Drug Stores

How To... CVS






Step One? Sign up for an Extra Care card. This is your key (well, card) to all the great deals available to you at CVS.

Every week, there are certain deals to be had using your card. When you purchase these items, you receive Extra Bucks on your receipt. These can be used almost like cash (you can't purchase a few items, like alcohol or tobacco with them... the limitations are printed right there on the EB) on your next visit to CVS. When you combine these deals with manufacturer's coupons, things begin to get fun...

Example 1


Let's say that Crest ProHealth is on sale at CVS this week for $2.99. When you buy a tube, you receive $2.00 in Extra Bucks, essentially making the toothpaste only cost $.99. However, last week there was a coupon in the Sunday paper for $1 off any Crest toothpaste. Combine the deals, and you have just purchased a tube of toothpaste for just tax. Here's the math:

             Crest ProHealth  $2.99
             Coupon            - $1.00    
             Extra Bucks*    - $2.00
                                         -.01

* Your Extra Bucks will print on your receipt. So you will pay $1.99 plus tax, and get $2.00 back.

Now once you do your first CVS trip, you can start doing this thing called 'rolling'. Rolling is when you use your Extra Bucks to buy other items that will earn you more Extra Bucks.

Example 2


So you have your Extra Bucks from the Crest deal last week. This week, Gillette razors are on sale for $9.99. You will receive $5.00 back in Extra Bucks. There was also a $4 coupon available in the paper. This time, I am going to show the math exactly to what you will pay out of pocket. You'll see the Extra Bucks at the end. Here you go:

             Gillette ProFusion   $9.99
             Coupon               - $4.00
             Last weeks EB    - $2.00          
                                          $3.99 - Pay this out of pocket and receive $5.00 back on your receipt.

If you continue to roll your Extra Bucks every week, you can usually keep your out of pocket expenses low while still building a stockpile of the items you use most.

Check back here weekly, as I will be posting match-ups, as well as deal scenarios where I'll show you how to do the deals for as little out of pocket as possible!