Rite Aid is going to be pretty cool to share, because I actually live in their test market!! Certain areas of California, the sales run from Friday to Thursday rather than Sunday to Sunday like most drugstores. (That is actually a good bit of information to share. MOST grocery stores run their sales and ads Wednesday to Tuesday. Drugstores are Sunday to Sunday, unless you live in a test district like I do. ALWAYS look at the bottom of the ad to see what days the specials run. Its pretty embarrassing to go up to a register with a cart full of stuff only to find out that the sale hasn't started yet! Trust me, cashiers are not a fan ;) ) So, all that to say, I can give everyone who is not in a test market a heads up on Rite Aid before the sale even starts! How cool is that?
This week was a GREAT week at Rite Aid.
Rite Aid trip October 28, 2010:
2 boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats
3 bags of Chex Mix
1 bag of Gardettos (sp?)
1 bottle of honey
1 box of my much needed hair color!
2 packages of size C batteries for Ryan's soother
5 Soy Joy bars (only 4 pictured because Ryan ate 1:)
10 packs of Trident Layers gum
Grand Total: $8.01 out of pocket
Plus $1 +UP reward to use on next transaction
Here are some HUGE pointers for Rite Aid to know before even starting to shop there.
First of all, GET A WELLNESS CARD! It is complete silliness to not have one. Its free. You cannot get any of the store sales or incentives without it. Just get it. End of story.
+UP rewards are cash back type specials that Rite Aid puts as incentives for certain items. A lot of times they are totally worth it! I have walked out paying NOTHING but tax many times at Rite Aid because I had so many +UP rewards from the last time, that it paid for the whole transaction! (And usually the printer spits out even more +UP rewards!) The rewards will print on your receipt. I cut them off immediately when I get home so that I don't accidentally throw away my receipt. That's like throwing away cash!
One thing to get accustomed to is doing the Video Values program at Rite Aid. The program is simple: you watch 30 second videos to get high value coupons. THE BEST part is that you can combine a Rite Aid coupon with a manufacturer's coupon. (The top of coupons will tell you what kind of coupon it is.) For instance, the hair color I purchased this week. It was on sale for $5.99. I had a $3.00 off coupon from www.coupons.com and a $2.00 coupon from the video values. HELLO 99 cent hair color!!! You can find the video values located on the bottom left hand side of Rite Aid's website.
Also for watching the video values you earn points to get coupons for $4 off a $20 purchase. These are VERY handy! With the transaction above, I had the cashier scan the items, then handed the cashier the $4 off $20 coupon BEFORE all of the others. This is because once I hand him the other coupons, the purchase will no longer be $20.
Here is a link for another very high value coupon. This coupon is for $5 off a $25 transaction. Now, I have heard that some stores will not accept these, I am not sure why. My store takes them, the register takes them....never had a problem. Its worth a try, and my guess is most stores take them. It IS a coupon provided by Rite Aid. All Rite Aid coupons start with R48, as this one does.
The cashiers laugh at me, but I usually do two or three trips in and out of the store the same shopping trip. I usually make sure my purchase will be just enough before coupons to us the $5 off $25 coupon. After I pay for that transaction, I use the +UP rewards from THAT transaction on the next one. (This is called "rolling" your rewards) Make sense? So that purchase above was all from two transactions. (I also use a $5 off $25 coupon every time.)
PHEW! I know that is a lot of information, and it does make your head spin at first! Take baby steps! It took me several weeks to figure out how to "drug store heist" Rite Aid, but it sure pays off! Just some careful planning before you go in...
This week was a GREAT week at Rite Aid.
Rite Aid trip October 28, 2010:
2 boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats
3 bags of Chex Mix
1 bag of Gardettos (sp?)
1 bottle of honey
1 box of my much needed hair color!
2 packages of size C batteries for Ryan's soother
5 Soy Joy bars (only 4 pictured because Ryan ate 1:)
10 packs of Trident Layers gum
Grand Total: $8.01 out of pocket
Plus $1 +UP reward to use on next transaction
Here are some HUGE pointers for Rite Aid to know before even starting to shop there.
First of all, GET A WELLNESS CARD! It is complete silliness to not have one. Its free. You cannot get any of the store sales or incentives without it. Just get it. End of story.
+UP rewards are cash back type specials that Rite Aid puts as incentives for certain items. A lot of times they are totally worth it! I have walked out paying NOTHING but tax many times at Rite Aid because I had so many +UP rewards from the last time, that it paid for the whole transaction! (And usually the printer spits out even more +UP rewards!) The rewards will print on your receipt. I cut them off immediately when I get home so that I don't accidentally throw away my receipt. That's like throwing away cash!
