CVS Trip - Oct 3

If you go to a couponing class or ask a couponer, they will tell you that you can get the most for your money on personal care items at CVS. The trick to grabbing the best buys at CVS are:

1. Enrolling in their ExtraCare card program. It is free, and they don't spam your email. With an ExtraCare card you can get what is called ExtraCare Bucks, or ECB's for short, on qualifying items.

2. Rolling your transactions.
ECB's vary in amount by the products that you buy. It is like gaining free cash. Last week, I bought a bottle of Dawn dish liquid for $0.97, and received $1 in ECB's. Those ECB's can be used at any CVS, just like real money or a coupon! So, you can say I either received my dish soap for free, or got another item for $1 off.

Here comes the essential part. You must 'roll' your ECB's. Say I am going to CVS, I need shampoo, body wash, dish soap and contact solution - the items I needed last week. I split my transactions. I bought shampoo and body wash and gained $6 ECB's, then I bought the dish liquid and contact solution. I was able to use my $6 ECB's along with my coupons for $7.25 off my total purchase.

How my trip measured up:



Price at Walmart $3.48 each

(2) Pantene shampoos @ 2 for 6.97, I had a $3 off two coupon so I paid  $3.97 for the pair, I also received $1 in ECB's for this purchase, so all told, I spent $2.97 for two full size bottles of shampoo - That is $1.48 cents EACH!

 (2) Softsoap body washes @ 2 for $6, I had a $1.00 off coupon and received $4 in ECB's for the pair. So, I paid $1.00 for the pair, that is $0.50 EACH! These sell for $2.98 at Walmart.

The total cost of my first transaction was $10.14, with $5 in ECB's received. :) I used a total $4 in coupons.

Then I bought (1) Dawn dish liquid for $0.97 and used a $1.00 off coupon, dish liquid=FREE! I always use my ECB's to make emergency purchases, and since I left my contact solution at home this past weekend I bought a twin pack of contact solution that was on sale. I used my $5 in ECB's and received $3 more ECB's with the purchase. The twin pack was $13.79

Sells for $13.98 at Walmart

$13.79-$8 in ECB's, That means I paid $5.79 for pair, practically getting one whole bottle of solution for free. :)

The total cost of trip number two was $11.13 (I had to purchase pencil lead for my emergency item with no coupons, the woes of graduate school) and received $3.00 in ECB's. I also used a total of $7.25 in coupons and ECB's.

This was my first time rolling transactions and using my ECB's to pay for the next transaction. It didn't take much more time that planning my regular list. I looked to see what was on sale, marked what ECB's I would get, and then split my transaction to maximize my savings. Overall, I would say it was a very successful trip!