Traveling Tour 101

Ok, so I have been slacking REALLY bad about updating this blog and I sincerely apologize! I drove out to Fetish Con, revealed my new look...Thank you to everyone for all of the wonderful compliments! Introduced my puppy and got in the car and drove some more! This who shebang started about 2 weeks ago...on July 23rd and now, Aug 02 I am finally able to get back to business. No, I don't have nearly as much time today as I would like to think I do, but its because I am back to working full time as a Model - and couldn't be happier! Here is a little "Travel Tour 101" on how I make the tedious task easier, how I stay safe, and how to save more and spend less!

How to Book Tours: I have spent the better part of the last 2 days working on a VERY large East coast tour which I am on right now. I have been doing this type of "tour" for many years and I always enjoy traveling for work. How many other jobs have the freedoms that freelance models do...to see the country/world and work at the same time?!

Organizing Your Tour: Organizing a tour NEVER comes easy. It is always easier to have a travel partner, mostly because you can split up the "duties" of booking in "x" areas or booking hotels or rental cars or flights AND the costs! While you can always go into a tour with a time frame, know that it WILL be changed and it will more likely that not, not be booked 100%.

1. Location
   Figure out where you want to travel for work. Did someone ask you to go out to Florida? Virginia? Washington? Start with a location and decide how far you are willing to spread out from the "center" to book more/enough work to make it worth your while.
2. Set Dates
   When setting dates, make a mental note that they WILL move in one or both directions and be sure your calendar can accommodate.
   
3. Finding Work
   Ask other models and local models about photographers/producers, they will often help and many have lists or spreadsheets that they will share. Modeling can be competitive but there are no 2 models that have the exact same qualities.
   (see Booking Work 101 for more info about negotiating jobs.)
4. Travel Buddy
   Having another model with you will help keep you safer and help cut costs. Best yet, many photographers like shooting 2 girls together, so there is an additional earning incentive to add!
5. ALWAYS CHECK REFERENCES!
   I can not stress this enough! Models are hurt, scammed, etc. all of the time! PLEASE check references! I have not met another model yet who wasn't happy to give feedback on a shoot...myself included (good, bad or indifferent).
6. Flying
   While I am a road trip bunny, flying is necessary for many models. When booking flights
   
   • Reference a few different sites for prices (personally I like Southwest, Cheaptickets.com is a source as well). 
   • Flying on a Tues/Wed/Thur is cheaper than any other day.
     (see Air Travel 101 for more about different airlines & their pros/cons)
7. Rental Cars
   When renting a car, know these tips when you walk in the door
   
   • Rental cars have VERY high tax (I've seen 26%!) so expect the additional cost.
   • Most rental car companies require a major credit card OR a large deposit if you only have debit. Some rental car companies even run your credit!
   • ALWAYS mark the scratches and dents.
   • Check the gas level and be sure it is noted before you get in the car.
     (see Rental Car 101 for more info about the different companies & their policies)
8. Rewards Programs:
   Familiarize yourself with the "rewards program" of the airline you fly the most. Most will accept retroactive flights/hotels/rentals up to 6 months.
   (see Rewards & Points 101 for more info about different programs, earning & spending rewards, etc)
9. Where to Stay:
   Hotels are of course the first thought when traveling, but often models and photographers will offer a guest room or a couch.
   
   • If you are offered a room by a photographer, check his/her references.
   • Extended stay hotels are less expensive if you plan to stay in one area for 7 days or more.
   • Most airline programs also tie in with Hotel reward programs and you can convert hotel points to airline points.
   • Use sites like Hotels.com to check out the quality/condition of a hotel by reading reviews. I recommend NOT staying in a hotel if the reviews are not higher than 3.5. If you are not satisfied with the results, ask other models and/or photographers.
     (see Hotels vs. Couches 101 for more info on hotel programs/prices, etc.)

