CVS 101
When was the last time you set foot in a drug store like CVS or Walgreens? Was it the last time your child had an ear infection and you ran in to grab some antibiotics and some Motrin? Or maybe in a pinch when you really needed a gallon of milk and didn’t want to drive to the grocery store? Or are you like the many people who have realized that drug stores are an awesome place to score deals on makeup, personal care & household items, and groceries and you go once a week or more? If you aren’t answering “Yes” to that last question, you will be soon!
Drugstores like CVS or Walgreen’s can be the BEST place to find bargains on the things you use every day. Sure, if you walk into a CVS and do a price check on an item you need, you may not find that they have the lowest “everyday” price. However, these stores have great customer-loyalty programs and amazing weekly sales that make it possible to get items at a fraction of their normal price or even FREE! What is the key to finding these deals? Here are a few tips to help you get started. I am going to use CVS as an example since that is where I tend to shop, but Walgreens also has many of these same deals and programs.
First, sign up for the customer loyalty program at CVS. It’s called the “Extra Care” program and it’s free to sign up (read more about it and sign up online by clicking here…or you can sign up in store). You will get your Extra Care Card when you sign up…make sure to have the cashier scan it every time you shop at CVS in order to get the best prices on the items you are buying. Once you are a member of the Extra Care program, you will be eligible to earn “Extra Care Bucks” for qualifying purchases. These Extra Care Bucks (or ECBs) are like cash at CVS. They print out with your receipt, so make sure you hang on to them like cash! You can use them for anything in the store (with a few exceptions like prescriptions or alcohol). You also get 2% back from all of your purchases at the end of each quarter in the form of ECB.
So…how to get things for free…that is where it gets a little challenging. Each week at CVS there are deals advertised that produce ECBs. The majority of these involve buying an item or multiple items and getting a couple of bucks back in the form of ECB. But usually there is at least one item each week that is “Free” after ECB. For example, if the item costs $7.99 and you get $7.99 in ECB for buying it, it’s “free” after ECB. If you can use coupons for these deals, then they are “money makers” meaning that you are getting more back in ECB than you spent. Some deals aren’t advertised as “Free after ECB” but will end up being free if you have a coupon for the product, so keep an eye out for those, too! Here is an example from this week’s (Sep 27) CVS ad:
Vaseline Sheer Infusion Body Wash: $7.99, Get $7 back in ECB. -$1.50 printable coupon =$6.49 out of pocket, +$7 back in ECB =$.51 money maker!
After you have acquired a “stash” of ECB from deals like this, the idea is that you can “roll” the ECB each week and reduce your out-of-pocket expenses and earning more ECB. In other words, you use the ECB you earn this week to pay for your deals next week, and hopefully those deals produce ECB as well, and you then use those ECB for the following week and so on. Eventually you can get to the point where you are spending very little or nothing out of pocket each week, but still getting great products and ECB. The idea is to try to earn as many ECB as you are spending in each transaction or at least get close. Also, if you are taking advantage of multiple deals each week, make sure to break them up into different transactions (either by making separate trips or by just asking the cashier to ring things up separately). That way you can use your ECB from one deal to pay for the next deals.
If you are new to this, start off slow. Look at this week’s ad and pick a couple of deals that you are interested in (it’s actually a great week to start CVSing because there are a lot of great deals available). Gather any coupons that may make the deal even better, and head to CVS! Don’t try to take advantage of EVERY deal in the ad…start small and gradually build up those ECBs. Pay close attention to the limits per household for each deal…many will allow you to only get ONE per week. And also read the details of the deal carefully…product sizes, specific products that are included or not included, etc. Most stores have the products that are advertised clearly labeled, but some do not. Make sure you are grabbing the right thing so that your ECBs print!
Good luck, and see you at CVS!