Walgreens

How to Game the System and Save Big at CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid

Damian Davila — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 17:00:11 +0000

When looking for savings, shopping at big name drugstores used to be a no-no.

But CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid have useful rewards programs that, when used right, can help you get the most bang out of your buck. Here's a list of useful tricks to maximize savings at these three big name drugstores.

1. CVS

The receipts from CVS can be so long that they inspire Halloween costumes. However, when it comes to savings, those paper coupons are just the tip of the iceberg.

The most important step is to sign up for the ExtraCare Rewards program online or in-store to receive 2% cash back on purchases made throughout a quarter.

Follow these tips to maximize your ExtraCare Rewards savings:

Opt-in to receive mailers and emails, because CVS sends out coupons ranging from $5 off a $20 purchase to 35% off the total purchase.
If you have an iPhone or Android smartphone, download the CVS mobile app and connect your ExtraCare Rewards card to receive a $3 coupon. The app is also a great way to store most of your CVS coupons in digital form. CVS sometimes surprises app users with additional ExtraBucks Rewards.
Enroll in the ExtraCare Beauty Club and you'll receive a 10% coupon immediately. You'll also receive a $5 ExtraBucks Rewards for every $50 spent on qualifying beauty purchases and $3 ExtraBucks rewards on your birthday.
Individuals with diabetes can enroll in the ExtraCare Advantage for Diabetes program for double ExtraBucks Rewards on over 100 qualifying products.
Through Veterans Advantage, active members of the U.S. armed forces, veterans, and their family members can receive 20% off coupons to use in-store, and 20% off and free shipping codes to use online.
The ExtraCare Pharmacy & Health Rewards program gets you a $5 Pharmacy and Health ExtraBucks Rewards by filling 10 prescriptions at CVS. Completing certain tasks, such as adding email or text alerts for refill notifications, also counts towards that goal.
Print out special deals at the CVS site, check for additional coupons at the in-store coupon centers, and bring manufacturer coupons that you clipped in other places.

Now that's how you stack savings on top of savings!

2. Walgreens

Through the Balance Rewards Program, you can accumulate points and redeem them for a discount on your purchases. Here is a table of redemption values:

5,000 points = $5.00
10,000 points = $10.00
18,000 points = $20.00
30,000 points = $35.00
40,000 points = $50.00

As you can see, it pays to wait a bit to redeem your points.

To maximize your Balance Rewards points:

Enroll your Balance Rewards card at the Walgreens site. That way you can activate the Everyday Points perk and earn 10 points per $1 spent at Walgreens on almost everything.
Receive 100 points per 30-day prescription, including those covered by Medicare and Medicaid, and 300 points per 90-day prescription. You can also earn points through your children and pet prescription purchases.
Get 100 points per immunization received at Walgreens.
Download the Walgreens mobile app (available for Apple, Android, and Windows Phone devices) to clip digital coupons and additional Balance Rewards offers.

However, you can earn Balance Rewards points without spending any money at all.

Walgreens truly lives up to its slogan "At the corner of happy and healthy" by rewarding you for healthy behaviors. Through 13 smartphone apps, such as Runkeeper and GenieMD, and 32 devices, such as FitBit Flex and Withings Blood Pressure Monitor, you can earn points by keeping logs of fitness and weight, and tracking your blood pressure, glucose level, sleep, or pulse. By making healthy choices, you can accumulate:

Up to 1,000 points per month for walking, running or cycling sessions;
Up to 600 points per month for other fitness activities;
Up to 600 points per month for weigh-ins;
Up to 600 points per month for blood pressure readings;
Up to 1,200 points per month for blood glucose readings; and
Up to 600 points per month for nicotine replacement therapies.

Getting some extra cash can be a great motivation to stick to your health goals.

3. Rite Aid

You probably have heard the news online or on TV — Rite Aid is the only drugstore chain that participates in the Plenti membership rewards program. By merging its wellness+ Programs with Plenti, Rite Aid lets you earn points not only through your purchases in-store, but also through everyday purchases at Plenti partners, such as AT&T, Macy's, Hulu, and Mobil.

Here are the basics of the wellness+ Program with Plenti:

You get one point per $1 spent on eligible products.
Boost your points with partner offers, such as earning 500 points when you sign up for AT&T's paperless billing, and 10 times points on qualifying non-fuel purchase at a participating Exxon or Mobil-branded service station.
Once you reach a 200 points balance, you can start using your points for savings at checkout at Ride Aid.
Every 100 points gets you at least $1 in savings.

