Why I Love The Drugstores

I don't shop the drugstores just for the thrill of getting free stuff. To be honest, I don't even use half the stuff I buy. So why do I go through the trouble of going back week after week just to get more toothpaste, shampoo, and deodorant? I actually have several reasons:

1. Believe it or not, I do need some toothpaste, shampoo, and deodorant, and I'd much rather get them free at the drugstores than go pay full price at Walmart.
2. I can be a blessing to others by giving them the excess items I have.
   
3. I purposely buy all the "moneymakers" whether I need them or not because I can use the money I make to buy items I need.

For example, this was my trip to Walgreens today. I started out with $6 in Register Rewards.

Transaction #1

2 Triaminic
Infusium shampoo
2 gift bags (fillers)
Total: $15.19 plus tax
-$3/2 Triaminic coupon from 10/18 Smartsource
-$4 Walgreens Triaminic coupon from Healthy Savings book
-$2 Infusium coupon from All You magazine
-$6 Register Rewards
New total: $.19 plus tax, got back $5 for Triaminic and $5 for Infusium

Transaction #2

2 packs Cottonelle
Dove deodorant
Crayons
2 gift bags (fillers)
Total: $15.18 plus tax
-$2 Dove printable coupon
-$2 Cottonelle coupons from All You magazine
-$10 Register Rewards from previous transaction
New total: $1.18 plus tax, got back $4 for Dove, $1 for Crayons

Transaction #3

Infusium
Aquafresh
Total: $6.98 plus tax
-$2 Infusium coupon
-$4 Register Rewards
New total = $.98 plus tax, got back $5 for Infusium, $2 for Aquafresh

I came out with more Register Rewards than when I went in the store. I was able to restock on toilet paper, I'll give the crayons to my son for Christmas, and the rest is excess. We keep anything extra in the barn, and if I run out of something I can just go get it instead of having to run to the store and pay full price. Also, friends and family are welcome to come get anything they need as well.


The above picture is just one week's worth of items waiting to be taken out to the barn. I am not obsessed with couponing. I only get 2 sets of coupons per week, and I am still able to get this much excess. I don't take my coupon binder into the stores and browse around for every single freebie I can find. I stick to any limits that the stores impose and don't use my aunt's, cousin's, dog's and cat's store loyalty cards so that I can get more for free. Getting stuff for free is not the point. The point is that I didn't have to go to Walmart to buy that Cottonelle today. Instead of paying 6 bucks for one pack, I paid $2.35 out of pocket, and I got 2 packs plus a bunch of other stuff that I can use to be a blessing to others.


Why do you shop the drugstores? What do you do with all the extra freebies that you get?