Can I use coupons when I'm using register rewards to pay for my items?

I received the following email today:

Tonight I went to Walgreens on Kelly & Covell...and it didn't go very smoothly. This is what I was trying to purchase:

Windex Window Cleaner $9.99
Get $3 RR
used $3/1 MQ expires 10/18

Carefree Ultra Protection Pantiliners $1.99
Get $1.99 RR wyb 1
used $1/1 MQ expires 11/30

Aquafresh Iso-active Toothpaste $3.49
Get $1.50 RR wyb 1
used $1/1 MQ expires 9/19

I had a $3, $4, and $5 RR coupon. I threw in a carmex to make it go over $12. They tried ringing in the RR's and it wouldn't take any of them. After much deliberation, the clerk who was pretty friendly, called the asst. manager up after she had called him w/questions many times during the transaction. He basically told me I can't use manufacturer coupons with my register rewards. So, I'm wondering...am I wrong in this? From what I understand, I can use manufacturer coupons with my RR's.

Yes you can use manufacturer coupons and register rewards together, however register rewards count as coupons. So when figuring your item/coupon ratio, you have to count the register rewards. In this transaction there are three items(Windex, Carefree, Aquafresh) and six coupons (Windex, Carefree, Aquafresh, $3RR, $4RR, $5RR). You would have to purchase three more items to even out your ratio.

In this case, you needed your total out of pocket to be at least $12 (it was only $10.47) and to have six items. I would have looked for three more items totalling $1.53 or more. Many times the in-ad coupon items work best. For example, this week you could use the Penway Pocket Folder w/ prongs 4/$1 w/ in ad coupon. Add seven of them to your order ($1.75). It'll make your total out of pocket $12.22 (plus tax) which will put you over your $12 total register rewards but will also even out your item/coupon ration.

Don't beat yourself up. Walgreens is the hardest system to master. I still make mistakes from time to time so these are the three rules I check when planning a transaction:

1) Register Rewards count as coupons so you have to buy an extra item for every RR you use.

2) Your out of pocket before tax has to be more than the total amount of Register Rewards being used to pay your balance.

3) If you use a Register Reward toward to pay toward another RR deal, make sure they are not products by the same maker or the new RR will NOT print.

Even though I do most of my planning on the computer these days, I always use pencil and paper for my Walgreens deals. It seems easier to catch mistakes when I'm writing it out. That's just me.

For more help with Register Rewards, read this.