If you're a frequent shopper at Rite Aid you can quickly rack up points.

Spending $20 on a particular brand of baby food gets you 500 points.
Spending $50 on eligible purchases in a single online transaction at RiteAid.com gets you 1,000 points.
Rite Aid is pushing its Plenti partnership by providing promo codes (e.g. promo code PLENTI got you $10 off and free shipping on online purchases of $50 or more until 6/27/15).
Follow Rite Aid on Facebook for additional coupons.

Keeping true to its "With us, it's personal" motto, Rite Aid provides a series of personalized wellness+ programs.

wellness65+: Created for seniors age 65 and over, this program provides a 20% discount on purchases every Wednesday, free pharmacist consultation, and series of monthly activities.
wellness+ for Diabetes: Receive discounts on diabetes products and access to diabetes specialists online or over the phone.
wellness+ Allergy: Earn 2,000 Plenti points every time you spend $75 on select OTC allergy products.

What other tricks do you use to maximize savings at these big name drugstores?

This article is from Damian Davila of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Compare Medicare Part D Plans: A Beginner’s Guide

Julie Rains — Fri, 31 May 2013 10:36:40 +0000

Prescription drug coverage can sometimes feel overwhelming. I know — I recently navigated an authorization process for my teenage son’s acne medication that took several phone calls and 10 days to complete. And I’m not alone in feeling stressed about prescription coverage — according to a recent survey conducted by Walgreens, 37% of the more than 31.5 million people enrolled in prescription drug plan Medicare Part D worry about their prescription drug costs. And 20% say they’ve made sacrifices to help manage costs, such as delaying the filling of a prescription or skipping doses.

Moreover, while most beneficiaries surveyed say they have a clear understanding of their current plan benefits, many don’t understand that there can be several differences between plans. Only half realize that copay amounts may vary by pharmacy. And 24% are not sure whether their plan offers a preferred pharmacy option, which can offer cost savings above and beyond network pharmacies. Although Part D Plans must meet certain standards, these plans are not all the same. Nationally, there are hundreds of different plans. But thankfully, you do not need to compare this many — there are generally 20-30 plans available in a given service area.

In short, if you have Medicare Part D, you might be paying more than you need to. This article can help you understand plan features relating to coverage and cost so you can make an informed plan decision.

Cost Factors

Here are cost factors to consider when you compare Medicare Part D plans.

Monthly Premiums

You pay a fixed monthly premium for your Medicare Part D Plan.

Yearly Deductible

You must reach the annual deductible before the plan covers any of your prescription drug costs. Some plans have a deductible of $0, so initial coverage starts immediately.

Copayments/Coinsurance

You share in the costs of your prescription drugs with the Part D Plan by making a copayment (set amount for each prescription) or paying a coinsurance amount (a percentage of the cost of the drug).

Formulary

Each plan has a formulary, or list of drugs covered by the plan.

Tiers

Within the formulary, drugs are assigned to tiers. Cost-sharing arrangements (either copayment or coinsurance) are based on the drug tier. Typically, there are tiers for preferred and non-preferred generic drugs, preferred and non-preferred brand-name drugs, and specialty drugs.

Network Pharmacies

Part D Plans may have a list of pharmacies inside their networks. Prescriptions may be covered only if you use a network pharmacy.

Preferred Pharmacies

Some plans have preferred pharmacies that offer lower prices, beyond the plan savings available at network pharmacies. Using a preferred network pharmacy may potentially save beneficiaries hundreds of dollars per year in copay costs.

Gap Coverage

The gap — also known as the “donut hole” — in coverage happens when you reach a certain amount in prescription drug costs ($2,970 in 2013). After that point, you must pay out of pocket until you reach the minimum for catastrophic coverage. Some plans offer special discounts when you are in the coverage gap. (Note that the Affordable Care Act has provisions to close this gap — see details at healthcare.gov.)

Quality Factors

There are many quality factors to consider when choosing a plan. Medicare rates plans based on a five-star system, taking into account:

Responsiveness to pharmacist calls
Timeliness in handling appeals
Complaints about the drug plan
Ease of getting prescriptions filled
Accuracy in providing drug pricing information to the Medicare website

Plan Comparisons

You can compare Medicare Part D Plans by using the Medicare Plan Finder (an interactive tool on the Medicare.gov website) and evaluating materials provided by plan sponsors.

