15 Days of Pinching Pennies at the Drug Stores (Day 11): How To Save At Walgreens

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How to Save at Walgreens

Goodness, I’m a little anxious about trying to go through the ins and outs of shopping Walgreens (by far the hardest drug store to navigate), but there are so many good deals to be had if you’ll take the time to make sense of it! If you take the time to figure it out now, I promise on Thanksgiving Day (the drug stores “Black Friday”), you’ll score some serious deals at CVS and Walgreens, and you’ll be glad you took the time to figure it out.

Since Walgreens can be a little tricky to get started at, I recommend trying to pick up just one or two of their best deals as you get started. Once you get the hang of it you can pick up more items, but be careful as it’s easy to get overwhelmed when using coupons there!

The Basics of Walgreens Shopping

1. Request a Balance Rewards Card.

Similar to CVS and Rite Aid, to save the most at Walgreens you’ll want to sign up for a Balance Rewards card. You can get a card in the store, or sign up online.

2. Register your Walgreens Balance Rewards card online.

Take a few minutes to register your Balance Rewards card online, and you’ll be able to check your Balance Rewards Points from home. Balance Rewards Points will also print on the bottom of your receipt at checkout, however by having your account registered you may receive special offers via email.

3. Always use your Balance Rewards (BR) card when shopping.

Balance Rewards are tied to your Walgreens account, and you must have a Balance Rewards Card to receive these special savings.

4. Walgreens offers two different types of special savings each week, in addition to their regular sales ad.

Register Rewards

Balance Rewards

Typically Register Rewards savings are the easiest deals to get each week at Walgreens, as they immediately print out at checkout to use on your next purchase!

5. It is very important when shopping at Walgreens to put your coupons in the correct “order” as you checkout.

We’ll talk more about this over the next few days, but here’s just a peek as you get started:

First, give your cashier any Register Rewards that you’ve earned from a previous shopping trip.
Then use your manufacturer coupons.
Then use any Walgreens store coupons
Finally, use any of the Balance Rewards that available on your card.

Important Note: Because Walgreens requires that you purchase as many items as you have coupons for, watch for “filler items” in store when purchasing items using Register Rewards, manufacturer coupons, and store coupons. Look for clearanced candy, pencils, or erasers so that you always have enough items to use each of your coupons.

Stop back tomorrow to learn exactly how Register Rewards work at Walgreens, and let me know what questions and suggestions you have as well! If you’re new to drug store shopping, you’ll want to also read through these posts to get started: