For Newbies: Walgreens Trip 2/27- 3/5/11

This post is going to solely focus on newbies. I am only going to post transactions that you can do with the CURRENT Sunday coupons, or with online Printable Coupons! Since most newbies don't have weeks and weeks worth of coupons yet, you will be able to do the ones I post!

If  you haven't already subscribed to your local paper, pick one up today so you can take advantage of these deals. If you go to the Dollar Tree, you can pick up papers for $1.00 ea! You can expect to see the Smart Source insert, (may look different), and the P&G brand saver:

Also, you'll need to print a few coupons so have your printer ready!

Here's our Walgreens Ad for 2/27/11, you can find it in the Newspaper. I have my own personal budget to never spend more than $10.00 at Walgreens or CVS, so that is all you'll ever spend!

 This is what I bought and I'll teach you how to do it:

Total: $65.74. Paid: $9.56. Earned $15.00 in Register Rewards

Total # of transactions: 6

(Yes you will have to do 6 different transactions, , or you can pick and choose which ones to do, but you don't have to do them all in one day. You can go back through the week, but I don't mind standing there handing the cashier 1 or 2 items at a time, lol!)

Make sure you pick up your March Instant Value Coupon Booklet (IVC), effective today. We won't need it this week, but pick one up anyways, It looks like this:

(dang it, I don't know why it rotated, but in the file it's upright. Sorry!)

Now for the Breakdown of transactions: (which you can do today!)

Notes: First lesson in transactions like these, you can't count on everything that you want to be in stock. The store opened at 8am, and I needed to purchase additional papers for the deals, so I had to wait til 10am for Dollar Tree to open, but I was late, it was more like 11:45 by the time I got there. I'm going to blame it on the kids, lol. Anyways I hit my Walgreens at noon, and by then, the very first transaction on my list was all out! Shelves cleared! So the deal would have been a Motrin PM transaction, and if you have it in stock, you can do it at your store. The deal goes like this:

Motrin IB Pain Relief, 20 ct., on sale for $3.00

Get $3.00 in Register Rewards (RR), Limit 1

     - $1.00 off Motrin IB Printable

Means that you pay $2.00 Out of Pocket (OOP), and in turn, you get to spend $3.00 on your next transaction.
Notes: I happened to have $2.00 in Register Rewards from my transaction last week, so this would have been $0.00 Out of Pocket for me. For the purposes of being a newbie, I will add it up like If I don't have any Register Rewards, so the total reflects what YOU will pay.

I had to move on and do the next transaction on my list:

#1 - Colgate Transaction

Colgate Toothpaste 4 oz. Total Gum Defense or Advanced, on sale for $2.99
Get $3.00 in Register Rewards (RR), Limit 1
     - $0.75 off  from this week's Smart Source Insert
Means that you pay $2.24 Out of Pocket (OOP), and in turn you get $3.00 in Register Rewards (RR) to use on the next transaction:

#2 - Baby Magic
Baby Magic Lotion or Hair & Body Wash 16.5 oz., on sale for $3.00
Get $3.00 in Register Rewards (RR), Limit 1
      - Use your $3.00 Register Rewards from the Colgate Transaction
(This transaction is what I call a wash, you use your $3.00 RR, and get another $3.00 RR, you don't pay anything, or gain anything)
Notes: I don't even use Baby Magic, but it's free, you should always think about ways to use the items that you get. Personally, I am saving this and any other free baby items I get for the next baby shower!

#3 - Aquaphor & M&M Transaction:

Aquaphor Lip Repair, .35 oz., Reg. $4.99, plus a "filler" I chose M&M's @ $0.59

Get $4.00 in Register Rewards (RR), Limit 1

     - $1.00 off Aquaphor Printable
     - Use $3.00 Register Rewards from the previous transaction

Notes: The reason why i need a filler, is because Walgreens Coupon Policy states, you can't use more coupons that items, so I have (2) coupons, one Printable, and the Register Rewards count as one. I wouldn't be able to use them both on just 1 Aquaphor Lip Repair.
Means that you pay $1.58 Out of Pocket (OOP), and in turn you get $4.00 in Register Rewards (RR) to use on the next transaction: Total OOP so far is $3.82, but yours may vary because you might choose a different filler item.

#4 - Gillette Fusion Proglide & M&M Transaction:
Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor System, on sale for $9.99, plus "filler" M&M's @ $0.59
Get $4.00 in Register Rewards (RR), Limit 1     - $4.00 off  from this week's P&G Insert
     - Use $4.00 Register Rewards from previous transaction
Means that you pay $2.58 Out of Pocket (OOP), and in turn you get $4.00 in Register Rewards (RR) to use on the next transaction: Total OOP so far is $6.40, but yours may vary because you might choose a different filler item.

#5 - Nasogel transaction: (& M&M's if you happen to find a $1.00 off coupon on the product)

NasoGel Drip-Free Gel Spray 1 oz., on sale for $4.99

Get $5.00 in Register Rewards (RR), Limit 1

     - Use $4.00 Register Rewards from previous transaction

Means that you pay $1.00 Out of Pocket (OOP), and in turn you get $5.00 in Register Rewards (RR) to use on the next transaction: Total OOP so far is $7.40, but yours may vary -I personally happened to find a "peelie" stuck to the product for $1.00, so I used that to pay for the sale and in order to use it, I had to pick a filler item, that's why in my pic, I have M&M's here. I only paid $0.59 for the candy

#6 - Nyquil & Puffs transaction: (phew, done!)

Vicks NyQuil or DayQuil, 20 ct, Liquid, 10 oz, Formula 44 or Child’s NyQuil 6 oz $5.49 with in ad coupon, Limit 3 (However, I purchased 4, and it was fine. It's up to the store to decide if they want to enforce limits, most won't)
***There is a monthly Register Reward Deal that says if you get $15.00 in Vicks products, you get $5.00 in Register Rewards, and if you buy $20.00 in Vicks products, you get $10.00 in Register Rewards, currently all the bloggers and readers (including me) are trying these transactions, and no Register Rewards are printing. I've contacted the company responsible at coupon@catalinamarketing.com and they will give us the $10.00 Register rewards, but everyone will have to contact them on their own, so you may not want to purchase as many as I did, I only did it because I wanted to get the $10.00 in Register Rewards. You can do only 1 and it would look like this:
Vicks NyQuil or DayQuil, 20 ct, Liquid, 10 oz, Formula 44 or Child’s NyQuil 6 oz $5.49 with in ad coupon
Puffs (up to $1.99
     - Use $4.00 off Vicks Sinex from this weeks P&G insert
        (I know it says Sinex, but it works on Nyquil, I did it this morning)
     - Buy a Vicks product and get Puffs FREE (up to $1.99)
Means that you pay $1.49 Out of Pocket (OOP), no Register Rewards (RR). Total OOP so far is $8.89, but yours may vary depending on your fillers and how many Vicks you purchase.

Here's what I did
(4) Vicks NyQuil, 10 oz, $6.49, you need to show them the coupon in ad so they can scan it and it takes $1.00 off each making it $5.49 ea
(4) Puffs, $1.49      - I used (4) $4.00 off Vicks Sinex from this weeks P&G inserts
     - I used (4) Buy Vicks product and get Puffs FREE (took off $1.49 for each)
Means I paid $5.96 OOP, but am expecting $10.00 in Register Rewards when printing problem is fixed.
Notes: I made a Rookie mistake when I did this transaction. I forgot to hand the cashier the in-ad coupon, and paid a lot more than I should have. If his happens to you, it is no problem. I reviewed my receipt when I got back in my car, and brought it right back into the store and they refunded me the difference! Make sure that if you make mistakes, take your receipt back and get what's owed to you.

 I know that was a lot to take in, but this week's ad was really good for newbies. I hope you actually go out and do at least one of these transactions, and if you do, please leave me a comment letting me know how you did, I would love to hear your stories!

Happy Savings!

- Veronica