Reducing your Grocery Bill By Playing the Drug Store Game + Walgreens Deal Scenario!
I’ve had lots of you email lately wanting me to help spell out some drug store deal scenarios. I’ve also had lots of you emails asking for some tips on how to slash your grocery bill considerably. Well, drug store deal scenarios and slashing your grocery bill actually go hand and hand. You see, I buy quite a few of my groceries at Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid. Obviously I can’t buy the bulk of my grocery items at these stores, but I can buy quite a bit and in the long run this helps to cut my grocery bill a noticeable amount.
Unlike most grocery stores, Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid have lots of great in-store coupons available. From $5 off $25 coupons to coupons off specific products and the best part– these are store coupons that can be stacked with manufacturer’s coupons for even more savings! These stores also offer other in-store promotions and rebates. Rite Aid has a Single Check Rebate program, CVS has Extra Care Bucks, and Walgreens offers Register Rewards.
Every week I plan my shopping based around our grocery needs— more so than focusing on personal care items. And the reason I say this is because it’s easy to get consumed in all the personal care product deals (because there are so many!)… from toothpaste to shampoo to body wash and so on.
Alright, so I’ve cooked up a deal scenario for Walgreens. This deal scenario focuses on items to stock our pantries more than the luxury items we may want.
Walgreens Deal Scenario
Transaction #1
Buy Dulcolax Balance 14 day, 8.3 oz. $10
Use the $4/1 coupon found here
Pay $6
Get back a $10 Register Reward
Transaction #2
Buy 2 Litehouse Caramel Dips $1 each = $2
Buy 3 Betty Crocker Warm Delights 3.1 oz. $1 each = $3
Buy 5 Bumble Bee Chunk Light Tuna 5 oz. $0.69 with in-ad coupon = $3.45
Buy 4 Swanson Chicken Broth 14 oz. $0.69 with in-ad coupon = $2.76
Buy 3 Miracle Bubbles/Punch Balloon 3/$1 with in-ad coupon (filler item for coupon to item ratio)
Buy Cottonelle Bathroom Tissue 12 rolls $5
Total = $17.21
Use 2 $1/1 Litehouse coupon from the 12/13 SS (expires 3/31!)
Use 3 $0.75/1 Betty Crocker coupon from the 3/28 SS (there is also a $0.50/1 coupon found here or here)
Use the $1/5 Bumble Bee coupon found here
Use the $0.40/4 Swanson coupon from the 3/21 SS
Use the $0.50/1 Cottonelle coupon from here (use zip code 30002)
Plus, use the $1/1 Cottonelle coupon from the Walgreens April Coupon Booklet
Total = $10.06
Then use the $10 Register Reward from the previous transaction
Final cost ONLY $0.06 + tax!
…SO you got everything above (which is quite a lot) for ONLY $6.06 out of pocket! 🙂
Start playing the drug store game with grocery needs in mind and I promise you will notice a huge reduction in your weekly grocery bill! Now when I go to the actually grocery store, the bulk of my purchases are on produce, dairy products, meat, chicken, and fish. I usually only have a few items from the middle section of the grocery store in my cart since I’m able to stock up on these items at CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens.
Would having grocery type deal scenarios for Rite Aid, CVS, and Walgreens be helpful?! Let me know!
you go girl! thank you so much! great idea!
Yes, grocery deals would be great. My biggest expense is definately food and I’m new to coupons and your site, but this is where I want to save the most. THanks for your site. I’m learning a lot-AND saving my dollars!
would definitely like more grocery scenerios
Yeah… that would be so helpful!! I love all the other deals you post, and it has been awesome to be able to stock up on really cheap toiletries. It would be way awesome to be able to do this with groceries too!!! Thanks Collin!
Yes, that would be so helpful! Thank you for all of your great advice!
Did anyone find that the Dulcolax coupon is no longer available??!?!?? I tried it twice and it says the deal has expired. Bummer!
Yes – I couldn’t print the Dulcolax coupon either. It said it was expired! Does anyone know another site that we could print a new coupon for this item?
There was a $3 off Dulcolax in the 12/13 SS, if that helps anyone. Not as good as $4, but better than none!
I never had a problem splitting transactions to roll register rewards…until today. The cashier was such a jerk. He wouldn’t hand over my dulcolax reward until after I paid for the 2nd transaction, saying that they are supposed to be used “on your next visit”. I demanded my register rewards and left without buying the 2nd transaction, leaving him to refund the sale at the register and put everything away. With a restless 2-year old in my cart, I thought this was uncalled for!
Would love grocery scenarios!! I have enough soaps and shampoos to last a while!
Colin, thank you so much for this post. It has obviously helped a lot of us “think outside of the box” when it comes to buying groceries. I would LOVE to see more of these. Thanks!
Collin, you are my #1 go-to blog for deals. 🙂
Just wanted to mention just in case anyone is going to try to follow the scenario exactly: the in ad coupon for the tuna says “Limit 4” while the manufacturer coupon requires a purchase of 5 at once. So, just to be aware, it could be a problem have plan B ready. 🙂 Otherwise, fabulous scenario! I used it as a jumping point to plan my Wags trip this week. 🙂
that would be great…
I would LOVE more drugstore info for grocery items!
Having recently started couponing, I can see that I have been passing up so many coupons in the last two months that would have really saved me money. Dulcolax!!! I never would have figured it would be the jumping off point for such a great money saving scenario.
Thanks Collin for the great, informational, upbeat blogs.
Love this! keep these coming!
YES!! It would be wonderful to know more grocery deals from the drug stores!! You are the Master!
Do More of these, PLEASE. I cannot tell you how helpful it was!!
Love this scenario! I am relatively new to couponing and while I am noticing savings, it seems that I never get it as good as I could. I guess its that inability to think outside of the box. Grocery deals would be awesome
Collin: This Walgreens deal scenario is awesome. I am fairly new to the whole couponing thing and sometimes get confused by all the opportunities out there. I never really think about buying food at Walgreens. That’s really cool. Thanks for the info.