Rite Aid 101

QUICK LINKS

• Customer Service 
• Coupon Policy
• Weekly Circular
• SCR
• Video Values 
• wellness+ Rewards

Rite Aid wellness+ Rewards Program

• Buy select products and save even more on your next visit.
• Member-only pricing. Go here to view the current offers.
• 10% off Rite Aid Brand products every day. Always present your wellness+ card at checkout to receive this discount.
• 24/7 access to a pharmacist, just call 1-800-RITEAID.
• Earn one point for every dollar you spend on non-prescription purchases. Exclusions: cigarettes, alcohol, gift cards, online purchases, lottery tickets, licenses, money orders, money transfers, prepaid cards, stamps, and other mail services.
• Earn 25 points for every prescription you purchase. Prescriptions filled in NY/NJ and Federally funded programs are not eligible.
• Sign up for Rite Aids newsletter here. It has all kinds of offers including printable coupons.

MORE POINTS = MORE REWARDS

• 125 points – One one-time 10% off shopping pass.
• 500 points – 10% off on all non-prescription points purchases everyday.
• 500 points – Free health screenings. Members will receive a certificate good for free blood glucose and total cholesterol health screening at Quest Diagnostics.
• 1,000 points – 20% off on all non-prescription points purchases every day.

+Up Rewards Program
One of the perks of being a Rite Aid wellness+ member is the fact that you can take advantage of the +Up Rewards Program here. The +Up Reward Program allows manufacturers to provide +Up Rewards to consumers for buying specific product(s) and/or a specific number of products. Each week, different +Up Rewards and are advertised in the weekly ad.

• +Up Rewards are coupons that print at the bottom of your receipt and can be used on your NEXT in-store purchase.
• You have to give the cashier your wellness+ card or the phone number associated with your wellness+ card, in order to be eligible for the +Up Rewards. 
• If your +Up Rewards do NOT print, contact Customer Support.
• There is no limit to the number of +Up Rewards redeemed in a single transaction as long as the pretax total is greater than the combined value of the +Up Rewards. 
• You can't pay sales tax with +Up Rewards.
• There is no way to leave a "balance" available with +Up Rewards.
• +Up Rewards DO expire! Usually about 2 weeks after they print.
• You can't use +Up Rewards on prescriptions, but you can on medical supplies.

Coupon Policy
The rest of this section on Rite Aid is about coupons. While Rite Aid has many options for saving with coupons, it can be lengthy and confusing, so try to take it one section at a time if it gets to be too much. Rather than trying to explain their coupon policy, I have added it here for convenience. I recommend ALWAYS carrying a printed copy of their coupon policy.

Store Coupons

Store coupons can be stacked with manufacturer coupons for even more savings. Where can you find store coupons?

• Rite Aid’s weekly ad
• Video Values coupons 
• Emailed from Rite Aid

Video Values Program

• Rite Aid Video Values Program can be seen here. 
• Watch various video advertisements and earn video credits. 
• These credits can then be used to print Rite Aid store coupons! 
• Once you earn "X-number" of video credits, you will get a specified bonus like a $5/$20 Total Purchase Coupon or similar. Offers change monthly!
• Video Values Coupons are Rite Aid store coupons and can be stacked with manufacturer coupons for even more savings! 

Single Check Rebates (SCR)

Rite Aid has a very user-friendly Single Check Rebate program here! Basically you buy participating SCR products, then submit your receipts online and get a check in the mail! These rebates allow you to get items for FREE and sometimes even make money! SCR's have nothing to do with other Mail in Rebates and do not require you to send in your receipt, so make even more!

