I love CVS! My drugstore of choice has always been Target or Walgreens but once I started the CVS game, I totally fell in love with this store. I played a long time ago but with the baby I haven't been able to play until last week. If you are new to the CVS game check out
www.moneysavingmom.com or
www.mummydeals.net to get started. Both of these sites are great at outlining the deals and linking to coupons to make the deals even better. To get started you need a Extra Care Card (their shopper card).
At CVS, certain products you buy will give you Extra Care Bucks or ECB's. The ECB's are printed with your receipt and used as cash to buy other products at CVS. The point of the game is to buy products that give you ECB's with ECB's. You want to keep rolling over your ECB's so that you only pay little out of pocket. Coupons make it even better.
Here is an example of the game: Last week I was running low on toothpaste and body wash. I had no ECB's. So I looked at the toothpastes. Colgate Total was on sell for $3.49 with a ECB back of $3.00. I did this transaction by itself so I could the 3 ECB for the next. Olay body wash was on sell for 2/$12 with a $5 ECB back. Using the 3ECB from the toothpaste I bought the body wash for 2/$9 ($4.50 each) and got back 5 ECB for this week.
Not a bad deal. I needed toothpaste and paid a normal price for it. I needed one body wash but got two for a really good sale price. What makes this game worthy is the $5 in ECB I get to use this week. Watch how this game is PLAYED!!!
This week I have my $5 in ECB's from last week. I really don't need anything so I will take anything that gives me itself back in ECB's.
Transaction One:
Gillette Fusion razor with 2 cartridges, 1 shave gel, and 1 shampoo Pack
On sale $7.99 (original $9.99) with ECB $4
I had a coupon for $4.00 off a Gillette Fusion Razor
Total: $4.00
Papermate Pens
On sale $.99(original $1.99) with ECB $.99
Total $.99
Grand Total: $4.99 but remember I have $5.00 ECB from last weeks Olay
Total out of pocket: $.28 and I got $4 ECB(razor) and $.99 ECB(pen)
So I a razor and a package of pens for almost free and still have a total of $5 in ECB's to use. I am not done yet.
Transaction 2:
2 Notebooks
On sale $.99 (original $2.80) with $.99 ECB
Total: $2.00
2 papermate pens (same deal as above, they do limit the product
purchases)
Total: $2.00
Grand Total: $4.00
But remember I have $4.00 in ECBs (from the razor) so I paid NOTHING!!
and got back $4.00 ECB. Add that to the $.99 ECB from the first transaction
of pens, I have $5.00 ECB to play with next week.
Two notebooks, three packages of pens, and one razor set, all for $.28 and I still have the same amount of ECB's I started with to play again. Don't believe me, take a look!!!
I always get a nice high when I get something for almost nothing, don't you?
