[Losingitagain]

I normally don't shop at Rite Aid because we don't have that chain where I live. I am temporarily assigned to Washington DC for work for the next two months and I was thinking about beginning to shop there, but I am not sure how much OOP I'd have to put into it in order to make it worth my while. I don't have my insert stash with me and I can't print IPs from my work computer, so I am stuck with additional savings. I have been rolling my RR and ECBs (without coupons) just to make sure they don't expire. All you Rite Aid experts, is it worth it to try or should I just concentrate on WAGs and CVS?

[guera185]

If you don't mind calling CS every other transaction to have your UPs sent to you by snail mail because they don't print when they're supposed to, then give it a shot. Out of the big 3 drugstores, I shop RA the least because their system is inconsistent and unreliable. Their coupon policy is the strictest out of the 3 also. Plus, you can never believe what's in their ads because they are constantly yelling "misprint" and refuse to honor them.

[BeastieBabe]

Without any qs I don't really see the point. Just my opinion. But if you wanna try it, this week they've got the naturelief free after UP, not a bad way to start. $6 oop, get back $6 UP reward. HTH!

[dhwriter]

RA's restrictions have gotten to the point where I usually don't shop there. If I can get to CVS and Walgreens in the same week, I'm not likely to go to RA.

[Vi0let]

This is my first post in a long time. I used to love the deals but it's pretty much over for me. I hate to say it but things just really went downhill after Christmas.
I check in now and then, but I have no Ups at present. RA used to be a blast.

[judeshoney]

I'm thinking about starting RA too because (don't laugh) I'm actually finding myself out of toothpaste. I know I have to hang my head in shame about that.

I didn't see anything on the horizon for CVS or Wags for the next couple of weeks so I'm thinking about heading to RA for the $2.99 Crest with $2 UPs. With the .75 coupon from last Sunday's paper, it ends up netting to .25.

I started with toothpaste at both CVS and Wags so it might be a good luck charm for me. If I have as many hassles as been reported here, I won't last long. Time will tell.

[phoenixjean1]

Originally Posted by Losingitagain

I normally don't shop at Rite Aid because we don't have that chain where I live. I am temporarily assigned to Washington DC for work for the next two months and I was thinking about beginning to shop there, but I am not sure how much OOP I'd have to put into it in order to make it worth my while. I don't have my insert stash with me and I can't print IPs from my work computer, so I am stuck with additional savings. I have been rolling my RR and ECBs (without coupons) just to make sure they don't expire. All you Rite Aid experts, is it worth it to try or should I just concentrate on WAGs and CVS?

It's worth it to me, even if it would just be for a couple months. I usually find a few MM scenarios, like the glucose tablets from last month's SCRs: Buy two, get $4 SCR. Regular price is 1.99 or 1.89 each, so a small MMer to start with. But with a discount, it ended up being even better.

The deals are a lot less numerous, with lower limits than they used to have-used to be no limit on Ups deals, then down to 4 or 6 per deal, now it's usually one or two per deal. I used to go to RA about five times a week, now it's just about once a week or so.

Will you not have any inserts at all? Not buying any while you are there? Or will you just not have your previous inserts? If you are able to buy inserts while there, you may still be able to get in on some of the coupon/Up reward deals.

The clearance can be pretty decent sometimes. I got in on the candy clearance recently (75%), and they can have some really good make-up clearance deals too. Especially if it's Physician's Formula make-up clearance, with peelies still attached. Sometimes PF will have bogo deals, with an Up reward, combined with peelies.

[dustin2012]

I personally shop at RA. Before I started couponing we never really went there, but now I go there sometimes once or twice a week. We have two stores so the supply is there for me. When I shop there I never buy anything without a coupon, unless it's a MM. I know CVS has the nivea tin MM this week, just like RA had the jergens MM about a month ago (like my second week shopping there). I do see people getting a lot of great stuff at CVS and I wish we had one that was closer.

The only time I had a problem with RA was when they changed the system. Awhile back they used to have the rounding up thing to get the UPS to print. Well during one week I got the UPS in the beginning, and then at the end of the week I read on the forum they changed the policy so I had to buy an extra item.

It's one of my favorite stores, however, since I haven't shopped at CVS or at Walgreens with coupons enough I can't really say ones better.

[myweeklyMDcoupons]

The difference for me.. In Maryland is that RA has stock and are ALL OVER.. I have about 8 RAs in the same square miles as one CVS. Plus they pretty much know me and the UPs still print in my area.. So I enjoy RA..

I went early Monday to cvs for a tin.. They were cleared.. That always happens at cvs.. It's so annoying

[alvarezr21]

When I used to go to the RA that is in my city, things were really bad. They never had stock and the cashiers there were really anti-couponers. I switched to the RA that is a couple more miles farther, but the deals are worth it. RA's system had been getting better and if an UP doesn't print it gets sent through the mail fairly quickly in my opinion. Lately there have been great RA deals, better than CVS (and CVS is usually my favorite). Everybody's RA expericence is different, and I have to say that I am fortunate to have great cashiers, even if some of them aren't neccessarly the closest available.

