8
Drugstores and More
What You Don’t Know but Should

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:10

You know those weeks when you sit down to make your shopping list and realize it’s “that week”? The week when you have to buy everything, including all of your household supplies? On those weeks, it’s so frustrating to get to the grocery store, fill up your cart with toothpaste, toilet paper, laundry detergent, and other household items, and then realize you’ve blown through your entire grocery budget—and you don’t even have any food in the cart yet! In this chapter, I’m going to show you how to save on more than just groceries. You’re going to be able to save big money on toiletries, makeup, cleaning supplies, and even online purchases. These categories make up a big chunk of our expenses, so let’s talk about how to save there too.

Interested yet? I thought you might be. I know I am! First let me ask you, did you ever think that you could walk into a drugstore and get free toothpaste, expensive razors for under a dollar, and great deals on toilet paper? Me either! But if you’ve ever couponed at a drugstore before, then you know they are gold mines. They just work a little differently than what you are used to.

The basic idea is that each drugstore chain has its own in-store “currency” you can earn by taking advantage of certain sales and buying specific products. I’ll show you how to use that store currency to walk away with super cheap or even free items.

In this chapter I’m going to walk with you through a few of the national drugstore chains, including CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens. While we aren’t going to cover every single detail, we are going to look at what each store has to offer. There are amazing deals to be had here on things like toothpaste, toothbrushes, cleaning supplies, baby items, razors, razor cartridges (let me repeat that last one . . . razor cartridges!), and so much more.

So What’s the Big Difference?

The first thing you have to do is take everything you’ve learned about couponing in a grocery store and chuck it out the window. Drugstore shopping is completely different from grocery store shopping. Shopping at drugstores could be its own book, but I’m going to cover the basics and give you a strong foundation to work with. In addition, I will show you how to find each store’s current coupon policy as well as point you toward several online guides to couponing in drugstores.

To begin, let me ask you this: What in the world do you buy at drugstores in the first place? It’s a simple question, but one that many of us will have to stop and think about. To get an idea of things you would want to buy at drugstores, get their recent circular, take a trip up and down the aisles, or go to the Time 2 $ave blog and look for the items your family uses in the weekly drugstore matchups. (Yep, we’ve got matchups for these too.)

Now you are looking for things like toilet paper, paper towels, makeup, cleaning supplies, toothpaste, toothbrushes, diapers, wipes, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, hair products, and Coke. (I’m a Southern girl, so “Coke” refers to all soda, pop, or soft drinks. Don’t laugh; you know exactly what I’m talking about!) As you scan through the lists you’ll start to notice that each week features a few different items at rock-bottom prices, just like in the grocery stores. If you’re at Time 2 $ave, you can click the handy checkboxes next to any items you want to buy, create a list, and print it out. (You’ll see your list pop up in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.)

So far so good? Now, whether you are on the website, in the store, or looking at a circular, you will notice that many of the items listed will earn some kind of store currency. This is the amount you will get back at the register after you purchase certain products. Now you can take that store “money” and buy something else you need.

Have you ever heard of Kohl’s Cash or Gym Bucks from Gymboree? This is very similar. It is money given to you by a store to spend in the same store. The requirements are a little different, but the idea is the same.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. I want to take this step-by-step ’cause things can get muddy quick.

Step 1: Concentrate on One Drugstore at a Time

First, pick one store. I know, they all have good deals and they all follow similar guidelines, but you will drive yourself two steps from crazy if you try to keep up with everything out there. See, even though they all have similar policies, the differences are in the details. Every store, meaning CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, has its own form of currency and in-store promotions. So take your time, get into the swing of things at your favorite store, and enjoy your savings.

Me? Well, I’m a type A personality and I love a good challenge. By nature I want to tackle all three stores at the same time, and believe me, I have tried. It’s not fun. But I have been on a journey to let go of the areas in my life that are stressful. I want to feel at peace and look forward to walking into a store rather than always running from one place to another so fast that I never stop to take a breath. If you take anything from this chapter I hope you will save your sanity and learn from my mistakes.

Remember:

There is no pressure.

Don’t stress about the stores you don’t visit.

Give yourself a pat on the back for choosing balance.

Have fun and enjoy playing the drugstore game.

