Walgreens 101: Learn the Ropes


For the new couponer, Walgreens can be a little intimidating. There are a few more “rules” that you have to be familiar with in order to become successful at couponing at Walgreens. So I thought we would go over some of the key ones you should know in order to make your first trip a successful one.
1. You can combine Walgreens instore coupons and manufacturer’s coupons: These coupons can be in the monthly booklets found at the front of the store, in booklets near the pharmacy, and even in the sales ad. They are called Instant Value Coupons or IVCs.
2. The number of coupons you have must match the number of items total: Best way to explain this is to give you an example. Say you are buying Colgate toothpaste. You have a manufacturer’s coupon for Colgate, and there is a Walgreens Instant Value Coupon that you can use as well (see #1). You have 1 item, but TWO coupons. Because of this you need to find a cheap filler. A filler is a small item you purchase to make sure your number of coupons equal the number of items. I usually use the Vanilla Caramels that sit at the front of the registers. Yum!
3. Using a Register Reward counts as using a coupon: Use the example from #2. Instead of an IVC, say you are using a Register Reward to pay for your toothpaste. Your item count is one, and your coupon count is STILL two. So you would still need to pick up a small filler.
4. Walgreens does not allow for overage, so make sure to cover your overage if paying with Register Rewards: This is especially important, if the amount you purchased is LESS than what the value of your Register Reward is, the system will NOT allow them to accept your RR. So be extra careful when calculating your totals to make sure your RR can be accepted.
5. Walgreens coupon policy does NOT allow overage with coupons:    With coupons it’s different though, they don’t allow for overage, BUT their coupon policy does allow for them to mark down the credit they give you and still accept the coupon. So it Colgate is on sale for .98 cents and your coupon is for $1, they are still allowed to take your coupon, but they would only credit you for .98 cents.
6. Always keep a copy of the Walgreens coupon policy with you: I find there is sometimes the need to educate the cashiers on their own coupon policy. I always kill them with kindness, but this way if someone argues about things especially #6, you can just whip out your corporate policy, and let them know you are trying to follow the rules and not afraid to stand up for yourself. Get your copy here
These are just a few of the tips to know on your first trip. With Walgreens, it’s best to write up your scenarios before you go, that way you are prepared and can double check that everything matches up!

Walgreens 101

Since starting Tutorial Tuesday, we have learned about the beginnings of couponing, how to shop CVS, and now we are moving on to becoming a Walgreens expert! Each of these tutorials is a basic course on how to start shopping the frugal way that is going to save you lots of money. So if you are brand new to shopping Walgreens this course is for you! If you are a seasoned shopper hopefully you will learn something too! This will be a 5 week course walking you through the shopping tips and tricks to shopping your local Walgreens.

Walgreens is a great place to shop to score some amazing deals. I will be upfront with you it can also be a little bit more complicated to know and follow all of the stores rules to maximize your savings. For this reason, I introduced Walgreens further into the Tutorial Tuesday series. That way you have already gotten your feet wet with couponing, and have begun to feel more comfortable shopping at Walgreens.

To get started at Walgreens here is some basic Walgreens jargon you should know in order to become a coupon ninja at this store too!

Register Rewards (RRs): A coupon that prints out NEXT to the receipt after you purchase participating items that produce them.
Filler: A small item you purchase to make sure to cover your overage, or make sure your item count matches your coupon count (more details on that later)
WAGS: Nickname for Walgreens among coupon users
FARR: Free after Register Reward. Example. You buy toothpaste for $2.99 and it produces at $2.99 RR, your net cost is FREE
Walgreens Instant Value Coupon: (Wags IVC) In store coupons that are found in the weekly ads, or at the front of the store each month in the form of a monthly booklet.
Rolling RRs: Using Register Rewards from the same item and it produces another Register Reward (more explanation later :) )

This is just a brief list of Walgreens terms to learn in order to understand a lot of the jargon in future Walgreens 101 posts. So take a look, get familiar with them and get ready to save some money as we move through the tutorials!