CVS Deals Discussion - Feb & Mar '12

[freesia39]

ALL discussion about CVS deals, coupons, and promotions for the month will take place in this thread. Please do not start a new thread, as they will promptly be CLOSED and you will be directed to post in the new thread.

 

Welcome to the joys of CVS Shopping! Here are some quick details to help you out:

 

What is the CVS Extra Care Program?

The CVS Extra Care program is CVS’s shopping card. You can sign up for a card in store or online at https://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/gateway/registerextracare?LOGINMSG=XTRACAREMSG

With this card, you will have access to their weekly and monthly sale prices. If you do not present your card, you will not be given these sale prices or qualify for the Extra Care Bucks rewards.

 

The greatest benefit of this program is the Extra Care Bucks portion.

 

What is an Extra Care Bucks?

Every month, along with every week, CVS runs sales on particular items where if you buy that item, you will receive a coupon at the end of your receipt with Extra Care Bucks (aka ECBs) that you can use on your next purchase.

 

For example, let’s say Garnier Fructis shampoo is on sale for 2.99 with $2.00 in ECBs. This means you will have to pay the 2.99 upfront for the shampoo, but at the end of your receipt, you will receive a $2.00 ECB that you can use on a future purchase at CVS. It’s like you only paid $0.99 for a bottle of shampoo!

 

At the end of each quarter, CVS will also add up all your spending, and give you a rebate in ECBs based on your spending, which is 2% of the total amount. That’s EXTRA money just for buying items at CVS!

 

Can I use manufacturer’s coupons?

Certainly! Using the example above with the Garnier Fructis shampoo – there are regularly coupons for 1.00 off your purchase of one (1) bottle of their shampoo. The item will ring up at 2.99, then you can use your coupon for 1.00 off, so you wind up paying 1.99 for the item. You STILL get the $2.00 ECB reward – so it’s like getting it for free!

 

Wow! Can I do this over and over?

Unfortunately, there are limits to all the sales. Check the weekly ad and the monthly sales books for the limits. When we post the sales here, we will also list the limits.

 

Can I have more than one CVS card?

The answer in general is no. However, if you have access to another address/name/phone number, you may be able to get a second card.

 

What about prescriptions?

Whenever you fill a prescription, make sure the pharmacy scans your card! Each prescription is 0.50 in ECBs that will be paid out at the end of the quarter.

 

Can I use the ECBs I earn to pay for prescriptions?

Unfortunately, no. They can only be used on store purchases.

 

CVS and Coupons

CVS has a great coupon program. When you sign up for your card, make sure to check that you want CVS to email you coupons and offers. This will put you on their mailing list for future coupons!

 

Most of the CVS coupons are for a certain amount of dollars off a minimum dollar purchase. For example, to start, CVS will email you a coupon to save $4.00 on a $20.00 purchase.

 

When entering your store, look for the CVS card scanning/price checking machine. Scan your card upon entry every time for additional coupons and incentives! Sometimes it's 3.00/10.00 of CVS products, or something FREE!

 

Stacking coupons - I am sad to report the end of coupon stacking, but you can read the details below in the spoiler.

 

Please note, your store may have a different policy regarding the stacking of coupons. IN ADDITION CVS has not been issuing as many e-mail coupons as in the past. Most stacking has been done via CRT coupons, which are the coupons that are generated at the end of your CVS receipt, or from the card scanning machine (if your store has one.)

 

Always make sure you give the cashier your CVS card to scan before you get to the total and start handing over coupons to make sure you get any sale prices.

 

CVS will sometimes have coupons for $3 off a $15.00 purchase, or $2 off a $10.00. The theory regarding CVS purchases are:

Your PRETAX amount is 30.00. You have a coupon for $4 off $20.00, $3 off $15.00, or $2 off $10.00. Hand to the cashier the coupons in this order:

1. The $4 off $20.00 coupon

2. The $3 off $15.00

3. The $2 off 10.00

As long as your total is more than the amount on the coupon, you can keep using coupons.

 

NEXT, give them your manufacturer coupons.

 

FINALLY, give them your ECBs.

 

Hopefully by this point, your out of pocket (OOP) amount is a small number. It may not be at the start, but with constant shopping and deal searching, you’ll build up a good amount of ECBs to use on future purchases.

 

We have come across some stores that will not allow you to stack their money off coupons unless your total equals the amounts of the coupons. For example, if you want to use a $4 off $20 coupon along with a $3 off $15 coupon, some cashiers may say that your total must be $35.00 before you can use the coupon. This rule varies from store to store and from cashier to cashier. We cannot say that CVS will always stack, because the policies are always changing.

 

 

What do they do about B1G1 (buy one, get one free) coupons? I have 2 coupons for the B1G1 covergirl lip product. If I got 2 lip products and used the two coupons would I get both for free or do the B1G1 coupons ring stuff up for 1/2 price?

 

CVS rings up the first item at full price and the second item rings up free. So if you have a BOGO free coupon, you would get both items free.

 

PLEASE NOTE: YMMV (your mileage may vary.) Some stores may not process it, some cashiers may be confused, but in general, the above should happen.

 

 

How to use your ECBs

Please note that you cannot use your ECBs:

- on pharmacy co-pays

- on the purchase of gift cards

Also, ECBs are tied to YOUR card. You will not be able to use the ECBs that are earned by other people. You must also present your card in order to use your ECBs.

 

Please note that your ECBs do have an expiration date and to be mindful of it. If they do expire, you may be able to have customer service reactivate them. Please contact CVS customer service at 800-SHOP-CVS.

 

ECBs can only be used on the PRETAX amount of your purchase. If your pre-tax purchase is 3.99 and you only have a $4.00 ECB, you will not be able to use that ECB – you must use smaller denominations.

