Coupons 101 - Store Cash (CVS & Extra Care Bucks)

ECB Example

Unlike Walgreens, CVS uses a loyalty card called Extra Care Card.  This card is free and takes seconds to sign-up.  If you do not already have a card, you can sign-up here.  The Extra Care Card allows shoppers to get discounts as advertised in the ad as well as the store cash back offers, Extra Care Bucks (ECBs).  There are a few things one has to consider

• Like Wags' RR, CVS' ECBs are offered when certain items are purchased or a certain dollar amount is reached in purchases.  Unlike RR, not all of the purchases have to be made in a single transaction.  For example, CVS ran a promotion where if you purchased $10 worth of Mar's Easter candy products you would receive $3 in ECBs.  One can buy a candy on Sunday and another on Monday and so on until the dollar amount to earn the ECB is reached.  This ability is helpful if you have only so many coupons to use in a given day.  You can spread the purchases out as needed over the course of the sale period.
• Unlike Wags' RR, ECBs can be used on purchasing the same item over without penalty.  For example, someone buys Crest last week and receive $2 in ECBs.  That $2 ECB can be used toward Crest again this week.
• CVS also does not have a coupon-to-item limit like Wags.  You are able to use multiple ECBs and coupons on your transaction, even if you have more coupons/ECBs than items.
• Since purcahses are tracked with a loyalty card, CVS keeps totals on how many items are purchased.  Often limits are placed on sale items. Make sure that you are not purchasing more items than limits.
• CVS gives extra ECBs for purchases based on total spending.  2% of all purchases are returned to you at the beginning of each quarter.  With couponing, this can really add up without much OOP for you.
• For every 2 prescriptions filled at CVS, you get $1 ECB.

Want to be green?  For $.99 you can buy a Green Tag from CVS.  Put this on a reuseable bag and shop CVS.  For every 4 transactions you make, CVS gives you $1 back in ECBs.  Today (4/23/11) is the last day CVS is also giving $1 back in ECBs just for the purchase of a Green Tag.  So that means you get the tag for free rigth off the bat and still get the $1 back for every four trips to CVS.  Just in the last few weeks I have already earned $4 from this program (not to mention how many plastic trees I saved from the plastic forests).

Good luck!

Coupons 101 - Store Cash (Walgreens & Register Rewards)

I used to believe that the local pharmacy stores, Walgreens (Wags) and CVS, were a waste of time.  I would always buy my items at Target and walked out happy.  I was surprised to learn that I was missing out after all these years.  But after couponing for awhile, I learned that these stores run great sales that, when coupled with coupons and store cash offers, become a bargin store.

Register Reward Examples

Wags offers Register Rewards, RR.  These store coupons can be used on any future transaction as a dollar off coupon (yes, they are a coupon).  Note that a "future transaction" means any purchase right after the one just done.  This means that you can turn around and use the RR on a purchase right there while at the store.  Some of the RR deals may include "buy X-number of items and receive a RR" or "buy $N worth of this product/brand and receive a RR."

Being a coupon, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• The number of items being purchased has to be equal to or greater than the number of coupons being used.  Since RR are a coupon, it has to be counted when doing this math.  Note that Wags counts some multiple item coupons (e.g. $1/2 items) as multiple coupons.  For example, if your purchase 2 candies with a coupon that is $.50/2 candies, you may be using one coupon but Wags counts as two since it applies to 2 items.  Finding out that your total items is under the amount of coupons/RR being used?  Solution: Throw in some filler items (those cheap little items that are under $.40 found throughout the checkout area).  The only exception to this rule is when you are buying a single item.  Then you are able to use (2) coupons.
•  RR can be used on any future purchase.  But if it is used on the same item (and sometimes same brand) any new RR will not print.
• For example, let's assume Colgate Total toothpaste is on sale for $3.  When you purchase, you will receive a $3 RR.  This makes the item essentially free.  But if you take that $3 RR and purchase more Colgate toothpaste, a second RR for $3 will not print.  Solution: Alternate the use of RR.  If you have a RR for buying deodorant the same week, use that RR to buy the toothpaste (then you can use the Colgate RR to buy the deodorant.
• RR deals often have a limit of 1 RR/transaction.  This means you cannot buy 2 toothpastes (based on example above) and receive $6 in RR.  Only 1 $3 RR will print in this example.

RR are as good as cash.  So use these to bring down your total OOP (out-of-pocket) expenses to a manageable amount.  When you use a comination of coupons, RR and Wag coupons, there are great deals to be had.

Good luck and happy couponing!