To use the Medicare tool, having the following information is useful (but not required) to finding and sorting through your options:

Your zip code, which helps find plans offered in your area plus gives you cost information by pharmacy
Your Medicare number for a personalized search of plans
The type of Medicare coverage you have and the type of assistance, if any, that you receive
Names of prescription drugs you currently use along with dosage amounts, quantity per prescription, refill frequency, and whether the drug is filled at a retail or mail-order pharmacy
Your preference among a list of nearby pharmacies (you can choose two pharmacies at a time to compare Medicare Part D costs)

By following the prompts, you will get a list of plans available in your area. You can screen the plans in various categories; for example, ask to see only those plans with your prescription drugs on their formulary by selecting “have all my drugs on formulary” under “Select Drug Option.”

Choose plans from the results to compare details including monthly premiums, deductibles, estimated annual costs of drugs at a retail pharmacy, and ratings. Note that drug costs are listed by pharmacy name and vary depending on the pharmacy’s status within the plan.

Comparing plans is not simple, though the interactive tool provided by Medicare is extremely useful. To further help Medicare Part D participants understand their plans and control costs, Walgreens has launched the You’re Worth Savings initiative to educate Medicare beneficiaries on ways to get the most from their plan and save as much as 75% on prescription drug costs using three easy steps:

Review your Medicare Part D plan.
Talk to a Walgreens pharmacist about cost concerns and ways you might be able to save. You can schedule a free appointment directly online.
Compare copay and other costs against your current plan and pharmacy.

Armed with an understanding of Part D Plan costs and terminology plus knowledge about your specific plan, you can have a meaningful and enlightening conversation with a pharmacist about possible ways to save money on prescription drugs.

Below are more detailed results from the Medicare survey. Are you surprised by these findings?

This post was made possible by support from Walgreens. Walgreens is in the network of hundreds of Medicare prescription drug plans and participates in the preferred networks of four national Part D sponsors. The company offers savings of up to 75% on prescription copays over select pharmacies for a number of plans in which it is a preferred pharmacy.

This article is from Julie Rains of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Getting Free Stuff at Walgreens

Linsey Knerl — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:46:01 +0000

Dealista MP3:

Dealista #13: Walgreens

This article shares tips from the 13th episode of Dealista, our podcast that'll help you get more for less.

We’ve loved getting free stuff from national pharmacy chain Walgreens for some time. (In fact, it was because of their past rebate program that I had been able to amass quite a lot of my free toiletry stash!) With their new rewards program, called Register Rewards, there is no longer any need to wait weeks or even months for a rebate check. You can get money towards your next purchase right in the checkout line! (And that means even more free stuff than before.) We teamed up with Clair from MummyDeals.org to provide you with the ins and outs of the new Walgreens program, and we’ll share some extra tips for paying next to nothing for everything from cleaning products, to food, to makeup!

Register Rewards Explained

During Walgreens' weekly promotions, Register Rewards are advertised as a great way to earn cash back on regular purchases. The rewards come in the form of a coupon that prints out of a Catalina machine next to the register when you complete your purchase. The coupons are good for a certain dollar amount off your next Walgreens purchase (in-store only) and give you about two weeks to spend them before they expire.

Like any good promotion, there are restrictions and rules to using these Register Rewards:

You can only earn one Register Reward per promotion per transaction. (If you were to participate in a program that earns you $4.50 from the purchase of a tube of Colgate toothpaste, for example, you could NOT purchase 4 tubes and expect 4 coupons to print out. You would only get one, regardless of how many you bought.) You can, however, space them out over 4 separate purchases (preferably on separate visits), and get all four coupons for $4.50 on your next purchase.
Register Rewards can’t be used for purchases of alcohol, stamps, and a few other excluded products. Check the back of the coupon for details.
You can use your Register Rewards to buy other things that will generate Register Reward coupons, but not if they are the same product. (You can use your newly acquired $4.50 Register Reward to buy deodorant, but not to buy more Colgate.)
You will always need to spend more than the value of the Register Reward. If your Reward is good for $4.50, but your purchase only comes up to $4.00, you’ll need to find an extra something to toss onto the checkout stand. (Gum, candy, or another small item works great.)
You can roll those Rewards to create even more Rewards! While you can’t use that $4.50 Reward to buy more Colgate, you can use it to buy a deal on Chapstick that will generate a $2 reward and a pack of hairbands that will generate $2. Then toss in a $.50 filler, and you’re good to go! (You’ll have spent 50 cents out of pocket for both the Chapstick and hair products.) You can do this over and over again, as long as you alternate between product types.
Walgreens cashiers consider Register Rewards to be coupons, and they don’t allow you to have more coupons than items purchased. To avoid any problems, you may need to add one of those filler items we discussed before to keep everything working smoothly.

