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Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Readers…Meet CVS

We pass it every six miles; CVS is becoming as popular on city corners as some other well known locations such as Starbucks and McDonalds. CVS has great weekly sales but are you really utilizing their great reward’s program???

What is CVS’s Extra Care Plan? CVS has a wonderful reward program called the Extra Care Plan. Anyone can sign up for an Extra Care Card. Some of the store’s sales do not apply to your purchase unless you present your CVS card (or phone number) to the cashier. Many people have the card, utilize the sales, but do not know how to use the actual rewards.

What are Extra Care Bucks? The CVS rewards that couponers are familiar with are the “Extra Care Bucks” (ECBs) program. ECBs are found at the bottom of your receipt when you buy a weekly item that has an ECB reward. In addition, cardholders earn back 2% of non-prescription purchases and $1 Extra Buck for every two prescriptions purchased. These earnings are then rewarded quarterly, delivered as ECBs. Quarterly rewards are paid out four times a year – on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1. I call ECBs CVS’s version of “monopoly money.” The “money” is only good at CVS locations. They carry an expiration date so it is very important to pay close attention to your ECBs (again staying organized.)

What is an ECB Sale? CVS often advertises deals that they bill as “Free after Extra Care Bucks.” The best way for me to define what this means is to offer an example. Let’s pretend Colgate Toothpaste is $2.99 this week and is listed as a “Free after Extra Care Bucks” item. When you buy the toothpaste for $2.99 with the money from your wallet, you are paying out of pocket, however, when you get your receipt back, CVS rewards you with $2.99 in ECBs. You just got back $2.99 to put toward ANY*(not to be used during the same purchase for which you receive the ECBs) item in the store. You can buy diapers, printer ink, detergent, etc. Why not buy the FREE after ECB item? You didn’t lose any money because you are putting the $2.99 ECB toward your next purchase…whatever you went into the store for in the first place. Thus you go home with the item you need to purchase and an extra tube of toothpaste. You don’t need it? Then donate it.

What do I, personally, do with my ECBs? I don’t use ECBs on items I need (unless I have an overflow on extra ECBs.) I use my ECBs to buy my next ECB items. This means I keep recycling my ECBs. CVS is not seeing my cash. They are seeing the CVS monopoly money at the bottom of my register tape (receipt).

Give it a try, folks. Once you get the handle of it, you will be so thankful for CVS and their loyalty program.

*ECBs cannot be used for alcohol, tobacco, prescriptions, and some other similar purchases.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi! I just wanted to tell you that we must share the same brain. I saw you on Dr. Phil yesterday and quickly ran to get my husband because it was so funny how we do things the exact same. I am teaching my friends and family members and my church family how to be a frugal shopper and everyone is just in awe!! It is so fun and so addictive. I absolutely love it, and I just wanted to tell you how much I love your blog and that I will be sending my folks your way to get the hang of everything.

Happy Shopping!!

Kellye

Anonymous said...

I love CVS as well! I just went there yesterday and bought A BUNCH of stuff that all ended up costing me 85 cents.

One tip, I try to buy MIR items there b/c then I get cash back from the companies, which I (of course) can use anywhere, not just at CVS.

Yesterday I went in with $10 in ECB, came out with $12.50, and am expecting $7 on a rebate (Ensure, that I'm going to donate to the cancer center nearby since none of us like them).

Anonymous said...

Hi,

How can I check to see how much ECB I have, if any?

This is all so interesting. Thanks for sharing the information.

Debora

Anonymous said...

Debora--They should give you a print out at the end of your receipt. Then the next time you come in/whenever you want to use them, you give them that and they scan it. I don't think they can do it w/o the receipt.

Anonymous said...

can you please explain this last part to me one more time? You don't use your ECBs to buy things you need, but to buy your next ECB purchase.....what does that mean?

Anonymous said...

Katie, I have learned to never say never. I should not have said never. I have used my ECBs to buy things I buy, but often the ECBs are for things I would get. My point is that I keep recycling my ECBS. I buy something with ECBs, get ECBs back, and repeat...this keeps me from using cash.

Anonymous said...

I am a newbie at this and on my first trip to CVS using this method of shopping i saved nearly $30.00 and got $14 in ecb's. I am sooo excited and will shop this way FOREVER. Thank you so much for this blog.I love it. Can you tell me what stores accept competitors coupons?

Anonymous said...

Good job, CohenPerez!

Anonymous said...

