CVS -seedlady's wagon train (a guide for newbies.)

[Maur]

What should my goal in all this be? Free merchandise? stocking up? lowest oop? most ECB?

that's exactly the important questions I feel I need to be asking.
Thanks for bringing these up. Seems like each time I go to the store I come away with a different philosophy. This shouldn't be so hard, lol

[seedlady]

Originally Posted by Maur I just got CVS LOVE, lol - my welcome $4 off $20 coupon. What's the best way to do this? Do I need to spend $20 in one transaction? That's the way I read it. Any suggestions?

there are sort of 2 ways to look at it. you could say - i have to spend 16 dollars, and then i can get 4 dollars worth of whatever i want FREE, or you can buy 20 dollars worth of things that pay back ecbs, pay only 16, but get back 20 bucks, so the profit is in the paper, rather than in the product.
i hope that explains it any transaction has to work out to make YOU happy. both approaches are valid, and your choices will sort of waver between them.


are you happier with a free - um- t-shirt or bottle of half and half, or are you happier to go in with 12 ecbs, and come back out with 16? for me, some weeks it's one, some the other.

[deeann7]

Originally Posted by Maur so.... I went into CVS today and was showered with love, I got a $10/50 coupon. and it has to be used soon. Yikes! hoping to be able to put something together for next week's ad. But I want stuff I can use and need. And of course would be great if I got some ecbs back. Any suggestions? If I understand this right I should use this coupon first THEN any other coupons I may have and then pay the remainder with ecbs and/or cash. Am I on the right track?

http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums...-off-50-a.html
This thread might give you some ideas.

[seedlady]

Originally Posted by jillianbee Since this is SUCH a great thread for newbies, and I can't seem to find the answer elsewhere :(, can you tell me where in the store price scanners are usually located? I see lots of threads where people are posting "scan your cards because you may get '____'" but I don't know where to look for the price scanner! I'm picturing it looks something like the ones they have at Target/Walmart that are connected to a pole? Thanks!!! :D

yes, if you have a target one, you should be able to find a cvs one in your store. the main clue i have is to look up- most of the ones i have seen have a banner hanging right above it that says price scanner or price checker- something like that. maybe with a triangle- i'm getting a red triangle in my brain when i think of it.

plan one- look up. plan two- ask a cashier. plan 3- somewhere on the cvs forum there is a store by store list of them , listed by state. i searched and found it a few weeks ago, but i'm not a good searcher, so if anyone locates it, feel free to leave a link here.

[deeann7]

Originally Posted by seedlady if anyone locates it, feel free to leave a link here.

I think this is what you were looking for :

Stores with scanners

[seedlady]

it's the end of the week .

time for a test.

name the 3 standard inserts.

bonus points if you can tell me what "gm" and "k" would stand for, on lists of inserts. ( these you will have to figure out - i didn't tell you !)

where will you find the date of the insert, later when you need a coupon?


is it possible, on this site, to find out when a certain coupon came out?



essay question: why might you buy things at cvs that you do not personally need?

bonus points for 3 ways you can get rid of ( i mean donate..... grin) these extras.

[seedlady]

http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums...must-read.html


i went down to the bottom of the page and copied the link for joining the trading forum. there is a LOT of reading to do there, and then you need to apply to be a trader.


have fun !

[seedlady]

let me discuss trading for a minute.

in any trade, you are trying to get things you need, while dumping things you don't need.

what i expect from anyone who learns to trade from me is: your goal is to be the more generous of the 2 people involved.

a good trade is one where both people are happy at the end. for example, if you have a baby, and your next door neighbor has a cat- you hand over ALL the cat food coupons you can find, and you throw in cat litter coupons, and she gives you a fine stack of diaper coupons, and maybe she has some gerber ones that she found somewhere.

both people are happy. you have no cat, so you don't need friskies. she has no baby, so huggies coupons are bookmarks to her.


that is the basic idea to trading- but we do it by mail. you will make a specific deal- i need 6 gillette shampoo coupons from the 1/18 p&g, and i'll be glad to mail you 14 soyjoy coupons. deal? ( it's done in pms, btw, and KEEP the pms till both sides arrive.)

the numbers don't need to be equal, and the values don't need to be equal. it just needs to be fair. and fair is when both people are happy.



now, when the basic deal is made, and you have shaken hands

** deal? deal! **

you cut out the coupons-

(make SURE you have them before you shake- look at them. i made a deal once for cereal coupons i KNEW i had, and my kid had thrown them into recycle the week before. i had to go to the store and buy more cereal to make the trade good, and it ended up costing me 6 or 7 bucks. kid lived, but i wasn't happy. but, i had made a deal.)

-and put them into the envelope. an ounce is somewhere around 35 to 40 coupons. fill the rest of the envelope with other coupons that you won't use. if you have any "hot " coupons you don't want, share a couple. and hope that i trained the other trader!

if you don't collect box tops for education ( btfe) throw in a couple from your cheerios. she might. if you have a bunch of stickers, throw some in. she might have a child- or she may like them herself. try to make it an envelope that will be FUN to open.


i have gotten some that have made me say "Oh My Goodness " as i find more and more stuff. and i try hard to mail that kind. i want to be the winner in the generosity sweepstakes. and some people have said "Oh My Goodness " about mine. it is fun!



test ? why keep the pms till both envelopes arrive? anybody?

[jennifermevans]

test ? why keep the pms till both envelopes arrive? anybody?

My answer would be "just in case". If the deal happens to go south, you have all of the communication!

[seedlady]

Originally Posted by jennifermevans My answer would be "just in case". If the deal happens to go south, you have all of the communication!

bing bing bing bing- we have a winner !