Many frugal bloggers (like Clair) go out of their way to help their readers find the best Walgreens deals and match them with manufacturer’s coupons for an even better find. By checking sites like MummyDeals, you can often see what Sunday’s paper will have in store, as early as Thursday or Friday! Here are some additional tips for getting every last bit out of the money you spend at Walgreens:

Each Walgreens has the right to institute their own coupon policies, so if you find that your closest store is not too fond of your frugal ways, consider another store. (There are usually several within a given area to choose from.)
If your manufacturer’s coupon is worth more than the price of an item, Walgreens will usually still take it. You will have to let the cashier know to adjust the coupon value down to ensure that it is accepted.
To be sure that you get all the savings from all your coupons, present the manufacturer’s coupons before the Walgreen’s store coupons (the ones found in their circular and monthly catalog). Do this at the end of transaction.
Some shoppers have reported being able to use Register Rewards at competing stores like Jewel’s and Kroger, since they seem to have a very liberal coupon-matching policy. Ask to see what the local policy is at your competing store.
Always be polite. This seems like a no-brainer, but acting entitled does nothing to help earn the respect of the Walgreens staff and the community in general. If you have any problems with getting a Register Reward to print, contact Catalina directly at 1-888-8COUPON (1-888-826-8766). They’ll get you taken care of!

Note: The author has no vested or affiliate interest in Wallgreens.

Dealista is a collaboration between Wise Bread and Quick and Dirty Tips, the producer of popular podcasts such as Grammar Girl, Money Girl, Winning Investor, and Mighty Mommy.

If you enjoyed these tips you can find more in our show's archive.

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Walgreens Clinics Provide Free Health Care for the (Very) Recently Unemployed

Linsey Knerl — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:16:02 +0000

If you’ve found yourself avoiding the doctor because you’re recently laid off and not sure what to do, we’ve got news for you! Walgreens Take Care clinics are opening their doors “free of charge” to those affected by a job loss. Read on for the details on this newsworthy development.

Even if you aren’t needing medical care as you read this, chances are good that you will in the near future. Even something as minor as a simple antibiotic prescription can mess with your budget – especially if a recent job loss has left you uninsured. The Take Care clinics in many Walgreens stores look to their “Take Care Recovery Plan” as a way to assist. Here are the details of the program:

The program is designed to assist patients of the 341 Take Care Clinics located in Walgreens pharmacies across the country. If you’ve lost your job since March 31^st, 2009 and don’t have insurance, you can become eligible for free walk-in visits (valued at approximately $59 or more). The coverage doesn’t pay for prescriptions (although generics of many drugs are usually very affordable.)

The clinic doesn’t require you to make appointments, but the hours for free services are limited (Mon-Fri from 11a.m. until 3p.m.) and will not cover check-ups, vaccinations, or other injections. To see a list of commonly treated illnesses that Take Care treats, see the Take Care website.

You must provide verification of your job loss, either in the form of unemployment papers or another documented method. Spouses, same-sex domestic partners, and children can also receive complimentary treatment under the program, if the family member that lost their job was already a patient of the Take Care clinic prior to job loss. (Children that were already seen by the clinic prior to the job loss will qualify their family if a parent loses their job, as well.)

You can pre-qualify for free treatment by visiting the clinic and filling out papers in advance. You also have 21 days from treatment to provide verification of your eligibility if you need to be seen and don’t have your verification available at the time of treatment.

Those interested in learning more about the program are encouraged to visit the Walgreens Take Care Clinic website (www.takecarehealth.com). Their FAQ should provide you with all the info you need to get started.

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

A New Walgreens Development: Free Photos on April 9th!

Linsey Knerl — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:35:29 +0000

My junk drawer is full of almost-expired disposable cameras. Dropping one off at the local Walgreens is not only a great way to avoid waste, but it won’t cost me a dime! Here’s the scoop on the next great freebie from Walgreens!

Maybe you just got your free ink refill from Walgreens last promotion. Not surprisingly, they’ve found another super way to get you back into the store. Free photo development is a weakness of mine, and if you’re game, you might want to pop in and take advantage, too!