Step 2: Learning about Your Store

Once you pick your store, it’s time to learn all about how that store works. The best way to do this is to go online to their corporate website and read about it. Need a website? Try CVS.com, Walgreens.com, and RiteAid.com. If you see a term you don’t understand, try checking appendix C at the back of this book.

While you are at the store’s website, look for words such as specials, coupons, promotions, savings, and rewards. If you see one of these words or others like them, give it a click and see what it has to say. Then register with the site to receive advance notice of sales and other promotional opportunities. Next you want to “like” the store on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and download store-specific apps if you have a smartphone. This will give you access to coupons and other promotions not found anywhere else. The last step is to sign up for mobile alerts if your cell plan will allow. These messages offer exclusive savings codes you can use in the store.

Step 3: Familiarize Yourself with the Weekly Ad

Drugstore sales run from Sunday to Saturday, and you’ll find their weekly ads online and in your Sunday paper.

When looking through the sale ads, pay special attention to the wording around different promotions. Does the ad mention a store loyalty card? Are there any items advertised as free? What about that in-store currency we were talking about?

Since drugstores follow a sale cycle just like grocery stores, each week a small handful of items will be at their lowest price. You’ll have to hunt for them as they tend to be sprinkled throughout the ad, but this is where the big savings will be. Our list of matchups on the Time 2 $ave blog will focus on those particular deals.

Step 4: Compare the Ad to the Blog Matchup

If you are using our matchup system at Time 2 $ave, you’ll start to notice wording like “Pay $5.99 ~ Get back $3.00” or “It’s like paying $2.00!” Let’s look at how a drugstore deal might appear on our matchup list.

Contact solution $5.99 ~ Get back $3.99

Use $2/1 PRINT

Pay $3.99 ~ Get back $3.99 (makes it FREE!)

Make sense? Probably not! So let’s walk through what this would look like at the drugstore. First you would take the contact solution up to the counter and hand over your store loyalty card if applicable. The item rings up for $5.99. Now hand the cashier your coupon for $2.00 off one bottle of contact solution. This would bring the price down to $3.99 out of pocket (OOP). At this point you would pay the cashier $3.99 plus tax and the register will begin to print your receipt.

But we’re not done just yet! Remember the part in the ad where it said “Get back $3.99”? At the bottom of your receipt, or on a separate piece of paper printed after the receipt, you’ll see the store currency you’ve earned on this transaction. In this case you earned $3.99.

Your store currency will be printed with a barcode, which the cashier will scan when you’re ready to use it. In other words, the money you get back can only be used in the chain of stores you got it from. So you can’t take Extra Care Bucks from CVS and spend them at Walgreens. They have to be used at CVS. But you can use that “money” to purchase items in the store or even to pay for your next transaction. (Some exclusions apply, such as milk, prescriptions, beer, and cigarettes.)

Step 5: Multiple Transactions

All right, here’s where the rubber hits the road. If you really want to take full advantage of all that drugstores have to offer, then you will need to master the art of multiple transactions. This means that you will take the items in your cart and group them into different transactions based on purchase price and the amount of store currency you will get back. The idea is to minimize your out of pocket expense by “paying” for each transaction with store currency. And let me just say, the clerks and cashiers at the drugstores understand this technique and are used to it. As long as you are considerate and respectful of your fellow customers you shouldn’t have any problems.

It’s all about the strategy. Remember, our goal is to put the money that we earn from one transaction toward the next one. We are going to strategically plan how to first earn and then spend the store cash before we ever walk in the door. (And a big thanks to my local CVS cashier for being so kind as to teach me how to do this in the first place.) If you are wondering which item to purchase first, choose the one that will cost you the least amount of money out of pocket.

Examples of Multiple Transactions:

Item 1:

Schick Razors $9.99 ~ Get back $5.99

Pay $9.99

Get back $5.99 (makes it $4.00)

Item 2:

Colgate Toothpaste $2.00 ~ Get back $1

Use $1/1 coupon

Pay $1 ~ Get back $1.00 (makes it FREE)

Looking at these two examples, the second item would cost you less money out of pocket.

Item 1—You pay $9.99 OOP and earn $5.99 in store money

Item 2—You pay $1.00 OOP and earn $1.00 in store money

Based on these totals you would purchase item 2 first because you are only spending $1.00 out of your own pocket. Then you would get back $1.00 in store currency that you can put toward your next transaction, the Schick Razors. This will help you lower the OOP amount for that transaction and maximize your savings.

