Tips & Tricks for Rookies (and Vets, too)

[Mom2my3sons]

Rookies:Suggested Reading


This is specifically designed to shorten the learning curve for CVS newbies.

Please do not post anything that could be considered coupon fraud.

Just to get things started, I will post the first tip:

Shop late on Saturday night. You will get the sale prices from the current week AND the sale prices from the next week. Just remember, you will NOT earn ECBs on products for the next week deals, so don't buy those.

[XUfan]

I try to combine sales with coupons and ECBs to purchase items that I need to buy for a rebate. My husband calls it my grand slam!!
Sale + coupon is a double
Sale + coupon + ECB is a triple
Sale + coupon + rebate is a grand slam!!

You can actually end up getting money back in the mail, for products you spent little or no money on. Money makers!!!

[JANE4girls]

if you know there is a product you can get 5 of for the month, only get one to start with so you have less OOP, then keep rolling the ECB into the next offer until you get your max.

[Not!Jen]

I like to figure out my deals before I go to the store. I put everything in a spreadsheet - product, price, manu coupons, cvs coupons, and ecbs. I know how each thing is taxed, and I figure the total out to the penny. Sometimes, I figure things out multiple ways in case something is out of stock. It helps me get my OOP lower (into the cents range), and it is a thrill when the order rings up to the exact total I expect.

[GeorgiaPeach]

I'll try...
My tip is to plan ahead and make a list. If problems happen and your list can't be filled with available items, then make sure you KNOW what fillers can help you and possible earn your money back. ie. pantene

[kmmmom]

Use the coupons in the right order, it lowers your taxable amount:

I use $x/x, then ECB's, then CVS coups, then man. coup.

[missmara]

My tip is to save those free product coupons from manufacturers to use in combination with $/$$ coupons. That way you fill up the $$ purchase requirement without buying a bunch of extra stuff. :)

/missmara

[firefighterswife]

Since starting CVS since Feburuary I am trying to only buy deals with ECB's. I have bought coke and envelopes and some clearance make up and everything else is ECB buys. The last trip I used an 8 ECB paid .01 OOP and am getting 15 back!!!

[asalvato]

I have a group of family and friends who like to get deals but don't have access to the information here or just cannot pull it together. I specialize in free or money making deals where the coupons are either in the current Sunday paper or can be printed on-line. Each week I send out e-mails letting everyone know what can be done. It makes me feel wonderful and when someone tells me about their CVS runs, it is almost as exciting for me as it is for them. I am going to start advising them to keep coupons that will be helpful in future weeks (because the great folks here post the ads in advance--thank you all soooooooooo much).

I occasionally do a deal that is low cost but I have such a stash that I generally only do free and money making deals. My community has yard sales twice a year. At the next one in April I am going to take all my stash, price it very attractively, and see how much additional cash I can generate. If it goes well, it will be a regular thing. My sister is moving to my community in a few months and we are going to be doing our CVS runs together. It is going to be a blast.

I also give away and even mail coupons to people on my list. I am working towards a group that will work together to find deals, MIR forms, coupons, and anything that help all of us do a better job of making money at CVS. Also when I have coupons expiring soon for current deals, I put them with the product in my CVS as RAOK. This also makes me feel great.

Annie

[beckyr11]

Hold on to the CRTs that print for a specific item ie. go tabs, stayfree, lumene, etc. for ahwile usually these print a week or 2 before there is a great sale or free after ECB.