CVS 101
Print the coupon policy and take it with you. You have to email the corporate office and request a copy of the policy.
Sign up for an Extra Care card at the store and always keep it with you.
There’s usually a machine at the front of the store. It price checks items and if you scan your Extra Care card, prints out store coupons. Get in the habit of scanning your card each time you go into the store.
CVS rewards programs consists of their Extra Bucks or ECBs. Out of all the stores I shop at, I believe this program to be the easiest to use. In addition to their weekly ECBs, you also earn 2% back each quarter. You don’t have to do anything to keep track of this. After the quarter is up, you will receive your quarterly ECBs next time you use your card.
You can use manufactures and store coupons.
Example:
In the ad you may see something like this:
Schick Hydro Razor – $ 8.97
Extra Bucks - $4.00
It’s like getting it for - $4.97
I went in and did this deal and had a $5.00 coupon and a coupon for free shave gel wyb (When You Buy) the razor, so mine looked like this:
Schick Hydro Razor – $ 8.97
Schick Saving Gel - $3.99
Coupon - $3.99
Coupon - $5.00
OOP - $3.97
Extra Bucks - $4.00
So CVS pretty much paid me $.03 to buy the Razor and Shaving Gel.
There was a limit of one per card on this deal so I could only do it once.
Extra Bucks expire a few weeks after you get them.
The trick is to “roll” your ECBs from week to week.
Example:
The following week Herbal Essences Shampoo is B1G1 (Buy one get one free) and Crest toothpaste is $2.00 with $2.00 ECBs with a limit of two per card. My deal would look like this if I had two $1.00 of Herbal Essences Coupons and two $1.00 off Crest coupons:
The following week Herbal Essences Shampoo is B1G1 (Buy one get one free) and Crest toothpaste is $2.00 with $2.00 ECBs with a limit of two per card. My deal would look like this if I had two $1.00 of Herbal Essences Coupons and two $1.00 off Crest coupons:
Four Herbal Essences Shampoo – $4.00
Two Crest Toothpaste - $4.00
Two Coupons for Herbal Essences - ($2.00)
Two Crest Coupons - ($2.00)
Total - $4.00
Use ECBs from previous week ($4.00)
OOP $0.00
Extra Bucks - $4.00
*You CAN use a B1G1 coupon on a B1G1 sale, making both items free.
Walgreens 101
Print the store coupon policy and take it with you.
Walgreen’s offers “Register Rewards” or “RRs” on sale items. These are basically “Walgreen’s Money”.
A lot of times you will see in the ad a sale like this:
St. Ives Body Wash – $2.99
Register Rewards - $2.00
Like Paying - $.99
That’s a pretty good deal itself if you like St. Ives Body Wash. But, if you had the $1.00 printable coupon for St. Ives Body Wash, your deal would look like this:
St. Ives Body Wash – $2.99
Coupon - $1.00
OOP - $1.99
Register Rewards - $2.00
Like Paying - - $.01
Makes it a $.01 money maker!
Most of time, Walgreens will limit you to one like deal per transaction. So, if you wanted two bottles of body wash, you would do them in two separate transactions. Also, you can’t use the RR you got from the first transaction to pay for the second if you are buying the same thing. You could use it to pay for something else though. Walgreens will only let you use the same number of coupons as you have items. Many times you wouldn’t think you would have more coupons than items, but it’s quite possible if you have a manufactures coupon and a store coupon. Walgreens counts RRs as coupons too. Make sure to have a “filler”item. Some people do this differently. Some will grab the cheapest filler possible. I prefer to buy something I would use, even if I am paying a little bit more for it. I would rather buy a soda for the road than to buy another notebook! It sounds more complicated than it is.
Example:
Transaction One
St. Ives Body Wash – $2.99
Coupon - $1.00
OOP - $1.99
Register Rewards - $2.00
You only used one coupon
Transaction Two
Clearance Pencil - $.10
Wisk Laundry Detergent - $6.99
Manufacures Coupon - $3.00
Walgreen’s Coupon - $1.00
Total- $3.09
Use $2.00 RR from St. Ives - $ 1.09
Receive back $2 RR from Wisk
You used three coupons, the Manufactures Coupon, the Walgreen’s Coupon, and the RR.
So for both transactions you paid $3.08 OOP and still have a $2.00 RR to use on your next purchase. $1.08 for laundry detergent, a pencil, and body wash is a pretty good deal!
It takes some practice to get the hang of the Register Reward program at Walgreens. Don’t get discouraged, it’s really easy once you learn it!
There a guide at Lipstick to Crayons that goes into more detail.
Rite Aid 101
Print coupon policy and take to the store with you.
Sign up for their Wellness card. You will need this to take advantage of UP rewards and SCRs.
Sign up for the video ad program. Earn store coupons by watching short commercials.
You can use store and manufactures coupons.
Rite Aid’s program consists of SCR (Single Check Rebates) and UP Rewards.
SCRs are Rite Aids rebate program. It’s the easiest rebate program there is. After you’re done shopping, you just type in your receipt number on their site and at the end of the month, you can request your check. No mailing in a receipt, very simple.
UP rewards are in addition to the SCR program. UP rewards print on your receipt and can be used immediately.
Example:
Bio true contact solution is on sale for $4.99 with an UP reward of $4.00.
Crest Toothpaste is on sale for $2.99 with an UP reward of $.99
Right Guard Deodorant is B1G1
Huggies Big Pack Diapers is on sale for $19.99 with an UP reward of $2.00 and an SCR off $5.00
Coupons I have:
$5.00 off $25.00 purchase (store)
$4.00 off Bio true (manufactures)
B1G1 Right Guard (manufactures)
$2.00 off Huggies (manufactures)
$1.00 off Huggies (stores)
$1.00 off Crest (manufactures)
My deal would look like this:
Bio True - $4.99
2 Right Guard- $3.99
Crest - $2.99
Huggies - $19.99
Totals - $31.96
Use $5 off $25
$4.00 off Bio True
$2.00 off Huggies
$1.00 off Crest
$1.00 off Huggies
B1G1 Right Guard $3.99
OOP - $15.97
UP Earned - $6.99
SCR Earned - $5.00
Total after UP and SCR- $3.98
