Drug Store Deals: How to save money on everyday items at the drug store
Once you have your budget all figured out, the fun beings when you try to beat the budget! Just because you put an amount in the budget doesn’t mean you have to spend it all, especially on everyday items. The more you save on the things you have to buy, the more you will have to chip away at your goal.
What can I buy from the drug store other than medicine?
Drug stores have a pretty good selection of household staples like toothpaste, deodorant, laundry detergent and dish detergent. These items have a long shelf life so there is no issue in stockpiling, however when you need them, you typically need them right away.
By buying them ahead of time, using coupons and store deals, when you run out of one, you have another ready and waiting for you.
So how do I get these great deals?
There are a few key tips to getting the best deal.
- Be loyal: Choose one store and stick with it.
- Use the app and website: There are exclusive deals that pop up from time to time
- Sign up for rewards: Most of these programs give you even more savings on top of your coupons
- Stack it up: Adding manufacturer coupons, store coupons and rewards maximizes your savings
- Sign up for emails and texts: Never miss a deal and get even more coupons
Don’t worry, we will dig deeper into each of these!
Be loyal
There are lots of different drug stores, depending on where you live. Locally, within a 5 mile radius, I have CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens. Each of these store have a unique rewards program and offer different deals. It is tempting to hit them all and rack up on points for each store, however this may have you a bit scattered as you begin.
My advice is as you learn, choose one store and master the deals at that store first. It takes some time to understand the rewards system, where to find the best coupons, how to match those coupons with the store sales and build up the loyalty rewards, coupons and special offers that each store uses to keep customers coming back for more.
Once you have that rolling by all means, try it at the next store and master that one. Build up the same loyalty, then rinse and repeat. Just like anything, the more deals that you score, the better you will become.
Use the app and the website
Everyone has an app. Everyone wants your information on their website. I get it. However, if you want the best deals, this is where you will find it.
Many of the coupons you will use are digital coupons that are added directly to your loyalty card via the app or website. You can browse through what is available and add them to your card for future use or checkout what is already in your account.
Most drug stores will allow you to order online and pick up in the store. Even if this is not how you prefer to shop, this is a great tool to plan your haul for the week. When you look at the items on the site, not only will you be able to see the current sales but any available digital coupons for that item.
All you have to do in add the coupons to your, add the item to your cart and you are good to go. The beauty of this is that it also keeps track of how close you are to earning the bonus rewards on the same screen. You are also able to filter by the products that are available to get the deal, which helps you make sure you are purchasing the right items.
Load up on rewards
As I mentioned before, every store has their own rewards program. One thing that is the same across most of them is that these reward programs no only allow you to download manufacturer’s coupons but store coupons and bonus rewards. This really helps you stack up the savings when applied correctly.
These rewards are typically based on you purchasing a specific number or total $ amount of a specific item or subset of items. An example of this would be “buy 2 Colgate toothpastes and get $5 in rewards” or “buy $40 worth of these items and get $10 in rewards”.
The rewards can be used against your bottom line on a future order and typically expire within 3 weeks of earning them. The best part is you can earn additional rewards even if you use rewards. My suggestion is to roll one set of rewards into another of equal or greater value. (Spend the $3 reward on an item that will give you another $3 reward.) This takes some time to figure out but it is totally worth it!
Sign up for emails and texts
No one likes junk mail or spam. I get it. However, the drug stores send out exclusive deals and coupons based on your buying habits. Every week, I get a $4 off a $4 purchase and it really helps!
I have also seen 30% off an entire order coupon and specific product deals hit my inbox. It really isn’t an over abundance of emails but it is totally worth it, especially since most of these deals are able to be added on to others.
Stack it up
Now that you know all of the different types of rewards, you get the best bang for you buck when you stack them on top of each other. Stacking is using more than one type of discount against the same item. This is totally legal as long as they are different discounts.
Most drug stores allow you to take advantage of the advertised sale and use coupons. You are typically also allowed to use a manufacturer’s coupon in combination with a store coupon for a $ amount or percentage off. Rewards then stack on top of this. When you add all of these together you can get some pretty good deals.
Here is a great example of that. I used the following coupons.
- $5 off Revlon Eye Cosmetic Manufacturer’s Coupon
- $4 off Revlon Lip Cosmetic Manufacturer’s Coupon
- $4 off $20 Revlon Makeup Digital Coupon
- $4 off Total Purchase CVS Coupon
- 2% back Extrabucks Reward
This knocked the original price of $21.28 down to $6.17! Not too bad. But wait, there is more. I then submitted my receipt for a $6.00 rebate on Ibotta! This means, I got both items for $1.20 after tax.
You really can score some great deals on items that you are already buying and this is a great tool to have in your toolbox to help extend the monthly budget. It may seem a little overwhelming at first but once you start with small wins, it gets easier and easier. In no time, you will have it down and ready to expand your reach to multiple stores.
