My favorite store! Why? Because I spend very little OOP (Out Of Pocket). I love this store! I find the CVS coupon match ups from various websites like www.thekrazycouponlady.com, www.AFullCup.com, www.Hip2save.com, and not always at Grocery Smarts. Always check your ad to make sure the same promotions are going on in your area (as you see on the match-up sites). Some sales & coupons are regional and won’t apply.
Bonus: Green Bag Tag (Be sure to get one!)
The CVS Green Bag Tag is another great way to save! Purchase one ... located usually near the cash registers. They cost $1.00. Purchase the tag and attach it to your own reusable grocery bag (any bag is fine, no need to be a CVS brand shopping bag). Every 4th time you shop, you’ll receive a $1.00 Extra Buck! You may think that isn’t very much now, but just wait until you’re shopping at CVS every week and paying only a few dollars per trip! Having an extra $1.00 to spend could cut your out-of-pocket expense in half!
Check out a HOW TO SHOP AT CVS (video coursesy of www.thekrazycouponlady.com)
Bonus: Green Bag Tag (Be sure to get one!)
The CVS Green Bag Tag is another great way to save! Purchase one ... located usually near the cash registers. They cost $1.00. Purchase the tag and attach it to your own reusable grocery bag (any bag is fine, no need to be a CVS brand shopping bag). Every 4th time you shop, you’ll receive a $1.00 Extra Buck! You may think that isn’t very much now, but just wait until you’re shopping at CVS every week and paying only a few dollars per trip! Having an extra $1.00 to spend could cut your out-of-pocket expense in half!
6 Main Ways to Save at CVS: Extra Care Program
Extra Bucks rewards
Online Store Coupons
CRT Store Coupons
Save XX% purchase
Save $X/$X purchase
Gas Card Promotions
1. Extra Care Program
a. This program is the backbone for ALL the BIG savings at CVS. You can sign up in store and they will give you a card and keychain card right away, or you can sign up online and print out a temporary card and they will mail your card and keychain card. Sign up in the store! You want your actual card right away!!
b. EVERY TIME you shop, the checker should ask for your Extra Care card. Give it to them to scan. It keeps track of all your purchase and you can earn 2% back on most items in Extra Bucks rewards 4 X a year. (January, April, July, October).
c. Additionally, if you fill your prescriptions at CVS. You earn a $0.50 EB reward for every Rx filled with them, (make sure they scan your Extra Care card at pickup). For example, fill 3 Rx a month for 4 months, that’s 12 Rx @ $0.50 each, and you will earn $6 EB.
2. EB – Extra Bucks
a. What is an Extra Buck?
An EB coupon that prints out at the bottom of your receipt or at the Magic Red Machine for “$ off your next purchase” and can be used like cash on any future purchase
b. How do I earn Extra Bucks?
CVS has weekly EB promotions. When you purchase a qualifying item from the ad you earn n EB. For example: in the weekly ad it states “Buy 1 Aussie Hair Care Product for $2.99 and get a $2 back in EB’s”. You buy one Aussie Shampoo and a $2 EB will print out at the bottom of your receipt after check out. You can use this $2 EB on any future purchase.
c. If I buy duplicate promotional items in one transaction, will multiple EB’s print?
Sometimes. You need to check the ad and it will state the “Limit # per household”. So if you buy 3 Aussie Hair Care Products in the same transaction, and there is a Limit 2 per household, $4 EB’s will print out at the bottom of your receipt Additionally at the bottom of the receipt it keeps a running tally of what promotions you have used and what parts of promotions you have purchases toward so you are up to date. So it would say you have gotten 2 rewards for Aussie Hair Care and the limit is 2.
d. Can I do multiple EB promotions in the same transaction and get the multiple EB’s?
Yes! For example: if in the weekly ad it states “Buy 1 Ricola Mixed Berry Cough Drops 19ct for $1 and get a $1 EB’s”, (essentially making them Free after EB!). You can buy 1 Aussie and 1 bag of Ricola and get back a $2 EB and a $1 EB!
e. Can I “Roll” EB’s into the same promotion?
Yes. It just all depends on if you have reached your “Limit per household” or not. If you HAVE reached your limit, a new EB WILL NOT print. For example: you can do 2 separate transactions with the Aussie Hair care. The first transaction you buy 1 and a $2 EB prints. The second transaction you buy another Aussie Hair Care and pay for it with the $2 EB from the 1st transaction lowering your OOP and another $2 EB will print. Or you can just buy 2 Aussie Hair care items and two $2 EB’s will print out. Many of the high dollar EB’s or items that are “free” after EB are usually Limit 1 per household.
f. Can I use coupons on the EB items?
Yes!!! There has been a couple times when an EB that I expected didn’t print out and the cashier told me it was because I used a coupon. This is NOT true! You can use a MC and SC and you should still get the EB’s. If you don’t, make sure you got the exact item for the promotion, if you didn’t you can always return the product. Use a coupon to lower your out of pocket and still receive the EB. For example: Use a $1/1 MC on the Aussie Hair care and pay $1.99 and still get back a $2 EB. Use a $.50/1 MC for the Ricola and pay $.50 and get back a $1 EB!! On a regular basis CVS will advertise things that are FREE after EB. What makes it better is when you use a coupon and get paid to take it off the shelf! If you should receive an EB that doesn’t print, always question this and get a manager if needed. They have the ability to print you an EB if an error occurs.
g. If a EB promotion states “Buy $10 worth of these participating products and get a $5 EB” is the $10 before or after coupons are used?
Before!! Make sure the regular or sale price equals, or is more than the $10. Then use coupons lowering your OOP and still get the $5 EB’s.
h. How do I use an EB?
