Your eyes are not deceiving you. This is another installment of Register Review, but from a drugstore perspective.
With most of our household items fully stocked, the only way drugstores can lure me into their doors is by offering a great deal on diapers or holiday items, or if my rewards are about to expire.
This week, CVS won me over. I shopped early in the week to snag these 12 items for $0.75 in 2 transactions. Yep, less than a dollar for 12 items. Want to see how?
When I entered the store, I scanned my CVS Extra Care Card at the red coupon machine. The machine ejected coupons. My children scanned the card again which resulted in more coupons. On the third scan, a message indicated that more coupons would be available tomorrow.
The coupons that print from the red coupon machine are CVS store coupons, which you can combined with manufacturer coupons. I received a CVS coupon for $1 off 2 seasonal M&Ms packages, and another coupon for $.25 off any 2 Mars Easter eggs. Knowing I was purchasing these two items, I added them to my CVS envelope to use at checkout.
Transaction #1
Allowed cashier to scan my Extra Care Card and my Green Bag Tag (which earns $1 in Extra Bucks for every 4th scan – only one scan allowed per day)
Purchased 2 single Snicker Easter Eggs – earn $1 in Extra Bucks (store credit) when you buy 2 Mars Easter Eggs or Bunny Singles for $0.50 each (limit of 2 deals).
Subtotal: $1
Used CVS $0.25 off coupon
Total: $0.75 + $0 tax
Paid the $0.75 and received $1 in Extra Bucks (a coupon that prints at the bottom of my receipt)
*ahem* 2 of the Snicker eggs did not make the photograph 😉
Transaction #2
Allowed cashier to scan my Extra Care Card before ringing merchandise
Purchased 2 single Snicker Easter Eggs – earn $1 in Extra Bucks when you buy 2 Mars Easter Eggs or Bunny Singles for $0.50 each (second deal – limit reached)
1 bag of Gold Emblem Jelly Beans – earn $.99 in Extra Bucks when you buy these jelly beans for $.99 (limit 1)
1 Colgate 360 Toothbrush – earn $2 in Extra Bucks when one purchases this toothbrush for $2.99 (limit 2)
6 bags of M&Ms – $3, but buy one get one free (limit of 6). My store was already out of the seasonal peanut and almond varieties, so they substituted the non-seasonal version for my sale.
Subtotal: $13.98
Used the following coupons:
CVS $1 off coupon for 2 bags of seasonal M&M’s
4 – Manufacturer’s coupons for $1 off any 2 Mars Easter Items
1 – Manufacturer’s coupon for $1 off Colgate 360 toothbrush
Used the following Extra Bucks
$5.99 from a previous week
$1 from an earlier week’s green bag tag usage
$1 from Transaction #1 – rounded down to $.99
Total: $0 with $0 tax, and received Extra Bucks for $1 (Snickers eggs), $2 (toothbrush), and $0.99 (jelly beans).
For a total of $0.75, I purchased $33.31 of merchandise which is a 97.7% savings, and I have $3.99 in Extra Bucks to spend at CVS by April 24, 2012.
Taking the time to learn the drugstore game was time well spent. By matching sales, store coupons, and manufacturer coupons, the savings multiply. Long before I began seeing the deep discounts at the grocery store, I practiced and refined the drugstore game. I concentrated on CVS for a few months.
When I understood and had successful trips, I branched out to learn Walgreens. After nailing down the Walgreens system which is different from CVS, I learned Rite Aid which is unique from CVS and Walgreens.
Each store is different and learning the tips and tricks takes time, but for my family, it is using time wisely. Hope you have enjoyed these register reward breakdowns.
The sales in this post were for this week. However, the M&M and Snicker eggs were part of a 3-day sale that ended on Tuesday. The toothbrush deal will continue through today. If your store is out, request a rain check. Happy savings!
Question: Do you shop at CVS? Why or why not?
That’s AMAZING!! You really do know how to save the $$$ 🙂 Do you guys (in the US that is) take courses on how to do this or is it just learning by reading? Really is a science 🙂
Jen
I did not take a course, but many deal blogs share how each program works. The best way to learn is to practice and start small. Many blogs post the best deals of the week for local stores. So matching your grocery or household list with the money-makers or deep discounts for that week will see the savings. Slowly your stockpile will grow, and you will choose to bypass shampoo at $.50 because you have 3 bottles and know you will be able to it for free (at the right sale). I don’t know enough about Canada to know how your grocery stores and drugstores run sales, promotions, and loyalty cards. If I find a program, I’ll let you know. But it is fun to see how little I can spend for the items my family needs. 🙂