MAKING THE MOST OF SAVING AT
To start saving at CVS, there are a few things you should know.
Get a CVS ExtraCare Card. You can get this in the store, and the cashier will hand it to you when you fill out the application in the store.
Most CVS stores have a price scanner in the store. It doesn’t just check prices; it also prints coupons when you scan your CVS card there. So you’ll want to scan your card at this scanner each time you go to CVS.
Usually each CVS ad will advertise one or two items that will be “Free after ECBs.” That means that, after you purchase the product, a coupon called an Extra Care Buck (ECB) will print with your receipt, effectively rebating you the same amount you paid for the product. You can use this ECB like cash on virtually any merchandise in the store on your next purchase. (Prescription co-pays, gift cards, and stamps are excluded.)
What I love doing is using that ECB to buy something else that generates another ECB, preferably in an amount that is equal to or more than the one you’re spending. In essence, I’m spending their money to get things free! This is called “rolling ECBs.” When you roll ECBs again and again, you will spend very little out of pocket, and will still end up with ECBs to spend for next time.
Sometimes you can actually make money using ECBs. For instance, let’s say Colgate toothpaste is on sale for $2.99, but CVS is offering an ECB deal in which you get $2.99 back when you purchase one tube of Colgate (limit 1). But you also have a $1 coupon when you buy one tube of Colgate, so you’re actually paying $1.99 with the coupon, but receiving $2.99 back in ECBs. That’s why we call it a moneymaker, since you’re getting back more than you’re spending!
You’ll notice I mentioned “limit 1” in the deal scenario above. Most of the time, CVS will limit how many times you can do that specific deal. Look for the limit in small print in the ad. Sometimes, the limit in the ad is less than the actual limit, however. You’ll see printed at the bottom of your receipt something like “Colgate $2.99 deal, limit reached.” If it doesn’t say “limit reached,” it’s likely you can do it again!
See how easy it is? Now let’s talk about making your ECB collection do even more for you. Although it’s great to roll ECBs to make more ECBs, there’s only so much toothpaste a family needs! So sometimes when I have extra ECBs, I use them for other items our family needs. Let’s say it’s a lean paycheck week, and we are desperately in need of toilet paper. CVS has a great sale, and I do have a coupon for it, but I won’t get any ECBs back. That’s OK. I use some ECBs as cash, along with the coupon, to get the toilet paper for free.
Ready for some more complicated deals? Good! Let’s talk about $3/$15 coupons, or $4/$20 coupons along with your deals. Sometimes when you scan your CVS card at the scanner, it will print off a coupon that says “$3 off your purchase of $15.” This is like free money! If I had already planned to buy things totaling at least $15, even though I’m not paying that much because of coupons and ECBs, I can get $3 more groceries (a gallon of milk?), or something else for $3 that will generate more ECBs, for FREE just by using this additional coupon. You’ll want to give the cashier this $3/$15 coupon first, or else your total might be so low at the end of your transaction that the register will reject it. The easiest way to get a $4/$20 coupon is to register your Extra Care card online. This will also guarantee that CVS will send you specials, a sneak preview of their ads on Thursdays (ads start the following Sunday), and sometimes coupons.
Sometimes you’ll receive a CVS store coupon at the bottom of your receipt when you check out, similar to the coupons you receive at the scanner. Just like at Walgreens, you can stack a store coupon with a manufacturer’s coupon for the identical product. For instance, I received CVS store coupon for $3/1 Breathe-Right. I had a $2/1 manufacturer’s coupon for the same thing. Even better, I checked the clearance bin at my CVS, and select packages were marked 75% off! Believe it or not, the Breathe-Right rang up $1.64, but I still received $5 off ($3 for the CVS coupon, and $2 for the manufacturer’s coupon). This reduced my out-of-pocket expense for other items in my basket!
Other helpful tips:
ECBs also subtract tax! If you’re making a $ 2.99 purchase and are paying with an ECB for $ 1, the tax will be calculated on $1.99, not $2.99.
Use your calculator. Have an idea of what you expect to spend.
ECBs do expire. Most ECBs are valid for two weeks, but keep an eye on those expiration dates.
You won’t get change back. If you are making a purchase which is smaller than the ECB amount, you lose the extra amount. So throw in an extra small item to make up the difference.
Be organized. It’s worth it to plan out your deals ahead of time so you’re not unduly stressing out yourself or your cashier.
