8 Things I Know About CVS

Today's Monday 8 will reflect my pharmacy shopping fun by sharing with you eight things I have learned while "CVSing". You can learn more about how to do this by following the links in my sidebar entitled CVS 101, 102, & 103.

1. Give the $/$$ coupons BEFORE any mfg coupons. If you give the manufacturers coupons first, your total may fall below the required total needed for the coupon, thus making you unable to use it. However, if they take it off first, you can still always use all of the manufacturers product coupons.
2. Pay attention to ad to see which specific items on sale (don’t trust the picture or even the tags on the shelves). Too many times I have gotten to the front to pay for something and see no ECBs print out after the purchase is complete. Yes you can return it for a refund, but that's just a hassle that is unnecessary. It has become easier now that they have installed the product/card scanners in the store, as you can scan it yourself. Just pay attention BEFORE getting to the register!
3. Ask for the rain check. If you want something that has a great ECB deal going on, ask for the rain check. My store will give you the rain check for the price AFTER ECBs, which is awesome, as you can get it at a later time without worrying about keeping up with ECBs. Make sure you know if your store has an expiration on their rain checks though so you don't miss your good deal!
4. I really do need 5 toothbrushes. There are some things that really make sense to buy every time they are on a great sale/ECB deal at the store...like toothbrushes. Firstly, they are easy to store, they never expire, everyone needs one, they can be used in stockings and in shoebox gifts or gifts to soldiers for the holidays, they can be donated to charities or community/church pantries, they can be used in guest bathrooms, and they are just too easy to get for free to ever pay for another one. So stock up! One point above, though, does lead me to....
5. Keep in mind your storage capacity. Think about how much storage space you have. Often there are good deals on items, but if they expire before you can use them or if they just take up too much space, it's not a bargain. Don't let huge quantities of discount toilet paper take over your house just because it was a bargain. Remember that your space (and sanity) are worth something as well!
6. Marking down ECBs is at the discretion of the store management. Some stores will let you "mark down" ECBs to a less value if your ECB receipt is more than the pre-tax total. For example, if your pre-tax total is $6.98, some stores will use your ECB of 7.00 by marking it down to 6.99, but some will not. Find out before finding out the hard way!
7. ECBs will not pay for tax. Tax cannot be paid for using ECBs, as they only have value to the store and not to the local, state, or federal tax commission. =) Depending on where you live, tax may be calculated on the pre-coupon price of merchandise or tax may be recalculated after coupons, but you can never pay for taxes with ECBs.
8. You can return makeup purchased there for any reason. This is reason enough to buy make-up at CVS. If the color isn't quite right for your complexion you can return it...even after it is opened. This makes a great argument for trying new make-up products at CVS. You can often get them discounted per the ExtraBucks program, but if you keep your receipt, if you don't like it for any reason, you can simply return it for a full refund. Definitely a great incentive to get me to try new products!

So there you go...a synopsis of the things I've learned about CVS...mostly the hard way. Stay tuned for an upcoming post regarding Walgreen's as well!

Photo credit: afagen