Looking for all Dealicious Walgreens finds?
Drugstores are the best thing since sliced bread! If you really want to save money, get to know these stores inside and out. You'll be amazed how much you WON'T spend and how much you'll walk out with!
1. You need a CVS ExtraCare Card. You can sign up online or get one in stores. (that will work instantly!) You will need to scan this everytime you do a transaction!
2. Have access to the weekly ads. If you buy newspapers, the ad will be in there, or you can stop by your store on Sunday to get the new one. Online at cvs.com is always an easy option as well. And, of course, I will have all the best deals posted for you here, usually the day before the new ad begins!
3. Understand ExtraCare Bucks. ExtraCare Bucks, or ECBs, are essentially CVS cash! They are printed at the end of your receipt when you buy particular items, and are good for 4 weeks after issued. It will be very clear in the weekly ad and on store tags what items are valid for the ECBs. Many times there will be items that give you the same amount of ECBs as the item price.
{i.e. get $2.99 ECBs when you buy 1 Crest toothpaste @ $2.99}
In the coupon world this means it's FREE! And if you had a coupon, let's say for $1.00 off, then you are actually making $1.00 profit because you paid $1.99 and you now have $2.99 to spend!
Also, even though ECBs are like cash, you cannot get 'change' back for them.
{i.e. my total is $3.75 and I want to pay with a $5 ECB I have}
I will not get $1.25 back. This would be a good opportunity to buy something like eggs or other items that you may need, but aren't really 'deals' on your list. I often use this towards Sunday newspapers!
If you Extra Care Bucks do not print for some reason, you can find out what to do here.
4. Items that are on sale with ECBs have limits per household on them. This is a bittersweet spot about CVS. Many 'free' deals like above have 1 limit. This is not per day, it is per card. If it has a limit of 2 ECB deals that can be done, and you do both of your deals in one transaction, your ECBs will print combined for those items.
{i.e. toothbrushes are on sale for $3.00 and I get $2.00 ECB back. Limit 2. I buy 2 toothbrushes in the same transaction and pay $6.00. I will get a $4.00 ECB on the end of my receipt}
If I buy them in separate transactions, I will get two $2.00 ECBs back. Ideally you want smaller amounts so it is easier to 'roll' them.
5. Know how to Roll your ECBs. The main goal of CVSing is to get your out-of-pocket expenses to a minimum. This means doing multiple transactions can be common.
{i.e. I see two deals I want to do. One is for makeup- $5.00 and $3 ECBs gained, & one is for hair product- $3.00 and $2 ECBs gained. Even though the $5.00 seems more expensive, if you buy it first, you can buy the hair product with the $3 ECB (nothing oop), and get $2 ECB back to save for later}
6. CVS Coupons. There is a price checker in CVS stores that you can scan your card, and coupons print out! How fun! You don't even have to buy anything for these coupons to print. They can also pop up at the bottom of your receipt as well. You may also receive emails with dollar off amounts.
{i.e. get $4 off $20 purchase, or $4/$20} Not getting any email offers? Click here.
There is also a magazine called Reinventing Beauty (sold for .99c) that has really good coupons in it. These are usually at the front by the registers.
Also know that since these coupons are the stores coupons, you can 'stack' them with manufacturers coupons for bigger savings!
Another easy moneymaker and 'green' item is the CVS Green Bag Tag. Learn all about it here.
1. No loyalty card required? This is one of the few stores that does not have a loyalty card.
Pros: Don't need to remember to bring anything with you.
Cons: No perks or extra savings for shopping there often.
2. Have access to the weekly ads. If you buy newspapers, the ad will be in there, or you can stop by your store on Sunday to get the new one. Online at walgreens.com is always an easy option as well. And, of course, I will have all the best deals posted for you here, usually the day before the new ad begins!
3. Understand Register Rewards (RRs). Register Rewards print out separately from your receipt from a catalina machine (like at many grocery stores). RRs are only good for 2 weeks after the print date. Register Rewards are a little trickier than ECBs. Although they seem to be like 'cash', you should treat them as a manufacturer coupon. The idea at Walgreens when you are 'rolling' your RRs is to make sure you have an equal coupon-to-item ratio.
{i.e. I want to buy toothpaste, eyeliner, and gum. I have a coupon for each and want to 'pay' the rest with RRs.}
This will not work because your coupon-to-item ratio is 4:3. In this case, you will need to buy a filler item.
4. Fillers and limits. The best filler items are cheap items so that your OOP expense doesn't jump up. Many times, the weekly ad will have store coupons that make for inexpensive items. If a store coupon is used to discount the price of the item, remember that it will still count towards your ratio needed.
{i.e. (from the previous example) I decide to pick up a Reeses, which is only .30c with the in-ad coupon. Now my ratio is 4:4, and I can now use a RR.}
There are no limits in how many items you can buy that will print out RRs. However, you can only buy one of the RR deal per transaction.
5. Know how to roll your RRs. Another tricky thing about RRs is that you cannot use a RR from one item to buy a repeat item if you want another RR to print.
{i.e. I have bought Dove bodywash and received $3 in RRs. I would now like to buy another Dove bodywash with my previous RR. This scenario will not print out another $3 RR.}
6. Walgreens Coupons. One thing Walgreens is good about is having many various store coupons. You can find store coupons in the following places:
-Weekly ads
-Monthly coupons booklets (located by weekly ads)
-Walgreens coloring book for .99c (located in coloring book section or by pharmacy)
-Diabetes magazine (free, located in pharmacy)
Sometimes there are other opportunities for store coupons that I will let you know about as soon as they come to light!
Store coupons and Manufacturer coupons can be 'stacked' together for a deeper discount.
