Tell me about couponing at CVS

[suwannee]

I keep hearing about how if you use your CVS extra care card combined with coupons you can get really save money. I am not sure how to get started though. Any good sites I can check out or anyone have some advice? Thanks!

[elsie]

I'd start at the CVS forum on hotcouponworld, and then I would also check out Iheartcvs

[Siennaflower]

I started here. She outlines deals in her blog as well. HTH!

[Denvergirlie]

Originally Posted by elsie

I'd start at the CVS forum on hotcouponworld, and then I would also check out Iheartcvs

Yeah this, hot coupon world is good

here is another blog that spells it all out as well, here are her getting started primers, there are two of them
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_...3/cvs-101.html
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_...ing-cvs-w.html

Weekly, normally on a Saturday afternoon/ Sunday morning she will update her blog with all the "deals" for the week at CVS (Rite Aid and Walgreens too)

Here is the link to this weeks current deals
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_...er-1-2008.html

[erinbutterfly]

CVS is awesome if u give it time

i learn a lot from www.iheartcvs.com as well as those people have mentioned. also you can just google, cvs, blog and lots come up. happy shopping!

[tonyarn]

Here is a response I gave to this question on another board. Hope it helps you!

Here is how CVS works.

The first time you go in, you'll sign up for their extracare card. They will give it to you on the spot, and you can start using it immediately. Everything you buy when you show your card earns an automatic 2% back which is paid out 4 times per year. Once you get into this, you will also find they frequently put out offers to triple your rewards, so you'd be earning 6% back per quarter. Now you take a look at the CVS ad and take extra note of the extracare deals which are usually contained in a reddish colored box.

It is somewhat difficult to just explain CVS to you, so I am going to give you a series of examples to do my explaining for me. These are deals that have occurred in the past, but not necessarily in this order.

Let's say that this week they have soy joy bars (which are completely nasty, BTW) for $1.00 each, and if you buy 4, you will get $4.00 ECB. You have a few coupons, but since you're new to this, you probably don't have many. As you can see, regardless of coupons, the 4 soy joy bars will be free after extracare bucks (ECB). They also have Colgate toothpaste for $2.99 with a $2.00 ECB and Excedrin is $4.49 with a $2.00 ECB. Let's say that you have a "buy 3, get 1 free" coupon for the soy joy bars, a 75 cent coupon for the Colgate, and a $2.00 coupon for the Excedrin. Just remember, the first time you start CVSing, you are going to spend real money, probably more money than you would have if you'd have just gone to Wal-Mart. Think of this as your "investment." There are occassionally ways to skip this initial investment, but in my scenerio above, there really isn't. So, you take your items to the register, show your extracare card, and the cashier rings up your order...$4.00 (for the 4 soy joy bars), $2.99, plus $4.49=$11.48 plus tax...minus your coupons $1.00 off the soy joy, 75 cents, $2.00=$7.73 plus tax. You pay for this in cash, and the register spits out 3 CVS coupons (ECB) for $4.00, $2.00, and $2.00=$8.00 ECB, so you already have more than you spent. You can spend this ECB on anything in the store, but the best way to spend it is to "roll" it onto another ECB deal. You could break the orders down to lower your investment, but I know that if you're anything like me, you are probably to "timid" to do 3 back to back transactions your first time.