Let’s look at another example. This time we will break the items up by transaction.

Item 1:

Buy (3) Luden’s Cough Drops for $5.00 ~ Get back $3.00

Use $1/1 Luden’s from 11/13 SS (*Use 3 of these coupons to buy 3 Luden’s)

Or use $1/2 from 1/22 SS

Pay as little as $2.00 after coupons ~ Get back $3.00 (makes it FREE + $1 overage if you have the $1/1 coupons)

Item 2:

Spend $10 on Nivea Lip Care, priced at $2.50 each ~ Get back $3.00

Use $3/2 from 2/12 SS (*Use 2 of these coupons to buy 4 Nivea products)

Pay $4 after coupons ~ Get back $3.00 (makes it $1 for all 4 items)

Item 3:

Tylenol Precise $7.49 ~ Get back $2.00

Use $5/1 from 2/19 RP

Pay $2.49 after coupons ~ Get back $2.00 (makes it $0.49)

For this example we have three items we want to buy and we are going to group them into three transactions so that we can use the store money earned from one to help pay for the others.

Transaction #1

Buy (1) Tylenol Precise = $7.49

Use (1) $5/1 coupon from the 2/19 RP

Pay $2.49 ~ Get back $2.00

Transaction #2

Buy (3) Luden’s Cough Drops = $5.00

Use (3) $1/1 Coupons from the 11/13 SS

Use $2 store currency (earned from the Tylenol transaction)

Pay $0.00 ~ Get back $3.00

Transaction #3

Buy (4) Nivea Lip Care items = $10.00

Use (2) $3/2 coupons from the 2/12 SS

Use $3.00 store currency (earned from the Luden’s transaction)

Pay $1.00 OOP ~ Get back $3.00

The total amount you paid out of pocket after all three transactions was just $3.49 plus tax. You are now left with $3 in store currency. That’s like getting all these products for $0.49! The great part about this process is once you start you often leave with store currency in hand, meaning that your OOP for next week’s transactions will be even less because that currency can be carried over and used at a later date.

Step 6: Plan of Attack

The key to this whole system is having a plan of attack in place before you step foot in the store. I’ve learned that my trips to drugstores run much smoother if I know what I want to buy and take the time to plan out my transactions in advance. That’s not to say my plans don’t change once I get there. After all, you never know when an item will be out of stock. But at least I know what I’m looking for.

Now let me tell you, some days in drugstores are easier than others. There will be times when plans get derailed and things don’t work out the way you want them to. Maybe you walk in with a perfect list, only to head straight for your first item and find that it’s out of stock. Just like your second item and maybe even your third. But don’t let it get you down. Honey, it’s just not worth it. These are coupons; it is so not worth getting stressed out about.

These days I know when I walk in that plans could change, and I’m okay with that. When it happens you might just find me parked in the middle of the candy aisle as I recalculate with a pen and paper. I’m not saying this is the perfect solution for everyone, but that’s how I roll. And I do have a few tips to help things run a bit smoother.

To make my trip easier I always print out my list and put the coupons I will be using for the trip in an envelope. If I know I am going to do multiple transactions this week, then I will take the extra step of giving each transaction its own envelope.

Remember me telling you that I’m unorganized, have ADHD, and hate math? This is why I make a point to separate my transactions. It helps me to not get distracted as I’m working my way around the store. If I don’t do this, I always end up buying the wrong things together and messing up my savings.

So here is my system. When I walk into the store and get a cart, I also grab three shopping baskets. I prefer not to do more than three transactions, because that is how long my attention span lasts. I separate each transaction into its own basket with the corresponding coupon envelope. Two baskets fit horizontally on the back of the cart and the third goes underneath.

Once I finish my first transaction, basket number 2 stacks inside basket number 1 and I am ready to go. I also go ahead and put any store currency I just earned into the second envelope with the coupons I am about to use. Finish up with transaction number 2 and then repeat the whole process a third time.

This is just my own system. It may or may not work for you, and that’s fine. You have to find whatever works for you and go with it.

Step 7: How Often Should I Shop at Drugstores?

