Jan 08 2009
How to shop CVS
CVS is a great place to find deals, despite their regular prices. They have what’s called the ExtraCare program. You can sign up to get an ExtraCare card at your local CVS. It’s basically the same concept as a grocery store shopper’s card. However you get rewards at CVS using your EC card. You can receive what’s called ExtraCare Bucks (ECB). This is where the savings start!
What are ExtraCare bucks?
Extracare bucks are basically coupons that you can use towards your next CVS purchase. It’s like CVS money. They will print out at the end of your transaction at the bottom of your receipt.
Like I said before you do have to spent a little to save a lot. Each month CVS puts out a booklet in their stores to advertise the monthly ECB deals. This booklet contains the items that have ECB attached to them. Usually there are 1 or 2 items that are “Free after ECB”.This just means if the item costs $4.99, you will receive $4.99 back in ECB. Making it “free” after ECB. CVS weekly ad runs Sunday - Saturday. Typically there are anywhere from 5-10 ECB deals each week.
How do you get started?
1. Sign up for your ECB card.
2. Sign up on CVS.com to receive mailings from the ECB program. (They will email you coupons 1-3 times a month. Sometimes it’s a $/$$ q and sometimes it’s a CVS q for a specific product - use these with MFR q’s for more savings!)
3. Go to your local CVS and get the weekly ad and pick up the monthly ECB book. Study it to see what deals may interest you.
4. Start shopping! The best thing to do is go straight for the free after ECB items. Lots of times there are q’s out there for these items which in turn make them money makers (MM)!
How to shop:
1. EXAMPLE: This month a free after ECB item is the Children’s Throat Cooler Ice Pops. They are $4.99 and you get $4.99 back in ECB. Right now there is a B1G1F q on the MFR website. Throat Cooler You purchase 2 of these at $4.99 each (9.98), use the B1G1F q (-4.99) = $4.99 (+tax). Guess what? You just made $4.99! How? You will receive a $9.98 ECB q to use on your next purchase!
2. Roll those ECB! If you have to do several small transactions that’s okay! Use that $9.98 to purchase other ECB deals and continue getting ECB to use on the next transactions! You can combine these with $/$$ or MFR q’s for even more savings!
Rules:
1. There are limits on how many ECB deals you can get. In small print next to the ad it will say “Limit 1″. This means you can purchase as many as you want, but you will only receive 1 ECB back on it.
2. There is also a card limit. It is now 1 per household. Some people have several cards and have abused the ECB system, wiping out inventory in several stores. This year CVS has enforced the 1 per household rule.
3. ECB do expire! But some CVS will accept after expired. Check with your store to be sure!
4. Coupons and ECB are specific to your ExtraCare card. You cannot give your ECB to someone else. If they try to use it, when scanned a note will pop up for the cashier that states “Incorrect card”. Email coupons that you receive from CVS are also card specific. They cannot be used by someone else. If you’re at the store and forget your card, don’t let the cashier scan her’s or your ECB won’t work! Have her put in your phone # to pull your account up!
5. ECB cannot be used to purchase Rx, alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets, money orders stamps or giftcards of any kind.
6. CVS q’s can be combined with MFR q’s. Sometimes at the bottom of your receipt you will receive a CRT (Cash Register Tape Q). This can be a $/$$ q or a q for a specific product. This can be matched with a MFR q! I.E. - Say you have a MFR q for SoftSoap body wash $1/1 and you get a CRT for $1/1 SoftSoap body wash, that’s $2 off! These CRT’s are good to hang onto in-case something goes on sale. (I don’t always use mine if the product isn’t on sale or there is no ECB reward from it.) This is also CVS’s way of getting you to shop there!
7. Email q’s can only be used once! Let’s say you get a $5/25 q in your email. You can’t print it twice and do 2 separate transactions using the same q. It will beep the 2nd time and not allow the coupon usage. These are meant for 1 time use only.
*BONUS*
1. Quarterly rewards! Every 3 months (each season) you will get extra ECB according to your spending. You receive 2% back of your quarterly spending. (This does not include coupons. Only your actual OOP.) You also receive $1 for every 2 Rx filled!) I have my Rx filled there so with my fall spending I received $5 this past quarter.
2. Scanners! Lots of CVS stores are now getting price check scanners. The nice thing about these scanners is they are coupon machines also! If you scan your ExtraCare card it will print off coupons. I scanned my card 4 times in 1 days and got about 8 coupons that I used in that same shopping trip! Always scan it when you 1st go in since you may get a q for something you were going to purchase anyway!
Where do I find other CVS coupons?
CVS has really been cracking down on unauthorized internet reproductions. People have scanned coupons and printed several that were not suppose to be copied, so it’s been harder to come by lately! However there is still hope!
1. Magazines: (i.e. Richmond Parents - in the VA area) have a $3/15 in each edition. If you don’t live in this area there are several website to trade for these q’s. Or try Ebay!
2. Newspapers: Occasionally if there is a grand opening of a CVS they will run an ad in the local paper with a $/$$ coupon. Some editions you can get online for free and print the coupon from the paper. (Copies are not permitted, but if the paper allows an online edition it is available to the public.) Some editions will block the coupon if CVS says they can’t put it online.
3. CVS Emails: Don’t forget to sign up!
4. Scanners: Don’t forget to scan your card!! (And more than once is okay - just don’t run the machine out of paper - be courteous to others!)
5. Trade or Ebay: People that get ahold of these magazines and newspapers will usually generously trade or sell for a small fee on ebay. Personally I prefer a trading site.
6. Check your CVS store. Sometimes there are tearpads of q’s on certain products. Sometimes there are flyers at the photo area or booklets at the pharmacy. Just take a look around!
Still confused? Just ask! I’m more than happy to help! Let me also recommend a great site to help as well! I LOVE this website: I Heart CVS It gives great shopping scenarios, coupons and sneak peeks of future ads!
If you are still skeptical let me show you how CVS can work for you. This was a trip I made in December. It was my best trip ever! I spent $8.31 and saved $253.74. It took 5 transactions to make this work, but it was well worth the time and $ saved! I purchased 52 items so I paid about .16 per item!