The need to know info:

• Sign up here and register.
• Rite Aid releases a new in-store rebate booklet monthly which shows all of the current SCR items. View it online here.
• Go here for this weeks SCR's.
• Keep in mind that some SCR's are only valid for a week at a time.
• Every week, as you flip through the weekly ad, you’ll see advertised SCR items. 
• Most items will have a limit of one, but there are exceptions. 
• Many SCR items will end up being FREE after rebate. If an item is $2.99 and qualifies for a $2.99 SCR, then the item will be FREE after SCR is received.
• Even better, use a manufacturer coupon, in addition to the rebate, and you may actually make money on the deal! 
• It takes 1-14 days for the rebate items to display in your account online. 
• There is no limit to the number of receipts you can enter. 
• At the end of the month, request your rebate by clicking the Request button. 
• Do NOT click this button if you are planning on purchasing more SCR items before the rebate program period has ended, Rite Aid only allows ONE submission per household.
• Questions, Help or Concerns? Call Rite Aids SCR Customer Care: 888-213-9920 8AM - 7PM EST or write here.

Total Purchase Coupons

• Total Purchase Coupons are store coupons and are $4/$20 or $5/$25 coupons.
• Use them prior to using any manufacturer and/or store coupons AND use them to purchase SCR items.
• By handing over Total Purchase Coupons first, you can easily score lots of FREE items and make a bit of money too, especially if you are purchasing FREE after SCR or +Up items!

Tips + Tricks

• Rite Aid does offer Rain Checks when they are out of stock on an item, just ask.
• You can't use Gift Cards on Prescription purchases. I have no idea why, but they don't allow using them even if you received one from a transferred prescription.

Deal *SCENARIOS* 

This Crest ad shows a FREE after +Up, one of my favorites as I can use a manufacturer and Rite Aid coupon if available and easily make a +Up profit!

This Zegrid OTC in-ad coupon could additionally have had a manufacturers coupon added to it (from a newspaper or internet), while it says manufacturer coupon, Rite Aid usually accepts it as a store coupon.

Who doesn't love FREE?! There isn't much to add to this deal as Rite Aid generally advertises the available discounts BUT it does slip up, so be sure to check for emailed or printable store coupons, video values and older manufacturers coupons.

CVS 101

As with all stores, there are quirks and ways to get the best deals with tons of freebies and CVS is no different. In this tutorial, I will break down the basic information needed to save and spend less!

• CVS's Store Locator
• CVS's Weekly Circular
• Apply for a CVS card. You can do this in the store or online, in the store they let you use it right away. 
• When you checkout, always scan your card first. The deals are tied to you card.
• Like many other programs, it can be accessed via phone number if you forget it at home.

CVS STORE COUPONS 101

• You can view CVS's coupon policy here.
• CVS accepts manufacturer's coupons, including internet printable coupons.  
• CVS also issues their own store coupons, which you can get these through CVS emails.

EXTRA CARE BUCKS (ECB)

• CVS has a reward system called Extra Care Bucks or ECBs. 
• Every week CVS offers a couple of items that will be completely free after ECBs. This means that you will buy the item now, and get a coupon printed on your receipt for that amount.
  EX: let’s say they are offering M&Ms at 50¢ with a 50¢ ECBs you would pay 50¢ now, and get a coupon for 50¢ printed on your receipt to use on your next purchase just like cash.
• Earn ECBs by purchasing specified products and quantities/dollar amount.
  EX: Buy $20 in Neutrogena Products get $10 ECBs back.
• ECBs are usable on your NEXT transaction, whether its later in a day or the following week, but be careful, they do expire.
• Once you reach the limit of earning ECBs, you cannot do that deal again.
• Both ECB and CRT coupons are linked to your CVS card, which means you cannot use them without the same CVS card that earned them.
• ECBs are not counted as coupons, meaning you can use as many of these as you like.
• Read CVS's breakdown of ECBs here on the CVS website.

CASH REGISTER TAPE (CRT)

• CRT's are from price scanner/coupon printer.
• CRT's print for everyone, everyday.
• Once these print, you will not receive any more CRT's from the scanner for the day.
• CVS also offers many coupons for $3/$15 ($3 off a purchase of $15), $5/$20 etc.

QUICK LINKS

• CVS's Store Locator
• CVS's Weekly Circular
• CVS's Coupon Policy
• CVS's ECB's 101

I saved how much this month?!