 

I bought something that comes with ECBs but it didn’t print out. What gives?!

Check to see if you had previously hit the limit on the offer. It will print on your receipt. Also make sure you bought the correct item or version of the product. If you had not hit the limit, please contact customer service at 800-SHOP-CVS and they will add it to your card to print the next time you are in store.

THE GROUND RULES:

1. Post your experiences shopping at CVS, the deal combos you have found, and the unmarked clearance/ECB deals you have found at your store. Also post your general location if you are comfortable.

2. Do not post links to non CVS authorized coupons. They will be edited out. Authentic CVS coupons come from cvs.com or are located at akamaitech.com.

3. Keep non CVS chatter to a minimum. This is first and foremost a deals discussion. Anything going too far off topic will be deleted.

 

If you have links to printable coupons for items on sale this week at CVS, also post those for others to share.

 

Play nice!

[freesia39]

Weekly Deals:

Check your Local CVS for your weekly deals, as the deals are regional:

http://cvs.shoplocal.com/cvs/default.aspx?citystatezip=%20ZIP%20Code

[freesia39]

So, this year will Valentine's even hit 75% off with anything good?

[AndreaInNC]

Considering they put out 2009 ornaments this year I wouldn't hold my breath.

[shay_n_sc]

There's a huge electonics clearance!

Prism handheld tv - $19.99

portable tv - $19.99

Craig mp3 player - $9.99

GPS for dummies - $19.99

Vivitar digital camera - $9.99

wireless game system - $4.99

 

Those are just the things I found, there is also a dvd player, a camcorder, another type of mp3 player, Cars digital camera.

[tinkrbel]

not sure how to update for April but thought I'd post in case we have any couponers around. After coupons Hershey's easter candies 4/$4 and mars fillers FREE after coupons. coupons mostly from 03/18 and 03/25. There's $2 off 3 hersheys easter candies on back cover of 03/25 Smart Source I believe. Candies are currently 4/$10-2ECBS-$2 machine coupon when you buy $10 easter candy-$2 Manufacturer coupon. 10-2-2-2=4. Mars candies 2/$1 include Snickers Egg or Milky Way bunny I believe the coupon was in the 03/18 inserts. There is an earlier one for Mars but it states bag size, later date doesn't specify size.

 

Combined with some after Easter clearance books/bubbles and stuff from Target for a pretty decent basket. CVS has the gold emblem jelly beans for .99 a bag too, I either missed or they didn't do the free ones this year.

 

Can't find the Walgreens thread but they have the russell stover eggs 3/$1 this week too. Variety/quantity varies by store. I was lucky enough to find a store with plenty of them and a decent variety which didn't stick to limit of 6 printed in paper.

Edited April 2, 2012 by tinkrbel
add

[txsupermom]

Quarterly rewards are out. Also, the women's robes that have been hanging around my CVS for as long as I can remember were marked down to 2.99 originally 9.99. Fabric feels like flannel but a little rough. Bought a few to put away for the "unexpected" reciprocal holiday gifts.

[txsupermom]

Checked my extracare account on line and there was a coupon for "print only - free candy or soda up to $2". Never got an email stating I had a coupon but will start checking my account periodically. Nice little surprise. Anyone else ever had coupons "waiting" in their account without being notified? Guess I will grab a couple Easter extras for baskets today.

[AndreaInNC]

thanks for the tip .. I had one too!!

[amberj365]

nothing on mine..

[goldie]

I have $5 off $25. I KNOW they sent this out on Thurs, but checking my acc on Wed, I could see it already. May be they are out on Mon? That would makes planning my shopping easier.

[HansieDZ]

Good ol CVS:

Easter candy is now 50% off!

(GM 70%)

[AndreaInNC]

There are some good free after ECBs this week. Now I just need to scour for coupons!

[KC-Traderbear]

Wondering if there are any CVS experts who can offer any insight into the 20 or 25% off coupons that are occasionally e-mailed out. It seems to me that these don't offer all that much of a deal. Am I just not using them to my advantage? They can't be used on anything in that week's circular, right? So, basically it's 25% off a regular priced item in their store.

 

I just wonder how others are using these? To me, there is very little at CVS that I would consider to be a good price... even at 25% off regular retail... or IS there?

 

The $4 off $20 that come through occasionally seem like a much better deal since you can use those on ANYTHING.

 

I've been curious about this for awhile and was in there last week to buy mother's day cards. The 25% off wouldn't work on the cards because I was using an extra care card coupon that was a buy 2 can 1 free.

 

TIA!

[freesia39]

Wondering if there are any CVS experts who can offer any insight into the 20 or 25% off coupons that are occasionally e-mailed out. It seems to me that these don't offer all that much of a deal. Am I just not using them to my advantage? They can't be used on anything in that week's circular, right? So, basically it's 25% off a regular priced item in their store.

 

I just wonder how others are using these? To me, there is very little at CVS that I would consider to be a good price... even at 25% off regular retail... or IS there?

 

The $4 off $20 that come through occasionally seem like a much better deal since you can use those on ANYTHING.

 

I've been curious about this for awhile and was in there last week to buy mother's day cards. The 25% off wouldn't work on the cards because I was using an extra care card coupon that was a buy 2 can 1 free.

 

TIA!

Sometimes I get a coupon out of the machine that's 20% off my entire purchase, and I've used it with the ECB promos and earned my ECBs and got the sale price.

 

Sometimes the ECB deals are not sale priced, so you can try to use the 20 or 25% off coupons on those deals. But with the example of the cards, yeah it wouldn't work because of your other coupon.