Intro to CVS

CVS is one of my favorite places to shop at for freebies and awesome bargains.  It takes a little of time to learn how, but once you master CVS, it will be a breeze!  Below are step by step instructions on how to save the most money at CVS!

1)  Get an Extra Care Card.  You can do this at the front counter or online.  **It is quicker to get your card in the store since they will give you one immediately.

2)  Keep checking my website.  Every week I will post the highlights of CVS’s sales.  Throughout the week I will also post any additional deals I learn of.  **CVS’ sales cycle goes from Sunday – Saturday.

3)  Understand what ECBs are. 

• ECBs stand for Extra Care Bucks.  They are basically an instant rebate that prints out on your receipt.  You can use your ECBs towards your next transaction.  Don’t lose your ECBs because they are like cash! 
• ECBs have expiration dates.  Pay attention to the dates!  If you let them expire, you are throwing away money.
• If an item is free after ECBs it works like this:  You will pay for the item at the register and when your receipt prints out, ECBs will print out totaling that item’s price.
• Once you accumulate ECBs, put them towards other items that total your ECB amount.  This will minimize your out of pocket spending.  Preferably, put your ECBs towards purchases that will yield more ECBs.  That way you can roll them from one transaction to the next further minimizing out of pocket spending!
• Understand what a moneymaker is.  A moneymaker is an item which is more than free.  If you have a coupon to put towards an item that is already giving you back ECBs, and you spend less money than you earn in ECBs than it is a moneymaker!

4)  Understand how to maximize multiple transactions.  Multiple transactions are sometimes a necessity to avoid money out of pocket.  Example:  If you have $10 ECBs in your wallet to use and you want to buy $10.00 in Dove products (they will give you $5ECBs) and $5 worth in nailpolish, split your transaction into two.  In your first transaction, buy the Dove products.  Use your $10ECBs, pay only tax and receive $5ECBs back.  THEN, in your second transaction, buy the $5 nailpolish you need, give your $5ECBs that you just earned, pay only tax.  Having two transactions just saved you $5.00.  You could have bought the Dove and nailpolish together – you would have used your $10 ECBs and spent $5.00.  Instead, you broke your transaction into two and paid only tax on both transactions!

5)  Use coupons at CVS!! CVS is very coupon friendly.  They will allow you to use a CVS store coupon and a manufacturer coupon and ECBs on just one item!

6)  Use the coupon center in CVS stores.  They are the red kiosks you can swipe your CVS card under.  When you swipe your card, coupons will print out! 

7)  Order of coupons to hand cashier:  $x/$xx, store and manufacturer coupons, ECBs and then your cash.