Today I am going to go over the basics of CVS shopping. Most my knowledge has just come from shopping there myself , talking to people in my circle of friends and looking at the forums that I will mention later. I am sure that these are not all the ways that a person can "work" the CVS system but this is how I do it.
Terms:
ECB - Extra Care Bucks.
It has come to my attention that some people do not understand what these are so I am going to take some time and attempt to explain ECBs, what they are and how we use them. They are really the same thing as a RR or Register Reward from Walgreens. CVS uses ECBs to get you to buy a product because you feel like you are getting it for cheaper. Eventually this really does happen but not until you accumulate some ECBs. Here is how it looks in an ad:
Purchase Product A for $1.99 get .99 ECB back, so purchasing for $1!
Just as before you will purchase the products and at the conclusion of the transaction a little coupon will print out that is good on your NEXT transaction. The only difference between RR and ECB is that because CVS requires the CVS card (just apply at the register when you walk in the door) you will have a limit on how many times you may receive the ECB for said product. One good thing about the card is that it keeps up with your purchases and every so often you will receive a ECB for a percentage amount of your spending, so it is like getting a bonus (I think this is every 3 to 4 months).
As before most associates have no problems letting you do multiple transactions while in the store. To maximize savings use CVS coupons (available at http://www.iheartcvs.com/) , CVS ECBs, and manufacturer coupons. Go to forums.slickdeals.net then go to the drugstore deals forum and read up on what other people are doing for a certain week at CVS. The people on the forum can give you some great ideas on how to make this work the best for you.
Here is an example from last week that could have been used:
c = coupon, oop = out of pocket, ECB = Extra Care Bucks, BOGO = buy one get one
Transaction 1:
Covergirl makeup $5.49 x2
- $1 newspaper c
- bogo c
= $4.49 oop + $5 ECB + 5 ECB (bought 2 make-up products could do up to 5)
Transaction 2:
Gillette Razor $9.99
- $4 newspaper c
- $5 ECB
= .99 oop + $5 ECB (I still have $5 from transaction one as well...:))
Transaction 3:
Febreze 6.99 - $5 c = 1.99
Contour meter 14.99 - $14.99 c = 0
Cologate maxfresh toothpaste clearance $1.65 - $1 c = .65
Sunsilk 2/$7 - $2 c = $5
- $5 ECB
= $2.64 oop + $10 ECB (from meter)
Total oop on 3 transactions = $8.12, ECBs remaining $5 and $10.
I bought 2 things of makeup, a Gillette razor, febreze air freshener, blood glucose meter, toothpaste, and 2 shampoo items for $8.12! Then they gave me $15 ECB to use in the store at a later time. In a way they paid me $6.88 to purchase items from their store! You can't beat that.
Hidden freebie: http://freesample.fiberone.com/FiberOne/Default.aspx?source=418
As I said that above was just an example of how it can work for you. You have to plan it out before you go. Look at the manufacturers coupons that you have that will go with what they have in the sale papers.
I have now conclude my series on store hints . I want to end this with a warning please do not over abuse any of these stores with to many store coupons. Do not copy coupons on a copier as this is illegal and fraudulent. You will ruin it for all of us who are following the rules if you attempt these things. For instance don't go to the Target website and print off 200 coupons for baby food (example) and go in the store and try to use all 200 coupons at one time. If you start practicing these kinds of coupon techniques they won't allow us to use internet coupons any longer. Save money but do it in a legitimate and legal way.
Thanks for coming to visit my blog. I hope that you are enjoying yourself while learning some valuable information. Tomorrow I will give a list of freebie sites. Remember to participate in finding the hidden freebie. Hope you enjoy!
