CVS: $3 ExtraBucks Rewards Coupon through April 25, 2014

April 22, 2014 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: CVS

Though usually one earns ExtraBucks Rewards from purchasing items, periodically, CVS rewards customers with ExtraBucks coupons.

For a limited time, CVS will e-mail customers, who sign in or create a CVS.com account and add prescription management by April 25, 2014, a $3 ExtraBucks Rewards coupon.

The coupon should arrive in your e-mail inbox by May 7, 2014. You can then use the $3 ExtraBucks Rewards coupon on your next transaction at CVS.

Remember, you can roll these earnings. Meaning, you can take the $3 CVS gives you, and use it on a purchase where you redeem manufacturer and/or store coupons and earn more ExtraBucks Rewards.

CVS has great deals and sales to meet your family’s needs while staying within your family’s budget. I’m so thankful for the deals at CVS as it helped us financially get through the diapers years, is helping us through the school years, and will take us into our empty-nester years.

In using time wisely, taking a few minutes to create or sign in to your account and add prescription management will result in a $3 ExtraBucks Rewards coupon to help stretch your dollars. Hurry, you only have until Friday, April 25, 2014, to earn the coupon. Happy savings!

CVS: FREE Paper Towels through March 29, 2014

March 25, 2014 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: CVS

If you have been skeptical about FREE products at drugstores and if anyone can actually leave the store without paying a penny, then CVS has a skeptic-crushing deal for you.

Now, you must have a CVS Extra Care card. If you don’t have one, then just go to the register and request one when you arrive.

The cashier will have you fill out a short form (use your junk e-mail), and then give you a card.

With your card in hand, go to the coupon machine. It is usually located in the front of the store at the beginning of an aisle. If you don’t see it, then just ask. CVS cashiers are so friendly.

1. Scan your CVS Extra Care card, and wait. At least one coupon will generate. The one for $.79 off a Just the Basics single roll paper towel.

2. Locate the paper goods aisle, and pick up a single roll of Just the Basics which is on sale for $.79 this week*.

3. Go to checkout.

4. Present your CVS Extra Care card which the cashier will scan.

5. The paper towels will ring up at $.79*.

6. Give the cashier your coupon.

7. Watch the balance go to $0.

8. Walk out of CVS with your FREE paper towels.

*This deal is available through Saturday, March 29, 2014.

Dear skeptic, you can get items for FREE, and I know you can always use an extra roll of paper towels. I love to have my children handle these transactions because it requires one coupon.

They love seeing how to get items the legitimate way for FREE. It also builds their confidence in using coupons. Because coupons are great ways to stretching your dollars while using time wisely. Happy savings!

Question: Do you shop at CVS?

CVS: FREE M&Ms through January 11, 2014

January 11, 2014 by Tracy

Ignoring most of the FREE and inexpensive deals at the drugstores for most of 2013, I was lured into CVS this week by the FREE chocolate.

Limiting my CVS trips to great sales on diapers, pull-ups, and Mountain Dew last year, I was glad to snag a freebie. You, too, can pickup FREE M&Ms through January 11, 2014, by combining a sale with a store coupon.

Miss 3 and I planned to stop by CVS on Wednesday morning, but one of our other errands took a bit longer than expected. So, we bumped that errand to Thursday morning where we stopped at a local CVS location.

Finding the Coupon Machine

With my keychain, housing my CVS loyalty card, in hand, Miss 3 went to the red coupon machine and scanned our card. She then waited beside the output slot for the coupons to emerge. After getting the coupons, she scanned the card again, but no more coupons printed.

Photograph Credit: CVS (from e-mail message)

Gathering the Product

Looking over the coupons, we received the $.75 off Mars Chocolate Singles.

Though we could have chosen a Snickers, Twix, 3 Muskateers, or Milky Way bar, Miss 3 chose her favorite plain Nim&Nims (M&Ms).

The Nim&Nims is a cute “–ism” that we enjoy and are not yet ready to correct. 😉

Using the Coupon

Teaching Miss 3 how to use her coupon, I helped her organize her items. She proceeded to checkout with the loyalty card, her coupon, and Nim&Nims. As we shop during non-peak hours, we had the place to ourselves, so we could take our time.

The cashier enjoyed her 3-year-old customer, who proudly presented the items in the correct order

Loyalty card
M&Ms (on sale for $.75)
Coupon (store coupon for $.75 off)

Smiling, the cashier took her items, gave her the receipt, and thanked her for shopping at CVS. As Miss 3 was admiring her package of M&Ms, I retrieved my keys before leaving CVS.