[kav700]

My rite aid closeing in August and the Cvs is coming in the same location. I hate cvs so I'm try to stock up at rite aid as much as possible

[monkeydawn]

Originally Posted by alvarezr21

When I used to go to the RA that is in my city, things were really bad. They never had stock and the cashiers there were really anti-couponers. I switched to the RA that is a couple more miles farther, but the deals are worth it. RA's system had been getting better and if an UP doesn't print it gets sent through the mail fairly quickly in my opinion. Lately there have been great RA deals, better than CVS (and CVS is usually my favorite). Everybody's RA expericence is different, and I have to say that I am fortunate to have great cashiers, even if some of them aren't neccessarly the closest available.

Which weeks do you think RA has had better deals than CVS? Over the last 2 weeks I had gotten $80 worth of free gas and made extra store rewards with no OOP. And it seems like every month there is a week or two like that. At RA I have been struggling to evenly roll my 20 Ups and there is always OOP because of tax and the fact that they wont devalue Ups by a few cents so you are forced to buy something small to make up for all the $.X9 charges when you only have 0 ending Ups. The SCR have been really pathetic lately too so there is little chance of recouping the OOP that you do have to spend. Last month was my first month ever that my OOP has been more than my SCR 'income', i.e., the first month I have 'lost money' RAing. I dont mean to start a CVS is better than RA thread but I really am interested in what deal you think are so much better at RA (than CVS). I want to know if I am missing anything, !

[cwymer]

RA is my fave out of the three. So suprised by the comments. That's why I love this forum - all the great ideas and opinions. At any rate, start with a small amount purchase and see for yourself.

[paulsonja]

I switched to RA because we moved. I'm enjoying it. I only buy 1 or 2 inserts a week so I don't max out on the gas cards, etc. I buy only the stuff I need, so the deals on the make up etc at CVS aren't interesting to me--I don't have the coupons for it, don't use it, and just seems pointless to me . . . If you really like to chase the deal, RA can be a bit boring--although every once in a while it can get a bit exciting when they let a deal slide by. But since the beginning of the year, I've gotten free toothpaste (a lot), tampons (or very cheap), reading glasses, Advil, Thermacare, cough drops, hand lotion, body wash . . . stuff I really need, as well as cheap cheap candy (which I don't need), pistachios, detergent, dish soap, hand soap and numerous other things that I need and use every day.

I've never had a problem with a coupon going through and I have very nice cashiers--there's an older woman shift supervisor there during the week and this cute high school kid on the weekends. . .

IMO, CVS is probably more fun for those who buy multiple inserts, go multiple times a week to grab CRT's, and love "the hunt" and "the deal". RA doesn't seem to have as much of that available but is a perfectly fine place to shop with 1-2 things free/very cheap a week--and the occasional great deal.

[cwymer]

@ paulsonja, very well said as I have never thought of it your way. Guess that is way RA is my favorite.

[monkeydawn]

Originally Posted by paulsonja

I switched to RA because we moved. I'm enjoying it. I only buy 1 or 2 inserts a week so I don't max out on the gas cards, etc. I buy only the stuff I need, so the deals on the make up etc at CVS aren't interesting to me--I don't have the coupons for it, don't use it, and just seems pointless to me . . . If you really like to chase the deal, RA can be a bit boring--although every once in a while it can get a bit exciting when they let a deal slide by. But since the beginning of the year, I've gotten free toothpaste (a lot), tampons (or very cheap), reading glasses, Advil, Thermacare, cough drops, hand lotion, body wash . . . stuff I really need, as well as cheap cheap candy (which I don't need), pistachios, detergent, dish soap, hand soap and numerous other things that I need and use every day.

I've never had a problem with a coupon going through and I have very nice cashiers--there's an older woman shift supervisor there during the week and this cute high school kid on the weekends. . .

IMO, CVS is probably more fun for those who buy multiple inserts, go multiple times a week to grab CRT's, and love "the hunt" and "the deal". RA doesn't seem to have as much of that available but is a perfectly fine place to shop with 1-2 things free/very cheap a week--and the occasional great deal.

While I will admit to enjoying the hunt, mostly what has kept me out of RA and going to CVS more and more frequently was the fact that you can trust the CVS ads much more reliably than you can the RA ads. That means that you can actually plan deals in advance and that you have time to get multiple coupons if that is what the best deal requires. I would not do that with RA because so often the deals end up being 'mistakes' that may or may not be honored on a store level. Heck, a lot of the time, even the deals that arent mistakes require contacting CS to get the Ups. That means that you arent going to be able to roll them for a couple of weeks (until you actually get them) and that is an issue if you dont have a decent size Ups bankroll.

[cwymer]

Whew, knock on wood I haven't had these issues (hope I didn't jinx myself).

[Losingitagain]

After the awesome RA week, the resounding answer to my question "should I begin to Rite Aid" is YES, YES and YES! Thanks for everyone's help and advice!

[dustin2012]

Yes I love RA haha

Got lots of mouthwash and toothpaste free this week

Next week under three items I plan to buy as well 1 free 1 mm 1 decent detergent price

[tlcmommi4]

I spent $15.22 (over $10 was tax) this weekend and walked away with over $200 worth of stuff!!! I had no coupons except this sundays inserts!! I took 4 or 5 months off so I also started with no plus ups!! I walked out with $14 in ups. So yeah, I would say its definitely worth it. To me wags is way harder and stricter than rite aid