Track your Savings:
Organizing your savings can happen a few different ways, or not at all, it is entirely up to you if you are even interested in how much you have saved on a grocery or drugstore trip, but I feel that it is a big help to actually see the amount of money saved (often an average of 50%!). If you would like to track your savings and get an idea of what you have saved and spent, the spreadsheet here from The Coupon Project. If you have any questions about this spreadsheet, they have a tutorial available at that same link. Personally, I don't use all of the columns all of the time...like my Ralphs bill isn't broken down with savings and the details aren't what I find important, the before and after numbers along with the combination of savings (card, coupons, etc) are.

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Rebates:
For some reason, rebates get a bad rap as being difficult or time consuming and neither of which are true. Ok, so $.50 back isn't really worth anyone's time, but $5 or $10 is! Here are the simple steps I take to make the rebate process smooth and successful:

• Be sure the product you purchase is the EXACT same as the product listed on your rebate.
• Make sure you save ALL of the paperwork needed (ORIGINAL receipt is often required).
• Make copies of everything you send so there is no confusion of anything being lost, misplaced, "correct information" etc.
• Make sure that the dates allowed by the rebate are valid with your purchase date AND the date that you mail in the rebate.
• Organize the rebate offers you have, I use a separate binder with sleeves that hold mine, but I don't use dividers as there are only so many rebates that I keep at a time.
• When I have offers that I know I will be mailing, I will prepare envelopes for them w/address label and the companies address with the completed rebate form.
• You can find rebates in stores, Sunday paper, magazines, the internet, here on my blog etc.
• Many companies offer money back guarantees, I keep these offers with the rebates as they are generally the same process.

Keep a spreadsheet of your rebates if you plan to send a lot of them. At one time I was sending out 2-3 a week and it was necessary to know what was what, here is a list of columns I used in my spreadsheet:

• Rebate Expiration Date
• Date Mailed
• Company Name
• Rebate Amount (or "Gift" offered)
• Date Received (of change the whole line to a different color)

Tracking your savings can be a lot of fun, I never knew that it would only take a minimal amount of effort to cut my spending in half...and to think of all of the things I bought that I could have saved on!

Orgainizing: That thing I try to do Sometime

Lets face it, you are either organized or you're not. If you have met me at a shoot, you have probably seen how neurotic I am about keeping every piece of lingerie in its place with labels, bags and anything else that I can use to micro manage with. Naturally, this part of couponing came easy for me...but if you aren't cursed with OCD, you may want to check out this section...If you haven't read the previous section Get Coupons: Where do I get those "Golden Tickets", you may want to...it runs right into this part here about organizing. Organizing is a task especially if you aren't an organized person. I am blessed with being overly organized, so if you need help, email me and I would be happy to help and even give a class or so.

Storage Methods:
There are so many ways to keep or organize your coupons. First, find out what works for you and the amount of coupons you have.

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Insert Method:
Rather than clipping coupons when you get them, you can organize them by item and expiration and label them with leaflet notes so you know what is available. This can work well, but I found that I would forget about coupons too often and miss out on savings that I should and could have otherwise been using.

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Check Folder:
At most office supply stores (and in Target's $.99 section) you can pick up check folders. The only major limitation to these is that they only have 13 pockets and I needed more than that…so I used 2 and somehow attached them. I had them organized first by aisle (see below) and then alphabetically. I also kept additional sections for specific stores and dining (Target, Ralphs, etc). Both had their perks and problems so eventually I moved on to my current method (the Binder Method).

I do however still use a check folder to keep already organized shopping trips together so I don't carry 10 envelopes or plastic baggies (more methods!). This folder is labeled by tabs for stores specifically, ie Target, PetSmart, Ralphs, etc.

Additionally, a recipe or index card box can be used to achieve the exact same organizational method if you prefer to take that route.