I enjoyed this shopping trip as Miss 3 is gaining confidence in using coupons. She completed the transaction without needing money while getting a reward for her efforts.

If you are new to couponing, are teaching someone how to use coupons, or just need a chocolate pick-me-up, then swing by your local CVS to see if the coupon prints for you. Our coupon had an expiration date of January 17. However, the Mars singles are on sale through Saturday, January 11, 2014 at the $.75 price which makes the item FREE.

TIP: As CVS limits the number of prints for store coupons, you may or may not get the $.75 coupon from the coupon machine. When the print limit is reached, that coupon will no longer print. I share this because sometimes the limit is reached before the sale is over.

In using time wisely, this deal may not fit into your schedule. If that is the case, then let it go. There will be other deals. Believe me, I passed on so many great deals last year, and we still saved more than we spent in 2013. I’ll be sharing those results in tomorrow’s post.

Getting back into coupons, I was glad to have a very easy transaction that resulted in Miss 3’s confidence, a few minutes of time, no out-of-pocket cost, and a reward to share. In stretching our dollars, I couldn’t pass up FREE chocolate and a teachable couponing session. Happy savings!

Question: If you went, did you get the FREE Mars Chocolate coupon?

CVS: Trips, Transactions, and Tips

July 13, 2013 by Tracy

CVS is by far my favorite drugstore. Though I get really good deals, I usually need to visit more than one location which is not efficient.

In using time wisely, I really need to get back into my groove. I’ve been away from the sales as our home has been fully stocked. Taking a break is really nice, but I’m getting back into the flow.

Guess I was gone quite awhile as the Green Bag Tag promotion has been discontinued. CVS no longer grants a $1 ECB for every 4^th visit when you use a reusable bag. Not sure if the promotion was too profitable for customers or not enough customers used the program. Whatever the reason, I recycled my Green Bag Tags, but I’ll still continue to shop at CVS with trips, transactions, and tips.

My CVS Trips

With my list printed and coupons gathered on Friday afternoon, I had planned to go out Saturday afternoon. However, a friend stopped by to pick up a sourdough bread starter, so I missed my window before heading out to the ball park with our family.

On Sunday after our family lunch, my daughter and I ventured out. Though it was mid-day, it was still the first day of the sale. Well, my favorite CVS was out of girls’ Pull-Ups and the Kit Kat minis, but they had the other items. I needed to purchase $30 of product to use my $5 coupon.

In speaking to the manager, she suggested purchasing the boys’ Pull-Ups and then returning them on another day as their next shipment came in on Monday morning. So, I made my purchases. Then thinking through my week, I knew I needed to just get this task done.

So, I stopped by a second CVS. They had the girls’ Pull-Ups which I exchanged, but no Kit Kat minis. They were already out with the next shipment coming on Monday.

Do you think I stopped? Nope. I went to a third CVS. Thankfully, all the stores are in close proximity to my home, so I did not travel far. They had a shelf of the Kit Kat minis, so I got those.

I was a bit disappointed as I had store and manufacturer coupons which gave me overage. However, because it was the only product I was buying, I did not get the overage. The cashier rounded down the amount of the coupon making my purchase free.

My CVS Transactions

Transaction #1

2 Huggies Pull-Ups (Earn $5 Extra Care Bucks (ECB) when you buy (WYB) 2 Huggies Little Swimmers (17-20 ct.) or jumbo packs of Pull-ups, GoodNites, or Diapers at $9.99 each, limit 2)

Clarification: The limit of 2 means 2 deals. Since each deal requires purchasing 2 packages, then the limit is 4 packages of these Huggies items. If you purchase more than 4 packages, then the price will still be $9.99 each, but no additional ECB will print.

1 Irish Spring Body Wash, 15-18 oz., $2.99

Subtotal: $42.95

Minus these coupons:

1 – $5 off a purchase of $30 or more (e-mailed from CVS)

4 – $2 off Huggies Pull-ups (printable manufacturer coupons)

1 – $2 off Irish Spring Body Wash (CVS coupon printed from the coupon machine)

1 – $1 off Extra Care Buck coupon (from quarterly savings which printed from the coupon machine)

New subtotal: $26.95

Tax: $1.62

Total: $28.57 – saving $30 with sales and coupons and earned $10 in ECB from the limit 2 Huggies deal.

Transaction #2

2 packages Kit Kat minis, 2 for $6

Subtotal: $6

Minus these coupons:

2 – $2.50 off CVS store coupons (printed at home)

2 – $1 off manufacturer coupons (printed at home)

New Subtotal: $1 overage

Total: $0 – saved $9.18 with sales and coupons

For these two transactions, I purchased $67.75 worth of product and paid $28.57 with $10 in ECB for next week. This is a savings of 57.8% – always a good trip when I save more than I spend.

