Oh, Walgreens...when will I learn my lesson about you?!
Once again, I learned the hard way a very important lesson about shopping the Walgreens deals: Always, always, always have a detailed shopping list made out before you enter Walgreens. This includes the price of the product, the coupons you are planning to use, the Register Rewards you are planning to receive/spend, and what the total amount "out of pocket" should be.
Today, I went to Walgreens just for the Old Spice Body Wash deal. I thought to myself, I am just doing this one deal...I don't need to write anything out. WRONG!
Here is the deal that I was planning on doing (and what I should have written out when I went in the store):
Old Spice Body Wash
$4.49 (On Sale for Buy One, Get One 50% Off) - get six
- Buy One, Get One FREE (8/29 Procter & Gamble Coupon Insert) - use three
= $6.78 for six after coupons and sale!
I had three of the BOGO coupons, so I was planning on doing this deal three times. My first error was in only taking three bottles to the register instead of six. If I had had my list written out, I would have realized this error first.
$4.49 (On Sale for Buy One, Get One 50% Off) - get six
- Buy One, Get One FREE (8/29 Procter & Gamble Coupon Insert) - use three
= $6.78 for six after coupons and sale!
I had three of the BOGO coupons, so I was planning on doing this deal three times. My first error was in only taking three bottles to the register instead of six. If I had had my list written out, I would have realized this error first.
Next, I got slightly distracted with the Softsoap/Irish Spring Body Wash deal that was advertised on a display. I had planned on not doing it, since I didn't have the coupon from the September All You magazine (making it FREE), but decided impulsively to pick up two since $1.00 each wasn't a bad price.
I noticed as soon as I got to the counter, that the not-so-friendly-not-so-helpful checkout girl was behind the counter. Uh-Oh. She rang up the body washes, and then I saw her skeptical look at my BOGO coupons. "I don't know if I can take these since they are already on sale for BOGO 50% off. I better call my manager."
I then see the not-so-friendly-not-helpful-at-all manager walk over. Double uh-oh! However, I know that there is nothing wrong or even questionable about this coupon exchange...it is just a very good deal!
I hear him say, "Yes, we have to take it." Phew. Sigh of relief.
At this point, I realize that I needed to get three more body washes. So, I take off down the aisle to retrieve the other three. This is where I make another error...just trusting the cashier to take off the right amount for my coupons.
I get back to the counter, hand her the other three body washes, and pay the total. Seems higher than I thought it should be, however, I am quickly distracted by the wonderful $5.00 in Register Rewards that come spitting out of the Catalina machine...
I load up my purchases (and my two fussy kids) into the car and head home. When I get home I realize that instead of taking off the full amount of $4.49 for the BOGO coupons on the Old Spice Body Washes, they took off $3.50. I'm not sure how they did that, except for the fact that the Softsoap body washes were $3.50...hmmmm.
My point being: none of this would have happened if I had had my deals written out on a list...knowing what my total was supposed to be...I would have said, "Excuse me, but I think that you were supposed to take $4.49 off for those Old Spice Body Washes."
I am not going to drive the 30 minutes back to town to get my $2.00 back...I will simply have to learn this very important coupon lesson: I can NOT shop in Walgreens without a detailed list!
I am not going to drive the 30 minutes back to town to get my $2.00 back...I will simply have to learn this very important coupon lesson: I can NOT shop in Walgreens without a detailed list!
2 comments:
aaaccck ! I learned two similarly difficult lessons at walgreens this week , too! 1. didn't check my register rewards before leaving the store, did not receive any RR for 4 different W-tampon deals, just some crappy coupon. was going to return the tampons, but decided to donate them and learn my lesson. 2. got to the checkout at the wags where I am the only person who looks like me (and the only person buying anything besides candy and soda), forgot to get my 2 cans of tuna fillers, I had handed the cashier my $5 and $4 RR, still wanted to use 2 $2 RR more, when I returned with my tuna the $4 RR was gone. not sure WTH happened to it, but I'm lucky it was only a $4 lesson. I said the same thing to myself, must be prepared with a list, its the only way, and I still get confused then sometimes when one item isn't in stock or whatever. sometimes its really a challenge playing the drugstore game. and how do they figure it out so the total of the RR you have to spend will never equal the total of the items you want to purchase, without buying something else.
I have had trouble at Walgreens as well. I think writing everything out is great and also it depends on the checker. there is a few checkers at my walgreens that are very anti-coupon friendly. Thanks for sharing that! Sometimes i feel like I'm the only one is given a hard time with coupons.
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