HOWTO
The TL;DR: Basic Principles
- Combine coupons and sales
- Stock up when it’s cheap
- Learn price points for items you commonly purchase
The Not-Really-That-Long Part
Check out Hip2Save/iheart’s guides to each of the major drugstores. Each of the stores I shop at has its own variation on strategy. The basic idea is to stack store coupons and manufacturer coupons on a sale price. Also “roll” the in store cash (ExtraCare Bucks, Register Rewards) by using it to buy items that also generate in-store cash to keep your out of pocket costs low.
That’s basically it. Try to use coupons to make up the difference between the EB/RR.
Example: Mouthwash at CVS on sale for $4, gives $2 EB. Use a $2 coupon and $2 EB from a previous visit, and you get it for free.
My strategy for RiteAid is to get as many items for free with coupons as possible and buy some items that are NOT free but will be with a Single Check Rebate (SCR). Then, for the small portion of the bill that isn’t free, I use the $5 off $20 coupon to make up the OOP cost. I try to get to cost as close to $0 as possible, and then when I get the SCR I am actually MAKING REAL MONEY, since I put the check in the bank.
Example: Buy Item A for $6.50 with a $6.50 SCR. Use a $1 off coupon, making it $5.50. Everything else was $13.50, (but free after coupons), so my bill comes to $20 (pre-coupon). Use the $5/$20 coupon. Pay $0.50 OOP, receive check for $6.50 in the mail. Profit.