One thing to get accustomed to is doing the Video Values program at Rite Aid. The program is simple: you watch 30 second videos to get high value coupons. THE BEST part is that you can combine a Rite Aid coupon with a manufacturer's coupon. (The top of coupons will tell you what kind of coupon it is.) For instance, the hair color I purchased this week. It was on sale for $5.99. I had a $3.00 off coupon from www.coupons.com and a $2.00 coupon from the video values. HELLO 99 cent hair color!!! You can find the video values located on the bottom left hand side of Rite Aid's website.
Also for watching the video values you earn points to get coupons for $4 off a $20 purchase. These are VERY handy! With the transaction above, I had the cashier scan the items, then handed the cashier the $4 off $20 coupon BEFORE all of the others. This is because once I hand him the other coupons, the purchase will no longer be $20.
Here is a link for another very high value coupon. This coupon is for $5 off a $25 transaction. Now, I have heard that some stores will not accept these, I am not sure why. My store takes them, the register takes them....never had a problem. Its worth a try, and my guess is most stores take them. It IS a coupon provided by Rite Aid. All Rite Aid coupons start with R48, as this one does.
The cashiers laugh at me, but I usually do two or three trips in and out of the store the same shopping trip. I usually make sure my purchase will be just enough before coupons to us the $5 off $25 coupon. After I pay for that transaction, I use the +UP rewards from THAT transaction on the next one. (This is called "rolling" your rewards) Make sense? So that purchase above was all from two transactions. (I also use a $5 off $25 coupon every time.)
PHEW! I know that is a lot of information, and it does make your head spin at first! Take baby steps! It took me several weeks to figure out how to "drug store heist" Rite Aid, but it sure pays off! Just some careful planning before you go in...
Ohmigosh, I think I get it! I just did the Rite Aid Video Values and signed up for the wellness+ card. Then I looked through the online circular and matched the coupons I got from the Video Values (I did 20 videos and got 20 points/coupons plus the $4/$20 coupon). Will they really let you use more than one coupon? It says on the bottom of most of the coupons "Cannot be combined with any other offers." For example, I got a "$1 All Colgate Total Products". Then I discovered that the Colgate Total toothpaste is BOGO free this week. I only have coupons from the RiteAid site as of now. Any advice before I go to the store (just before Saturday)?
ReplyDeleteLaura, you can ALWAYS combine Rite Aid coupons (and Video Values) coupons with manufacturer's. If the store says you cannot, then go to Krazycouponlady.com and print yourself a copy of the coupon policy and take it in! I Have never had a problem with it. I think that "cannot be combined with any other offers" is a "just in case" for them, so that they can refuse if someone tries to do something crazy. You can combine them though...I promise! :)
ReplyDeleteFor the Colgate...have you checked googling "Colgate printable coupon?" This will give you tons of links, and some may not be active anymore, just check around and try to find one. Also, always check coupons.com, redplum.com, and smartsource.com
Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes for you!
The rite aid video coupons I printed say manufacturers coupon on them. Does the store consider them rite aid coupons since they say rite aid on them? It does help. I'm excited to try it!
ReplyDeleteRite Aid knows what they are:) They should NOT be counted as manufacturer's coupons (Though, I know that they say that.) They treat them as Rite Aid coupons because in a sense you "earned" them. I have never been questioned about them, so I am assuming that the cashiers all know what they are. Like I said...if they question it, pull the coupon policy:) I doubt you will have a problem though. Remember to hand over your $4/$20 purchase coupon FIRST before all other coupons. Once the transaction goes below $20, the computer will not accept that coupon:)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, that was WAY too easy to find printable coupons. I googled it, found the Colgate website, and there was a whole list of coupons you could print off (after signing up with your name and email address, of course!) I guess I'm going to have to learn how to get more than one coupon if I'm going to learn the stockpiling tricks, but this is definitely a start. (I know you suggest getting a newspaper subscription, which I'm probably going to request for Christmas though I need to figure out which newspapers I can get that have the best coupons.)
ReplyDeleteHere's what I have:
1 - $1 OFF Colgate Total from Rite Aid
1 - $.75 OFF Colgate Total from manufacturer
and I see via the online weekly circular that Colgate toothpaste in the 4.2 oz size is BOGO free with wellness+ card ($4 for 2) and the 7.8 oz. size is $2.99 with card. Maybe this is obvious, but I am struggling at which is the better deal. Both coupons are good for either size and don't expire till December. I don't *have* to buy it this week. Since you know what you're doing, are these prices a good deal or not low enough? If I had to guess, I would say I'm used to spending the $2.99 for the 7.8 oz. size. I would normally buy it at Meijer though.
Thanks for your help! (Since I'm not working full time right now either, we *have* to find ways to live cheaper. I know several people that do this, but I never saw it as something I was capable of doing until I watched you start getting into it!) Sorry for my long comments!
Laura, I would get the cheaper toothpaste. Using both of the coupons, you will get both for 25 cents.
ReplyDeleteAnd I LOVE your comments and questions:) Keep them coming!
ReplyDelete