First things first.Do you have a CVS Extracare card? If yes, good. Time to start using it. If not? GAH! Get to CVS, approach someone with a name tag, and ask for an application. Don't delay!
Once you have a card, you're good to go... time to start earning and WORKING your Extrabucks. Extrabucks are coupons you earn for making purchases at CVS. They print off at the register and can be used on your next purchase, just like cash. CVS will give you 2% back on every purchase you make four times per year. That's good. But what's better are the weekly (and monthly) deals.
Every week, the CVS circular will advertise products that will earn you some Extrabucks. Here's an example.
Colgate toothpaste!
On sale for 2.99, get $2 Extrabucks.
It's like paying .99!
Sweet! But here's what's even better- if you have a $1 off Colgate coupon, that little tube of toothpaste is yours for free... kind of.
If this is your first Extrabucks purchase, you're going to have to front a little cash. So you'll give the friendly CVS employee $1.99 and your $1 coupon. She, in turn, hands you your receipt and $2 in Extrabucks.
You pocket your happy little Extrabucks and think about your next purchase. It might be next week, tomorrow, or in two minues. It might look like this:
Jergens Lotion!
On Sale for 3.99. Get $2 Extrabucks.
It's like paying 1.99!
OK, So here you are- working another deal.
You bring your Jergens lotion up to the smiling CVS cashier, who is getting a kick out of your excitement. Your total is $3.99. You hand the cashier your $1 off Jergens coupon. Your total is now $2.99. You fork over your $2 in Extrabucks. Your total is now .99. You pony up the cash. The employee in turn hands you your receipt and $2 more Extrabucks. You're now making some money.
Is this making sense?
In addition to the weekly circular, CVS puts out monthly Extrabucks deals, too. The booklet can be found at most CVS stores.
Honestly, my very best advice is start simple, start smart. Don't take on too much too quickly. It's possible to do some craaaazzzzzeeee stuff with CVS and Extrabucks, but the best bet is to do a little and do it well. The more complicated deals will naturally fall into place with time, practice, and a growing stash of coupons.
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20 comments:
Send the Wannabe Crazzzzzies my way! ;)
I will Becky! You are the craaaaazzzzeeeeeest!!!
Okay, so here's my question/ gripe about the CVS circular: they don't tell you how much each item costs, so I don't know how much I'm saving/ getting back related to how much I have to spend. Walgreens tells me, so I can plan better. Is there a trick I'm missing? How do you find the sell price?
Oh, and thanks again for all of the advice. Suh-weet.
nicole, i have the same issue... some items, esp. bogo, don't include price. sometimes i have to just go in... not always easy!
so...now that you aren't shopping...apparently, CVS is having a triple bucks month...I just got the email this morning...
It is tricky to figure out some prices (I think they exclude them because they are different in each region)- but if you go in there enough you start to learn them. I do a lot of BOGOs on laundry detergent at CVS so I kind of know ball park prices on those things.
There are crazies on the Slickdeals.net forum that can pretty much tell you anything about CVS.
I think the triple bucks is on online purchases only. At least that's what my email said. It used to be in store but I don't get those anymore :( Haven't for a couple months. BOOOO!
CVS question. In this weeks circular they have Colgate 2/$5. Does that mean I could by 2 for $5 and get the $2 back for each purchase in CVS Extrabuck while still using the $1 off coupon?
Hi Ashley- I don't remember this week's deal (my exaamle was just an example)- I think the Colgate was part of a spend $15 get 5 Extrabucks back... can someone help me out here?
Yes Katy - the Colgate was part of the spend $15, get $5 ECBs.
I'm not stalking your blog - I just get emails when someone comments. ;)~
becky, i like your comments. you're like an expert cvs consultant.
