June 15: Simple Living Guide to Drugstore Deals

Every Wednesday, I’ll (try) to post up a Simple Living Tip, with an emphasis on tips that can be done while living a more traditional 9-to-5 life. 

If you truly value your time, couponing and playing the drugstore game is not for you.  Some people say it only takes a few minutes to clip coupons and scour drugstore ads for the best deals but it can really add up.  To effectively save, you need to scour the weekly ads, try to take advantage of the best sales and keep track of your drugstore rewards (CVS Extra Bucks, Rite Aid UP Rewards, etc..).  I’ll start with my best “simple living” tips for those who really don’t want to spend time clipping coupons but want/need to save money:

1. Go generic. Unless you have very good coupons, generics are generally cheaper.  From my experience, there is a wide range of good, generic products out there.  While I tend to be more brand-loyal on foods and toothpaste,  I’ve gotten generic paper towels, diapers, hand sanitizers, OTC medications, hand soap, etc..  Among generics there are variations in quality.  I like Target generics for household goods and I found a few good generic food items from Vons and Fresh & Easy. 
2. Try Amazon.com / Subscribe & Save.  Amazon has a great program called Amazon Mom that offers great deals plus free shipping on diapers, wipes and other baby products.  Membership costs $79/year but is free for the first three months and then up to one year if you make qualifying purchases, not difficult to do if kids are going through diapers and wipes.  Even if you don’t have kids, check out their “Subscribe & Save” items.  Deals are not always the best but I’ve a bundle on imported coffee, Brita water filters and assorted household items. UPDATE: Amazon Mom changed their program in late 2011/2012 and now the deals are not so great.
3. Buy household goods, cleaning supplies, lotions and cosmetics at Walmart, Target or Costco.  Unless there is a sale plus coupons, you’ll generally get better prices at these stores than at supermarkets or the drug stores.

Now if you are determined to get free toothpaste and want to use your time for couponing, here are some tips. I’m not the best at couponing because I don’t roll over my rewards over and over and I don’t want to hoard items but I have learned a thing or two over the years:

1. Go to couponing websites like Couponmom.com instead of looking through individual store’s weekly ads. It’s easier to check out deals this way and you can search for a specific item.
2. Use online coupons. There are a lot of reputable sites  for downloading and printing coupons even if you don’t get the Sunday papers. Plus on Couponmom.com, they list print-able coupons next to the sale items, making things even easier.
3. Stick to one drugstore for rewards.  For a time, I tried going to CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid but now I generally stick to Rite Aid because it’s conveniently located near my house and work.  It’s easier to accumulate reward points at one store and not have to track deals.
4. Bring ads to Walmart; They match prices.  Rather than run to a drugstore for an advertised sale item that is often out of stock, bring that ad to Walmart.  They will match the sale price and you don’t have to waste time/gas driving.

Plus, a last word on drugstore “etiquette”: Try not to clear the shelves of advertised sale items.  There’s nothing illegal about it but it’s really unfair to other shoppers. Even if you give it away to friends & family, it’s not fair to those who do take the time to seek out deals.   

Is couponing and the “drugstore game” the antithesis of simple living?  If you do play the drugstore game and have additional tips, please share! 

Did I Really Save Money?

I often read about frugality bloggers who post about amazing savings on groceries and toiletries ($204 worth of products for $23! or $25 a week to feed a family of four!).  While I am trying to pare down our monthly grocery bill, I don’t think we’ll ever have the time or desire to get that low on grocery bills.  That leaves no room for shrimp, mussels, imported cheese and meats etc…

Truthfully I’ve been a bit suspicious of their savings on toiletries and household goods. Many will buy items they don’t need just to make extra bucks via rewards or cash back.  They claim to sell the unwanted items but what if it doesn’t sell and languishes in their pantry?  Some will give items away to friends and family. That’s nice but also means they’re not the one saving money.

Recently I bought a few toiletries from Rite Aid because of a $25 rebate offer if you purchase $50 of selected products.  On paper, this is an amazing deal. However, I decided to check my math and see if I really saved all that much.

I bought two items at full-price, something a very frugal blogger would never do.  The other four items were on sale and I had an extra $3 off coupon.  I also made the beginner mistake of buying two items that I’ve never tried before in order to get to the $50 total. (I may return it and buy something else, if I have time.)  I also find it a bit strange to stock up on face washes and cosmetics even if I will use these within the year.

For my comparison, I jotted down the regular prices for the same items at Walmart.  Their prices were $1 to $2 lower than Rite Aid.  However, with the Rite Aid sale and coupon, I spent $2 less even before rebate.

The good thing about the Rite Aid rebates is that you can submit your receipts online; within 2 – 3 days, you’ll get an email saying if you qualify for the rebate or not. If for some reason, I don’t qualify, I have time to return the items and buy something else to get to the $50 total.  I also haven’t had any issues with their rebates since they started allowing online submissions.  So if the $25 rebate goes through, I’ll spent $29 less.

In summary:

1 )  If you buy toiletries and household goods at full-price, go to Walmart or Target. 

2 ) Sales at Rite Aid and drugstores will bring it the price down to Walmart’s level or lower.  However, I’ve learned not to go out of my way for deals.  (I’ve documented by ongoing struggles with time vs. money here, here and here.)

3 ) Walmart is a  better choice if you don’t want to look for sales or worry about out-of-stock items.  As I mentioned, “frugalites” (is that a word?) will clear out the shelves on sales items. You can get a raincheck but that means another trip.  I think Walmart will match prices if you bring in the sales circular.

4 ) Rite Aid rebates can mean pretty big savings.  You have to stock up and meet requirements but it’s not a hassle like mail-in rebates.