It's official! I HATE Wags and LOVE CVS!!!

[booklover]

I was out shopping with my sister yesterday. She is on a limited budget, money is tight, and she is on foodstamps. So I thought I would help her out and score some deals.

Stopped at WAGS first. We looked to see if there was any Christmas clearance items left (all gone), and also wanted to buy cheap spices (used to have them for 2/$1, but they don't have them anymore, just expensive name-brand spices.).

So I looked in the ad to see what was on sale, and what deals I could help my sister get. I saw they had protein bars $1.89, and $1.89 RR back after purchase. Also, buy $10 in NICE products, get $2 back.

She found a clearance shelf, and Nestle Tollhouse chips were marked down to $1.64 a bag, and I had a coupon for $1/3.

Did two separate transactions: protein bar plus $10 in NICE products: all food items to be paid with EBT card. First transaction, she got a large container of mixed nuts, $9.99, plus a single cheese stick, to make sure it was over $10. Cashier rang it up, and said she had to pay .91 cash!!

Second transaction: Another protein bar, Nestle chips, and some NICE brand crackers and cookies. Cashier rang it up, and said she owed $1.91 cash. Should have stopped there.

My sister got back (2) $2 RR and (2) $2 off any in-store purchase. She wanted to use the RRs to buy toothbrushes. Picked out WAGS brand because they were on sale B1G1 half off. We added up the purchase, and picked out a package of WAGS brand pantiliners because they were on sale for .99. I thought we had enough items to use up the $4 RR. Cashier rang it up, and it was $3.60, and of course they don't give change.

Got a candy bar, and used the EBT card, but the total was still $3.60. Finally paid cash and paid .34 oop for the candy bar.

Then we were going to use the other coupons to buy store brand trash bags, and were told we could not use two coupons on one purchase.

Got fed up and left.

We went to Aldi, and she got some groceries, ate a late lunch, then went to CVS.

I found a $20 bill on the ground, and no one around to claim it, so I gave it to my sister.

She had $4.50 ECBs from last quarter's spending. It was a Saturday, so we were able to take advantage of last week's deals AND the new sale had just begun, so we were able to take advantage of the new sale as well.

The only food deal we didn't get was $1 ECB back on a gallon of milk. Milk was cheaper this week than last week, and no ECB on it, and that's what rang up. We put the milk back.

I helped her do several transactions. We let other people get in line to pay in between, since we were doing multiple transactions.

She bought GM cereal, Progresso soup, Coke 12 packs and FUZE drinks, and earned ECBs on all those deals, and one $10 CVS cash card. There were twin packs of Cheerios on sale, and she bought three of those, and got ECBs on those.

She had $19.25 ECBs and a $10 CVS cash card, and used it to buy a gallon of bleach, two CVS brand large bottles of dish soap, two 100 oz bottles of CVS laundry soap, and two 12 packs of Scott bath tissue. (Had $1/2 coupon for the tp.) She spent all but .15 of the CVS cash card, and earned another $10 cash card. (I don't know what it was, but maybe the Scott tp?) My sister walked out with enough laundry products and tp to last for weeks, and still have another $10.15 on a CVS cash card left. And grocery items she would have bought anyway. (she has four kids, they go through a lot of cereal.)

During one transaction, I knew she had bought the items in question, and there were no ECBs on the end of the receipt. Went to the cashier, and she fixed it right away. She said because it was the last day of one sale and the beginning of the next one, it sometimes happens.

I have decided it is official. I hate WAGS and I am never going there again. CVS is my store, LOVE them!!

Sorry this was so long, just had to share.

[3timesoccermom]

I don't like either store but you did very well AND it was super nice to hand the $20 over to your sister.

[shans3boys]

I love CVS over WAGs since you don't have to count coupons and there are plenty of times I don't have to pay any cash (it comes off the CVS cash card). I am stocked up for a year with laundry detergent from the Great All deal this past week!

I think the ECBs were from the CVS brand deal - buy $30 get $10 CVS Cash. But I could totally be wrong!

Great score all around!

[bugweena]

Sounds like you are a great sister. Not only helping her work the deals, but also sharing your coupons AND your newly found cash.

[brandasa]

Most definitely an easy pick. CVS blows WAGS outta the water.

[kimandkathess]

I totally agree as well. Though walgreens can have good deals, it is super hard, especially if your new, to navigate them.
To many rules:
~can't get another rr if you pay with the same rr
~can't use a mq and store q on one item have to have a filler
~the fact that your sister had to keep paying cash with her fs...i think it has something to do with tax. Does you state tax on food? Here in NY we dont have food tax.

At least with cvs you dont have to worry about that. And WOOHOO ont he cash find. Atleast she got back what she spent at wags. The Lord works in mysterious ways :)

[OneHotMomma]

I liked WAGS but I didn't have time to do the math on the deals and do them in so many separate transactions in order to use the RR. I LOVE CVS where I can do one or two transactions and get everything I need.

[cody82414]

I love them both!!

Anytime there are deals to be had

[CheapChicChick]

I miss CVS sooo much, I moved to Missouri 3 yrs ago, from Woonsocket, RI. Most days I can't decide if I miss the Dunkin Donuts more or if I miss the CVS savings more...

[vickib50]

I, too, think that CVS has better deals than Wags. It's gotten to the point that I don't even look at the Wags circular every week. I'm all over the CVS one, though.

To OP; you are a good sister. I'm betting you would have done the same thing for a complete stranger. I rarely am able to do the one-on-one help, but, I take my excess to the homeless shelter.