I remember several years ago marveling at a woman in Walgreens who had managed to pay only $2.87 for a shopping cart full of stuff that should have cost at least $50. When I asked about it, the cashier told me the woman was a “Register Rewards Couponing Genius.” I didn’t know what he meant, so I went about my business and didn’t think about it again until I began my Journey  In Frugality a few months ago.

Now, I have become a “Register Rewards Couponing Apprentice” — I’m not a genius (yet), but I plan to be.  In January, after just a few weeks of practice, I left Walgreens with $70+ dollars worth of merchandise, having only paid about $22 OOP (out of pocket — go here to learn about the coupon lingo/abbreviations).

If  you’d like to learn a little more about how to make the Walgreens Register Rewards program, as well as couponing and “stacking” work for you, too, then read on.

Walgreens Register Rewards

This is Walgreens (WAGs) program to reward you for purchasing certain products during certain promotions. You will see these advertised in the WAGs weekly ad, showing the price of the item, the amount of Register Rewards you receive to use on your next purchase, and the “Like Paying” price after the Register Reward. For example, in the April 18, 2010 WAGs ad, it showed Colgate Toothpaste for $2.99, with a $2 Register Reward (RR) good on your next purchase, so it’s like paying $.99.

Now, here’s the FUN part — the part where you can get stuff “free” or “more than free” by using the Register Rewards program and coupons. If you have a $1 coupon for Colgate Toothpaste, then you’re only paying $1.99 for that tube, and then you get a $2 RR to use on your next purchase. You make a penny on the deal!

Note: Most of the time, you cannot use that RR to buy another tube of Colgate Toothpaste (that’s called “rolling” your Register Rewards, and it’s usually not allowed). However, you CAN use that RR to purchase other items that will result in RR’s.

Sometimes, items are completely “free” or “money makers” (a.k.a. “more than free”) after the Register Reward. For example, this week, the WAGs ad has Stayfree Maxi Pads for $2.99, and you get $2.99 in RR’s when you buy them. Plus, there was a $1/1 ($1 off 1) coupon in the Smart Source coupon insert on April 25. So, you get your pads for $1.99, and then you get $2.99 to use on your next purchase. That’s “more than free” — it’s a $1 “money maker.”

You can’t use the $2.99 RRs to buy more pads, but you could use it to buy the Tone Body  Wash that is on sale at Walgreens this week for $3.99, and which then results in $3 RR. So, here’s how the deal could go down:

• You buy a package of Stayfree pads for either $2.99 or $1.99 if you have the coupon.
• You get $2.99 in Register Rewards.
• You then use that RR to buy the $3.99 Tone Body Wash, but you only have to pay $1 because you have a $2.99 RR.
• Then you get $3 in RR.
• You can use that $3 RR to buy more Stayfree pads or something else that will result in RRs, or you can use it for something else, like the Arm & Hammer laundry detergent that is on sale this week for $3.49, in which case you’d only have to pay 49 cents plus tax for your laundry detergent.

Let’s say you DIDN’T have the coupon, and you opted for the pads, body wash, detergent scenario. You would have paid about $4.50 plus tax for a package of Stayfree pads, a 18 oz. bottle of body wash and a 32-loads bottle of Arm & Hammer laundry detergent. If you had the $1 coupon, you would have paid about $3.50 plus tax for all three of those items.

Can you see how this adds up to huge savings?

I now buy almost all of my laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, feminine hygiene products, diapers and host of other household and grocery items at Walgreens or CVS (the Getting Started – CVS 101 post is coming), using RRs, CVS Extra Care Bucks, manufacturers coupons and store coupons.

Stacking

Walgreens, as well as most other stores, let’s you “stack” coupons, meaning you can use a manufacturer’s coupon and a Walgreens coupon on the same item. For example, in this week’s WAGs ad, there is a Walgreens store coupon for Campbell’s soup for 69 cents. I also have a coupon for 25 cents off two Campbell’s soups. I can stack those, and get two cans of Campbell’s soup for $1.13 plus tax. And don’t forget that each month, Walgreens publishes a coupon booklet that has even higher-value coupons that are good for the entire month. You can pick this coupon booklet up in the stand where they keep their store ads, usually at the front of the store.

Like I  said earlier in this post, this process takes practice. I started out small, doing only $5 deals which I will begin posting here now that I’ve got you started. But after awhile, I began making longer lists of deals and coupon scenarios. So, when you’re ready to do bigger shopping trips using RRs and stacking, here is the process I use:

1) I comb the ad (and blogs) for RR deals on products I want/need*.

2) I dig through my coupon binder and the WAGs monthly booklet for coupons to stack on products I plan to buy.

4) I also clip the coupons out of the WAGs ad for the products I plan to buy (You don’t have to do this, but it makes your transactions easier and you’re less likely to forget to ask the cashier to scan the ad for your coupons. Some of the WAGs cashiers remember to scan the ad coupons when you purchase a product that has a coupon, but not all of them do and it’s hard to remember when you’re trying to keep track of your transactions).

5) I make a list of the products I will buy in my first transaction, 2nd transaction, 3rd transaction, etc. This is important if you want to use RRs you get in your first transaction on your 2nd transaction, etc.

6) I mark my coupons according to transaction (1, 2, 3) so I know which coupons to hand over on which transaction.

5) I put everything in an envelope and head to the store.

Tips

• *Only buy products you need, or it’s not a cost savings. Unless, of course, you can get the product free or more than free. In that case, even if it’s not a product you want or use, it’s free, so you can get it and give it to a friend or save it for the holiday product donation drives or the Girl Scouts, or whatever.
• It’s important to hand your coupons to the cashier in the right order. According to Money Saving Mom, the deals work best when you do them in this order:

RRs

Manufacturer Coupons

Store Coupons

I’ve never strayed from this order at Walgreens or any other store, and it seems to work.

• Make sure you have as many items as you have coupons. When I first heard this, I thought I’d never have more coupons than items, but it does happen, especially if you’re stacking. So, if it looks like you’ll be short on items, grab a few “fillers” from the candy aisle. Keep them cheap, or they will eat into your savings.

Take your time and start small — with a few transactions like the one I described above with the pads, body wash and detergent. Before you know it, you’ll be  a Walgreens RR/Coupon Genius!

To read Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Getting Started series, go here.

If you want to find more great coupons online to use in your “stacking” deals, go here.

If you’re looking for specific coupons, check out my searchable Coupon Database.

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