Couponing Class - Week 6

Maximizing your Savings at CVS

If you are not familiar with shopping weekly at your local CVS than this is a Must Read for you!
This week brings me to shopping at CVS.  People often ask me how I can walk out only paying pennies on the dollar.  Well, I am going to run through this so that everyone one of you can do the same.  Once you begin, you will have that proverbial light bulb go off above your head when you realize just how easy this is.  CVS issues loyalty cards that will track your spending, and savings.  This card is also meant to keep track of the amount of deals that you are allowed each week.  CVS will place a limit on the number of ECB deals for each item that you are allowed. 

There is a huge debate in the blogosphere world, regarding "final price"  many people will argue that you cannot include the ECB's as an amount off towards the final price.  Other's, like myself, will include the ECB's in with the final price. Now, if you don't know what these letter's stand for, here are some of the abbreviations that you will see in this post.

ECB's = ExtraCare Bucks (CVS issues ECB's when you buy certain sale products each week)

WYB = When You Buy (this just saves us bloggers from typing!)

MONEYMAKER = this happens mostly at the drugstores, when you use a coupon on a sale price, and ECB's that are earned back is more than the actual price you paid.

ROLLING = this is a term used by bloggers.  When you have a certain amount of ECB's,which come with expiration dates on them, just like a coupon would.  When you ROLL them you are essentially redeeming old ECB's for new ECB's by buying products that you will earn new ECB's on. 

Let's just say for the sake of arguement that you are new to this, and you have no ECB's to shop with at CVS.  Now, it's Sunday morning, you are on your way to CVS, with your coupons in tow, and your current sale ad. 

There are two ways you can CVS.  The first is to make multiple small transactions throughout the week, the second way is to wait to begin, until there is a really great week, in which there is a lot of ECB's being issued on products that you need, would really like to try, or want in your stockpile.  I, started the second way.  I like carrying around $15.00 - $30.00 in ECB's each week.  I don't like making multiple transactions, simply because I live in an area where, whenever I walk into CVS, there are always other people in line, and I don't like to wait myself, so I tend to not tie up the line with several small transactions. 

So you have no ECB's to use, however this is the week that you have choosen to begin as a serious CVS Shopper.  Here's what your transaction should look like:

1- Tylenol = $3.99 / you have a $1.50/1 coupon to use / The product also has an ECB deal of WYB 1 you will earn back $2.00 in ECB's

2- Pantene Shampoo = $2.99 / you have a $1.00/1 coupon to use / The product also has an ECB deal of WYB 1 you will earn back $2.00 in ECB's

3- Glade Sense & Spray = $6.99 / you have a $4.00/1 coupon to use / The product also has an ECB deal of WYB 1 you will earn back $5.00 in ECB's (this will be a moneymaker) 

4- Colgate Toothpaste = $2.99 / you have a $1.00/1 coupon to use / The product also has an ECB deal of WYB 1 you willearn back $2.00 in ECB's

5- Soy Joy Bars = $1.00 each / you have a coupon for $1.00/5 / The product also has an ECB deal with a limit of 5 offers - the offer is buy 1 Soy Joy Bar for $1.00 and earn back $1.00 in ECB's / So when you buy 5 bars, you are earning back $5.00 in ECB's

Now keep in mind that the offers I listed above are deals that can be found from week to week.  These are not deals that are far fetched.  Now if you were to begin, by purchasing all these items in a single transaction, it would cost you $21.96 plus tax before coupons, it would cost you $13.41 after you use only your coupons.  Once you pay for all the items in a single transaction, you will receive back $16.00 in ECB's at the bottom of your receipt!   So in fact you have actually just made a profit of $2.59. 

You now have $16.00 towards next week's sales. 
*You will only want to use your ECB's on items the following week that offer ECB's back again.  This is how you will ROLL your ECB's from week to week. 

Now to CVS by doing multiple small transactions, you would be able to make the following purchases:

Transaction 1
buy items 1 and 2 = $4.48 total cost after coupons, you will earn back $4.00 in ECB's

Transaction 2
buy items 3, 4 and 5 = $4.98 total cost after coupons and the ECB's from transaction 1.  Now you have $12.00 in new ECB's to roll next week. 




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