Help . . . CVS deals

[Whistle]

I am interested in trying the CVS deals to get items for free (or next to it). Can you PLEASE help me get started?

For example, if I started this week, what would I buy? I was thinking the following:

* the Crest Pro Health (I will have to pay for them, but in 2 days, I will get a coupon I can print for those amounts to use for a future transaction, right) ??

* scan my card to see if it will print a coupon for save a $1.00 off 2 CVS brand first aid items (they are on sale for !.00) so the cost would be 50 cents

* I guess the UKotex (I don't use that though) ???

Am I doing this right? So, I pull have to put out a little money at first, and then the idea is to keep it "rolling" with the ECB ????

 

[sydneysmom]

I'm also very new to the whole CVS extra bucks thing....but this week I went, list in hand and it was awesome. first off, I wouldn't buy anything you won't use. if you don't use the U by Kotex, don't buy them. I think the key (at least for me) is to buy what you use when it's on sale....then you kind of stock pile what products you use. Also, when there is extra care bucks ( ECB) when you're done paying, they print out right then and there....you can turn around and use them right then if you want. There is an expiration date on them so you'll need to watch that.

this is what I got on Sunday:

Crest pro health 2 @ 3.50 ea ( I had 2 $ 1.00 coupons) : price $ 5.00
(extra care bucks : $ 7.00)
U by Kotex pads 2 @ 4.99 ea ( I had 2 $ 1.00 coupons) : price $ 7.98
(extra care bucks : $ 4.99)
Right Guard 2 @ 2.99 ea ( I had a coupon for $3.00 off 2) : price $ 2.98
(extra care bucks : $ 4.00)

So total I spent $ 15.96 (out of pocket) and got back $ 15.99 in Extra care bucks (to use later). Basically, everything i got was free (since I got that back in extra care bucks).


Now today, I'm going back to get:
Pantene 2/$ 6.97. I've got a coupon for $ 1.00 so I'll spend $ 5.97 (and get back $ 3.00 ECB).
Dove Body wash : 2/ $13.98 ( I've got 2 coupons for $ 1.25 off each) : price : $ 11.48 ( ECB $ 4.00).

So I'll use my $ 15.99 in ECB from Sunday and pay out of pocket $ 1.46. ( and get back another $ 7.00 in ECB). Not too shabby.

If you go to Flakypuff's CVS threads, she posts the CVS sales in advance so you can plan...she's AWESOME. the people on that thread are truly experts in CVS shopping... I promise, they do WAY better than I did and I am trying to follow their advice and it's helped tremendously. I never really realized the money you could save by shopping at CVS. The people on this thread are truly wonderful.

Everytime you see the CVS thread, just hop on and you'll get fantastic advice and tips. Try to sign up for the coupon websites so that you will have coupons for all this stuff when it goes on sale. that also is a major help in saving.

Good luck !!!

 

[deerhart]

yes,

for example,

last week I bought the ninvea deal. I bought 2 body wash and 2 men's body wash. They were each $5.99. I had 2 $4 off body wash coupons and 2 $3 off men's body wash coupons. I paid OOP $9.96 and got $5 in ebs back to use this week.

This week I bought bounty paper towls for $4.99, used the $1 off coupon from the P&G coupon book and I will get $2.01 back to my upromise account - oop cost $3.99, final cost $1.98. I also purchased 2 crest pro health using two $0.75 off coupons - oop cost $5.50, finaly cost made $1.50. I then also purchased 2 mother day cards (like $5 total), milk $2.89), lamisil (on sale for $8.99, had $2 off coupon), got $1 eb for my green bag tag, cvs sunscreen for $5.00, and kids claritn $9.99, used $2 off coupon for oop cost of $7.99 and got $3 ebs back for final cost of $4.99.

So I have $11 ebs to use next week.

 

[3boymthr]

Check out the CVS weekly thread the people on that thread helped me get started this winter. I'm at over $1,300 in savings with only $200 OOP and that includes purchases for things like Milk and Soda.

To answer one of your questions directly - you won't have to wait to get your ECB they print at the bottom of your receipt.

