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Stay at Home Moms
Stacyc625
member
Learning how to do the 'drugstore game'
Stacyc625
member
For those who are really intersting in trying to use coupons- I always tell people to give shopping at drugstores a shot first.
I have found that CVS is the easiest- learning how to shop the sales with coupons (and only buying things you will use) is critical.
Learning how to use the rewards dollars and learning how to roll them is really important.
Preparing your weekly drugstore list- shouldn't take you too long. this deal only took me about 10 minutes to do.
Shopping the drugstores for their deals will really allow you to hack away at your grocery bill/budget by getting A LOT of things for free-
Here was my CVS deal as of yesterday:
Pampers (size 4)--- 18.99 - 4.00 cp = 14.99 ( 1.00 ECB- to be used future purchase)
Renu contact solution-- 7.49 -2.00cp = 5.49 (6.00 ECB)
Herbal Essense shampoo- 2.49- 2.00 (magic coupon from machine)- less 1.00 manufacture coupon = . 50 overage.
Johnson and Johnson baby powder 4.29 -2.00 (magic coupon) - less 1.00 mani cp = 1.29
CVS baby formula 14.99
5 Dove soap (1bar) .99 -1.00 mani coupons = 5 free bars of soap
Crest toothpaste 2.99- 1.00 mani coupon (2.00 ECB)
3 packages of M&Ms (buy2 get 1free) = 2.25 - less 1.25cp = 1.00/3
Total before coupons= 58.49
CVS coupon 30% off total (magic coupon) = 17.57
Less other CVS coupons (magic coupons)= 4.00
Less CVS coupon 4.00 off 20.00 = 4.00
Less manufacturer coupons = 11.25
Less ECBs turned in (from previous weeks) 10.00
Paid out of pocket = 11.67
ECBs generated = 9.00 (to be used next week)
So the above cost me (netted) 2.67 out of pocket- (if you factor in the 9.00 I got to spend there next week).
That is a savings of almost 56.00 in 10 minutes.
Now- of course I have been doing this for a while. And I know where to print out the coupons and I have the coupons on hand. But this clearly shows you- how much you can save-
I bought diapers, formula, shampoo, soap, contact solution etc.- big ticket items that cost a fair amount if you were to purchase at Target/Walmart or grocery store--- and I bought it for practically for free.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Learning how to do the 'drugstore game'
I must be a weirdo, but I do not get the CVS love at all. I HATE that store, I mean the physical store. I can never find what I need and when I do, I can always find it cheaper somewhere else. Plus the store is cramped and I don't like the layout
I have the rewards card and I tried it, but as someone mentioned in the other thread, I am picky about brands. Plus if they don't have everything I need, it is just an added trip and a waste of my time
I know I am the odd one, because I know tons of people that loooooooove CVS. I just can't get into it
DS 3.12.08
DD 7.11.09
DD 8.01.13
I have gotten the 30% off at least once a month or so. Sometimes less. But when I get it- I make sure to put it to good use. The $4 off 20 are pretty much every week.
Of course like all stores- it depends on how good your local store is. I am just very fortunate to have all of the drugstores within a 5 minute drive- even so- I usually only go to CVS because it is just the easiest to coupon at- and my local store doesn't blink at coupons. Plus if I am really going to do a big purchase- I would go to my best friends' store- she is a manager- and I would get her discount too- (only done that a couple of times- but big savings)
This explains a lot.
I don't use any of those items except for the baby powder..........so my savings would be much, much less and not worth an extra trip to CVS...........
That's awesome though!
Harriet- what exactly do you buy that you can't seem to save money on? what particular brand or product?
Because one of the beauties of the ECBs is that it can be treated as a 'free coupon' off of any purchase in the future-
So say for example you only use Biolage shampoo- I can take that 9.00 ECBs and use it solely towards that- making it heavily discounted. Now- by doing that it is not going to 'roll' (generate savings towards a future deal) but there are PLENTY of times where I do that to put towards a product that rarely has coupons etc.
I use Kerastase for my hair - it's only sold at salons.........I've never seen it in a drugstore......BUT, I will sort of "stock up" when my salon has a sale on it.
Shower gel is from Bath & Body works, and I do shop their sales, so it's not bad.
Toothpaste is Marvis - it's hard to find. I buy it at Anthropologie surprisingly! LOL! No coupons for that either and it's not at any drugstores.
I don't have a lot of cleaning products - I use vinegar a lot (so does my cleaning crew), and I get bleach for them, etc. at Costco - it's in bulk and lasts.
The only time I'm at CVS is to get our prescriptions filled. It's not far from me, but it's an extra trip.
DH and I use a lot of more "high end" beauty products that you can't find at a local drugstore. I know a lot of this is our fault! LOL!
That's awesome!!! I went last week to do a BIG stock-up trip (we just recently moved so I hadn't been replenishing our stockpile on purpose so we didn't have to move it all) @ CVS.