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Binder Method:

This method can be a bit time consuming as I use 9 pocket baseball card pages to display all of my coupons in a 3" binder. I suggest with these pockets not adding more than one specific type and date to each pocket so you can avoid carrying around expired coupons like I have! If you prefer 3 pocket pages or 6 pocket pages, they also work, this method in general works for people who stockpile coupons. With this I have clear colored dividers that have pockets made by Avery that you can get here at Amazon. You can also use these Avery dividers here that have pockets on either side for more "unorganized coupons" space. Whatever dividers you use, be sure they are wide enough to come out farther than your 3, 6, 9 pocket pages, of course I made this mistake otherwise I wouldn't be trying to help you prevent it lol! I have 4 sets of 8 dividers, for my organizing, it is necessary, it may not be for you. I also have 100 pages and need more...I don't think I have an excessive amount of coupons, I just keep things very simple so I can always access the coupons I need or want. With such a large binder, I carry it in its own bag and it sits comfortable in the top of my cart on top of my purse.

There are many companies that make products for organizing coupons, I would recommend experimenting with the least expensive methods available to you first so you can decide what works for you and your organization habits.

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Notes: 

ALWAYS have your stores coupon policies in your binder so you can easily reference them and hand them to store clerks when necessary. It is entirely too sad that most associates don't know their own stores policies (managers included) but if you have the policy on hand, it will save you time at an already lengthy check out.

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Aisle Options:

This is simply a list of how I have my coupons organized "by aisle" or "product category" that is thorough and works well for me. I added in a few addition for categories I do not use but know are commonly used by others.

• Beverages
• Dairy (milk, soy milk, cheese, cream)
• Eggs & Yogurt
• Candy & Gum
• Canned Goods
• Cereal (hot or cold, breakfast foods)
• Coffee & Tea
• Condiments & Spices
• Baking & Bread
• Frozen Foods
• Pasta, Rice & Dry Goods
• Meat
• Snacks (proessed)
• Produce
• Cleaning
• Laundry
• Deodorizers & Candles
• Household Goods (batteries, tupperware, plastic bags)
• Paper Products (bath tissue, paper towels)
• Oral Care
• Baby
• Feminine Care
• Make-Up (make-up, hair products, hair dye)
• Skin Care (lotion, face cleansers, deodorant)
• Shower (soap, shampoo, hair care)
• First Aid or Medications
• Pets
• Ralphs
• Albertsons
• Vons
• Target
• Rite Aid
• CVS
• Walgreens
• Office Supplies
• Shopping
• Entertainment

Where do I get those "Golden Tickets"

Ok, you made it to the first 2 parts of Coupons 101!Now is the silly question, where do you find coupons? Well, I am posting this because when I first started, I asked the same question...If you are stuck like I was, read on...if not, move on to Orgainizing: That thing I try to do Sometimes.

--------------------------- IMPORTANT NOTE ----------------------------

Many sites that allow you to print coupons ask for your personal information, most are ok and will not harass you, but if you come across a site that looks weird or makes you uncomfortable, don't input your info. DO make a separate email address/account for your coupon needs as they are sometimes linked to spam and this will help avoid excess in your primary inbox.

Finding Coupons:
Maybe I was a bit slow on the upswing, but I didn't realize that I could get coupons anywhere other than in my paper or what showed up from time to time in the mail, here are a few easy to use and see sources:

1. Newspaper: The Sunday Paper almost always has coupons with the exception of some weeks do not offer them due to major holidays.
2. Magazines: There are several different magazines you can subscribe to that have coupons, one of my favorites is All You.
3. Printable: You can print coupons online! Talk about an easy way to get more coupons, be sure to not print coupons you won't use since this will just waste ink and cost money ;) You can print coupons at Coupons.com, Redplum, SmartSource, Target and often I will post links in my blog to different sources through websites, facebook and more. You can usually print coupons twice and many times they expire 30 days from when you print them.
4. Store Coupon Books: Walgreens keeps theirs (usually) up near the front of the store where the fliers are located. Ralphs will have a display set up where theirs are when they have them. Wherever your store has them, FIND THEM! These are gold as most stores accept 1 store and 1 manufacturer coupon per item, often doubling your savings!
5. Clipping Services: Why would you pay to save??? Well, say there is an awesome deal on Vitamins and you have reached your print limit and cannot get anymore.You can find a clipping service or even buy them on ebay for a nominal fee, these fees are not for the coupons as it is illegal to sell coupons, but it is to pay for the clippers time as it is a time consuming process.