Here’s the link to the printable coupon. Take it in to any participating Walgreens store this Wednesday, April 9th along with your roll of film or disposable camera, and there is no charge for one set of 4X6 prints and negatives. I’ll admit that I’ve almost completely gone online developing through a service that both stores and prints my photos. However, this is great for getting through the pile of disposables that I am just too lazy to mail in. The promotion will develop 35mm, APS-film or the disposables with any number of exposures! (Time to take in that roll of 48!)

The one-hour photo service may be slow on this day, due to high volumes of processing. I would plan on dropping off your film and expecting to get it later in the day. Also, it might be a great time to take advantage of some additional deals that Walgreens is offering, including:

200-speed 35 mm film (24 exp) for 99 cents with coupon
Size D and C batteries (4-pack) for 99 cents with coupon
Scotch Tape (3-pack) for 99 cents with coupon
Wal-itin 24-Hour Allergy Relief (30 ct.) FREE after Rebate!

You might also want to look at other FREE After Rebate products from this month’s Easy Saver Rebate Catalog, including: Aquafresh Extreme Whitening Toothpaste, Colgate 3600 Clean Manual Toothbrush, SoyJoy bar, Just For Men Haircolor, Tums Quickpack, and jane Be Pure Mineral Blush. (Offer expires April 26, 2008)

For more great tips on saving at Walgreens, see Nora’s article on how to shop for free

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Free Ink Refill Day at Walgreens is Back!

Linsey Knerl — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:08:17 +0000

Last year I told you about Walgreens free ink refill promotion, and the response was overwhelming! Apparently your participation in the program was heard loud and clear by Walgreens, and they have decided to do it again!

This Wednesday, April 2nd, is the ONLY day to get in on this offer You can go to the Walgreens website and view their promotion page here for all the details. Walgreens usually charges $10 and $15 for ink refills, and by using the coupon on their website or in your weekly savings flier, you can get select cartridge refills for absolutely free! (See also: 50 Best Deals and Coupon Sites)

The Walgreens website reports that the following models are able to be refilled (note that Epson and Canon, two of the most popular ink brands, are not supported at this time):

Dell

Models: 310-3540, 310-4142, 310-5368, 310-5372, 310-5508, 310-5881, 310-5883, 310-6273, 720, 7Y743, A920, J5566, KF868, M4640, MJ264, MK990, MK992, N5878, T0529, 310-3541, 310-4143, 310-5371, 310-5375, 310-5376, 310-5509, 310-5882, 310-5885, 310-6272, 310-6274, 310-6275, 7Y745, J5567, M4646, T0530

HP

Models: 15, 15M, 19, 20, 21, 26, 26M, 27, 27M, 29, 29M, 33, 34, 40, 45, 45M, 56, 56M, 59, 92, 94, 96, 98, 16, 17, 22, 23, 25, 28, 28M, 35, 41, 49, 57, 57M, 78A, 78D, 78M, 93, 95, 97, 78, 78AHY

Lexmark

Models: 16, 03, 17, 23, 28, 28A, 32, 34, 48, 50, 55, 70, 71, 75, 82, 19, 1, 16G0060, 20, 25, 26, 27, 31, 33, 35, 60, 65, 80, 83, 85, 88, 90

Okidata

Models: 52109301, 52109302

Primera

Models: 53020, 53319B, 53331B, 53336, 53318C, 53321, 53330C, 53332, 53335, 53376

Sharp

Models: AJC50B, UXC70B, AJC50C

Xerox

Models: 8R7879, 8R7881, 8R7882, R12591, 8R7880

Some tips from those who have participated in the promotion include:

Go early to drop off your ink, and plan on coming back later in the day. While they usually can fill the ink while you wait, this promotion keeps them well behind schedule for refills.
Hawaii is participating in this offer on Monday, April 7th, instead.
Offer is available one per person. (Some people have reported dropping off a cartridge at each store near them for maximum savings, however.)
Offer valid from 12:00 am – 11:59 pm, or during normal store hours.

Good luck, and don't forget to bring your empty cartridge!

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Save $100 on Your Next Spa Visit by Buying Cold Medicine

Linsey Knerl — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:10:51 +0000

We’ve been hearing a lot about how you can save money by shopping at Walgreens lately. Their recent free ink refill promotion and their always popular rebates have been making them a great place for frugal shoppers to visit. Walgreens is again offering a unique and potentially very valuable rebate, when you purchase from a select list of Wyeth items, that can be used on spa services!

