I've been doing the CVS extra bucks program since March of this year. I have gotten a ton of stuff for free or pretty cheap. There have been savings and since starting out I've learned a lot of tips.
However I probably don't work the deals as much as most people because we're DINKS so we don't use as much stuff as a family. Hence I just don't need the deals as often as other people and I don't stockpile as much stuff. I try to limit myself to 5 of anything or 10 if it's something small that we use quickly. That being said I wanted to give some tips to people looking to save some money on household goods, cleaning supplies, bath, and beauty supplies.
How does CVS extra care bucks work? This week for example, if you buy $20 worth of Proctor and Gamble items you get $5 extra care buck (ECB). That's a 20% discount. Second step, find manufacter's coupons to help decrease price. Third, use CVS coupons to further decrease out of pocket costs.
Something important to realize is that you don't get $5 cash back. Instead you get a printed coupon for $5 to use on your next trip to CVS. This coupon is an incentive for you to come again.
Of course I realize many things at CVS are more expensive than say Target, Walmart, or even Costco. However there sometimes are deals which make items free or next to free.
Following on the P&G example, I bought 2 Bounty Packs @ $6.49 and 3 Charmin @ $2.49 = $20.45 Total. Then I used a $4 off $20 coupon and 5 - $1 manufacter coupons bringing the total to $11.45. Then if you count the $5 ECB, I paid $6.45 for 2 - 8 packs of Bounty, 3 - 4 packs of Charmin. Not a bad deal and definitely worth stocking up. We were running low on paper towels. Realize that I already have a stash of ECBs so I paid nothing out of pocket because I continually roll-over my ECBs
A second winning deal this week is buying $15 of Pepsi products, get $7.50 ECB back. Well I loaded up on Propel water bottles @ basically half price. Except I combined my $15 spent with a $3 off of $15 CVS coupon. The regular price of a 1L bottle is $1.79, I paid 60 cents/1L bottle.
This is a short tutorial on how the Extra Care Program works at CVS. Since I've finally mastered the system and started getting great deals, I decided to share this frugal tip on saving at CVS!
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4 comments:
I love CVS and frequently leave with more ECBs then I spent! I work the deals. One tip for you - Every couple of weeks the newspaper has manufacturers coupons for approx. $20 - $50 off of Diabetes testers, and CVS will have sales making them free after coupon. I do this and use a $10 off of $50 CVS coupon and am able to get $10 in free merchandise. (I donate the glucose monitors to a home for pregnant teens - many have gestational diabetes)
I do that as well. However my friend's mom is diabetic and my uncle.
Even at 60 cents is bottled water worth it when you can get perfectly fine tap water for almost free? (without the plastic waste)
Maybe if your tap water tastes good. It doesn't taste good here. And I do recycle everything.
Another crazy thing, we are a pretty environmentally friendly family. We walk and use public transit or bike. So which is worse, getting a plastic bottle to have water in or driving a car a half a mile?
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