The following week they are offering Fusion razors for $9.99 with a $6.00 ECB, Garnier Fructis shampoo for $3.99 with a $3.99 ECB (there is almost always at least one "free" each week), and Stayfree Maxi pads for $3.49 with a $2.00 ECB. You have a $2.00 Fusion coupon and a $1.00 Stayfree coupon, but don't have a coupon for the Garnier Fructis. You take your items to the register, show your extracare card, and the cashier rings up your order...in fact, let's do 2 transactions to make a lesser OOP expense this time. First is your Fusion razor at $9.99 plus tax minus your $2.00 coupon=$7.99. Remember you have $8.00 in ECB from last week? You are going to spend these ECB on your $7.99 total today. You have 2 options...they can adjust the ECB down to $7.99 (no overage given at CVS) or you can grab a cheap 25 cent pencil or some other cheap thing to bring your total over $8.00. Let's say you went the route of getting a 25 cent pencil to bring your total up...you are now at 24 cents plus tax and the register spits out a $6.00 ECB. You are going to use this to pay for your next order. Next transaction is $3.99 and $3.49=$7.48 plus tax minus your $1.00 coupon=$6.48 plus tax. You give them your $6.00 ECB plus 48 cents (plus tax) and the register spits out 2 ECB for $3.99 and $2.00.

The following week they are offering Playtex Sport tampons for $5.99 with a $5.99 ECB. You have a $1.00 coupon. They also have m&m's 2 bags for $4.00 with a $2.00 ECB when you buy (wyb) 2. You have a buy one, get one free (BOGO) m&m coupon. You head to the register with your items...$5.99 plus $4.00=$9.99. The BOGO coupon takes off $2.00 from the m&m's plus your $1.00 tampon coupon, and your total comes to $6.99 plus tax. You pay with your $5.99 ECB from last week which leaves your OOP at $1.00 plus tax. The register spits out a $5.99 ECB and a $2.00 ECB.

From here, you just keep rolling, rolling, rolling.

I was having a hard time with my above examples, but somehow ECB's tend to "build" and you occassionally end up with a whole lot of ECB's. One other thing...pay attention to the limits in the ad...it'll say limit 1 per card or 5 per card, etc. Once you've hit your limit, you will not get anymore ECB's for that item.

[Logan's Mom]

I too learned from mommysavingmom and iheartcvs -- it seems the deals aren't as good as they used to be. I used to have coupons that I could stack and find items that I used but now, it seems like I go quite some time in between purchases, therefore not maximizing the deals like others do. I just can't justify purchasing something that I won't/don't use so I can keep my extracare bucks going.

With that said, when I do shop for items I truly need, I look for the deals and maximize my savings. I literally live next door to CVS so that is a bonus.

[*violet*]

It's true that the deals are not as good as they were several months ago. However, I have found that if you're smart and can work out deals that you still can come out WAY ahead in the CVS game. Just takes a bit more time in planning.

Logan's Mom - we give away things that we don't need to others who do. It helps them and everybody wins.

[xmysticprincessx]

Originally Posted by *violet*

Logan's Mom - we give away things that we don't need to others who do. It helps them and everybody wins.

I totally agree with this! Some HH families are going to be really happy (and really clean) with some of the freebies I've gotten at Rite Aid! Our priest made an announcement in church this weekend that they're going to have a "reverse collection" next week for the church's food pantry because they can't keep the shelves stocked.

Doing Rite Aid is similar, except there's a bit more work involved. Its similar to CVS, except instead of getting the CVS coupons (ECBs), its the SCR (Single Check Rebate) program. You enter your receipts into their website, and after a couple days, the info from your receipt is uploaded into their rebate system. It automaticaly credits you for the rebate, then at the end of the month (or when you're done with that month's rebates), you click "Request My Check." About 3 weeks later, you get 1 check for all of that month's rebates. Nothing to send in.

[flminivanmama]

last week I bought 2 boxes of excedrin (at 1.99 each) , 2 boxes of tylenol (at 6.00 each) & 1 foot cream ($7.69)

I had two $2 off the excedrins, two $1 off the tylenols & 1 $5 off $20 cvs coupon & 1 $3 off excedrin cvs coupon (the others were manufacturers' coupons)

my total came to -.33 and they made me buy something small to bring it over .01 - LOL the machine kept beeping at the cashier when she tried to adjust it.

and I earned $5 for buying 2 tylenol products :

I have a bunch of toothpaste couons that expire friday so I'm going to see what I can get this week for free.

[Ammaarah]

I have nothing useful to add but it's nice not having to pay (or paying very little) for stuff like toothpaste, razors, shampoo, etc.

[chinaKat]

You know, I'd love to do this and have thought about trying it, but I think that I just don't use enough products found at CVS. The only time I buy stuff there now is if I happen to be picking up a prescription and need something.

In a year we buy maybe 2-3 bottles of shampoo, some toothpaste, a box of bandaids, a thing or two of deodorant? We're not that into bath and body products.

I know they sell other stuff at CVS now, not just bath and body products... but it seems like the prices on those things (and, often, the b&b stuff) are lower at Target.

Is it really worth the work? It seems I'd have to go to CVS like once a week to get deals, and I'm not sure I need another store to shop at.

Thoughts?

[Logan's Mom]

Originally Posted by chinaKat

You know, I'd love to do this and have thought about trying it, but I think that I just don't use enough products found at CVS. The only time I buy stuff there now is if I happen to be picking up a prescription and need something.

In a year we buy maybe 2-3 bottles of shampoo, some toothpaste, a box of bandaids, a thing or two of deodorant? We're not that into bath and body products.

I know they sell other stuff at CVS now, not just bath and body products... but it seems like the prices on those things (and, often, the b&b stuff) are lower at Target.

Is it really worth the work? It seems I'd have to go to CVS like once a week to get deals, and I'm not sure I need another store to shop at.

Thoughts?

yeah, that is what I was trying to say and I live right next door. you just said it better.

[Nursingnaturalmom]

CVS and Walgreens are neat programs once you get the hang of it.
I have a wonderful stockpile of Health and beauty products that I just keep as well as laundry detergent, dish soap etc,. Now I am able to bless friends who are having a rough time money wise and still have enough for our family

[Jenelle]

I have just started trying out the CVS thing, and so far it's looking good. If you check out the ads ahead of time as they are posted on the above mentioned HCW site, then you have time to dig up/buy coupons for things and you are actually *paid* to take some items out of the store. No, their everyday prices aren't great -- a lot of stores aren't -- but I believe if you can find some time to devote to this, that YES, it is worth it.

And it isn't just bath & body products. This week there is a deal on batteries, SoyJoy bars... in coming weeks there is free gum, etc. etc.

[PrettyBird]

I just started CVS couponing (though I need to build up my coupon stockpile) and does anyone else have the problem of the "Free after ECBs" items being out of stock all the time? The manager said I can have a rain check but I have to call to get my ECBs. I'm going to give this a shot for a few months but if I have to get rain checks every time it is going to be too much hassle.

[mnnice]

I personally find the deals at Walgreen's better lately. I also have a lot more Walgreen stores to chose from (like 20 Walgreen's and only on CVS).

Walgreen also seems to have more deals on actual food that I'd want to eat vs batteries and health and beauty stuff. They had baking items earlier this month, decent cereal deals, and granola bars for DS's lunch.

[AngelBee]

:

[sunflower.mama]

While I appreciate the detailed example of how you stack ECBs with coupons, the register does not "spit out" ECBs. They only do so once a quarter. Too much outlay to collect every few months and then have to spend..at least to me. If it worked as outlined, I would totally do it.

[leavemealone]

Originally Posted by sunflower.mama

While I appreciate the detailed example of how you stack ECBs with coupons, the register does not "spit out" ECBs. They only do so once a quarter. Too much outlay to collect every few months and then have to spend..at least to me. If it worked as outlined, I would totally do it.

The register should print out the ECBs immediately at the bottom of your receipt. There is a quarterly program where you earn a small % of what you spend each quarter back in ECBs. However, if it's a weekly deal (such as buy $20 worth of diapers, get $5 ECBs or buy toothpaste for $2.99, get $2.99 in ECBs), then the ECB should print out at the bottom of the receipt. It used to take two days before the ECB would print, but now it's immediate (at least where I live but I assume it's the same everywhere).