Here are the details:

Visit WalgreensSpaRewards.com for a full list of eligible items that must be purchased at a Walgreens store in the SAME transaction. (Centrum, Advil, and Dimetapp are just a few.)

For every 2 items you buy, you are eligible for a $50 reward. For every 4 items you buy, you are eligible for a $100 reward.

Be sure to pick up the Walgreens Easy Saver Rebate form at your local Walgreens. This contains the submission form you will mail in with your receipt. If your store is out, ask a manager for an additional form, or visit the Walgreens website to download and print a copy.

Follow the directions carefully for rebate submission.Include your receipt with your form and mail to the address of the form.(I suggest making a copy for your records just in case.)

You have until November 24, 2007 to make your purchases. You will receive your rebate in the form of a SpaRewards rebate to be used on your next spa service purchase. When you get your certificate, call the number on the certificate to find a participating spa near you. (You can also visit the WalgreensSpaRewards website to be sure there is one near you before participating.) There is a maximum of one $100 certificate per visit. Certificates are good until March 1, 2008 so these would make great Holiday Gifts!

[NOTE: Calls to the SpaRewards 1-800 number have given some additional information on this offer. Products purchased must be full sized, and the Robitussin items cannot include cough drops. Also, one customer service rep is quoted as saying that if your spa service is costs less than the value of the certificate, it will be free (subject to tax and tip.)]

No matter how you slice it, this is a great rebate for simply stocking up on a few seasonal OTC items. Happy pampering!

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Free Shopping at Walgreens

Nora Dunn — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 22:59:20 +0000

If you could find a way to shop at Walgreens for free, and sometimes to even get paid to shop there, would you?

Money Saving Mom tends to research and share information about great coupons and deals on a regular basis. The one that caught my eye was a shopping technique used at Walgreens whereby not only does she rarely if ever spend money out of pocket to shop there, but sometimes transactions using her strategy can even result in a negative balance! Her excellent post details the shopping process here, but below is the quick and dirty summary:

Rebates: The Walgreens monthly Easy Saver Catalog features lots of smokin' deals, including a selection of "free after rebate" items. Even the items that aren't free after rebate should be watched over the course of the month, because they may go on sale such that after rebate they'll be free or almost free.

Mailing in for rebates is enough of a pain that many of us don't bother. However with a little effort, you can receive a Walgreens gift card as your rebate, which will entitle you to an additional 10% in value over opting to receive a cheque. Future rebates are credited to your existing gift card, and these rebates are processed in half the time.

And of course, once you receive your first rebate gift card, your next trip to the store is partially if not fully funded, especially if you make good use of the entire Walgreens shopping strategy! (read on)…

Coupons: You can find coupons in their store flyers, as well as on their website here. You can combine both in-store coupons as well as manufacturer coupons to really get some bang for your buck.

Register Rewards: Upon the purchase of an eligible item, the cash register will produce a coupon for you to use at your next visit.

By combining register rewards, coupons (both store and manufacturer), in-store sales, and the rebates, people have actually been known to rack up a negative balance at the cash register! Unfortunately Walgreens won't actually pay you the balance - in fact you have to add items to bring your balance back up to (at least) $0, but it still seems like a pretty decent price to pay!

It strikes me that there is a lot of work involved, combing the flyers and websites for deals, stockpiling and tracking flyers for monthly deals and waiting for the right item to go on sale, then redeeming multiple coupons at the cash.

However, others have used Money Saving Mom's strategy successfully. And in the spirit of being frugal, you can't get much better than shopping for free.

Note: I haven't ever shopped at Walgreens since there isn't one anywhere near where I have lived to date, however given these awesome deals, I'd give it a try if I were in the area!

Comments and advice from experienced Walgreens shoppers is welcome.

This article is from Nora Dunn of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Walgreens will fill that Ink Cartridge for Free! DEAL OVER

Linsey Knerl — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:27:37 +0000

Got a few empty ink cartridges lying around? Want to fill em' for free? Well, pick one (and only one), head in to Walgreens, and let them do it for you!

The Walgreens website has announced a free ink cartridge refill day on September 12th -- that's this Wednesday. While the list is limited to certain Dell, HP, Lexmark, Sharp, Xerox, Primera, and Okidata models only , that is a savings of up to $15! Just click this link , print off the coupon, and bring your old cartridge in to be filled. No purchase necessary. One per household.

Not sure if you have a Walgreens near you? The store locator link is easy to use and you can find it on their website!

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: