^[1]CVS is by far my favorite drugstore. Though I get really good deals, I usually need to visit more than one location which is not efficient.

In using time wisely, I really need to get back into my groove. I’ve been away from the sales as our home has been fully stocked. Taking a break is really nice, but I’m getting back into the flow.

Guess I was gone quite awhile as the Green Bag Tag promotion ^[2] has been discontinued. CVS no longer grants a $1 ECB for every 4^th visit when you use a reusable bag. Not sure if the promotion was too profitable for customers or not enough customers used the program. Whatever the reason, I recycled my Green Bag Tags, but I’ll still continue to shop at CVS with trips, transactions, and tips.

My CVS Trips

With my list printed and coupons gathered on Friday afternoon, I had planned to go out Saturday afternoon. However, a friend stopped by to pick up a sourdough bread starter, so I missed my window before heading out to the ball park with our family.

On Sunday after our family lunch, my daughter and I ventured out. Though it was mid-day, it was still the first day of the sale. Well, my favorite CVS was out of girls’ Pull-Ups and the Kit Kat minis, but they had the other items. I needed to purchase $30 of product to use my $5 coupon.

In speaking to the manager, she suggested purchasing the boys’ Pull-Ups and then returning them on another day as their next shipment came in on Monday morning. So, I made my purchases. Then thinking through my week, I knew I needed to just get this task done.

So, I stopped by a second CVS. They had the girls’ Pull-Ups which I exchanged, but no Kit Kat minis. They were already out with the next shipment coming on Monday.

Do you think I stopped? Nope. I went to a third CVS. Thankfully, all the stores are in close proximity to my home, so I did not travel far. They had a shelf of the Kit Kat minis, so I got those.

I was a bit disappointed as I had store and manufacturer coupons which gave me overage. However, because it was the only product I was buying, I did not get the overage. The cashier rounded down the amount of the coupon making my purchase free.

My CVS Transactions

Transaction #1

2 Huggies Pull-Ups (Earn $5 Extra Care Bucks (ECB) when you buy (WYB) 2 Huggies Little Swimmers (17-20 ct.) or jumbo packs of Pull-ups, GoodNites, or Diapers at $9.99 each, limit 2)

Clarification: The limit of 2 means 2 deals. Since each deal requires purchasing 2 packages, then the limit is 4 packages of these Huggies items. If you purchase more than 4 packages, then the price will still be $9.99 each, but no additional ECB will print.

1 Irish Spring Body Wash, 15-18 oz., $2.99

Subtotal: $42.95

Minus these coupons:

1 – $5 off a purchase of $30 or more (e-mailed from CVS)

4 – $2 off Huggies Pull-ups (printable manufacturer coupons)

1 – $2 off Irish Spring Body Wash (CVS coupon printed from the coupon machine)

1 – $1 off Extra Care Buck coupon (from quarterly savings which printed from the coupon machine)

New subtotal: $26.95

Tax: $1.62

Total: $28.57 – saving $30 with sales and coupons and earned $10 in ECB from the limit 2 Huggies deal.

Transaction #2

2 packages Kit Kat minis, 2 for $6

Subtotal: $6

Minus these coupons:

2 – $2.50 off CVS store coupons (printed at home)

2 – $1 off manufacturer coupons (printed at home)

New Subtotal: $1 overage

Total: $0 – saved $9.18 with sales and coupons

For these two transactions, I purchased $67.75 worth of product and paid $28.57 with $10 in ECB for next week. This is a savings of 57.8% – always a good trip when I save more than I spend.

NOTE: These savings are still available through today, Saturday, July 13, 2013. If your store is out of these products, then request a rain check.

My CVS Tips

Though it would be easy to beat myself up over losing $1 of overage due to breaking up the transactions, I have learned that things happen. Sure it would have been nice if the first CVS had all the products, but it didn’t work that way. I’m still happy with the results even if I lost $1 of savings. Here are some other tips to make shopping at CVS a little easier:

1. Learn Your Store’s Procedures

As CVS sales run Sunday through Saturday, most stores upload the new sale week to their system sometime on Saturday. My CVS does this move around 4:00 p.m., so it’s best to shop after 5:00 p.m. because it takes some time to upload.

The benefit of shopping at this time is you get to shop both weeks’ sales. The current week is not yet done, and the new week is just starting. This gives you first dibs on the products before they all are gone.

One downside is if the system doesn’t load correctly or if a deal is not triggered. For example, a 3-day sale that runs from Sunday to Tuesday will not trigger on Saturday.

2. Find out Your Store’s Delivery Days

My store receives deliveries on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Knowing that I missed shopping on Saturday, I might wait next time until mid-morning on Monday to shop. By that time, the delivered product should be on the shelves.

The downside is that CVS stores do not know what is coming on the truck. They only know they are getting a delivery, but they cannot guarantee that a product will be back in stock.

You can ask for a rain check, but most stores will not grant them if another delivery will come before the end of the sale. The reason is CVS rain checks do not expire, so they want to know they are out before writing them.

3. Make Friends with Your Store’s Manager and Employees

When you shop frequently, the employees will get to know you. They will also help you when you run into a snag – like only having boys’ Pull-Ups and needing to spend $30 to get the $5 off.

The manager quickly made a suggestion, so I could use my coupon and get the savings without having to go to another store that day. She would have swapped the packages on another day.

Also, as you find a CVS where you feel comfortable, you can create more complicated transactions knowing that they will help you through them. When I have a lot of coupons or multiple transactions in one visit, I find a friendly employee and explain what I’m about to do.

Usually, they ring me up separately, so I do not tie up the front register. It is really nice as I don’t feel pressured to hurry as the other register is open.

Getting the hang of CVS takes time. If you are new to all the jargon, then feel free to ask. I have been playing the drugstore game for years which is why I don’t need to shop all the time.

Our stockpile is full of deodorant, body wash, razors, toothpaste, shampoo, and more because I stock up when there are sales, ECB promotions, and coupons. Stretching our dollars via CVS promotions and coupons saves our family money.

Sometimes I exert more energy and time stopping at multiple stores, but learning from my mistakes and the store’s procedures and deliveries will assist me in using time wisely. Not beating myself up, just using it as a stepping stone to improve for my next CVS shopping trip as I’ve got $10 in ECB to maximize. Happy savings!

Question: Do you enjoy playing the drugstore game? Why or why not?