How to Shop: CVS
All you ever wanted to know about
CVS:
Magic Coupon Machine
In the front of the store, and usually the back of
the store near the pharmacy there is a Red Machine that prints out CVS coupons!
Scan your card and watch your coupons print! Keep scanning your card until it
says "no coupons available, check back tomorrow". Usually I can get two sets,
sometimes three. There are certain coupons that print each week, but they are
completely random so you may not get the same as the next person.
Extra Bucks(EB)
Extra Bucks are like "free money" to use at CVS
and print at the bottom of your receipt. They also are earned quarterly on your
purchases and for other programs, such as the Beauty Club.
Green Bag Tag
Near the register there are tags you may purchase
for $1 and attach to a reusable shopping bag. Each time you shop have them scan
the tag and use your reusable shopping bag. Every fourth visit you earn $1 EB!
Prescriptions
Every two prescriptions you fill earn you $1
EB!
Beauty Club
Tell the cashier that you would like to sign up
for the Beauty Club. It's free! Every time you spend $50 in Beauty items (such
as cosmetics, shampoo, soap, shaving items, etc.) you get $5 EB! How easy is
that! It keeps track of it at the bottom of your receipt and your online
account.
Quarterly Extra Bucks
CVS keeps track of ALL of your purchases each
quarter and gives you 2% of what you spend back in Extra Bucks! These are
printed online or at the coupon machine.
RainChecks
CVS offers rainchecks for their items that are out of stock. If you have a lot of couponers in your area you may find that they are often out of popular sale items. Rainchecks never expire and are written for the sale amount after the Extra Bucks. So, let's say an item is part of an Extra Buck deal where you spend $10, get $7EB. That particular item, regularly priced $10 will be written for $3. Always have them write that price for the full limit on that Extra Buck deal. You can now save that for the next EB deal, get that price and earn more Extra Bucks, AND you may even have a better coupon to go along with it!
Limits
Make sure when you're looking at the Extra Buck deals you take note of the limits per household. For example, usually there is a limit of 1 per household. If you're trying to "stock up" it can be kind of hard to do so. You CAN purchase 2 of that item, but you will not get the EB's back on that second item you purchase. So, in the case of couponing for a great deal, it's not worth purchasing that second item.
RainChecks
CVS offers rainchecks for their items that are out of stock. If you have a lot of couponers in your area you may find that they are often out of popular sale items. Rainchecks never expire and are written for the sale amount after the Extra Bucks. So, let's say an item is part of an Extra Buck deal where you spend $10, get $7EB. That particular item, regularly priced $10 will be written for $3. Always have them write that price for the full limit on that Extra Buck deal. You can now save that for the next EB deal, get that price and earn more Extra Bucks, AND you may even have a better coupon to go along with it!
Limits
Make sure when you're looking at the Extra Buck deals you take note of the limits per household. For example, usually there is a limit of 1 per household. If you're trying to "stock up" it can be kind of hard to do so. You CAN purchase 2 of that item, but you will not get the EB's back on that second item you purchase. So, in the case of couponing for a great deal, it's not worth purchasing that second item.
CVS Coupon Policy
You can read their coupon policy on their website
here: CVS Coupon Policy
Sign up for emails! When you first
register your card online and sign up for their emails you will get a coupon for
$4 off of $20 sent to your email. Check your online account often because they
post other coupons as well!
CVS accepts manufacturer coupons and CVS coupons
for a single item. This is where it gets fun! Here's how to shop at CVS to get
the best deals!
Check out the weekly sale ads, or this website for help. Some of the best deals appear on the front page, and others throughout most likely have Extra Bucks deals with them. For example, Spend $15 on Dove & Degree, get $5 Extra Bucks. You want to look at these deals only if you have coupons. So, let's say you have a $3/2 Dove hair care coupon, and Dove shampoo is on sale Buy one, get one 50% off. This is where multiple copies of the newspaper comes in handy!
Dove Hair Care, sale B1/G1 50% off - price
$4.99.
Spend $15 on Dove/Degree get $5
EB
Buy 4 Dove shampoo/conditioner
Use (2) $3/2 Dove hair care coupons.
Pay $8.97, receive $5 EB
This means that the Dove Shampoo cost you $1 each!
(This is just an example, I've actually seen deals where they come to 49 cents
each!!!) Yes, you pay $9 out of your pocket, but you have $5 EB to use on your
next transaction. Use that $5 next time as "cash" and you won't have to pay out
of your pocket. This is called "rolling" your Extra Bucks. There are also times
when items are FREE! This past week there was a deal on a Gillette Venus razor
that was on sale for $9.99. If you bought this razor you got $4EB, plus in the
Sunday paper there was a coupon for $4 off AND some lucky people got a $2 CVS
coupon from the "Magic Coupon Machine"!!! Razors are usually free, or very
cheap, just hold out for a deal like this if you can! Let's not forget about
that $4 off $20 purchase when you sign up for email either! Put this razor and
the 4 Dove shampoo all in one transaction and it will look like this:
(4) Dove Hair Care, sale B1/G1 50% off - total
price $15
(1) Gillette Venus Razor - $9.99
Total Purchases = $24.99
*Give $4/$20 coupon first AND use
(2) $3/2 Dove coupons
(1) $4 Gillette coupon
(1) $2 CVS Razor coupon (if you received
it)
Pay $8.99, receive $5 and $4 EB - making all
purchases FREE!
(Remember you always pay tax on purchases before
coupons.)
Go ahead and strut yourself out of CVS. :)
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