Clipping:
Once you get your coupons, you have to clip them! Here is how I do that part to keep things from getting too crazy!

1. Set aside a designated amount of time a week/day to organize, don't let it consume you.
2. When clipping, organize in piles on a table how you will put them away in a folder (ie aisle or alphabetically).
3. After I have my piles, I put them into my binder's divider's pockets.
4. After the initial "put-away" I go to the front of my binder and remove any expired or nearing expiration coupons I won't use and set them aside to mail overseas.
5. I then put the new coupons into the open slots in a way that makes them easy for me to understand and easily navigate when in a store.
6. This sounds like a lot more work than it is, but you do have to maintain it otherwise you end up with half of a day of work!

Coupon Speak...Speech? What did she say?

-------------------------- COUPON SPEAK --------------------------

First thing's first, learn the language of "Coupon Speak" ie the short verbiage used to keep already lengthy posts a little shorter! Here are the most common abbreviations, acronyms, terms, whatever you wana call them, that I use…here and across the internet! Do remember, this blog is NOT based on coupon deals BUT I will post them when I find them for drug stores, target and the like...many times you can print coupons (I'll go over that in the next section) so there isn't even a need to get a Sunday paper...but they do have the best! ;)

• B1G1 or BOGO – Buy One Get One Free
• B2G1 – Buy Two Get One Free
• B1G1 50% off – Buy One Get One 50% off
• ECB – CVSs Extra Care Bucks
• ESR – CVSs Easy Saver Rebate
• DND – Do Not Double
• AC – After Coupon
• Cat – Catalina: A coupon that prints out at the register
• DB – Coupon Database
• Exp or X – Expiration Date
• FAQ – Frequently asked questions
• MIR – Mail in rebate
• MM – Money Maker
• MFR – Manufacturer Coupon
• Q or CPN - Coupon
• SS – Smart Source Coupon Insert
• RP – Red Plum Coupon
• P&G or PG – Proctor & Gamble Coupon
• GM – General Mills Coupon
• Peelie – A coupon that you peel off the package
• OOP – Out Of Pocket
• OYNO – On your next order, coupons for which you purchase an item and receive a coupon that is for money off your next order.
• RC – Rain Check a slip of paper that a store issues when an item is out of stock allowing you to purchase that item at a later date at the sale price
• RA – Rite Aid
• +Up – Rite Aid +Up Rewards
• WP – Rite Aids Wellness Plus
• VV – Rite Aids Video Values
• SCR – Rite Aids Single Check Rebate
• Stacking – Some stores allow the use of more than one coupon per item, if the coupon itself does not restrict such usage
• WYB – When you buy

Coupon is Not a Dirty word!

Ok, so I will be the first to admit that coupons seem like a waste of time, effort and the looks people can give! I remember the first time I saw someone use coupons, it was Wednesday Harrington. We went to buy a few groceries and the 4 items I picked up cost $20 MORE than the 20 items she got?! I was confused, but intrigued! How could that be possible!?! Double what?! Managers Special!?

After tons of trial and error, I too have learned how these golden tickets can save more than a few dollars...I'm talking 50% or MORE on groceries, 50% or MORE on travel, 80% or MORE at drug stores, 80% or MORE on dining....get my point yet? Ok, here is the basic math...if I shave $100 in groceries and $50 in coupons (its REALLY easy to do!) then I have $50 I didn't have to spend?! 

So how do I explain this in an easy to understand, doesn't add much time to my day, saves me while I sleep kind of way? Well, its not quite that simple BUT here is where I will start with how to save more and spend less! Take advantage of your career as a model, don't fool yourself that it has a shelf life, and save as much as you can while you can!

