How to shop at CVS

Shopping at CVS Pharmacy is pretty simple. The first thing you absolutely must do is sign up for an ExtraCare card. Just go to the cashier and fill out a simple form, and the cashier will hand you one ExtraCare card (looks like a credit card) and two keychain cards. When the cashier scans your card, not only do you get lower prices on what you buy, but you get 2% back on your purchases in the form of ExtraCare Bucks (ECB's).

What are ExtraCare Bucks?
Every month, CVS has one item that is free after ECB's. What that means is you pay for the item, and then on your receipt, you get that amount off your next purchase. It's just like cash, except you can only spend it at CVS.

For example, this month (Nov. 2008) at CVS, Crest Pro-Health Whitening Toothpaste is the featured item. After you scan your card, you'll have to pay $3.49+tax for the toothpaste, but you'll receive $3.49 in ECB's at the end of your order. When you use coupons, you can sometimes make a profit! In this month's Sunday coupons, you can get $1 off your Crest Pro-Health Whitening Toothpaste. So if you use the coupon, you'll pay $2.49+tax, but you'll get $3.49 off your next order.

Make multiple purchases.
You'll have to make an initial "investment" in CVS in order to get your first set of ECB's. After that, read the ads each week to see how you can grow your ECB's. Potentially, you may never have to pay another dime at CVS again!

For example, last week I went to CVS with $2 in ECB's. By figuring out what I wanted to buy before I went into the store, I clipped my coupons and got my first item under $2. Using my ECB's, I got it for free! But there's more!! On that item I purchased, there were $3 ECB's to use on my next purchase. I found something I needed anyway, clipped my coupons, and bought it for $3.50. After using the $3 ECB's, I paid the cashier $0.50, but I got $5 in ECB's.

Be patient.
Just because you can get something, doesn't mean you should. If you don't need it, it's best just to stay home, rather than pay $3 for something you didn't need, just to get $3 of ECB's.

And make sure you know the rules before going into the store. I've had some cashiers who won't round down the ECB's (using $2 in ECB's to pay for something that's $1.99 or less), and some who will. If the cashier won't do it, either add something small to your cart, or just walk away. It's better to not get something, than to pay for something when you didn't need to pay anything.

Link to Upromise.
Go to the Upromise website. Link your CVS card and your Meijer cards (and credit and debit cards, if you want) to the Upromise website. Here's why: On thousands and thousands of name-brand items that you buy anyway, some brands will kick in between 1$-20% to help you pay your student loans, or pay for your kids' college educations. If you're buying the stuff anyway, you might as well! There's no cost to you, and the money racks up after a while.

For example, this week (Nov. 9-15, 2008) Listerine is on sale for $3.99 at CVS. Use a $1 off coupon, and it's $2.99. Use $3 in ECB's (I'll show you how in my CVS Challenge this week), and now the Listerine is free!! But Listerine is also a Upromise item, for 2% of your purchase price. PLUS, Upromise has an ecoupon for $0.50 when you buy Listerine. So not only do you get your Listerine for free, but you also get $0.57 in your Upromise account for college education!