An EB is $ off your next purchase and can be used like cash. If your total is $5 you can use a $6 EB but you will just lose the extra EB amount, so spend it on something you need (or want).
i. Do EB’s expire?
Yes. They usually expire within 4 weeks of the date you got them. I like to use my EB’s from one week to pay for the EB items the next so I always have EB’s to use. This is how I keep my OOP so low. However if they are about to expire, and there isn’t anything I want or need that produces an EB, I will ‘dump’ them on things I do need like diapers. This just means when I start collecting EB again I’ll pay more OOP the first transaction.
j. What do I do if CVS is out of the item I want that has EB’s?
Here is what you do. Ask for a rain check. They may ask you to come back tomorrow because they may get another delivery. Just say you don’t have time and ask again for a raincheck. CVS’s rain checks NEVER EXPIRE. Also if there are EB’s on the item, they will note this on the RC and you will get the EB’s after you buy the item once it is back in stock. It’s a win/win for you.
3. Online Store Coupons
a. These are store coupons that you can print out from their website. Go to CVS.com and the upper right corner has a link for “In-Store Coupons” Click here and it takes you to coupons.com within the CVS site. You may need to input your zip code.
b. You will notice that some coupons show the CVS/pharmacy logo under the picture.
c. These coupons will ONLY be accepted at CVS and can be used in addition to MC
4. Magic Red Box and CRT’s
a. EVERY TIME you go to CVS, first visit the Magic Red Box. There are sometimes yellow arrows on the carpet directing you to it. Scan your Extra Care card and store coupons will print out. Scan your card multiple times until the screen tells you there are no more coupons today and to try back tomorrow. It may take 3-4 scans to exhaust the coupons.
b. These SC’s are also called CRT’s – you can get many different types of CRT’s from the Magic Red Box: Save $X/$X purchase, Save XX%, Save $X off a specific item or type of item, FREE items. Note that these do expire, sometimes as early as the very next day and these can be used at ANY CVS store, even if you did not print them at that store.
c. 4 X a year your bonus Extra Bucks rewards will print out, either from the Magic Red Box or at the bottom of one of your receipts. (this happens in January, April, July & October). Earn a 2% bonus on most items purchased as well as your Rx rewards ($0.50 per filled Rx). This is essentially FREE “money”.
5. Save X% Purchase
These coupons are usually a percentage off your total bill. This discount WILL NOT apply to sale items or items with EB’s. This is a great coupon to use for items you need and have MC’s for, but are not necessarily on sale. These print out at the Magic Red Box or are sent via email to you. Make sure to register an email address when you sign up for the Extra Care card. These coupons usually have an expiration date within a few days and should be used 1st before all other coupons at checkout. These are store coupons which can be combined with other SC’s and MC’s on specific items
6. Save $X/$X Purchase
These coupons are usually a certain amount of money off a certain amount purchased. For example a $5 off $25 purchase or $4/$20. These also print out at the Magic Red Box or are sent via email to you. Also, these coupons usually have an expiration date within a few days and should be used 1st before all other coupons at checkout. These are store coupons which can be combined with other SC’s and MC’s for specific items. This is a great coupon to stack savings with!
7. Gas Card Promotions
A few times through out the year CVS will have a Gas Card promotions. For example, if within a weeks’ time you spent at least $30 on qualifying products, then a $10 off a $10 Gas card EB will print out. You would then turn right around and “buy” a $10 gas card using the EB’s and get a free gas card! The awesome thing about this is that the money spent is BEFORE coupons!
What is the best way to hand over my coupons?
To allow yourself any possible ‘overage’ and to avoid ‘beeping’ at the register hand your coupons over in this order: $X/$XX, X% off, MC, then SC, then EB’s. For example: Playtex gloves are regularly priced $2.39 but there is a SC making them $.99. The Gloves ring up for $2.39, I hand over my $1/1 MC first making them $1.39 then I hand over the store coupon and the computer takes off $1.40 giving me $.01 overage. If I handed over the store coupon first the total would be $.99 then when I try to use the $1/1 MC it may ‘beep’ because of the overage. Then EB’s are always last. Use the EB’s like cash! I have found that things go more smoothly when I hand my coupons over in this order.
(2) Kleenex facial 184-200ct, lotion 65ct, antiviral, ultrasoft or boutique 75-100ct 2/$3- $.50/2 boxes (50 count or higher) of kleenex ultra-soft, lotion or anti-viral facial tissue (8/14 SS)
(2) Cheez-It 7.5-9oz, Kellogg's Special K multi grain crackers 8oz or cracker chips 4oz 2/$4- $1/2 Special K Crackers (Printable)
(2) Cottonelle wipes 42ct $1.96- $.75/2 Cottonelle flushable moist wipes (8/14 SS)
(2) Gatorade Recover 16.9oz, Starbucks Energy 15oz or Frappuccino 13.7oz 2/$4- $2/2 Frappuccino or Double Shot (Printable)
(1) Huggies ALL jumbo pk $8.99- $3/1 Huggies Little Movers slip-on diapers (8/14 SS)
- $2/1 Huggies Little Movers slip-on diapers (Printable) CVS Q
(1) Air Wick Freshmatic Odor Detect automatic spray 6.17oz $6.99
- $4/1 Air wick freshmatic ultra or freshmatic compact starter kit (8/14 SS)
- $2/1 Freshmatic Ultra Air Freshener Starter Kit (SavingStar)
Total is $30.99
Use (1) $5.00/$25.00 E-mail Coupon
Use ALL the Manufacturer Coupons listed above -
Pay $12.65
Earn a $2 SavingStar credit – this is a rebate-type program using electronic coupons
Then a $10 Gas Card EB will print out on the bottom of your receipt.
Turn around and use this EB to get a FREE $10 Gas Card.
BOTTOM LINE: You would pay $0.65 for this deal.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.