I used to try to go every single week. That didn’t last long. Talk about burnout! Now I just go once or twice a month, depending on our schedule. The thing to remember is to keep it all in perspective. Whether you save 5 percent, 20 percent, or 70 percent, you are still saving money. So ignore the little voices in your head telling you about all the things you missed out on and enjoy the savings you scored.

And More!

Remember when I said that this chapter was about much more than just drugstores? Did you know you can earn rewards just by doing the things you have always done? Like shopping! There are several great online sites that give you the chance to earn cash back on everything you buy, but my personal favorite is ebates.com. Ebates is pretty straightforward, and I have to say I love the way it works. All you do is sign up for an account, browse through the more than fifteen hundred stores they partner with, click on the store’s link . . . and shop! Once you click your favorite store, a tracking ticket is created to track your purchases to ensure proper credit. You are then directed to your favorite store to shop as you normally would. By going through Ebates for your online purchases you can earn a certain percentage of cash back from each store. That percentage will vary based on the store you are shopping at and their current promotion, but either way the money is automatically credited to your Ebates account. Once every three months or so you will receive a check from Ebates for the cash back you’ve earned. It’s that simple.

Hidden Savings

Are you in the military? Are you a teacher? Maybe you’re a senior or a student. If so, then there are additional savings floating around out there that you may be missing. Many businesses, including stores, restaurants, and attractions, offer special pricing for military, teachers, seniors, and students. To find out if they do, just ask. You might score extra savings just by being who you are!

Keep in mind that many places require you to show a military, teacher, or student ID to get these special savings. So keep your ID handy and get ready to save some cash.

Freebies

Sometimes companies will offer totally free items to entice us to try them out. This is a really fun perk to look out for when you’re hunting down deals.

For example, a photo company might offer a promo code for a free photo book because they hope you’ll fall in love with their product and begin using them on a regular basis. In addition, freebies are often available when new products hit the market. For instance, I recently received a free full-size Downy product just for filling out a questionnaire.

Free sample offers come down the pike all the time as well. If you have a moment to sign up for these along the way, you could be opening your mailbox a couple times a week to purse-size fragrance samples or travel-size Aveeno lotions or packets of Wisk laundry detergent.

Other Great Deals

What if you could save money shopping for clothes, office supplies, home improvement projects, baby items, and more? Most of us are creatures of habit and have become so used to paying a certain amount for the above items that we don’t necessarily think there is an alternative. Once you know where to look and what kind of savings or promotions to expect, it will become second nature.

Eating Out

Just because we are saving money on our groceries doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy eating out, especially when there are so many great offers available. Many restaurants offer coupons, freebies, or savings clubs if you sign up for updates online. Wait, don’t toss that receipt away without taking a quick peek. Many restaurants offer freebies or a percentage off if you call the number at the bottom of your receipt and answer a couple of survey questions. Recently I signed up to receive text messages from my family’s favorite restaurant. I usually get one or two texts per week alerting me about new deals.

One more thing: just like some grocery stores accept competitor coupons, some restaurants will do the same. I noticed just this week that one of my favorite sub shops accepts coupons from any competitor.

Want free food on your birthday? We’ve got a list of birthday freebies on the Time 2 $ave blog. If you can’t find what you are looking for, take a moment and either Google the restaurant or give them a call. Obviously you can’t eat at ten different places on your birthday, so don’t feel like you’ve got to sign up for every birthday freebie known to man. Birthday freebies and offers usually expire quickly. When I first started couponing I signed up for more birthday freebies and offers than I could use in a year. Save yourself some time, pick out your favorites, and don’t worry about the rest.

Shopping Malls and Retail Stores

Each week on the Time 2 $ave blog we post sales and coupons from our favorite mall and retail stores. If you go online and sign up for updates, you’ll get all kinds of offers sent to you. From coupons and freebies through the mail to emails and text messages like I mentioned above, you won’t have to look for savings.

