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CVS Beginners



Get started saving today at your local CVS store/pharmacy with just a few dollars.

First step is to sign up for your free extra care card which gives you access to all the deals.

Every time you go into the store,  scan the card at the kiosk near the front of the store.  It will dispense store coupons that you can stack (use in conjunction) with manufacturer coupons for big savings.


The goal is to earn extra bucks which are like cash, to be used within the allotted timeframe (usually 4 weeks or one month).


Here's what the card looks like and you will get a mini keychain one as well.



The Weekly Ad
Every week look over the ad (if you don't get newspaper delivery on Sunday, you can pick these up in the store) and circle products that (1) are free after extra bucks; (2) you have coupons for; (3) you use regularly, and begin to look for manufacturer coupons to match those items.

The Shopping Plan
When you've determined what you're interested in, put it down on paper (I use index cards or post-it notes) with all of the applicable information so that you know what to expect as far as cost, how many EB's you will earn and which coupons you need.





Take the plan and the coupons and put them in an envelope, plastic bag or paper-clipped together inside your coupon box or binder or purse so everything is ready to go.

I put it in chart form so you can look at the numbers the way I do it.  You can see that at these prices, with the coupons I have, the out-of-pocket (OOP) cost will be $9.95, and the EB's earned will be $6.99 for the hair color, two shampoos, deodorant and gum.

I could then use those EB's to buy the eye solution, paying the difference of $2 with $1 cash and a $1 manufacturer's coupon, earning $8.99 in EB's.  With both those transactions, my OOP expense for the six products would be $10.95, ending up with $8.99 in EB's!

Here are a few products that interested me and I'll show you why...


Stride Shift Gum on sale for 99 cents, get 99 cents EB's (free)

Complete solution below on sale for 8.99, get 8.99 EB's (free)











Colgate Total Advance on sale for $2.99, get $2 EB's
use $1 off manf Q
final cost .01 overage







Pantene Hair Care (various) on sale for $2.99
get $1 EB's on each (limit 3)
use manf Q for $3/2
final cost 99 cents wyb (when you buy) two or 50 cents each




Clairol Natural Instincts on sale for $5.99, get $2 EB's
use $3 manf Q
final cost 99 cents










Lady Speed Stick Stainguard on sale for $3.49, earn $2 EB's
use 50 cents of manf Q
final cost 99 cents

I actually made all these deals this week except for one, and by using coupons from recent inserts and paying with EB's I already had, I ended up spending $2.70 out-of-pocket (OOP) and walking away with 9 EB's to use the next time.

Extra Bucks
When you've bought a product that will earn extra bucks (EB's) the product rings up at the sale price, which you pay, less any coupons, and your EB's will print as part the receipt, separated only by dotted lines, so don't toss the receipt!

You can use your EB's like cash, so you can also turn around and make another transaction using them to pay.  You will never get change back when you use EB's, so leave a little bit of room for cash, too.

Prices
I wanted to address the issue of pricing, since most people notice that you can get many of these items for a lesser price at Walmart or Target, which each accept coupons—all true!  I'm not bragging on the prices at CVS, just the value of the deals (sometimes steals).  With the extra bucks program, I end up saving between 50-100% on name brand products.

I have shopped at the dollar store many times, and I often make a judgment based on whether or not I can get a comparable, quality product there.  The truth is, most of the time, the answer is no.

Rain Checks
The store was out of the Complete saline solution so I asked for a rain check which will get me the same product at the sale price and still get the extra bucks when they are restocked at a later date.  Since I have a $1 off MQ (manufacturer's coupon) I'll actually come out ahead on the deal.  Ask for rain checks!

Start Small
Decide how much you are willing to spend to get started and begin to make transactions that will get you  rolling the extra bucks.  All that means is that you use them like cash to pay for other products which will earn you more.  Some weeks there may not be anything you are interested in, and other weeks you may have a lot to choose from.

Stock Up
You'd be surprised how quickly you can build up a cache of items that your family uses like toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, body wash and hair care.  These things are constantly promoted by both the store and manufacturer.  Even if you don't need it today, it's smart to have extras on hand for travel, guests and giving.

Tally
CVS keeps records of your spending via your Extra Care card and rewards you quarterly for your spending.  Many of the weekly EB deals are limited and you will see those limits in the ad and on your receipt.  You can also keep a tally of your overall savings throughout the year.

Last year, my spending was just under $300 and my savings (also recorded on the receipt) was over $1500.  You can look at it two ways - (1) I got $1500 worth of free products; or (2) I saved about 85% on everything I bought.

Shop smart!

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