I got trapped in the Colgate thing this week - it is $5 on $15 and some of the items are 2/$5. BUT there is another Colgate deal where you get $2 ecb's on a $4.89 item. I bought 2 of the 2/5 items, plus 2 of the $4.89 items plus another thing to take me over $15 to get my $5 - BUT didn't realize that the $4.89 items didn't count toward the $15 because of the $2 ecb's I got for them....make any sense at all?
I also have a question (and I think I might be going for the longest comment of all time...) I fill up my cart with all my deals and things I need then go to the register and pay a boat load - but also get a lot of ecb's. I feel like I am getting good deals and saving money, but I am spending a lot too...any advice?
hey diane- i've made a simillar mistake. i would return the extra 4.87 item.
i would say split your transactions to roll your extrabucks. for example, do the $5/15. get your 5 ECB, use it toward the 4.7 and something else. get more extrabucks. make sense?
becky, what do you think?
(bargain becky is my personal cvs mentor... she's like a professor).
The real crazies will make multiple trips and hardly spend anything OOP. I think it's best to just use some common sense. With 2 toddlers, it's hard for me to make multiple trips. I've def. dropped some loot on things that I have really needed in the past (when coffee, diapers, laundry detergent, etc. have ECBs with it). You won't see me dropping mad loot on things like toothpaste, makeup and cleaning supplies. But everyone is different and has different needs.
Think about it though, if you buy 10 toothpastes for $30, but get $20 ECBs, is it REALLY worth it? Unless you're donating it, you don't really need that much at a time. And toothpaste is the one thing that you can always score free at CVS!
I personally have found that having too many ECBs is kind of overwhelming. I'm most comfortable having about $20 ECBs on me at all times (I only have $10 now and it's just not enough!). I once had over $50 and it was just too much.
The only time I think lots of ECBs are good is if you are formula feeding. I used to get it pretty cheap by combining a $4 off $20 purchase CVS coupon, a formula check and ECBs. Formula sometimes is part of "Spend $25 Get $10 ECBs) deals too.
Hope this helps! I'm only good at CVS because I don't know a darn thing about Walgreens or Rite Aid! I've only stepped foot in a Rite Aid once in my life.
THIS IS HELPFUL!!! I've never understood the ExtraBucks thing. The only remaining question I have: can you use ExtraBucks on pharmacy items? Right now the only thing I ever buy at CVS is my monthly prescription, but now that I know I can apparently get stuff for free, I may start shopping there more often :)
Ok I switched one of Mike's prescriptions to CVS this week. They gave me a $25 gift card for doing it. The lady told me if I switch them one at a time I'll get more.
I really hadn't ever been into CVS til this week, probably for the same reason you'd never been in Walgreens. We just always went to Walgreens and only got a CVS in the last couple years.
Oh and CVS had DRIVE UP! Our Walgreens doesn't. I hate dragging Gabe inside if all I need is the meds.
I also figured it out that if we used our online pharmacy we usually save some money over the course of the year but CVS is actually a better deal because of the bucks back that I get to spend on other stuff!
My insurance company probably doesn't want me telling people that ;)
I had another thought that I thought I should add.
If anyone has a flex spending account for medical stuff you can use it at CVS and they automatically know that it's an allowable expense. If you get near the end of your year to use or lose your money sometimes I have to run to the drug store and stock up on cold medicine, ace bandages, aspirin etc. So you'd get extra bucks back on that stuff too and you HAD to spend it or lose it so it's worth it.
Mel-
YES! You can do the same at Rite-Aid (there always seem to be coupons) and Walgreens (when they have a coupon). I'd be flipping them back and forth, girl!
I'll do a post on this soon!
Thanks for the help, Katy and Becky! I definitely need to hone my skills - I am trying to build up a stash of things like deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, etc...but I find that even though I am saving a lot (in respect to actual cost for what I buy) I am still dropping a lot of cash to achieve it. For example, I spent $70 last week and saved $58...but I still spent $70!
diane- try not to fret. stocking up costs up front- but it pays off quickly!!!
No rite aids here just Walgreens and CVS. They are two blocks from each other though so it's close. :D
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