Pharmacy Couponing: A Newbie's Guide

               
      I have several friends who are just starting out in Couponing and I have always said that couponing for Grocery Stores is completely different than couponing at Pharmacies. If you take on learning how to do both at the same time, it can become really overwhelming! So, I thought I would break down some of this week's pharmacy savings for any newbies out there.

                It's no secret that Rite Aid is my favorite. Walgreens (Wags) and CVS can be great, but they don't seem to have as frequent of deals and their policies are MUCH more complicated! If I were a newbie and I wanted to learn the pharmacy game, I would start with Rite Aid. Here are the Clift notes for Rite Aid:

Couponing is Combining Sales + Coupons for the best Deals.

1. Their sales run Sunday morning - Sunday Night

2. You need a Wellness Card to receive UP+rewards ( FREE - sign up with the cashier). These rewards are a coupon that prints on your receipt and is as good as cash to use the next time you are in the store.

3.  Any UP+ rewards you receive can be used with any card. So if you have two cards for you and your husband, don't worry about trying to keep track of what card earned which UP+ rewards.

4. Rite Aid Ad Perk coupons can be combined with Manufacture coupons for the same product. (Using 2 coupons for the same product is called 'stacking'). New Coupons come out on this site every first of the month.

5.  If they are out of stock on an item, ask the cashier for a RAINCHECK. I love, love, love rainchecks especially at Rite Aid. A Raincheck is a receipt that extends the sale price for 30 days. This allows you to get your items at the rock bottom price whenever they come into stock in the next 30 days!  Here's an example of how awesome Rainchecks are:  if an Item is on sale for $3.50, receive 3.50UP+, the rain check will be written for that item for FREE. When you come in to get it next week, you don't even have to mess with UP+, you just get the item for free. period. If its a Free Item after UP+'s, ALWAYS get a raincheck if they are out of stock!

Based on this week's Flyer, here is how a newbie can start getting cheap/free items and walk away with UP Rewards to use the following week broken into transactions as to not spend too much out of pocket!!

Transaction #1:
Keri Lotion, 15 Oz
Sale Price $6.99, receive 6UP+ rewards (limit 1 per card)
Use $2 off any Keri (if you have it)
Total w/coupon: Pay $4.99, receive 6UP+
Total w/out coupon: Pay $6.99, receive 6UP+

Transaction #2:
*2* Colgate Total, 5.8oz
Sale Price $3.50 each, receive 3.50UP+ each (limit 4 per card)
Use *1*  $.75 off Any Colgate Total 
Use 6UP+ received from transaction #1
Total w/coupon: Pay $ .25, receive *2* 3.50 UP+ rewards
Total w/out coupon: Pay $1.00, receive *2* 3.50 UP+rewards

Transaction #3:
*2* Colgate Total, 5.8oz
Sale Price $3.50 each, receive 3.50UP+ each (limit 4 per card)
Use *2* 3.50UP+ received from transaction #2
Total: Pay $0, receive *2* 3.50 UP+ rewards

Transaction #4:
*2* Packages of Stayfree Maxi Pads
Sale Price $3.00 each, receive 2UP+ ( limit 2 per card)
Use *2* $1 off One Stayfree Product from 11/6 SS
Use *1* 3.50 UP+ from Transaction #3
Total w/coupon: Pay $0.50, receive *2* 2UP+
Total w/out coupon: Pay $2.50, receive *2* 2UP+

Total Cost W/Coupons:
$5.74 AND Walk out of the store with 7.50UP+ for Next week's sales!

Total Cost w/out Coupons:
$10.49 AND walk out of the store with 7.50UP+ for Next week's sales!
Still a great deal without using coupons!

There are several other great deals at Rite Aid this week, I just picked the ones that would allow you to spend less out of pocket and walk out with the highest amount of rewards. The key to shopping at Rite Aid is to buy items that will replenish the rewards you use. Try to walk out with the same amount, if not more points than when you walked in. Doing this will ensure that each week you are spending VERY little money on your items. I usually average $2-3 dollars a week at Rite Aid by using my rewards.

For example: I did the same 4 transactions listed above this week but started with 4UP+ I earned from last week. So I only spent $1.74 out of pocket this week and walked away with 7.50 UP+ for $27 worth of goods!

Also, cashiers usually have no problem with you doing several transactions at the same time (especially if they are not busy) , I do it all the time. But if they are busy, you can always do one transaction, turn around get your new items and get back in line, and so on. The best time I find to do several transactions at once is early in the morning. I usually make a Rite Aid run first thing Sunday morning when I go out to get my papers. They are slow and fully stocked for the sale.

So I hope this is helpful! If you are a newbie or even an experienced coupon diva and you found this helpful please let me know! If You guys like it I can do a post for each of the stores. Happy Couponing :)