How to Save Big at CVS!

Hello Readers,

For your shopping needs I have provided a guide for  basic instructions on how to save big at CVS. As you may know each week CVS stores put out an ad for the sale they will be having. They also have a rewards program called Extra-Care-Bucks (ECB) which print on the end of your receipt, and can be used towards future purchases on just about everything in the store, except taxes, gift cards, stamps and a couple other things. The idea of the CVS Savings Game, is to roll these ECB each week and get free product after your initial first purchase.

A couple things you need to know, first you MUST sign up for a CVS store card. Do this when you first walk into the store, just ask a cashier for one.
 
Second, take your new card to what we call the Magic Coupon Machine, and scan it. They are usually located at the front of one of the first isles you see when you walk in. These print out coupons that you can use on top of any savings already advertised. Sometimes they even print out free items! Keep scanning your card until it tells you to come back tomorrow. *Hint: These machines also work as price checkers, should you have a question while you're in the store.

Thirdly, CVS has a small green tag, shaped like a leaf, called a green bag tag that you will want to buy for $0.99. (Sometimes the coupon center machine will toss out a coupon for a free one, if it does use it!) You’ll also want to bring a reusable shopping bag with you or, ask that they NOT bag your products. When you step up to the counter to make your purchase, you’ll hand the cashier your CVS card, at least one item, then your green tag. Every 4^th purchase you make will get you $1 ECB just for being green. Both the bag and the tag are needed for this program. I put mine on the bag itself that way I always have them both.

The Re-Inventing Beauty (RIB) book/club; the book is a magazine, put out by CVS full of coupon you can stack with a manufacturer coupon. For example, let’s say you have a coupon from the newspaper for $1 off of 1 Brand XYZ shampoo ($1/1 XYZ shampoo) and inside the RIB magazine you find a CVS coupon for $1.50 off Brand XYZ shampoo ($1.50/1 XYZ shampoo). You can use one manufacturer coupon and one store coupon on the same item, so when you use these two coupons in combination with one another, you’ll get $2.50 off the 1 XYZ shampoo. For this reason, you’ll want to purchase the RIB magazine once every month for $0.99. Also there is an RIB email club you’ll want to join. You can usually find a tear-pad in the makeup section, just tear one off and give it to the cashier when you check out. The cashier will scan your card and the slip of paper, and now you’re in the club. Then you’ll start getting CVS coupons in both email, and the mail. As well as getting ECB back for your total monthly purchases. Talk about getting paid to shop!

Sometimes, our coupons added to the discounted store sale, will cause what we call an overage. It is the policy of CVS to allow you to use this overage towards your total bill, BEFORE taxes. When you happen into this situation, you will need to purchase filler items. These can be anything; candies, items advertised on sale for $1 or less etc. If you know your pre-tax total will be in the negative, just grab a couple filler items and bring your pre-tax balance over $0.

Product limits; this is very important to understand. CVS limits the amount of items you can buy and get the deals on each week. They are attached to your card number so going to a different store will not get you another deal. If it says Limit 1, you may only buy 1, for the entire sale, not just that day or transaction. I didn’t understand this, and over spent my first week by going back the next day.

So pick and choose a deal or two that you want to buy for this week from your weekly ad, and save your receipt. Look for the ones in the ad that say things such as "It's Like Getting it For FREE!" The ECB print on the bottom of your receipt, and we’ll use those next week to start the rolling. Let me know your ECB total after your trip to the store so I can help make a personal list for you for next week. Sometimes we have to buy silly things like fake eye lashes because we can make money on them, but sometimes we get stuff like chocolate, sunscreen, or tampons, so it all evens out. CVS sales run Sunday-Saturday each week, so each weekend means a new sale. Try to shop as early in the week as you can, CVS has been running out of product early, as more and more people become turned on to saving tons of money. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comment section below.

-Happy Shopping!