Friday, July 23, 2010

Walgreens shopping trip 7/23

When I first started this, I told myself I wasn't going to shop at Walgreens. I already shop at Publix and Target so I decided to only add CVS. Well, then came the money maker toothpaste. And my friend Jamie told me about her wonderful experience so I thought, hey I can try it.

I planned it all out this morning before we left the house, knowing that with 4 kids along I would probably be a bit stressed. I was going to buy Colgate toothpaste for $3.49 less $1/1 MQ, pay $2.74 OOP and earn $3.49 RR. Then I would buy two bottles of Dr. Scholl's Rough Skin Eraser for $6.99 each, use the $5 SQ I got from the coupon booklet at the store, pay $3.49 RR and $.76 OOP, and earn $5 RR. Then I was going to buy two PrintWorks copypaper for $1.99 each using a SQ from Sunday's add and two boxes of mac-n-cheese for $.69 with a SQ from Sunday's ad, to bring my total to $5.64. I would pay $5 RR and $.64 OOP. Total OOP would be about $4.14 for all of the above. In my mind, it was the perfect plan.

Unfortunately, what was perfect in my mind wasn't in reality. One of the reasons I don't care for Walgreens is their uncanny ability to always be sold out of the items advertised in their weekly ad. And true to form, they didn't have any of the Rough Skin Eraser or the copypaper. Ugh! Trying not to be discourage, I picked up the Colgate toothpaste and went towards the mac-n-cheese thinking I'd buy a few boxes with the RR I earned from the toothpaste. Then I saw the Zephyrhills bottled water. With a SQ from the Sunday ad, a 24-pk was only $3.49 the exact amount of RR I was going to get from the toothpaste. Score! Jacob put the mac-n-cheese back for me and we headed towards the register.

This was my first time ever using RR so I learned something. First, my $3.49 RR printed as $3.50. Second, my total for the water before tax was $3.49 and it wouldn't take my $3.50 RR as payment because I was a penny short. The cashier was very kind when she explained it and I quickly learned that I needed a "filler" item. I had read about fillers, cheap items used to bring your total high enough so you could use RRs, but didn't realize that it was pre-tax amount that mattered. I was flustered, didn't know what to grab, so in my haste I grabbed an overpriced Snickers bar thinking I could always save it for Jamie, the candy bar queen.

Transaction #1
5.8oz Colgate toothpaste $3.49
- $1 MQ
paid $2.74 OOP
Earned $3.50 RR

Transaction #2
24 pack Zephyrhills bottled water $4.50
- $1.01 SQ
Snickers $.89
Paid $3.50 RR, $.95 OOP



All in all, it wasn't a bad trip. I got everything pictured above for $3.69 OOP. I plan on using the water bottles for a "help the needy" project the kids and I are going to be starting. Check back for a blog post on that in a few days. I got the toothpaste that I wanted and I have a candy bar to give to a friend. If I don't end up eating it first.

3 comments:

  1. I would suggest saving it for said "friend"...imo.

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  2. That is why we can't stand Walgreen's. Give my hubby the list and he comes back all irratated cause they had like one thing.

    But I guess over all you did well. Considering Jamie gets a candy bar.... hummmmmm. Hope Tim don't eat it first. :)

    ReplyDelete

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