Scan your card when you walk in the store so you know what you have for coupons. You may get more than the $1 off 2 coupon. I also got a coupon for $3 off Revlon and a coupon for $1 off any CVS shampoo - now this coupon is great because it's good off any shampoo because it does not have the word "brand" on it. I used it to buy the VO5 shampoo which is on sale for 77 cents so I made 23 cents on the deal as it scanned for the full $1 off my order.

Here is my order from the other day maybe this will help you.

I bought
1 Cottonelle TP - $4.99
1 Right Guard - $2.69 (price varies by region)
2 Crest Pro Health (1 toothpaste, 1 Rinse) - $7.00
2 Carefree - $2 (onsale for $1 each)
1 Bayer Low Dose Chewables - $1 - Sale Price
2 Always Pantiliners - $2 (onsale for $1 each)
2 Mentos - $1.98
1 Vo5 Shampoo $.77 Cents
Total Cost - $22.43
Less:
$2 CVS Cottonelle Coupon
$1 MFR Cottonelle Coupon
$1 CVS Shampoo Coupon
$1.50 Right Guard Coupon
$1.50 Crest Toothpaste Coupon
$1.00 Crest Rinse Coupon
$1 Carefree Coupon
$1 Carefree B1G1 Coupon (value entered by cashier - some will enter the value before sale price which will get you $1.59 off)
$1 Bayer Coupon
$1 Always Coupon
$1 Always Coupon
$1/2 Mentos Coupon
$8 ECB
Total Cost $0.43 plus 9 cents tax - 52 cents OOP and I got back $9 in ECB. If you had these coupons your OOP would be $8.43 plus tax and you too would get $9 ECB back

If you want to start with the U by Kotex - not a bad one to start with BTW - use the $1 printable from the Kotex Website http://www.ubykotex.com/get_coupons/overview . And there is another $1 printable store coupon on the CVS website. These two coupons can be combined and this will get you off and rolling with $3 OOP and $5 ECB back.

You can then take those $5 ECB roll them into the Crest Rinse/toothpaste and you'd have either 50 cents OOP or no OOP depending upon your coupons plus tax.

If you are interested in the Bayer deal you can get 2 $1 printable coupons at www.wonderdrug.com. Click on the link at the box that has the two boxes of low dose aspirin then on the get special coupon box.

ETA - check out iheartcvs dot com as well. She has a spreadsheet on there that you can download that helps you plan your trips so you know your OOP ahead of time.

 

[MickQuinn]

I do sometimes buy things that I won't use, particularly if they are a moneymaker or something that is good to donate.

I usually only do one transaction, but this week I broke it into two since the first had a big ecb.

Transaction #1

Bayer glucose monitor - on sale for 19.99.
Used a $10 off coupon from the 4/25 RP insert.
Paid the remainder using 9.99 in ecbs earned last week.

Got $15 ecb from doing this deal. I donated the monitor to the nurse's clinic at my school. She was thrilled to have it as a back up when our diabetic students don't have theirs or they are not working.


Transaction #2

6 bottles of bayer aspirin - $1 each
Used (6) $1 coupons

2 Purex 3in1 sheets (great for camping vacations) $8.99 each
BOGO
Used (2) $2 coupons

6 always pantiliners - $1 each
Used (6) $1 coupons

3 bottles of Nivea Body Wash - 5.49 each
Used (3) $4 coupons

Crest Pro Health Rinse - $3.50
Used .75 coupon

2 Lindt chocolate bars - 2/$4
Used 1 $1/2 coupons

2 first aid tape - $1 each
Used CVS couon for $1/2

U by Kotex - 4.99
Used $1 coupon

6 Reach Floss - $1 each
Used (6) $1 coupons


Used a $5/20 coupon from the scanner at cvs.
Used the $15 ecb from the first transaction.

Total out of pocket was $2.03.

And I got back ....
$5 from the Nivea
$1 from the Lindt
$3.50 from the Crest
$4.99 from the Kotex
__________

$14.49. in ecbs.


Even if I had paid the fist $10 for the monitor out of pocket, I still would be "ahead".

I also recommend iheartcvs.com . They post the deals in advance so you have time to get your coupons together.

