This past weekend proved that you should never underestimate those little slips you get at Walgreens checkout – or those virtual coupons.
I’ve been getting “7000 bonus points when you spend $25+” the last few times I checked out. That’s equivalent to a $7 bonus!
I waited until the 25% weekend sale started Friday, then I bought six packages of toilet paper (because we’re almost out and I’m addicted to having a cache of “bath tissue” as Walgreens euphemistically calls it).
Thanks to the 25% off, I got those six packages – roughly three months’ worth – for $27 before tax. And I got 7,000 points. But wait, it gets better.
I had also clipped a virtual coupon offering the same 7,000 point offer to my Balance Rewards card. I assumed it was the same offer, but I wanted it on the card just in case I forgot the slip of paper.
I think you can see where this is going.
Whether it was a glitch or the two really were considered separate offers, I got both 7,000-point offers applied. So I got the equivalent of $14 back on a $27 purchase.
But I wasn’t done yet.
Walgreens also had a 7,000-point offer when you spent $20+ in beauty, and I was running low on a couple of items. So I went online and picked up a few items.
I was nearly out of foundation and a concealer is starting to run low. I got $2 off the foundation with an online coupon, and, since the concealer was the same brand as the foundation, I got 50% off. Because of that they only added up to $13, so I went around the house looking for other things that might be running low.
I settled on Cetaphil, since it’s down to about a third of the bottle. Granted, that third might last another couple of months yet, but it will run out. Meanwhile, there was a $2 off virtual coupon and I got 25% off thanks to the weekend sale.
The Cetaphil put the total up to $24.16, enough to get the 7,000-point reward.
So all in all, I spent $51.16 and got 21,510 points back. That pushed me from having a $10 reward, with 2,000ish to spare, to having a $35 reward with 3,000ish to spare. One more 7,000-point offer will put us squarely at the $50 reward mark! All of this on things we need to buy anyway.
The moral of the story is this: Save those register offers and always check the Walgreens virtual coupons for similar deals. You could end up saving big too.
Anyone else a big fan of Balance Rewards? Anyone take advantage of the 25% off weekend sale?
teinegurl says
I don’t shop Walgreens but this weekend I went to Walmart. I did my walmart savings catcher and got back .38 cents plus ibotta and checkout 51 which brought me to $13 cash back so my total of $235 brought me down to $222 then I cashed out $26 from ibotta to my paypal. My goal for grocery shopping for this week was $200 so I was happy for sticking on budget!! I’m saving for my first trip to Las Vegas and my first trip with BF and no kids!! LOL so every time I stick to my budget is a win. woo hoo
Abigail says
Way to go! Las Vegas/a few days with no kids is a worthy goal.
Kat says
I’ve been mainly sticking to Safeway gas rewards lately. With the local Walgreens now closing their pharmacy at 6 pm instead of being 24 hours (why they thought this would work, I have no clue), I ended up transferring all my prescriptions to a local independent place. I ended up getting an Amazon credit card for the rewards because we shop there enough that the cash back is a significant chunk of change (the dog food for our recently adopted rescue, our cat food… you get the picture).
Right now, I’m just in financial panic mode because of the whole Texas v US and the fact that Sessions and Trump feel perfectly fine offering no defense of the law. The idea of being back to the bad old days does not help motivate any personal finance moves because it feels freaking futile knowing that it wouldn’t freaking matter since there would be no way to survive that financial hit.
Abigail says
Our Walgreens cut its hours recently too. Now it closes at 10 p.m., which is weird because an employee told my MIL that a good chunk of customers came in during the wee hours of the night. Oh well.
Gas rewards can always come in handy, and I’ve definitely considered getting an Amazon card given how often we end up shopping there.
carrie says
I don’t shop at Walgreens much, but I’m about to. I hooked my FitBit up to my Balance Rewards. You get points for your steps. There’s a limit to how many you can get per day, but it adds up over time. I’m close to a $10 reward. I don’t know what I’ll get with my bonus $$ but you’ve given me some inspiration!
Abigail says
Wow, that makes me want to get a Fitbit… Except that my “walking” for exercise is in place so I don’t think it’d register 🙁
carrie says
Oh, it registers!!!! That’s how I get to 10K some days. So, if I think like you, eventually it will pay for itself in Walgreens rewards, so you can totally justify the purchase. 🙂
Abigail says
Haha, I would totally buy into that, as it were, if I didn’t mainly walk in place. Which I don’t think would register via a Fitbit since it wouldn’t sense any forward motion. Some side to side motion which might get recorded, but not nearly enough to make a dent.
carrie says
I’m telling ya, it registers. But I swing my arms. If you don’t, then no, it wouldn’t.
Abigail says
Hmmmm I swing my arms at least part of the time. I’ll definitely consider it, thanks!
carrie says
Here’s a good link about it (just one of many but a good read) – https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge-2/Charge-2-not-counting-steps-when-I-walk-in-place/td-p/1804828.
What doesn’t work is pushing a shopping cart. So my hubby is the designated shopping cart pusher when we’re together. If I’m shopping alone and I can’t fit my stuff in a reusable bag, I use one hand. It’s not pretty, but if I’m walking, I want those steps to count!!!
Practical Parsimony says
I never have enough to spend on rewards anywhere. But, I can see how they could be a good deal.
Practical Parsimony recently posted…Ignorance of the Bible is no excuse
Donna Freedman says
Alison just called me with her Balance Rewards win. She needed Epsom salt because one of her kids has a foot injury. There’s a buy one, get one offer at Walgreens — plus a 3,000 points when you buy two first-aid items.
After accounting for the Balance Rewards points, she wound up paying $2.99 for 12 pounds of Epsom salt. And since she’s been hiking a lot lately, she may need them herself. 😉
Guess who’s going to Walgreens today?
Donna Freedman recently posted…September. Orlando. Come see me!
~Lisa~ says
I think I need to pay more attention to Walgreen rewards! Thanks for sharing.
~Lisa~ recently posted…Recap of Yesterday
Abigail says
Always glad to spread the word about how to get more savings!
Donna Freedman says
Fun fact: One of the next Chase Freedom bonus categories (starting July 1) is…Walgreens.
For anyone who isn’t aware of Chase Freedom, here’s Abby’s post:
https://ipickuppennies.net/2018/06/our-credit-card…
(I’ve got Chase Freedom myself and I like it a lot.)
Donna Freedman recently posted…September. Orlando. Come see me!
Abigail says
I hadn’t checked the categories yet — that’s great news! I’m going to have to make sure Tim and I switch over to Freedom whenever Walgreens is needed.
Donna Freedman says
Update: I went to Walgreens to get the Epsom salt et al. This week there’s a “spend $30 and get 10,000 Balance Rewards points.” With the 3,000 points associated with the Epsom salt and the 10,000 for the special deal, I thought I’d be doing well.
Except that somehow I earned 23,000 points. Holy cow! I spent $33 and they gave me $23 back.
Donna Freedman recently posted…Alaska’s worst garden pest? That would be moose.
Abigail says
Maybe it was a glitch, but what a glitch!
Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life says
I have it on my list today to pick up more first aid items which I know has a bonus going right now! And I see there’s a lot more points to be had if I get this order done quickly. Wooot!
Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life recently posted…Clash of the priorities: Spending, saving and giving in 2018
Abigail says
Niiice. Here’s hoping you get one of those offers on a register slip too!