Planning my trip – Matching up the weekly sales with Manufacturer Coupons and stacking those with In-Store Coupons
The end result: $23.49 for 24 Items!
So excited about this weekly SAVINGS trip to CVS! I posted the photos in our FB group, but had so many questions that I thought I’d take the time to explain in more detail, especially for all of you who are new to couponing or new to shopping CVS.
The first thing I do of course is review the weekly sales paper. You can do this on Sunday when you get your Sunday paper, or you can do it online. The neat thing about doing it online is that you can “click” on each item in the weekly circular and create your own “shopping list” to print out. This is a great way to organize your trip.
Make sure you have your ExtraCare Card so you can qualify for the sales prices and the Extra Care Bucks.
Extra Care Bucks (ECB’s) are printed on the bottom of your register receipt after your purchase of the qualifying items. For this reason, I usually split my items into at least 2 transactions. That way, I can use the ECB’s on the remainder of my items that same trip. This is well worth it and my local CVS employees are so used to this process that they actually help me sort them at times. So no worries about taking a little extra time at checkout, the savings are soooo worth it!
Make sure you are enrolled to get your weekly deals emailed to you. Each week I get an email and there are always PRINTABLE In-Store Coupons that are only offered in that email and only intended for you. They also send the offers like $5 off $25, etc. Printables. IN-STORE coupons can be stacked with your MANUFACTURER coupons to multiply your savings. Match that up with an item already on sale and then you are really doing something! *smile*
When I begin my matchups, I first pay attention to the items that offer Extra Care Bucks. I want to get all of those that I can, spending as little as I can to do so! So, I matchup those items with coupons first.
Then I begin to matchup items I need and other items on sale. My brain just doesn’t hold information like it used to, so an easy way for me to keep it organized is for me to cut the “sale” item out of the circular, just like I do a coupon. I match it with the coupons and then place it into an envelope. I do this for every item I’m going to purchase. This way, I basically have my shopping list and don’t stray from what is in my envelope once I’m in the store. When I’m in the store, I take everything out of the envelope and use as if it were my list. Once the item goes in the buggy, the coupons go back into the envelope until I get to the checkout register. When my hands are empty, my buggy is full and I have an envelope full of coupons ready for checkout. That’s just my own way of staying organized and focused.
When you’re ready to check out, first make sure the cashier scans your ExtraCare Card. Then it’s important that you present your coupons in exactly this order to maximize your savings – CVS dollar off transaction coupons, CVS store coupons/manufacturer coupons, and finally your ECBs. If you present your dollar off coupons after your manufacturer and store coupons, your total transaction amount may not be high enough to allow the system to accept the coupon.
For the trip above, which was today (Sunday 3/14) I utilized the new sale which started today and lasts all week. I had a $5 off $30 printable that CVS emailed to me. I had several In-Store Printables and MFG Printables and a few clipped coupons from todays Sunday Paper insert. I also received ECB’s Hersheys candy purchases, Using my “Green Bag” (recycling bag instead of plastic)and for the Glade items. I split my purchase into 2 transactions so that I used those Extra Care Bucks for the remainder of my purchase today.
So today’s trip was a total of 24 items for $23.49
I hope that those of you who are new to coupons, CVS shopping and savings will find this information useful and it helps you to save as well!
For me, this awesome trip means I am getting a great goody package together that I will donate to someone in need. Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” What good would stockpiling all the extra items I’m able to get do if I stick them in a drawer or on a shelf? By using my abilities to snag most of these items for FREE, I not only save money on my own necessities, but have extras that I can donate to help someone else. In doing that, I am blessed 10 fold!
Happy Savings to all 🙂
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