash. And you don’t need that stuff either.
I just went to Walgreen’s and got Dove shampoo for free ($4 register rewards) and got two packages of tylenol cold medicine (on sale $4.99 each) that had $2 on-box coupon, plus 2 coupons from the Sunday paper ($2.50 savings), PLUS $5 register rewards. So basically I got all three items for FREE!
Amen, Cherie, about the junk food!
Who cares if she eats junk food?!? Her decision! Ya only live once!
How funny about the junk food. Hope nobody sees my shopping cart when i buy my cadbury chocolate today when I get it on sale after Easter.
If you roll your register rewards, you come off even better. They’re good for 2 weeks when you get them so you can “roll them” and if you do it right you never have to spend much cash in Walgreens ever again! Until I took a couponing “break” when I got sick, I rolled my register rewards for almost a year without spending more than $15 in Wags. I missed out on a ton of deals last week which I could kick myself for and this week stinks as far as the sale goes…but that’s ok since Kmart is doubling coupons.
You should definitely try to start rolling your Walgreens register rewards if you live close enough that you can go often; that $25 gift card you got for trasnferring your prescriptions could have lasted you months! 🙂
Don’t you love how we all have something to admonish you for, when you really should be told how great of a job you did! YOu really did to a great job on the cosmetics!
Having said that, shame on you for not using coupons in my favorite place! (say that completely tongue in cheek, because I haven’t used them lately myself)
I’ve gotta get back in the game myself. Good job.
In response to Jaime’s comment:
I care if she eats junk food regularly, as so many do w/o balancing with exercise. So many people are overweight or obese for this reason and often eventually need treatment for diabetes, heart disease, knee replacement surgery, etc., which elevates my–and your–health insurance costs. This is not the appropriate forum for such a discussion, but Jaime asked, so I am responding
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