I love walgreens and CVS, and i'll be writing a series on how to shop frugally at both of them. They both have different rules.

Today I got some free items at walgreens by using their register rewards system. I had a $3 RR from a previous colgate purchase that I got free using coupons. I used that to get some free Goodies hair clips. The hair clips even came with some free bonus hair ties. So i got those and got some more RR back.

With those new RRs, I picked up some first aid items that i also had a $1.50 off coupon for.

Then i picked up some $10 vitamins that gave me a free $10 in Register Rewards - and I can use that $10 on anything in the store for my next purchase. Well, i can't get more vitamins with it, but everything else is fair game.

There actually is a work around for that, BTW. Super shopping gets pretty involved...

If you shop correctly at these places, you never have to spend any actual money except for the first time. Then you can just stockpile your needs for later and shop from your own shelves when you need toothpaste, vitamins, soap, razors, shampoo, whatever. The best way to buy anything at these stores is to wait until there is a sale on something, and then use a manufacturer's coupon with it. If you had a store coupon you could even throw that in too. Again, there are rules and this gets involved. But it's fun if you get into it.

I also used a bunch of in-store coupons on some food items, and I used my food stamps on the food items. Drugstores like these do take food stamps readily.

Any Walgreens shoppers out there?