cvs coupon guide....

CVS should be your one-stop-shop for all toiletries and cosmetics, because when you work it (and work it hard) you can OWN this store! once you get started, get organized, get motivated, be prepared to walk out of cvs with three green bags full of free items for your family.

everyone needs deodorant right? yes. but does everyone need to pay for it? i say, "no"!!!

and soon, you will too!

extra care bucks.....

make sure you sign up for the CVS loyalty program, where you can earn Extra Care Bucks (commonly known as ECBs). this loyalty program is totally free and it is easy as pie to join! you can get your ECB card immediately at the cash register of your local store, or you can visit their website here, and sign up for a card to be mailed to you (usually within 2 weeks).

your ECB card is what will get you items for free. it grants you all of the sale prices (which you wouldn't normally get without your loyalty membership!) and the promotional items that reward ECBs. be sure that when you are checking out, you have the cashier scan your ECB card first so that you snag all the good deals and low prices!!

ECB deals are listed in the weekly ad, and sometimes you can find an unadvertised ECB deal on the shelf at the store. the way ECBs work is that you buy an item (or multiple items, depending on the deal) at the price listed and the register will print out the ECB (basically an in-store coupon) at the end of your receipt. some items give back the total dollar amount that you spent (excluding tax), so this makes your item free!!!

now, say you have a manufacturer's coupon to stack on top of this.... well, you've just found yourself a money-maker, my friend!

another great thing about ECBs is that they do quarterly ECB returns. this means that they track how much you are spending in store and online with your ECB card and at the end of the quarter you are rewarded with 2% back of your purchases! this amount is based on what you pay out of pocket and does not include your ECB bucks that you spend. so the better you do at scoring deals and rolling your ECBs, the less you will receive at the end of the quarter. but don't be discouraged.... you are still doing awesome if you aren't spending much out of pocket!!!

you can also earn additional ECBs by filling prescriptions (one ECB for every two scripts) and by scanning your green bag tag (one ECB for every four visits)!!!

rollin' on the river....

once you get started with your ECBs, you can start "rolling" your bucks so that you are spending less and less out of pocket. by this, i mean you will be buying products that advertise ECB rewards and paying for these items with ECBs you already have, so essentially you are "breaking even" or even making more!!! when you add in a manufacturer's coupon, you make the deal that much better. here's an example:

Bausch & Lomb BioTrue Multi-Purpose Solution 2oz. $2.99 = $2.99 ECB

(this means you are buying the product for $2.99 up front and receiving it all back in ECBs)

Use the $2/1 coupon found here

Pay 99cents up front, receive $2.99 back.... this is a $2.00 money-maker!!!

as you can see, you can make some serious money at CVS!! deals like this run all.the.time and seriously, you are going to have so much toothpaste and hairspray you won't know what to do with yourself!

stack it, girl....

as i said before, stacking coupons with these already awesome ECB deals is the way to go! this is where you are going to make your money that can be applied towards other items you need (diapers, wipes, milk, etc). in any couponing scenario, be it at CVS or a grocery store or Target, you are allowed to stack coupons, but you have to be careful! you can always stack a manufacturer's coupon with a store coupon. you can not stack two manufacturer's coupons or two store coupons together, so make sure you distinguish which coupons are which before you get to the register!! with CVS the deal gets even better. you can stack a manufacturer's coupon with a store coupon, with your ECBs!!! sometimes CVS even emails out coupons for $4 off a $20 purchase, or even better $10 off a $50 purchase!!! these can also be printed at the "magic coupon machine" located at the front of the store.... be sure to scan your ECB card every time you walk in the store to print out your free coupons that could be ECBs or other store coupons!

making it all work....

when stacking, there is a method to the madness.

keep this in mind to save the MOST money out of pocket.

1. scan ECB card

2. scan items

3. scan green bag tag

4. hand over $4 off $20 or other $off coupons

5. hand over store coupons

6. hand over manufacturer's coupons

7. hand over ECB bucks

the idea behind this is that you want to have all of your items rang up at full price so that you can use your $off coupons first. i have had several of the $10 off $50 coupons, bought $85.00 worth of items and paid under $10.00 after it was all said and done. so be sure to hand this coupon over first!!!! then get your CVS coupons scanned, manufacturer's coupons scanned and finally give you ECBs. when paying with ECBs, i try to keep in mind that i need to be getting back just as many if not more ECBs as i am spending.

for instance, if i am buying several products and i have figured that my total ECB return at the end of the receipt will be $12.00, i don't want to hand over $14.00 in extra care bucks because then i am losing some of my ECBs that i could roll into another deal. i only want to pay out $12.00 of the ECBs i already have so that i get the same amount back and my ECB "stash" stays the same. it's always best to try to get bigger and better deals that offer more ECBs, so you can roll even more on your next visit!

last but not least....

couponing has gotten so trendy in the last couple of years that sometimes you get to the store armed with your coupons and you are disappointed to find that the shelf is empty where your product of choice was supposed to be!!! DON'T WORRY.... you can still get the deal! you can ask any employee at CVS for a raincheck for the item. when the item is back in stock, you can score the SAME DEAL as was advertised, use your coupon(s), and get what you came for! rainchecks DO NOT expire, so stock up! don't be afraid to ask for your raincheck when you are checking out, and get as many as you can, you never know when you will score another great coupon to match with the deal!