I spent $166.14 OOP and saved $174.79. I was STOKED because my savings would be like, 95%, I think? I'm terrible with doing percentages, LOL. Anyway, I saved more than I spent, which is awesome. I got a TON of stuff that we needed, replenished my stockpile, and got $30 in ECB (so my original OOP total was $196.14). I'm one of the CVS lovers
I totally agree about the layout and store environment. I never could get comfortable shopping at CVS either. Of course, I worked at Walgreens during college so maybe I am just biased, but I prefer to go there and do get some good deals there by doing similar couponing.
Even if you use higher-end things, there are always going to be things you can save on. Laundry detergent? Trash bags? I mean, seriously, who uses high-end trash bags?
OK, glad I'm not the only one who doesn't like the layout of CVS. I know, it's COMPLETELY me being picky, lol. Like someone else said, I couldn't get comfortable shopping there. It is cramped. I went a few weeks ago and waited for 5 minutes for the cashier to get to the register.
It was just weird and I didn't like it.
I shop at Walgreen's, probably because I always have. Sometimes their deals are confusing or not very good....I've planned some trips there and things didn't go as I wanted/expected them to. I am learning though, and I think I've finally got it down. I've decided it's really only worth my time to go to the stores that are convenient to me and that I will actually shop at, so Walgreen's is one of those stores I will put my efforts in. I am doing exactly like Stacy though - and rolling the register rewards each week by purchasing other needed items. I had a pretty decent shopping trip this week - about $30 of stuff for $10. I've got $11.50 in register rewards I can use next week and *roll*. I'm really not too picky on brands, so that works for me. And yes, it really didn't take me very long to plan this trip either. I decided I like the layout of hip2save and that (for whatever reason) it makes more sense to me. Just looked up the match-ups for the week, and wrote down what we could use.
Cam 6.6.10 - Autism, Global Developmental Delay, Mixed Receptive/Expressive Communication Disorder
I buy my trash bags at Costco along with paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, etc.........so, I'm buying in bulk and getting a deal already. I'm sure if I followed the supermarket circulars and clipped coupons, I could save on these items.
As for laundry detergent, I buy eco-friendly because of L's cloth diapers. So, I use that for everything.
But yes, there ARE things I can save on. I know that. What I'm saying is that it's not worth the effort for me to drive all over the place for these deals.
Nice work! I love CVS. I had a recent trip similar to yours. If you factored in extra bucks, I made money, and I had over $60 worth of merchandise. The first couple of trips are expensive (to rack up the extra bucks for future use), but when you get rolling, it can be a huge savings. I'm planning to go tomorrow and take advantage of the Schick/Playtex deal.
I went to Kroger today, and before coupons/discounts, I had about a 35.00 bill. I paid $3.00 out of pocket, and I got a 2.00 catalina. It was so fun!
Totally out of curiousity- what is it about the layout that you don't like?
I dunno- for me its a total non-issue. I am in, I am out. I am done. Easy peasy. Stuff like layout only concerns me when I actually need to SHOP- like in a grocery store with tons of aisles and I have to wander around. A small drugstore- that doesn't bother me at all.
See, there is no "in and out" shopping with two kids for me. If I am going to be in and out it's not worth it to take them
I make two store trips a week - grocery store and Target. I almost always need a cart at Target (CVS carts are not going to get it done). Since Target is attached to the mall, occasionally we will run in there if I need something. I am not adding anymore stores to the mix and CVS just doesn't have all the things I need.
Plus all the cvs stores I have been in are just too cramped and honestly they just don't seem clean. Maybe it's because the lighting in there isn't the greatest. I don't know, I just don't enjoy shopping there
DS 3.12.08
DD 7.11.09
DD 8.01.13
If there is a hot deal at a store, I just go after the kids are in bed - It's a nice little outing for me, anyway.
And, for me, if there's a hot deal on something I need/use, I don't really care what the store looks like or if it's clean. It's not like I have to live there.
This has been my experience too. Cramped, dirty looking, ect. At the counter there was this tiny square of space to put all your items at. TINY. It was awkward to put like, 2 items up there, get them bagged, get another couple, ect. I know - it's picky. I can't help it. I'm not even usually picky about stuff like that. I guess I just like Walgreen's because it's bigger, more open, the employees were more helpful, ect. I know Walgreen's and I'm used to how their stores are set up. I guess I'm just not used to CVS. But I think I found if I focus my efforts on a certain couple stores, it helps out with my sanity on couponing and my gas and I'll still get some good deals. But again - I do agree with the premise of this post. It can be quick and easy and couponing doesn't have to take a long time or much effort! I don't think Walgreen's has as many good deals as CVS does each week, but they do have several that are just as worthwhile.
Cam 6.6.10 - Autism, Global Developmental Delay, Mixed Receptive/Expressive Communication Disorder
I also think it varies by location. In my experience, in my area, Walgreen's is very wishy-washy with their coupons and seem to battle a lot of the deals. I get managers who do not understand the coupon policy and so even though what I am trying to do is well-within the coupon policy, they won't do it because, "You can't get something for free!"
CVS, on the other hand, has never given me an issue about coupon purchases, at all - Not so much as a bat of the eye. It's nice to know no one's going to fight you at the register.