Can Someone Explain CVS Deals?

[disneymom2003]

O.k. I have been back here on the Dis for a few weeks now. I see threads about saving money at CVS. Can any one explain how it works? Thanks

 

[LanaJae]

This is a good thread to start: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1841073

 

[rockin_rep]

This is a good thread to start: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1841073

And everyone here is soo nice and willing to help, like LanaJae, who is one of the best. I too just recently started cvsing, after reading about it for a long time, and now i'm sorry i waited so long! Its really fun and is a great way to save money, especially for things you'd buy anyway. Just keep reading these threads and then jump in, you'll love it.

Oh, but if you have kids, its ALOT easier to do it without them! Not only do you get distracted (at least i do!) but i always end up buying more than i would without them. But it IS fun to take DH and see his jaw drop when i walk away with a ton of stuff we needed anyway, but for very little OOP (out of pocket) money!

Have fun and let us know how we can help!

 

[disneymom2003]

Thanks for the info. I have been couponing for a long time but never shopped at CVS. They recently stopped double coupons in the city I live in so I need more help.

I do have kids still at home but they are 21 and 18 so going to the store with me is not something they want to do. They do however love the free shave cream, shampoo, toothpaste etc. Thanks for the invite to join in. I'm sure it will take a couple of trips before I get the hang of it but I will check in and let everyone know how I am doing. I will also probably have some more questions.

 

[disneymom2003]

O.K. another question. How do you know if you will get the Ecb's? Do you get them with any product or only those on sale? Also how do you know how much the ECB will be on any given product? And how do you know? Hope I am making sense.

 

[hrslvr142]

I can tell you that CVSing is really, really worth it. A new one opened a few miles from me and in my mail box today were some "special" coupons good only at the new store. The coupons included 25 free 4x6 prints (I have 5 grandkids, can always print pictures), $4 off $15 purchase, a free 2 liter of soda, and $3 off any CVS brand item. Using those coupons and some of the sale things this week with ECBs, I purchased $58 worth of products, nothing I or someone in my family won't use, and paid a total of $9.40 and ended up with $14 in ECB still to spend...so CVS paid me $4.60 to take them. I did have manufacturer coupons as well which did help. There are some "tricks" to successful CVSing such as breaking your purchases into a couple different purchases. I have yet to have a clerk that gave me a hard time about this, but I know some on this board have. Also, if I get too many extra things like toothpaste (I think most of us that have CVSd for very long will never, ever have to buy toothpaste again) but I continue to get the free or almost free stuff and donate it to a homeless shelter or something like that. Read the previous CVS thread on this board and you will get some great hints on how to pair up the deals. I live by myself so don't get the huge volume that some folks do, only have 1 card but I still have a closet pretty much full of shampoo, etc which my kids "raid" when they come over.

ECBs are given on only on "specific" items and are given with your receipt. If you want to use them immediately, that is when you break up your purchases and you MUST use the ECBs that are given with the card that they were given with. So you can't give them to someone else to use or if you have more then 1 card you can't use them "between" the cards. Hope this helps. Warning, CVSing can be addicting!

 

[LanaJae]

O.K. another question. How do you know if you will get the Ecb's? Do you get them with any product or only those on sale? Also how do you know how much the ECB will be on any given product? And how do you know? Hope I am making sense.

The items that earn ECBs are in the ad each week, if you go to CVS.com and type in your zip code you can see the current ad for your area. In the thread here, It's A Happy Day usually posts each week's sale about a week ahead, which gives us time to try to get coupons together. Sometimes the ads are a little different for each area, but most of the major deals are the same.

In this week's thread, you can read about what people bought this week - when I first started, I just copied what other people bought.

Many of us are loading up on toilet paper, paper towels and diapers this week. It's not the perfect week for showing how to pay nearly nothing when you shop, but it's a good deal.

 

[disneymom2003]

This sounds like fun! I have not had a really good day shopping in a long time. I am sure if it is free or almost, if my family of 4 can't use it my sons family or my daughter who is a single mom will. I have a box in the garage that I put extras in. I used to get a lot of that stuff when my local stores would double my coupons. What the heck I just love saving money.

 

[Shmily1]

You have to have a Extra Care card which is free to get the ECBs but it sure is fun!!! We just got a new store that opened the last day of August and it has a price checker. I scanned my EC card on Friday and got a $4 off of $15 coupon and several others. I scanned it again and got some more!! I have to go back this week so I can get some more goodies!!! For years, our sales were from Sunday to Saturday and now it is Friday to Thursday and the sale paper doesn't come in the news paper any more. Not sure what's up with that!!! It makes me glad to be on here so I can see what's on sale!!!

To make it even better, I got my $27 coupon book from Proctor and Gamble in the mail today!!!

 

[MousekaMaddi]

where did u get the coupon book?

 

[Shmily1]

There was a link to a very short survey on the Freebie thread. I will see if I can find it. It took a couple weeks to get here so I had put it in the back of my mind and was sooo excited when I got it!!