NOTE: These savings are still available through today, Saturday, July 13, 2013. If your store is out of these products, then request a rain check.

My CVS Tips

Though it would be easy to beat myself up over losing $1 of overage due to breaking up the transactions, I have learned that things happen. Sure it would have been nice if the first CVS had all the products, but it didn’t work that way. I’m still happy with the results even if I lost $1 of savings. Here are some other tips to make shopping at CVS a little easier:

1. Learn Your Store’s Procedures

As CVS sales run Sunday through Saturday, most stores upload the new sale week to their system sometime on Saturday. My CVS does this move around 4:00 p.m., so it’s best to shop after 5:00 p.m. because it takes some time to upload.

The benefit of shopping at this time is you get to shop both weeks’ sales. The current week is not yet done, and the new week is just starting. This gives you first dibs on the products before they all are gone.

One downside is if the system doesn’t load correctly or if a deal is not triggered. For example, a 3-day sale that runs from Sunday to Tuesday will not trigger on Saturday.

2. Find out Your Store’s Delivery Days

My store receives deliveries on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Knowing that I missed shopping on Saturday, I might wait next time until mid-morning on Monday to shop. By that time, the delivered product should be on the shelves.

The downside is that CVS stores do not know what is coming on the truck. They only know they are getting a delivery, but they cannot guarantee that a product will be back in stock.

You can ask for a rain check, but most stores will not grant them if another delivery will come before the end of the sale. The reason is CVS rain checks do not expire, so they want to know they are out before writing them.

3. Make Friends with Your Store’s Manager and Employees

When you shop frequently, the employees will get to know you. They will also help you when you run into a snag – like only having boys’ Pull-Ups and needing to spend $30 to get the $5 off.

The manager quickly made a suggestion, so I could use my coupon and get the savings without having to go to another store that day. She would have swapped the packages on another day.

Also, as you find a CVS where you feel comfortable, you can create more complicated transactions knowing that they will help you through them. When I have a lot of coupons or multiple transactions in one visit, I find a friendly employee and explain what I’m about to do.

Usually, they ring me up separately, so I do not tie up the front register. It is really nice as I don’t feel pressured to hurry as the other register is open.

Getting the hang of CVS takes time. If you are new to all the jargon, then feel free to ask. I have been playing the drugstore game for years which is why I don’t need to shop all the time.

Our stockpile is full of deodorant, body wash, razors, toothpaste, shampoo, and more because I stock up when there are sales, ECB promotions, and coupons. Stretching our dollars via CVS promotions and coupons saves our family money.

Sometimes I exert more energy and time stopping at multiple stores, but learning from my mistakes and the store’s procedures and deliveries will assist me in using time wisely. Not beating myself up, just using it as a stepping stone to improve for my next CVS shopping trip as I’ve got $10 in ECB to maximize. Happy savings!

Question: Do you enjoy playing the drugstore game? Why or why not?

CVS: Double Quarterly Extra Bucks

September 15, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: CVS

Wow! CVS is granting double quarterly extra bucks from September 16 – December 15, 2012.

When shopping with your Extra Care card at CVS, you can earn extra bucks in the following 2 ways:

1. Immediately – printing on the bottom of your receipt, and

2. At the end of the quarter – earning 2% on everyday purchases and $1 for every 2 prescriptions filled.

Increase in Quarterly Extra Bucks

Beginning tomorrow, Sunday, September 16, you can earn double quarterly extra bucks. Instead of the 2% on everyday purchases, you can earn 4%.

Earning Double Quarterly Extra Bucks

To get the double quarterly extra bucks, you need to do the following:

1. Get a CVS Extra Care Card

2. Sign up for double quarterly extra bucks

In store – scan your Extra Care card at the coupon center (red machine also used for price checking) and receive a coupon to double quarterly extra bucks. When you checkout, allow the cashier to scan your Extra Care card and the double quarterly extra bucks coupon. In December your quarterly Extra Bucks will print at the coupon machine, at the bottom of your receipt, or at your home via your on-line account.

On-line – register your Extra Care card on-line

3. Make purchases in store and on-line using your Extra Care card

4. Watch for your quarterly rewards to print in December.

In stretching your dollars, allow CVS to give you extra savings through their double quarterly Extra Bucks promotion. With a few moments of your time, you can earn extra credit for items you already purchase. In using time wisely, sign up and start the double earnings tomorrow. Happy savings!

Question: How often do you make purchases at CVS?