CVS 101

I’ve been meaning to get this tutorial done and now is the time. I hope this helps you in your CVS shopping trips so you can see how easy shopping truly is at CVS.

First the Facts

CVS ads run Sunday through Saturday
Accepts coupons at face value (no doubling)
Allows stacking of store coupon with a manufacturer coupon
Offers rainchecks unless stated otherwise in ad (rare but can happen on certain offers)
You can use a BOGO coupon on a BOGO sale. (BOGO is Buy One Get One)

Step 1: Get an Extra Buck Card

CVS has a loyalty card program that rewards you by buying certain things and you get 2% back on all purchases. It’s similar to the loyalty program that many stores like Fry’s, Safeway, Petsmart and others have. You can get your own Extra Care Card at your local CVS, just fill out the small application. Once you get home be sure to register online so you can use your phone number if you forget it. Plus you’ll get a nice coupon too.

Step 2: Scan Your Card

cvs_cscan

Rule #1 of CVS shopping, SCAN YOUR CARD. There are coupon scanners aka price checkers in various places in the store where you can scan your card and coupons will print out. This is also where you do your price checking if in doubt.

Rule #2 always, I repeat always have the cashier scan your card before scanning items. You could be throwing away money otherwise because of the Extra Bucks you earn.

Step 3: Extra Bucks

cvs_ecb

Extra Bucks (previously known as Extra Care Bucks or ECB) are like money at CVS and commonly referred to as EB or ECB. They are at the bottom of your receipt or when you scan your card at the card scanning machine.

Extra Buck Example

You can buy Nature’s Way Alive vitamins for $9.99 and get an Extra Buck for $9.99. Now add coupons to the mix and save even more! See example below…

Alive vitamins $9.99 Limit 1 (good through 9/18/10)
Use $1/1 Alive Multivitamin printable coupon
Pay $8.99 (after using coupon)
Get $9.99 in EB (per offer in weekly ad)
FREE plus overage after coupon and EB!

Sometimes Extra Buck offers won’t have prices of items or will be for multiple items like the following examples.

For times like this I check out CVS.com for a price check to get an estimate of what to expect price wise.

Rolling Your Extra Bucks

This is the term for when you take the Extra Bucks you’ve earned and apply them towards your next shopping trip. I will do an example from the CVS ad good through 9/18/10.

Transaction #1

Alive vitamins $9.99 Limit 1 (good through 9/18/10)
Use $1/1 Alive Multivitamin printable coupon
Pay $8.99, Get $9.99 in EB
FREE plus overage after coupon and EB!

Transaction #2

Buy the following items:
Nivea for Men active 3 body wash 16.9oz $4.99 Limit 1
High Octane Energy Chews 3ct $1.99 Limit 1
AirWick 4/$10 Limit 2
Total = 16.98
Use the following coupons:
Use $1/1 Nivea for Men Body Wash, exp. 10-31-10 (RP 08/29/10)
Use (2) B1G1 Air Wick Aqua Mist (up to $3.29), exp. 9-19 (SS 8/8/10)
After manufacturer coupons = $10.98
Now use the $9.99 Extra Buck from transaction #1 = $1.98

You will get 3 different Extra Bucks from this transaction = $11.98

Nivea = $4.99 in EB
High Octane Energy Chews = $1.99 in EB
AirWick = $5 in EB

I post the hot deals each week for rolling your Extra Bucks and try to keep my out of pocket minimum to under $5 after applying all coupons and Extra Bucks.

Quarterly Extra Bucks

This is the Extra Buck you get back from your in-store and online shopping trips each quarter. They are 2% of purchases you made for the quarter. If you spend $100 you will get $2 in Extra Bucks. Certain times of the year CVS will offer Triple Extra Bucks during a quarter making it 6% back.