Hi..I have just started the EB Game and I am loving it. However, I have one question. Is there a limit to how many ECBs you can get in one transaction? I went to CVS the other day and I got the 3/$10 cereal and received my $5 ECBs, but I also got the Huggies deal (get $5 ECBs wyb $20) and I did not receive my $5 ECBs for that purchase. Was it because they were in the same transaction? I am going to CVS today in hopes of using three different ECB deals so I really wanted to find that out before I try! Thanks so much!!

Anonymous said...

Family of Faith,
Good work thus far. No there is not a limit to how many ECBs you can get back in a transaction. There is a limit to sales at CVS. It sounds like you were doing two different sales, though, so that should not be a problem. Were you meaning to do the Huggies sale at Walgreens and not CVS?

Anonymous said...

Hmm...I might have been...I thought I saw a sign in CVS that said "Spend $20 on any of these products (listing Huggies, Johnsons, and a few others) and get $5 ECBs"...I could just be all mixed up though! LOL. I am having a ball doing this though! I had $7ECBs left from my last couple of visits, so today I used coupons and got two bottles of Herbalicious, used a coupon and $5 of my ECBs and actually MADE MONEY! I had to buy some candy to make it over PLUS I got another $2 ECB! I also went to Walgreens and got two tubes of Colgate Total and two cans of AJAX for $2 OOP after my coupons. I would have gotten a really awesome deal on the Glade motion sensors but they were all sold out. They said to check back in the morning! I am still a little confused on how the RR work, but hopefully it'll dawn on me soon. Thank you so much for all of your help! Oh, I forgot to mention that I scanned my card at CVS and received a $3/$15 coupon! YAY!

Anonymous said...

Hi! i just wanted to ask you a question. Can you use two coupons at CVS for BIGI free items? Like this week for Revlon? I wasnt sure if CVS or Walgreens accepts two coupons like this? Thanks so much for what you do! Casey

Anonymous said...

Casey,
Yes you can use 2 coupons on b1g1 items. However, I did notice at Walgreens this week my second coupon not scanning on the b1g1 items so I am wondering if Walgreens cash registers don't allow this anymore...moral of the story - you should be able to.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I saw you on the Dr.phil show and that is how I got on to your web-site. I never was one to use coupons but I am willing and ready to start clipping. I have been going to CVS for a couple years and never new how ther rewards worked. Thanks so much for letting us know I can't wait to start using my free money.

Anonymous said...

So I went to CVS and attempted to use two $2 coupons for the Revlon B1G1 deal...THEY TOOK IT!! They were really backed up and I went to the line where a photo or pharmacy tech was ringing people. He didn't even look at the coupons. But they did not give the ECB's on the dry idea deodorant. I will be going back there to get them. Thanks!!!

Debbie said...

How do you know at the time of purchase if you will get the ECB's? Also is CVS still taking expired ECB's? I know they were for a while.
Debbie

Frugal Coupon Living said...

Debbie, no expired ECBS however you can call once and they will give you a grace period - call corporate. As for ECBS, yes the sales fliers and my weekly shopping lists tell you which items you will get ECBs back on. Happy Saving!

Anonymous said...

If I have, say, 6 different ECBs that add up to $20, do I have to buy 6 different items or can I buy 1 item that costs $20?

Frugal Coupon Living said...

Annathechef, this would be the case at Walgreens but not at CVS. You do not need to get 6 items to use all 6 ECB receipts.

cohenperez said...

Ashley,

First congrats on the news of having a baby. I have a question if it does not say offer limit reached on the receipt does that mean i can purchase more and still receive ecb's for the item? Another question if i want to use a sc and a manu coupon which do i hand in first? I recently read something on that but can not find the post. I was so excited when i went to cvs and got $34.00 worth of stuff for ready .24 CENTS. I am learning very fast.

Frugal Coupon Living said...

Yes, Cohenperez - if it does not say limit reached you can buy more. It sometimes says a number left to reach (this is the number of times more you can buy it.) It does not matter which coupon you hand to the cashier first. Good job on that purchase! That is GREAT!

cohenperez said...

Ashley,
I ask about the sc and mc because even though it was intended for me it beeped and said not for the correct recipient cashier checked the last 4 numbers on the sc and manually put it thru. it also did not print my ecbs (had to call corporate)anyway thanks for all your help

Mom Uncensored said...

Hi! At CVS on B1G1 item do you have to buy 2 items to get the B1G1 price or can I buy just 1 item? Thanks!

Frugal Coupon Living said...

you must buy two items.

Unknown said...

Jenny can you use more than one ECB coupon on a transaction.
for instance two ECB coupons on one transaction.
thanks