Tips: Tips & Tricks for Rookies (and Vets, too)

[southernbird]

I also have used the rx gift cards only on ecb items .

[Clipper]

While you're shopping scout the store for coupons. The best places are the pharmacy counter and the cooler doors. Look for coupon fliers or FREE in-store magazines which usually have a coupon for something inside. The cooler doors can have tearpads attached.

[tinabuggy]

I put in exactly or close to the amount of ECB that I am earning even if I have coupons to lower the cost that way I can purchase things I need or want with the extra savings. I'm at the point where I don't want to make any more ECB but keep them rolling. Here's an example

Gum $1.00
Gum $1.00
Schick Razor $7.99 (Earn $5.00 ECB)
Excederin $1.99 Earn ($1.00 ECB)
LA Looks $2.87 Earn ($2.87 ECB)
Paper plates $3.19

$3 off $15
$2.99 ECB
$2.99 ECB
$3.00 CRT Excederin
$3.00 Mfg Razor
$1.00 Mfg Excederin
$1.00 Mfg Gum
$1.00 Mfg Gum

Paid 26cents OOP and got paper plates that I needed. Now that I'm typing this up, I notice that I could have actually gotten more things I need due to the fact that I only put in $5.98 in ECB and earned $8.87 in ECB. I have managed to get 17 packs so far and I have a couple of CVS napkins. If you buy the CVS paper plates and spend over $10 on CVS items be sure to use your $2/$10 CVS products.

Now watch there won't be any paper plates left for me. Oh well then I will start getting CVS garbage bags or napkins.

[summermay]

Ask if your store will price-match. Mine does so even better saving if you can with an ecb deal.

[Not!Jen]

Another tip is that you don't need to save up a lot of ECBs or spend a lot out of pocket before you can get your orders under $1. I made three trips with "high" OOP costs before things got into the cents range.

My first purchase was a tube of Colgate - $1.67 OOP, earned $2.99 ECB.

My second purchase was 2 Viactiv's - $7.10 OOP (used $2.99 ECB), earned $11.98 ECB.

My third purchase was Alavert - $2.01 OOP (no ECBs, I let the last set print at the register this time because it saves more in tax), earned $5 ECB.

I think I have made four trips since then, and all have been less than $0.50. I have $12 OOP invested, I have about $100 of product (based on sales prices), and I have $16 in outstanding ECBs.

[bravesrule62382]

Originally Posted by amti I ALWAYS shop with a calculator at CVS! I need it to calculate each order to the nearest penny under $1 so that I am out less cash. I jot down prices of sale items that I want, then tally them up to use up one of the CVS $x off $xx coupons. Then I deduct my coupons to see how I can use my EBs to get my total as close to under a dollar as possible. Sometimes I have to play around with my items by moving them from one transaction to another, or I will have to add something small like a candy bar to up my total. I also try to only buy things that I need AND are on sale with a coupon.

I do what most of the others do, but I do have a follow-up to this one.

I usually use a calculator at home to find the best combination, but sometimes CVS is out of items in my plan - - so sometimes I rework it using a calculator from the CVS stationary section :Nod: I know I know - I should carry one, but my purse is already too heavy! Just wanted to throw it out there in case anyone else has ever had that come up!

[tylianna]

View the "Hot Clearanced Items" forum here on HCW and grab coupons for the clearanced items and put them with your cvs coupons (I have a separate envie for each of my grocery stores, and one for each of my cards at CVS) I am thinking of buying a small coupon filer (that we laugh at) and keep those for separate transactions... Like Sunday CVS, Tuesday CVS, Thursday, and Saturday (for the ECBs to print out) and for separate transactions at stores... But, I use my clearanced or FAC coupons to build up my dollar amount.... When we had the $10/$50 coupons, I LOADED up on $40 of free makeup and used the other $10 for something that would generate ECB....

When you are looking at things to buy, DON'T BUY THEM JUST BECAUSE THEY GENERATE ECB!!!!! Unless you need/want them, only buy them if it will be an equal or GREATER ECB deal. example:
I have a 7.99 ECB from lipstick
razor is 9.99 with and I have a $2 coupon for it, and I use my 7.99 ECB to pay for the rest, I would only get $4 ECB back... I lost 3.99 ECB
I would not buy it, since I don't need any more razors, and I am NOT going to pay even 3.99 for it...

Learn your CVS's coupon/ecb rules:ONE of my stores will allow me to use mfg coupons and peelies together... in fact they INSIST that I do, so they don't get in trouble... They will NOT however allow me to use peelies on products unless THEY take them off.

One of my CVS's won't price adjust a coupon for a clearanced amount.
Alot of my CVS's have the items that are clearanced everywhere else marked as "clearance get it while it lasts" but it is FULL price.

I know this, so I don't go to CVS specifically for the free crap, when I know it is not going to be clearanced.

Be nice! You will have the crabby cashiers who's only mission is to stop these evil people from getting good deals, and when you know who they are, and when they work, try not to go in at that time. If you cannot avoid it, just smile and say hi to them when you walk in. Chat with them, and find SOMETHING nice to say to them. All other cashiers, as long as you're nice to them, they are nice to you. If you are knowlegeable about what to do when the register beeps... "you might have to price adjust that coupon to .82 since it is clearanced" They might see that you know what you are doing.

If you can, try to keep yourself low key. Don't go in with 5 cards and get 10 bottles of shampoo with each card. They only think you are crazy and trying to get away with something. LOL

[backyrat]

If you know you might have a complicated order, let other customers go first, especially if they only have a couple of items. I find that if the cashier feels rushed because she has a long line, they are less likely to cooperate.

becky

[backyrat]

may sound simple, but ALWAYS do the money making and free deals, even if you don't need the items. you can always give them away or sell them.

becky

[obrother]

RainChecks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! some cashiers will give you a rain check with the ECB amounts deducted from price of an Item they are out of and you really wanted.

Not all will but they all are allowed to. This allows you to get the item the next week for what it would have cost you after ECB the week the deal was going.

Like I said not all cashiers or managers or stores will do this for you but some will. so always ask for it regaurdless. I have couple stores that do this for me when they are out of something thats a hot deal. I also have a couple anti coupon stores that will not allow this. LOL

Also if you have ECB that have expired, ask to speak with the manager. some times they will take them. I had one that was for 20.00 and I had been really sick and could not get out to use it before it expired. it was expired just a week. But the manager at one of my CVS was very nice and said yes he would go ahead and accept it.