CVS ~ Other: When did you begin CVSing?

[oliviar519]

Just wondering when everyone else started CVSing? And what was your first deal (if you remember)

I started 3 years ago this month. Back then we were able to share the coupons that CVS emailed out, and CVS was 2 blocks from where I worked. I started with the Energizer deal. After CVS coupon they were free and with every $20 you "spent" on Energizer batteries you got $5 in ECBs (limit 5). So, not only were we getting batteries for free at Christmas time but for every 4 packages you get you also got $5 ECBs. That week I walked away with 20 packages of batteries and $20 in ECBs all for $0 OOP and I have been rolling those ECBs ever since.

Actually now that I think about it more, there were also $1 peelies on the batteries so they were a $1 OVERAGE. I remember I used that overage to stock up on nerds for DHs stocking. AAAHHHH those were the days!

[Sally C]

Just slightly over two years ago.

I got into couponing so that I could maximize our family budget. We've always done just fine for our family on a single income but we wanted to make more progress. My husband earns a modest income working for a public school and I serve in ministry. We have one child who is a high school aged homeschooler. For us to be able to save money for college for her (she's clearly on the college track), to pay cash for the next vehicle(s), to have cash to replace appliances and to save up for retirement, we had to find some higher level strategies for saving money. I found a blog that taught how to get free products at CVS and that is how my journey started.

I've stockpiled non-foods for two years and have plenty of everything. I've been building a food storage for one year and have enough to live on for quite a while. Through building both allotments, I've positioned myself so that unless it's fresh produce, I *never* have to pay full retail price for anything. I've cut my non-foods budget allotment in half and decreased my grocery budget as well.

I do this because I have some big goals. It was far easier than I thought it would be. The hardest part was changing the way I thoughts about things. Choosing to be open to using any brand and choosing to store things I could get at an unbelievable deal were foundational to getting my system up and running.

[Nana2]

I started in Oct. 06 and my 1st deal was free razors that they paid me to take. Got more ECBs than I paid. I remember going in with just 1 coupon in my hand to try it. I bought it and watched over my back all the way to the car thinking someone was going to stop me for stealing! We live about 100 miles from closest CVS but at that time the deals were good enough that my sister & I drove there about once a week. When gas went to $4 a gallon we kind of got out of the habit and the deals haven't been so great lately. I was excited to see they've built one in our winter city so will get to check it out next month.

[i_have_a_coupon_for_that!]

I can remember CVSing for quite some time, but the deals way back seemed few and far between unlike more recently (as in the last 3 years) where there are lots of freebies. My first significant CVS shopping I remember being when Sunsilk shampoo was introduced. It was .99 after ecbs and $1 coupons were out- and there was no limit and I am pretty sure it was a month long deal. I think I have problaby 20 bottles left still. At the same time, Herbal Essences was free after coupon/ecb combo so I ended up with that as well.

[i_have_a_coupon_for_that!]

Oh, and during that Sunsilk month they had little giftsets clearanced down to .75 but generated $2 ecbs for every one you bought- no limit. So for every giftset you found you made $1.25 just for buying it.

[CouponFairy]

I just started couponing this year. I can't believe there was life before coupons. My first great CVS deal was those free Soliel razors. You remember about the middle of the year when they were on sale for like $2.99 and we had the $3.00 coupons. I went all over collecting those razors. Before coupons and this group, I didn't even know what an Extrabuck was. I remember going into CVS, getting them, and throwing them away with the reciept. Now, there isn't much I buy without a coupon. Thanks, ladies.

[seedlady]

july 06 my store became a cvs and i was ready! i had the first cvs card they ever saw, because their shipment hadn't come in yet, but i applied online the day cvs bought savon.

my store never got the sunsilk in, and i didn't get rcs. but i made my first killing with listerine pocketpaks.

i traded pocketpaks to the woman at farmers market for fresh veggies for a long long time.

[benny]

I too got into it with the $5 Energizer battery deal back in 97. I am still using those batteries. I remember going out on Christmas Eve and hitting about 5 cvs stores and doing about 40 transactions. It was such a rush and I have been hooked ever since. I have since branched out to RA, Target, Wmart, and my local grocery stores. This last saturday I had my biggest run yet. I hit 25 stores, 44 transactions, 120 Miles in my car in just under 11 hours. Spending my day off doing this it is no wonder I am single.

[isis]

I've been CVSing for a while now, when they took over Eckerds, I think in '04 or early '05.
My first deal was P&G, buy $20, get $15. I had a $5 grand opening cpn and manf cpns, so my oop wasn't too terrible. But I didn't get into the heavy rolling until the summer of '06. That was a great time! I still have shampoo from those deals. It was Herbal Essences, Sunsilk & Loreal Vive. There was also weekly deals on Playtex Sport, combining with a $2 manf q, store coupon and ecb, made for nice overage, that I would use to buy milk, bread, eggs, and baby wipes.

[i_have_a_coupon_for_that!]

How could I forget the Vive! They were 3.99 and get back $4 ecbs when you buy two and there were buy 1 get 1 free coupons out that all together combined to make them free. That was definitely the summer of shampoo.