I shopped at Walgreens yesterday. My first priority as a coupon shopper is finding great deals on food, so I was hoping to take advantage of an advertised deal on Chex Mix. Before I went to Walgreens, I printed coupons for Chex Mix from coupons.com and everydaysaver.com.
Here is this week's Chex Mix deal, advertised at Walgreen's:
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
---------
$ 3.00
- 1.00 receive $1 register reward for purchasing 3 Chex Mix
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$ 2.00 - for 3 Chex Mix
By using 3 coupons for $0.50 off, we can reduce our out of pocket expenses from $3.00 to $1.50, so we can pay $1.50 for the Chex Mix, and then get back a $1 register reward.
I clipped coupons for $1.50 off Scope from the September Proctor and Gamble coupon inserts. Here is the Scope deal:
$ 3.00 Scope
$ 3.00 Scope
---------
$ 6.00
- 3.00 receive $3 register reward for purchasing 2 Scope
---------
$ 3.00
By using 2 coupons for $1.50 off Scope, we can reduce our out of pocket expenses from $6 to $3, so we can pay $3 for 2 Scope, and get back a $3 register reward. We will still pay $3, but we will get back the amount that we pay in register rewards.
Here is another deal from Walgreen's this week that I had my eye on:
$ 4.99 Alteril sleep aid - pay $ 4.99, plus sales tax.
- 4.99 get back $ 4.99 register reward
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free - advertised "free after register rewards"
When I was planning my trip, I was counting on a deal on Herbal Essence shampoo and conditioner. Here is that deal:
$ 3.00 Herbal Essence
$ 3.00 Herbal Essence
---------
$ 6.00
- 2.00 get back $2 register reward for purchasing 2 Herbal Essence
---------
$ 4.00 for 2 Herbal Essence
The key to this deal that I did not have was the coupon for $3 off 2 Herbal Essence from the 8/05/2012 Red Plum coupon insert. If you have this coupon, you can bring your cost down to $3 for the 2 Herbal Essence, and then get back a $2 register reward. Then I was planning to purchase $25 worth of Herbal Essence products and send in for a current $5 Proctor and Gamble rebate. But I did not have those coupons because we spent that week at the beach!
Bloggers were reporting on a national deal on Chex Mix, officially beginning September 3. Here's the deal reported:
Chex Mix or Chex 100 calorie snack mix . . . save up to $3 on a future order with coupon
buy 3, get $1
buy 4, get $2
buy 5, get $3
off your next shopping order
Hmm. . . Walgreens is advertising buy 3, get $2 beginning today. What would happen if I bought 4 Chex Mix with four coupons? Would I get back $2? If I did, the math would look like this:
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
---------
$ 4.00
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon
---------
$ 2.00
- 2.00 receive $2 register reward for purchasing 4 Chex Mix
---------
$ 0.00
If I didn't get the $2 register reward, I would be entitled to the advertised $1 reward. If the $2 reward printed, my Chex Mix would be free after register rewards. I decided to give it a go and use 4 coupons for my first transaction.
Here is what I came home with:
Shopping trip 1
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 3.00 Scope
$ 3.00 Scope
---------
$10.00
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon Chex Mix, printed online at coupons.com
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon Chex Mix, printed online at coupons.com
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon Chex Mix, printed online at coupons.com
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon Chex Mix, printed online at coupons.com
- 1.50 manufacturer coupon Scope September Proctor and Gamble coupon insert
- 1.50 manufacturer coupon Scope September Proctor and Gamble coupon insert
---------
$ 5.00 - paid $5, plus sales tax
- 2.00 received $2 register reward, Chex Mix
- 3.00 received $3 register reward, Scope
---------
$ 0.00 plus sales tax
Shopping trips 2, 4 and 6
$ 4.99 Alteril sleep aid
$ 0.19 Ramen noodles
---------
$ 5.18 - plus sales tax - paid with $5 register rewards,($2 and $3 from above transaction) $0.18 cash
- 5.00 received $5 register reward, Alteril
---------
$ 0.18
I bought the Ramen noodles to satisfy a Walgreen's coupon policy requirement. Walgreen's allows one manufacturer coupon per item purchased. Walgreen's counts the register rewards as manufacturer coupons. I was planning to use two register rewards from Shopping Trip 1 above, so I had to purchase 2 items.
Shopping trip 3, 5
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 3.00 Scope
$ 3.00 Scope
$ 0.19 Ramen noodles
---------
$10.19
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon Chex Mix, printed online at coupons.com
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon Chex Mix, printed online at coupons.com
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon Chex Mix, printed online at coupons.com
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon Chex Mix, printed online at coupons.com
- 1.50 manufacturer coupon Scope September Proctor and Gamble coupon insert
- 1.50 manufacturer coupon Scope September Proctor and Gamble coupon insert
---------
$ 5.19 - plus sales tax - paid with $5 register reward, $0.19 cash
- 2.00 received $2 register reward, Chex Mix
- 3.00 received $3 register reward, Scope
---------
$ 0.19 plus sales tax
Shopping Trip 7
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 1.00 Chex Mix
$ 3.99 Crest prohealth rinse
$ 0.19 Ramen noodles
---------
$ 8.18
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon Chex Mix, printed online at coupons.com
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon Chex Mix, printed online at coupons.com
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon Chex Mix, printed online at coupons.com
- 0.50 manufacturer coupon Chex Mix, printed online at coupons.com
- 1.00 manufacturer Crest rinse September Proctor and Gamble coupon insert
---------
$ 5.18 - plus sales tax - paid with $5 register reward, $0.19 cash
- 2.00 received $2 register reward, Chex Mix
- 3.00 received $3 register reward, Scope
---------
$ 0.18 plus sales tax
Shopping Trip 8
$ 1.99 Nice orange juice
$ 1.99 Nice orange juice
$ 1.99 Nice orange juice
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$ 5.97 - plus sales tax - paid with $5 register rewards, $0.97 cash
Shopping Trip 8 represents my "exit strategy." I have to drive for a few minutes to get to Walgreen's, so I typically try to spend my Walgreen's rewards before I leave the store. I have been known to let them expire. This week I came home with orange juice.
$ 0.00 Shopping Trip 1
$ 0.18 Shopping Trip 2
$ 0.19 Shopping Trip 3
$ 0.18 Shopping Trip 4
$ 0.18 Shopping Trip 5
$ 0.18 Shopping Trip 6
$ 0.18 Shopping Trip 7
$ 5.97 Shopping Trip 8
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$ 7.06 - plus sales tax - for 16 Chex Mix, 6 Scope, 1 Crest Prohealth, 3 Alturel, 6 Ramen noodles, 3 orange juice. Value of merchandise, based on sale prices, $59.11
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