Follow My Husband As He Becomes An Extreme Couponer

Since I just gave birth via c-section to our 3rd daughter my husband is going to be doing the shopping this week! 

First I must start off by saying "THANK YOU MARK!! YOU ARE THE BEST".

We thought this would be a great opportunity to do a DAILY POST on Coupon basics! So follow along with Mark as he learns to use coupons and SAVE BIG! This is really awesome for me as I forget how confusing couponing is when you first start out! So if you are new or know someone who is new, please pass these posts onto them!! And post a question you have! Even experienced couponers may learn something and if nothing else I promise you he will entertain you ;0) For example look at this photo he was hamming it up just a bit putting on his most unexcited face as possible!

TODAY'S TOPIC:

WALGREENS

Personally I admit I started him off at the pharmacy that gives me the most PROBLEMS on accepting coupons and printing rewards! 

First ALWAYS HAVE TWO NEED TO BUY SOON LISTS YOU ARE ALWAYS WORKING ON

FOR HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS

FOR GROCERIES

2nd When you are brand new to couponing take one store at a time.

First read my Walgreens 101 post.

• Get your Ad out and see if any of the items on your list are on sale, and circle them
• Look at my Weekly Walgreens match-up and see if you can find any deals on those items and other items you may want to purchase.
• Search my coupon database and see if there are other coupons out there for items in sales ads or items you need and you would normally purchase at Walgreens. 
• Make a list of what you are planning to buy, complete with prices and what you expect to pay out of pocket at the end. Here is what the list looked like I made for my husband and put in his folder along with a copy of the Walgreens Store Policy (always have this with you) and the store ad so he could make sure he was getting the correct items.

2 Transactions

First transaction:

1) Ritz Crackerfuls 

Price $1.99 (Sun & Mon only)

Coupon: $1.00/1 (I got from the Smart Source Insert on 4/17)

Quantity: Buy 2 Use 2 Coupons

Pay: $2.00 (plus tax)

RECEIVE $2.00 Register Rewards will print off with your receipt

Now hand them the other products and do your 2nd Transaction

Second Transaction

1)Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner

this has been on our need list for a while

Price: $1.99

Coupon: $.75/1

Quantity: Buy 1

Pay: $1.24

2)Skinny Cow

Price, $2/$5.00

Coupon: NO COUPON (I don't have the All You one)
Quantity: Buy one Clusters and 1 Heavenly Crisp Bars

3) Renyold's Wrap (Sunday and Monday Only)

this has been on our need list for a while

Price, $1.99

Coupon: Use $.75 off/1

Quantity: Buy 2 Use 2 coupons

Pay: $2.48

4)Act II Popcorn (his fave)

Price, $.25 each deal of the week

Coupon : NO COUPON

Quantity: Buy 4

Pay: $1.00

Total Cost: $9.72

hand them your $2.00 register reward

Final out of pocket: $7.72 plus tax expect to pay around $8.50

Now was I having him get $1,000 worth of grocery for $3.22? No but this is still extreme for someone who would pay full price with no coupons! So be proud of saving and don't have the goal of getting everything for FREE! You can get good deals without even using coupons!! If it is an item you use and the price is right, go for it!!

How did he do?

Many of you will relate to this. He went to the store a mile from our house and they did not have the Ritz, so he went to 2nd store that also did not have the Ritz, so he went, oh yes he did, to a 3rd store which still did not have the Ritz. So he came back to the first store gave up on getting the Ritz and discovered that the advertized Skinny Cow product in a package was not on the shelf (he checked at another store too) but rather individual Skinny Cow packages on sale for $.79 each which would not have equaled 6 for $2.50 like the advertized deal so he didn't get them and was frustrated that they told him this was all they ever had. 

He had no problem getting the popcorn, or the toilet cleaner, and he found the Renoyld's wrap and headed out feeling exhausted from going to 3 different stores (and one twice) to come away with only 3 of the 5 items he sent out to get. 

I tell him he did great but could I see his receipt knowing my sweet husband after going to that many stores did not check the receipt. Go ahead and guess what I discovered yup! He was overcharged! He was charged $2.79 for each of the Renoyld's wraps instead of $1.99. So he went charging out of the house with his receipt and products (not my handy-dandy list) and came back happy and said "They were great they said that has been happening all day and they refunded me $3.93. Oh dear, I say, knowing there is no way he will be entering a Walgreens for the 6th time. I show him that they gave him back far too much that he should have only received $1.60 back. He felt bad but was in no mood to go back.

What lessons did he say he learned from this first shopping experience:

• First if it is a 2 day sale go the day of the sale as early as possible to get the deals.
• If you don't find the deal, don't go chasing it, chances are it will be sold out at the other stores too unless you are near another Walgreens don't go chasing the deal as you are wasting gas and your frustrations will begin to build, you can't get every deal and that is o.k.
• ALWAYS LOOK AT YOUR RECEIPT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE STORE (or in the car before you leave the parking lot)

DID YOU FIND THIS HELPFUL??? Please give feedback!! And write questions you have about Walgreens, as this was really a super simple scenario, we will work our way up to more complex Wlagreens transactions later ;0) Tune in tomorrow when he goes to KROGER!!!

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