Thanks to Rene at Budget Saving Mom for this guest post,
Getting Started
First, get a CVS card. You can get one in the store immediately or you can apply for a card online.
Always give the cashier your CVS card before beginning your transaction. You must have your card with you to use your extra care bucks and get the deals that are available.
Most weeks CVS has deals that are totally free after extra care bucks. The way this works is that you purchase the item and pay out of pocket the first week. After this transaction is completed, extra care bucks (ECBs) print out at the bottom of your receipt. These ECBs are like cash and can be used on your next purchase at CVS. (These coupons can not be used to purchase stamps or gift cards as explained in the fine print.)
Each week check the ads or my blog to find the deals that are free after ECBS. Purchase these items out of pocket the first week. For the second week, purchase the items that are free after ECBS, but use your ECBs from the previous week to pay. This way you can keep rolling over your extra care bucks from week to week without paying.
Making Money From ECBs
Sometimes, the items that you purchase cost less than the extra care bucks that you receive back so you pay less than the ECB that you receive. Also, if you can pair up a coupon with an item that is free you can increase your savings.
Example
Purchase some soap for $4. Receive $4 ECB, Use a $1 coupon. This item would be free with ECB plus you only paid $3 out of pocket or using ECBs but got $4ECB back. Using this method your ECB accumulate to more than what youoriginally paid out of pocket. This is called a money maker. These are money makers in that you receive more ECBs than what you paid out of pocket using cash or ECBs.
Monthly and Weekly Deals
Weekly deals are shown in the Sunday papers. Monthly deals are found in theECB book at the front of the store. These deals often have a limit to the number of times you can purchase these items and receive ECBs.
Stacking Coupons
After a few weeks of making purchases at CVS store coupons will be printed out at the bottom of your receipt. You will be able to use these store coupons and your manufacturers coupons. Try to save these coupons until the items are on sale and use both coupons, store and manufacturer coupons for the item. For instance, I have a $2 off Pull Up store coupon and a $2 manufacturerPull Ups coupon. This will give me a total of $4 off of Pull Ups. If I am able to stack this with a sale, I can get them even cheaper.
Sometimes, you will also find $3/$15 (3 dollars off 15 dollar purchase coupons) or $4/$20 coupons that you can stack with your store and manufacturer coupons.
Order to Use Your Coupons
1. Use any $3/$15 or $4/$20 coupons first
2. store coupons
3. manufacturer coupons
4. ECBs
You do not get a refund for your ECBs, so make sure you use the total amount. For instance, if you have a $7 ECB coupon, make sure you spend at least $7. If your total is $6 and you use a $7 ECB, you have lost a dollar.
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