Couponing Class - Week 5

Okay it's week 5, and we've talked about where to get coupons, coupon store policies, stockpiling, and organization. So what's left? Oh there is plenty left! This week, brings me to shopping at drug stores verses grocery stores. Some of you may have a smile on your face right now, I know I do!

People have very different views about shopping at drug stores. I hear a lot of times, that drug stores are more expensive, so they don't bother. I'm going to break that way of thinking today!

Yes drug stores, generally have higher prices, and you won't want to do a full week's worth of grocery shopping at the drug store, but each week, there are several items that will be worth getting at the drug store rather then the grocery store. Sometimes, you will even walk away earning a profit from your purchase. Profit? Yes, a profit!


Shopping at drug stores is much different than shopping anywhere else. Mostly I am going to talk about CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreen's. So please keep these stores in mind when I mention "drug stores". These stores have sales each week, much like other stores. The difference is, that many items that they have on sale have a type of "cash back" sale. Only it's not really cash, it's cash in the form of their store cash. CVS has what is called ECB's or ExtraCare Bucks. Walgreen's issues, RR's or Register Rewards. Rite Aid has monthly SCR's or Single Check Rebates.

I have only shopped at Rite Aid a few times, and realized that this was not a store for me. Too many things to remember, too many dates to look at, and too many stipulations on their rebate offers. So I won't be talking much about Rite Aid.

Now each of these store are different from one another. At CVS, in order for you t arn ECB's you will nee a customer loyalty card. No card is needed at Walgreen's or at Rite Aid. Which is better you ask? Well that's a bit of a tough question. It's more of a personal preference than anything else.


There is a huge debate in the couponing world when it comes to people listing "final price" or "total cost". Many bloggers, I am one of them, will list a Final Price after sale, coupon and RR or ECB's back. Others will list a final price of an item before te RR's or ECB's are issued. See Example:


Item ABC - $2.99
Earn $1.50 ECB's
~use $1.00/1 coupon
Final Price: 49¢ after coupon and ECB's


or


Item ABC - $2.99
Earn $1.50 ECB's
~use $1.00/1 coupon
Final Price: $1.99


Now, both of these are correct in their own way. It's just a matter of how you look at sales. Once you learn how to shop at drug stores, it's only the first week that you will spend real money. The goal is to "roll" your store money each week. By rolling the store money, you will reduce your out of pocket each week.


One way to not even have to pay real money that first week, is by redeeming points earn through a survey site for a drug store gift card. Or right now, try your hand at a contest, mine to be exact, and win a $10.00 gift card to CVS. Click HERE to enter.

So here is how a few transactions should look like:

Item ABC - $5.99 (earn 4.00 ECB's WYB 1) ~ use a $1.00/1 coupon = you'll pay $4.99 out of pocket on your first transaction. Now you can roll the ECB's into your next transaction. It will go something like this.

Item DEF - $2.99 (earn $2.99 ECB's WYB 1), & Item GHI - $1.99 (earn $1.50 ECB's WYB 1) No coupons to use on this transaction, Subtotal is $4.98, pay with the ECB's that you earned on your first transaction. Now your Out Of Pocket or OOP is only 98¢, plus you have just gotten back $4.49 in new ECB's! You can roll that into your next transaction, or hold onto them for next week's sale. ECB's generally are good for 2 to 3 weeks. RR, or Register Rewards, are good for 2 weeks.

We can go over this more in the upcoming weeks. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from this series, so I have decided to go with it, and continue for as long as there are topics, and questions out there. If there is something that you would like to see discussed, shoot me an email, and I'll add it to the series! I would love to hear from you.

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