Advice on CVS and Walgreens

[eapresto]

I'm new to this and within the last couple years have been living near a CVS and a Walgreens. I've always considered drug stores as more expensive overall and I do all the "drug store stuff" buying at Walmart. I'm gathering that if I want to get into couponing and deals that CVS and Walgreens are the way to go.
So, my main question is which one do people recommend I start with? I live equally close to both and am familiar with neither. Should I try and do both stores? Reading the beginners info about CVS, I don't know if I could handle both stores! It's a lot! Do people feel like one store generally has better deals than the other?
Thanks for the help!

[tmsmalley]

I think if you've got a choice of both, CVS may be a little more straight forward to start with. You can get help with both or either on the Drug Store threads.

Tess

[Cin42382]

My personal choice would be CVS, but that may just be because thats what I started with and found easiest. Check out both threads and if you cant decide - start with the store having better deals :)

[glenncof]

I just started in the last week with my first Sunday paper.

Earth day I did my first Walgreen's RR roll. I made mistakes but learned a great deal. I only got 68% discount. RR=Register rewards.

If I had a few coupons to help I think I could get 86%.

BUT from what I read WAGR can be more difficult with coupons compared to CVS. My Longs DS was bought by CVS and they are being converted. So I can't say personally but I'm looking forward to CVS.

Get circulars and study. Go to their websites and study. Serach coupon sites for descriptions of promo policies and schedules.

[patcat]

I like CVS over Walgreens for HBA(health and Beauty aids). CVS is instant money back and you don't have to worry about getting a catalina from a third party. The deals are straight forward and you can use coupons with store coupons. You can also use coupons on free at CVS. Walgreens has so many restrictions on using RR that I find it difficult to get the deals. Also, Walgreens is really bad about having their printers up and working so often you don't get the RR. I think Walgreens is bringing in a new program so I don't know if that part will be improved or not.

I do still go to Walgreens but not nearly as often as CVS. Walgreens for some reason has some better food deals once in a while. Free plus 10% is good too on the free monthly deals. That is leaving so don't know what is taking it's place.

[i_have_a_coupon_for_that!]

I am new to this site but I had been doing Walgreens rebates for about 10 years (would still do them but they ended this month) and I have bene doing CVS deals for about 5 years. If you are new to it all I would just follow the threads and try CVS first and as you learn move on to other stores.

It used to be that I preferred Walgreens since I could buy FAR items, use a coupon, get back orignal price of the FAR item plus a 10% bonus. Now they have ended the easysaver rebates and Walgreens seems to be adding so many stipulations and rules on their RR that it is getting hard to shop there. I personally shop both every week to get the free stuff, but I definitly keep doing less and less in Walgreens. If all the stores turn to the "redeem one RR per trasaction" or "cannot use a RR on any item that generates a RR" the way some report, then I may not shop Walgreens anymore at all.

[kdunlap35]

Any ideas on how to locate website coupons without answering those long surveys?

[sands]

I agree.... we started at cvs... now do a little of everything....
kdunlap35... sometimes the surveys are just part of the game... most are worth it though

[sasterb]

Another person to vote trying CVS first. They are easier to figure out and learn.

[wannabfit]

I do mostly Walgreens because I can do more than one deal in a week since CVS is one card per household, I think it limits what one can do.

[judystock]

I started with CVS and about 2 weeks later, I jumped into the WAGS pool. CVS is easier but I dislike being limited on the number of times you can do each deal.

[heyYou]

I go to both. I have discovered that some WalGreens won't let you use any coupon if you are buying an item that should create an rr. Use a coupon, and no rr. They also will restrict you from using a manufacturers coupon along with the store coupon. But only some stores do this. There's only one in my area that is impossible to shop in....the others around here are fine. I know you can get some really good deals when you shop CVS by planning your eb usage, and separating transactions to create more of them. The best way to find out if a WalGreens will let you use a coupon when buying an item that should create an rr is just to ask a clerk before you shop. Or even talk to the manager....they'll help you sort it all out.

[anastaciaknits]

I had the same issue, and throw Rite Aid into the mix, too. I decided to go with CVS, as others stated, CVS seems a little more straight forward. I had thought of comparing each week, etc etc but I already compare Super Walmart with Price Chopper & Shaw's prices/deals & I don't need to do that with the drug stores, too. I've been doing well at CVS, usually about 90% saved, and now that Walgreens is changing, I think I'll stick to my CVS!

[Texaspurplecouponlady]

I like CVS & know my way around in there a little better. Get my prescriptions there, the people are friendly. We go to Walgreens, but, only for really good deals...

[hokiegir1]

I'm gonna go against the grain:

Start with Wags. If you can get down their strict rules, CVS is a breeze. LOL!

Actually, I say just start with whichever has the deals you are more interested in first. For example, next week is good at CVS, but stinks at Wags. The week after, Wags has a few good MM's.

[gh1]

Today I learned that Rite Aid would not accept internet coupons e.g. those from HCW. Only internet coupons from Riteaid are accepted by them. Walgreens does accept internet coupons. not sure about CVS

[Buffy2k8]

I would start with CVS. The stores I've shopped at have been very coupon friendly and their staff has been, in my experience, more trained with how to deal with coupons and less suspicious of couponers than Walgreens.

I emailed Walgreens after shopping there just 2 times, and the manager responded saying I could not use coupons on clearance, could not use coupons for something that would print a register receipt, could not use a register receipt to pay for something that would generate a register receipt and the list goes on.

[michellej70]

If i were any of you i would contact walgreens home office about this. and thats between us, i work for them and none of the things up top are true that i know of. we have SEVERAL couponers that visit my location and all of whats up top has been done, the register will not allow what cannot be done which to my knowledge the only things that are not allowed are, if of course the coupon is more then the product that is clearenced, or if you have several items of the same thing you have to have a coupon for each individual item. any other questions let me know, i'll get the answer.
your walgreens companion