I paid $36.79 for $90.79 worth of products and have $10 Extra Care Bucks for my next trip.
For an explanation of how CVS works, go here.
Sale prices in parenthesis.
TRANSACTION #1
12.6 oz Pantene Natural Fusion Shampoo $4.99 ($2.99)
14 ct Stride Shift Gum $1.49 ($.99)
Total before coupons: $4.11
Coupons used:
$2 Pantene (Vocal Point mailer)
$1.98 Extra Care Bucks
Total spent: $.13 and I received $1.99 in Extra Care Bucks.
TRANSACTION #2:
(husband’s card)
14 count Stride Shift gum $1.49 ($.99)
Total before coupons: $1.03
Coupons used:
$.99 CVS ECBs
Total spent: $.03 and I received .99 ECBs
TRANSACTION #3
30 ct CVS Allergy Tablets (Zyrtec) $17.99 ($12.99)
Total before coupons: $13.90
Coupons used:
$13.90 store credit
Total spent: $0.00 and I received $5 ECBs.
TRANSACTION #4:
(2) HP Printer Ink Cartridges $23.99 each
Total before coupons: $50.99
Coupons used:
$5 off $25 order- CVS email coupon
$16 ECBs (from transactions 1 and 3 and last week’s transactions)
Total spent: $34.00 and I received $10 in ECB’s (making these $12 each!).
TRANSACTION 5:
(husband’s card)
12.6 oz Pantene Nature Fusion Shampoo $4.99 ($2.99)
Total before coupons: $4.19
Coupons used:
$2 Pantene- Vocal Point Mailer
$.99 ECBs (from Transaction #2)
Total spent: $.21 and I received $1 ECB.
Transaction 6:
12.6 oz Pantene Nature Fusion Shampoo $4.99 ($2.99)
Total before coupons: $4.19
Coupons used:
$2 Pantene- Vocal Point Mailer
$.99 ECBs (from Transaction #5)
Total spent: $.21 and I received $1 ECB.
TRANSACTION #7:
AJC double coupon paper $3.00
Total before coupons: $3.21
Coupons used:
$1.00 ECB from transaction #6
Total spent: $2.21
Why did I do multiple transactions?
In order to save the most money, I use ECBs that I already have in order to purchase items that are giving ECBs. This is called “rolling” your ECBs and in a good transaction will yield you a free item plus at least the amount of ECBs that you started out with.
The ultimate goal is to do deals with coupons so that you spend less ECBs than you make, thereby making money. You can also combine manufacturer coupons with CVS $4/$20 order coupons to get more merchandise for free.
I purchased items giving ECBs and used them on my next transactions to limit my out of pocket cost.
I recently just signed up for an second CVS Extra Care Bucks Card under my husband’s name. Do you find it difficult to keep the ECB’s earned under each card separate? I was told by a cashier that I could not use ECBucks earned on my card to pay for items using my husband’s card. She said she would let it go that one time…. just wondering if you run across this obstacle as well?
Sorry, I just saw your post because we were out all day today. It is true that you cannot use ECBs earned from one card on something purchased with the second card. I generally use one card and if there is a really good deal I will use the second card to get an extra one (like the money making Dove Hair Care this week). I wrote our names on the cards and the names print out on the ECBs, so I find it very easy to keep track of which ECBs are on which card. Hope that helps!