CVS: 101

The first thing you need to know when shopping at CVS is this: YOU MUST HAVE AN EXTRA CARE CARD! This little card is key to scoring some great deals! They're free and easy to get. You can either snag one at your local CVS location or you can apply for one to be mailed to you here. If you take the route of immediate gratification and take one from the cashier, make sure that you fill out the application that comes with it. By providing them with your email and mailing address you are pretty much guaranteeing that they will send you some great deals like online-only coupons and $ off coupons ($5 off a $20 purchase, etc.).

Your Extra Care Card will allow you to take advantage of their special 'card required' sales and Extra Care Buck offers. Every time that you shop there make sure that you hand your card to the cashier before they scan any items, this way everything will ring up at the correct sale price.

The card allows CVS to track your spending. Every 3 months they will reward you with Extra Care Bucks (ECB) equal to 2% of your total spending! Keep in mind that total is based on your out-of-pocket (OOP) spending, so for hard-core couponers like me it's never a very high total, but I'll take 2% of anything for FREE!

What is a ECB? Think of ECBs as CVS cash, because that's exactly how you use them. Each week CVS will offer special ECB deals. Basically, if you buy a certain item, the register will print an ECB of a specified dollar amount that can be used on your next purchase. For example, in this week's ad 2x Ultra Tide or Gain laundry detergent are on sale.

The ad states that with your card you will pay $10.99 per bottle, and the register will print an ECB worth $2. Taking the ECB into consideration, that takes the price down to $8.99 per bottle.

Now let's read the fine print. The ECBs are limited to two deals per card. That means the ECBs will only print for this deal twice. Once you buy the third bottle you'll still get the sale price ($10.99) but NO ECBs will print. Make sure you take notice of the limit amount because it's not always the same. Some deals will allow 2, some 6, some only 1.

CVS loves us so much, sometimes they'll even offer items that are FREE after ECBs!
Take this week's offer as an example. EARinse (an ear cleaning gel) is on sale for $7.99. Once you purchase this item the register will print a $7.99 ECB, which means you just scored a FREE item! Notice this awesome deal is limited to 1 deal per card.

You can take the ECB deals and combine them with your coupons to save even more! Just like Walgreen's RRs, the ECB is generated once the item is scanned and does not take into consideration how much you're actually paying for the item. That means you can use coupons to lower your OOP expense without jeopardizing your ECBs! And because CVS does issue their own coupons you can stack them with MQs to maximize your savings!

Here's a great coupon/ECB combo to get you started:

Colgate Maxfresh 4.6-6 oz. or 2-in-1 Kids 4.6 oz. $2.99 = $2Ecb (Limit 1)
Use the $0.75/1 coupon from the 2/21 SS or from here
Final Cost $0.24!

Or the Tide deal that we already talked about.

2X Ultra Tide or Gain Detergent 48-64 loads $10.99 = $2Ecb (Limit 2)
Buy 1 2X Ultra Tide Detergent $10.99
Buy 1 Tide Stain Release 10ct-18ct Duo Pac, 20-36oz Liquid, or 14-26oz Powder
Use the Buy 1 Tide Detergent and Get 1 Tide Stain Release Free coupon from the 2/7 PG
Use the $0.35/1 coupon from the 1/17 PG or 2/7 PG
Pay $10.64
Get back a $2Ecb
Final Cost $8.64 for both!

If you happen to have a coupon for the FREE after ECB item, use it to turn that purchase into a MONEYMAKER!

Another nice thing about CVS is that they allow you to roll your ECBs. What this means is that you can use ECBs that you earned from a previous deal to pay for another deal that will also earn ECBs. Doing this will allow you to minimize your OOP expense, and after all, isn't that what couponing is all about?

CVS also pays you to go green!

You can purchase one of their Green Bag Tags for $1. Each time that you bring your own reusable shopping bag they will scan your Green Bag Tag, and after every 4 times they scan it a 1 ECB will print. CVS recommends that you attach the tag to your shopping bag, but because I have several and never know which one I'll grab, I attached mine to my purse.

Keep in mind that ECBs do expire, so make sure that you don't shove them in your purse and forget about them. Most are good for 2 weeks from the date they're printed. And ECBs are NOT manufacturer coupons like Walgreen's RRs, so you CAN'T use them anywhere but CVS.

CVS does not match competitor prices nor do they accept competitor coupons*, so do the math on each deal and make sure you're still paying the lowest price possible.

*CVS does accept competitor coupons from other pharmacies on prescription refills.

CVS does not have a written coupon policy, so if you have any specific questions be sure to ask the manager of your location.