Smart Shopping at CVS

How to use CVS to “Coupon to Disney”:

• Save on items that you normally buy. You can usually get free shampoo, conditioner, razors, toothbrushes, etc here. I also find that they have fairly cheap soda too.
• After you have shopped here a few weeks, you will start to build up your ECBs. CVS usually has 1 or 2 ‘money making’ deals a week. By using ECBs to pay for items, you essentially eliminate your out of pocket costs and get everything you buy at CVS for ‘free’.
• Use your ECBs to pay for items that are eligible for rebates. When the check arrives, deposit it into your fund!
• Use your ECBs to pay for items that you were going to pay cash for. Take the cash you were going to spend and deposit it into your fund!
• Be sure to read the Getting Started Couponing to Disney guide!

Just getting started at CVS? Here is some information to get you started:

You need to get a CVS ExtraCare card. This card will enable you to get sale prices and earn Extra Care Bucks. You can either ask a cashier for an application or sign up online. I suggest getting one at the store so you can have your card immediately. Plus be sure to register it online!

Before you do any shopping when you arrive at your CVS, always go to the kiosk and scan your card. The magic coupon machine (as we like to call it) will give you store coupons that are good for a certain length of time. Some are only good that day so always be sure to check the dates! Also make sure you scan your card multiple times until it tells you that you are out of coupons. Sometimes I can scan my card up to 4 times!

CVS gives you rewards when you purchase advertised items called Extra Care Bucks (ECB).
The ECB will print at the end of your receipt. Make sure that you clip them and keep up with them. If you lose them, they will not be replaced.

Some things to keep in mind regarding ECB:

• The required amount to receive the ECB is always calculated before coupons.
• You do not have to buy all the products for that particular promotion in the same transaction or at the same store. A tally is printed on each receipt showing what you have towards each deal. They keep track of EVERYTHING!
• ECB can be used to purchase nearly anything in the store. (excluding prescriptions, alcohol, Gift Cards, lottery, money orders, postage stamps, pre-paid cards and tobacco products, as printed on the eb.) They also cannot be used to pay the tax on a transaction.
• You cannot get change back when you spend your ECBs. However, they can be entered as less than their face value, for example if your total (before tax) comes to $1.97 and you have an ECB for $1.99 that you would like to use and you don’t mind losing 2 cents of its value, the cashier will adjust the value to the balance due before tax.
• ECBs expire 4 weeks from the date they are printed.

Using coupons at CVS:

• CVS accepts manufacturer’s coupons including internet printable coupons.
• CVS also issues their own store coupons. You can get these through CVS emails (make sure that your email address is listed with your card online), printed out at the end of your receipt (these are referred to as CRT’s – cash register tape coupons), or at the magic coupon machine. Sometimes coupons are also located in the sales flyer.
• Both ECBs and CRT coupons are linked to your CVS card. This means you cannot use them without the same CVS card that earned them.
• CVS coupon policy allows for the use of one manufacturer and one CVS coupon on each item. ECB are not counted as coupons in this respect, you may use as many of these as you like.

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CVS has a new club called Extra Care Beauty Club and it is offering some pretty great rewards for CVS shoppers. I suggest EVERYONE should join this.

Here’s the benefits you can get:

• Just for joining you will get 10% off your beauty purchase
• You will receive $5 in Extra Care Bucks for every $50 you spend on beauty items
  Keep in mind that the $50 is before coupons! You will easily reach this amount.
• You will also get $3 in Extra Care Bucks on your birthday

Go here to sign up now.

CVS is going green! They have a card called Green Bag Tag for sale in their stores. (Likely found by the registers.) It retails for 99c. It includes a leaf shaped scannable card that attaches to your favorite reusable bag. Each time you visit CVS and bring your reusable bag, they will scan your Green Bag Tag. The 4th time they scan your tag, you will earn a $1 Extra Care Buck that will print on your receipt.

CVS emails and mails their card holders coupons ever so often. These can be anything from $4 off a $20 purchase to a percentage off a specific item. Be sure all your contact information is up to date for your card.

You can register or change your personal information for your card at CVS.com.

CVS is now awarding you with $3 in Extra Care Bucks on your birthday! Just make sure that you have registered your card and your personal information here.

See all the CVS deals here.