---------------------- GETTING STARTED -----------------------

The Path to Freedom:

So you have realized that your finances aren't quite where you want them to be? Or do you have more expenses than income? Economy hit your family a hard as it did mine? Whatever the reason you came here, you made it and now together we can save money, end debt, and live a better quality of life on a budget....sorry, that is a dirty word "budget" but once I realized I needed to live on a budget and limit my excessive or unnecessary spending, I realized that my life would be a lot better, less stressful and I could have freedom from bills once again!

Budget: 

Long before I knew about coupons, I created a budget, more than anything because I needed to know what I was paying out every month on bills, utilities and then somewhere in there I forgot that I needed to include groceries, personal items, etc....well, you can use this excel spreadsheet for a very good break down of expenses. Once you have it filled out you can choose what you need and what you don't and eliminate extras like movie channels you don't watch, gym memberships you don't use, etc. Or you can use this as a basic idea of what you want to include in your budget or not and create your own. My income is varied so I base my budget on the low average I make and anything more is "extra" that is paid on credit card bills and other debts or put into a high yield savings account to buy a house.

Negotiate Bills: 

Amazingly enough, most companies would rather you spend less than lose you as a customer, especially cable and phone companies! Rather than completely canceling your cable, call and tell them you need a better option, mine always offers different deals and when my bill goes from $100 to $175 (it really does!) I call and have them sign me up for a new special. I recently found out that a full membership to Hulu is only $7.99 a month! If you need some sort of entertainment other than renting movies, you may want to look into it.

Walgreens 101

I am far from an expert when it comes to Walgreens, so rather than try to relay what I do know, here is Deal Seeking Moms 101...she knows her stuff!

In many ways, this program is very similar to the CVS ExtraCare program. When you purchase certain items and/or a certain dollar amount of items, a coupon will print out that is good on your next purchase at Walgreens.

Much like CVS, to maximize your savings the key is to combine a Register Rewards producing deal or a great sale price with a manufacturer's coupon and possibly even a store coupon. This allows you to purchase items at the lowest possible price so you can build your stockpile at a minimal cost.


However, there are some important differences that you need to be aware of to take advantage of the program to its fullest:

• Walgreens does not require the use of a store loyalty card to earn Register Rewards, aka RRs.

• You will only earn RRs once per deal per transaction. In other words, if Excedrin is producing $2 in RRs in a given week, you must purchase each bottle in a separate transaction to earn the Register Rewards. If you purchase 3 bottles in one transaction, you would only receive $2 in RRs.

• RRs cannot be "rolled" on like transactions. Using the Excedrin example again, you could not purchase one bottle of Excedrin and use the RRs received to purchase a second bottle. The Register Rewards will not print out when the second transaction is completed. Instead to roll RRs, you need to alternate it with another deal. So if Pantene was producing $2 in RRs as well that week, you could purchase the Excedrin, use the Excedrin RRs to purchase your Pantene, and then turn around and use the Pantene RRs to purchase the Excedrin again and so on.

• While Register Rewards are essentially cash, the Walgreens registers treat them as manufacturer coupons. The problem with this is that Walgreens only allow you to use as many manufacturer coupons as items on the transaction. This creates a need for "filler items" if you have a coupon for every item you're purchasing and wish to pay with a Register Reward. Filler items are inexpensive items that you add to an order so you have a non-coupon item that will allow your Register Rewards to be processed.

• There is some debate about the best order to hand over your RRs and coupons at checkout. The method that I've found to work best personally is Register Rewards first, Walgreen's store coupons second, and manufacturer's coupons last. Feel free to change it up if it's not working well for you.

Finally, a word to the wise – treat your RRs like cash. They cannot be replaced if lost. Generally Register Rewards expire two weeks from when they are generated, so watch those expiration dates!

In addition to this tutorial, I felt it was necessary to add a few "quick" links:

• Walgreens Store Coupons 
• Walgreens Store Locator
• Walgreens Weekly Circular
• Walgreens Coupon Policy
• Walgreens Deals at WUC