Good luck! It is kind of fun in a way to try to get great deals.

Also, check the clearance end cap. I have gotten a lot of freebies there as well.

 

[CdnKayDee]

Do you need a CVS card to get all the coupons?

 

[Figment's Girl]

I've recently started shopping for the CVS deals and once I read this thread, I see I still have a lot to learn.

 

[3boymthr]

Do you need a CVS card to get all the coupons?

Yes. You can get the internet printable manufacturer's coupons without it, but CVS doesn't give sale prices or ECB or store coupons without a card.

The card is definitely the wave of the future. Rite-Aid is also starting to require a card. They just rolled them out in my store last week.

 

[3boymthr]

I've recently started shopping for the CVS deals and once I read this thread, I see I still have a lot to learn.

I think I finally have it all down, and then I read the CVS thread or the iheartcvs blog and I go wow didn't know that! I think CVS is a learning experience for everyone as there are things that constantly change, plus every store is different. Some stores allow expired coupons, some don't - Mine does . Some stores have colossal clearance sales, constantly - one of the posters on the CVS weekly thread was showing her score of items that she got at 90% off , mine is really busy so we rarely see items at more than 50% never mind 90%.

 

[CdnKayDee]

Yes. You can get the internet printable manufacturer's coupons without it, but CVS doesn't give sale prices or ECB or store coupons without a card.

The card is definitely the wave of the future. Rite-Aid is also starting to require a card. They just rolled them out in my store last week.

Can you get a card in-store or only online? I am Canadian and would like a card but need an American address.

 

[3boymthr]

Can you get a card in-store or only online? I am Canadian and would like a card but need an American address.

You can get a card in-store or online. When you go in you just tell the cashier you don't have an extra care card and would like to get one. They will hand you a form, you fill it out and they hand you a card.

The only reason for giving them an address is for getting coupons in the mail, which is a rare thing so you could probably use a friend's address in the states if you needed to.

 

[lovetoscrap]

A CVS just opened up right near me and I have been in a few times. I don't really understand how all this works but have been trying to read here.

When you say you used coupons do you mean manufacturers coupons like you get in the Sunday paper?

I don't use most of the stuff already listed here so is it really worth it for me to even try this? I don't want to buy a bunch of stuff I won't use or need.

I got a card the first time I went in. Do the bucks expire? I just got an email that I had some to be printed before May 15-- do I have to use them by then also? It seems annoying in this electronic age that I have to print something out and keep up with it when they could just have it recorded in the account.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

When you are just starting out buying something you won't use at all isn't always a great idea. Once you have some ecbs built up, it's good to buy the freebies to use up the extra care bucks you have to keep them going so you don't spend any of your own money at cvs.

Reach dental floss is $1.99 and gives back $2, the limit is 2 per card. If you have a coupon you can use that and pay less than $1.99 and that is how you make money.

Do you have any coupons from the paper? If you do buy the floss, then take that $2 and a $1 coupon for the kotex and buy that. $4.99-$1=$3.99-$2 ecb=$1.99 and they give you back $4.99. Now you just turned your $2 ecb into a $4.99 one, you made money.

Do you understand a bit more?

 

[3boymthr]

A CVS just opened up right near me and I have been in a few times. I don't really understand how all this works but have been trying to read here.

When you say you used coupons do you mean manufacturers coupons like you get in the Sunday paper?

I don't use most of the stuff already listed here so is it really worth it for me to even try this? I don't want to buy a bunch of stuff I won't use or need.

I got a card the first time I went in. Do the bucks expire? I just got an email that I had some to be printed before May 15-- do I have to use them by then also? It seems annoying in this electronic age that I have to print something out and keep up with it when they could just have it recorded in the account.

There are several kinds of coupons - manufacturer's coupons -those printed off of their websites, coupon wholesale websites like coupons.com or smartsource.com and the coupons in the paper. ETA - plus there are the coupons that you get from CVS - store coupons and ECB. These print via the coupon printer and at the end of your receipt.

Yup, you can end up with stuff you don't need. I usually end up donating these items to my local food pantry as they like to get H&B aides since these items aren't covered by food stamps.