LEARNING HOW TO SHOP CVS
Generally speaking,CVS is the easiest store to work with. It is a favorite of many couponers because they are so very generous with their policies and in issuing coupons. CVS also holds a very positive reputation for being coupon-friendly and their customer service is tops.
The first thing you need when you start shopping at CVS is an Extracare card. You can request one online HERE or get it instantly in store. The Extracare card is something you are going to want to have scanned every time you go to CVS and make a purchase. This is how you will get your ECB's.
Extra Care Bucks (ECB's or EB's) are coupons that print out at the bottom of your CVS receipt and are usually for a dollar amount off a product or entire purchase. ECB's have an expiration date, just like coupons do, but they can be used in addition to manufacturer's coupons so you can stack them. There may be times when your ECB's don't print. In that case, you will need to see a store manager and have them force print them from the register. ALWAYS READ YOUR RECEIPTS.
Next you may want to take the time to purchase a Green Bag Tag. You can get those for .99 at your local CVS and have them scan it every time you shop at the cash register. You will need to attach your Green Bag Tag to a reusable shopping bag and bring it in every time you shop. On every 4th visit you will get a $1.00 ECB! (That is basically .25 for each time you shop with a reusable tote!)
Let's keep it going, cause there is more! Each time you visit CVS you will want to head over to the coupon scanner. Here you can scan your card and the machine will print out coupons. Continue to scan your card until the screen tells you no more coupons are available. These are store coupons you can stack. They are always a variety so you not want to plan them into your shopping trip that day.
So, the bottom line is to continue to roll your ECB's from week to week with your manufacturer's coupons and any other deals. By doing so you will continue to keep your costs down and even walk away with free items! With enough ECB's you may be able to use them towards an entire purchase and pay nothing!
CVS always has what they call an Advisory Panel. You can register for it HERE by filing out a quick form online. It's purpose is to serve as a virtual focus group for CVS and you may get an opportunity to be selected to do participate in a study. CVS will then compensate you for your time with ECB's! It's definitely something that is worth the time to register for.
WALGREENS 101
Walgreens may not be at the top for being known as the best deals with coupons but with a little knowledge you could walk away with some good deals on occasion. They may however take a little more work than the rest of the stores. Because there is no definite policy for coupons for Walgreens (at least not one that we have found), they do hold a bit of freedom from store to store as to how they allow for coupons.
A few basic facts that may help your shopping experience at Walgreens:
REGISTER REWARDS:
Walgreens has a Catalina Program (these are coupons that spit out of the register after you make a purchase, usually for a dollar amount that can be used towards your next shopping trip ~ similar to ECB’s @ CVS) they refer to as “Register Rewards”. These can be a bit-confusing ad tricky in the beginning.
A Register Reward is a manufacturer coupon and can only be used at Walgreens, unless you shop at a store that accepts Competitors Coupons. If so, you can apply them there.
A few basic facts that may help your shopping experience at Walgreens:
- Walgreens DOES allow for “stacking” of coupons- you can use 1 manufacturer coupon and one Walgreens coupon per item as long as neither coupon prohibits it.
- .Walgreens does not price match other stores (this could change with the competitive market).
- .Walgreens will not give cash back on the difference of a coupon. Should you have a $1.00 coupon for a $0.99 purchase they will adjust the coupon instead.
- Walgreen’s will not allow a post-sale coupon. If you forget to use the coupon at the time of purchase, you will need to return the item and re-purchase it with the coupon. This can be frustrating so make your list ahead of time.
- You only need 1 Walgreens coupon regardless of how many items you buy. The Register will automatically deduct the coupon amount for every item in the transaction that is allowed for with the Walgreens coupon. They usually state a limit on the bottom of the coupon.
REGISTER REWARDS:
Walgreens has a Catalina Program (these are coupons that spit out of the register after you make a purchase, usually for a dollar amount that can be used towards your next shopping trip ~ similar to ECB’s @ CVS) they refer to as “Register Rewards”. These can be a bit-confusing ad tricky in the beginning.
A Register Reward is a manufacturer coupon and can only be used at Walgreens, unless you shop at a store that accepts Competitors Coupons. If so, you can apply them there.
TIPS TO TARGET
· Target has their own store coupons that can be combined with manufacturer coupons for even more savings! This is how you stack and get the best deals.
· You can print their coupons directly from their site. They are reset almost monthly.
· Target has gift card promotions that may be weekly, monthly or could be longer than that. You can see these by either looking in the weekly ad (not always advertised) or for signs in-stores. Most of the time you will have to buy certain participating products and then you’ll get a Target gift card when checking out. You won’t be able to use the gift card on that purchase, but you can use the gift card on future purchases.
· Make sure you look for coupons hanging on products (peelies on products or tear pad of coupons). These can always help you get an unexpected deal.
· If a coupon has the Target logo on it, then it is a Target coupon. But now Target puts out “manufacturer” coupons, with their logo in the background so be careful when using these. They are suppose to be accepted anywhere, but a lot of stores are skeptical of accepting a coupon with another store’s logo on it.
· Target will do ‘price matching’ , but you must bring in the ENTIRE insert to the store so they can verify sale dates.
Here are some Tips for Shopping at Target:
· Target has their own store coupons that can be combined with manufacturer coupons for even more savings! This is how you stack and get the best deals.
· You can print their coupons directly from their site. They are reset almost monthly.
· Target has gift card promotions that may be weekly, monthly or could be longer than that. You can see these by either looking in the weekly ad (not always advertised) or for signs in-stores. Most of the time you will have to buy certain participating products and then you’ll get a Target gift card when checking out. You won’t be able to use the gift card on that purchase, but you can use the gift card on future purchases.
· Make sure you look for coupons hanging on products (peelies on products or tear pad of coupons). These can always help you get an unexpected deal.
· If a coupon has the Target logo on it, then it is a Target coupon. But now Target puts out “manufacturer” coupons, with their logo in the background so be careful when using these. They are suppose to be accepted anywhere, but a lot of stores are skeptical of accepting a coupon with another store’s logo on it.
· Target will do ‘price matching’ , but you must bring in the ENTIRE insert to the store so they can verify sale dates.
STORE POLICIES
There will always be times when you may run into a problem when using your coupons. Unruly cashiers that may not know the stores policy can really put a damper on a good shopping trip full of savings! You may want to familiarize yourself with your stores coupon policy. Here are some links below.
A & P ~ this link is for their store coupons that you can print. they don't post a coupon policy, but since they allow for you to print from their site, one can only guess they allow Internet coupons. My experience is that they do and they also double anything under $1.00 automatically. You can also stack coupons at A & P as well.
Big Y
Stop & Shop
Target
Walmart
Walgreens