Remember how you can earn back a percentage of your total sale in the form of cash? Here’s a little secret: all of these savings I’ve included are in addition to earning cash back on your total purchase. Are you wondering if it’s worth it? Let me break down an example for you:

Favorite retail store coupon:	$25 off every $50 purchase + free shipping
Cash back reward:	6%
Total purchase amount:	$100.00 **check out in two transactions
First transaction total:	$50.00 - ($25 off every $50 purchase coupon code) = $25.00 (save 50%)
Second transaction:	$50.00 - ($25 off every $50 purchase coupon code) = $25.00 (save 50%)
Total coupon savings:	$50.00
Cash back reward:	6% of total purchase
Transaction 1: Transaction 2:	$25 x 6% = $1.50 $25 x 6% = $1.50
Total cash back:	$3.00
Coupon savings:	$50 + cash back $3 = $53.00 total saved

Note: to maximize my savings I will need to check out in two transactions. Otherwise I would only receive $25 off of my total purchase of $100. If I separate my transactions, I’ll save $25 off of $50 each time I check out.

You will find that retail stores that you frequent want you to sign up for their special offers so you’ll keep coming back. For example, I’ll never forget the day I found out that my favorite local toy store offers a loyalty card. Each time I shop, they stamp my purchase amount. Then after ten trips I get a voucher worth 10 percent of my total purchases. Loyalty programs offer fantastic deals and require very little effort, but the savings can be substantial.

Office Supplies

I can’t count how many times I’ve been asked if the price of ink and paper to print coupons outweighs the savings benefits. Let’s get that myth out of the way; of course you can still save tons of money. Besides, if you shop at any of the big office supply stores you’ll quickly discover that there are amazing deals to be had through their rebate programs. You can find information about each store’s rebate program either online or in the store. It’s a great way to score cheap, if not free, office supplies throughout the year. I’m not just talking pencils, either. Paper, ink, school supplies, you name it.

There are ways to save money on just about everything you buy. The first step is keeping your eyes open for discounts. Once you know they are there, you’ll know what to look for. Keep your eyes open, ask questions when necessary, and enjoy!

Making Sense of the Madness

Are all these deals starting to pile up on you? No worries. That’s what I’m here for. If you want to know the latest and greatest of what sales are floating around in cyberspace, then just stop by the Time 2 $ave blog at www.time2saveworkshops.com. The truth is I would love to list every deal out there right here in this book for you to read about, but they are always changing! That’s why I send you to the blog. It’s the place you can get up-to-the-minute deals on the items you love.

So check back and check back often. We update the site with deals and coupons roughly ten to twenty times a day so that you don’t miss out on anything.

Now, what will you do with all these great deals and freebies you’re about to get? One of the things I have done is to start a gift closet. That way I can take advantage of all the freebies I come across and then use them later for birthday, shower, or even Christmas presents.

Examples? Well, how about free pictures or photo books, free stationery, free T-shirts, free baby products, or super cheap toys. And that’s just what I’ve seen this week.

You can also take some of the free or cheap toiletries and household items you’ve scored at the drugstore, pack them into a laundry basket, and give them as a housewarming present or a college dorm survival kit.

The basis of this whole chapter is that I want to open your eyes to the world of savings that exists beyond the grocery store. Yes, we coupon. And yes, we can use that to save a huge amount of money on our groceries. But that is only the beginning. Once you get into the mindset of saving money you can find deals on just about anything you want to buy. All you have to do is look.

Let’s get something for free at a drugstore this week!

Start by picking just one drugstore to focus on for this first trip. Go to that store’s website and learn what their store currency is called (for instance, CVS calls theirs Extra Care Bucks, or ECBs in coupon lingo). Get familiar with their coupon policy as well. Now head over to Time2SaveWorkshops.com and locate that store’s current weekly ad, or pick up a copy from the store (you’ll also find links to tutorials about each drugstore at the top of each week’s matchups). Look for an item that allows you to earn store currency, especially one that will be free after this reward is taken into account. There is usually at least one item per week, per drugstore, that will give you back the same amount of store currency you paid out of pocket. If there is a coupon involved, that brings your OOP expense down further—even better! I would suggest picking one or two backup items to try as well, just in case your first choice is out of stock when you arrive.

Now head to the drugstore (with any necessary coupons in hand) and buy that item. Make sure to get the exact size or variety described in the ad, and don’t forget to hand over your store loyalty card before you check out. (You can usually sign up for those in the store and use them right away.) Once you have paid and receive your store reward, you are finished. You can either save that reward to experiment with next week or buy another item that you need from this week’s sale ad.