CVS101 - Part 3 - Limits & Stacking

A few random notes about shopping and saving at CVS:

Limits:

There is usually a limit between 1 and 5 on how many of the Extra Buck items you can buy – it’s often printed in small print underneath the item in the ad.

Weekly vs. Monthly Deals:

There are weekly deals and monthly deals. The weekly deals are advertised in the weekly fliers and the monthly deals (which are good for the entire month) are advertised in a monthly booklet.

Monthly deals usually have higher limits than weekly deals and are sometimes advertised in the weekly ad as well to generate more attention.

Stacking manufacturer’s coupons with CVS coupons:

After several weeks of using your CVS Extra Buck card, you’ll also start to receive CVS coupons at the end of your receipt. You can also scan your Extra Buck card at the free-standing machine in most stores to receive these. These are called CRTS (Cash Register Tape).

Most stores will let you stack one manufacturer coupon with one CVS coupon for an item.

So, if I had a $1 CVS coupon for the Speedstick Deodorant I mentioned in the last post, my transaction would look like this:

Buy 1 Speedstick Pro Deodorant for $2.99
Use a $1.50 internet printable coupon
Use $1.00 CVS CRT
Pay $ .49 for the deodorant (either on a gift card or with cash)
Earn $2.00 in Extra Bucks You just MADE $1.51 at CVS

And that is the fun of shopping at CVS!

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CVS101 - Part 2 - Rolling Extra Bucks

Extra Bucks

Extra Bucks are coupons that print at the end of your CVS receipt that can be used like cash at CVS.


Cash Register Tape (CRTS)
CRTS are coupons that print at the end of your CVS receipt just like Extra Bucks


Your first goal in shopping at CVS is to roll your Extra Bucks. Rolling your Extra Bucks means to use Extra Bucks to purchase items that will earn you MORE Extra Bucks.


Your second goal in shopping at CVS is to not only roll your Extra Bucks, but to earn “overage” each week so that you can purchase groceries you need for free with Extra Bucks. You earn overage by using manufacturers coupons.

For Example:

1. Buy 1 Speedstick Pro Deodorant for $2.99


2. Use a $1.50 internet printable coupon


3. Pay $1.49 for the deodorant (either on a gift card or with cash)


4. Earn $2.00 in Extra Bucks
   
   You just MADE $.50 at CVS

Is your mind completely blown yet?

Are you thinking of all the times you stared at the CVS ad in your Sunday paper wondering who on earth bothers with "Extra Bucks"?

We'll pause here for you to recompose yourself and stop beating yourself up for all the deals you missed.

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CVS101 - Part 1 - Overview

The first steps to getting started at CVS:

1. Obtain a CVS Extra Bucks card (either online or in store)


2. If you purchase prescriptions, use a prescription coupon (get a $25 CVS gift card with a new/transferred prescription) to help get you started.


3. Buy a few items using your gift card that will be cheap or free after Extra Bucks to earn your first Extra Bucks.


4. Now, roll your Extra Bucks - use coupons, Extra Bucks and your gift card to purchase toiletries, make-up, paper products, and more for FREE.


5. Occasionally you can use manufacturer’s coupons to get items BETTER than free.

That's CVS in a nutshell, next we'll dig into the nitty gritty of how to legally walk out of CVS with lots of things you didn't pay money for.

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