CVS Coupon Deals and Transaction Scenarios 10/3 to 10/9

I started putting together scenarios in July after talking with a friend who insisted that you could shop at CVS for FREE after an initial $25 investment. If this was true, it would work well with my budget. : ) So I decided to give it a try.

Step 1: Buy a $25 CVS gift card. (This helps you to see how much of your initial investment money you've spent.) Tip: If you have to actually buy your $25 gift card, buy it from somewhere that gives you rewards for your purchase (your local grocery store perhaps, Upromise, MyPoints). (I'm a member of MyPoints which allows you to earn pts. for looking at advertisements, among other things. It's slow going, but it doesn't cost me any money. I look at one or two a day and wait for my pts. to accumulate. When I have enough I can redeem them for gift cards. So, to jump start my CVS shopping I redeemed some of my pts. for a $25 gift card.)

Step 2: Get a CVS ExtraCare card (ask for one in the store) and a CVS Green Bag Tag. The tags cost about $1. Hook that tag around any reusable shopping bag (it can even be a plastic CVS bag from a previous purchase) and remember to take it with you to CVS. Every time you go in and make a purchase be sure to have the cashier scan your tag. (Your card will only record 1 scan per day.) You will earn $1 ECB every 4th time the tag is scanned. : ) (Your Green Bag Tag can be used with any CVS ExtraCare card. So the next time you go CVS shopping with a friend, let them use your tag too. Both your card and your friend's card will record one scan.)

Step 3: Clip/gather your coupons and get ready to go shopping. If this is your first trip to CVS you will not have the ECBs to pay for purchase #1. That's okay. This is where you will want to use your $25 gift card to pay for your purchases.

Note: CVS will not accept any internet coupon with a barcode that does NOT scan.


WEEKLY PURCHASES

These are not in transaction scenarios yet, but I wanted to go ahead and put this post up for you. I'll try to put everything into scenarios tomorrow.

All Revlon Nail Polish $3.99/1
- $1/1 Revlon Color Cosmetics Items (SS 9/12/10) Regional Coupon = $2.99/1
- $3 ECBs (Limit 6) = FREE
(also $7/$15 Revlon Color Cosmetics CRT - buy 4 using 4 MFC and this CRT = $4.96 OOP; Get 4 $3 ECBs = MAKE $7.03.)

1 Schick Hydro Razor 3 or 5 1 ct. $8.97/1
- $4/1 Schick Hydro Razor 5, exp. 11-14-10 (SS 10/3/10) = $4.97/1
[or $4/1 Schick Hydro Razor 3, exp. 11-14-10 (SS 10/3/10)]
- $5 ECB (Limit 1) = FREE

1 Bausch & Lomb Re-Nu Sensitive 12 oz. $7.99/1
- $7.99 ECB (Limit 1) = FREE

1 Robitussin To Go $0.99/1
- $2/1 Robitussin To Go Printable = FREE

1 TENA Underwear 14-16 ct. $11.99/1
- $1.50/1 Tena Serenity Pad, Underwear or Guard, exp. 11-30 (SS 8/1/10) = $10.49/1
[or $2/1 TENA Underwear, exp. 10-31-10 (Better Homes & Gardens, June)]
- $2 ECBs (Limit 1) = $8.49/1
- $11.99/1 FREE After MIR Tena Underwear, exp. 12-31-10 (SS 10/03/10) = MAKE $1.50


I have these ECBs from last week: (1) $3.50 ECB for Rembrandt, (2) $5 ECBs for Revlon, (1) $1.80 ECB for Schick, and (1) $5 ECB for Physicans Formula.