CVS Shopping Tips - #1

For the next several days I will be sharing some great tips to get the most out of your shopping at your local CVS. I am very fortunate as I pass mine 3 days a week going to and from work and can stop by whenever. Sometimes I will even break my shopping up into several days to use the ECB's that I earned on the previous trip and to scan the Green Bag Tag more to accumulate my points faster. More on ECB's and Green Bag Tags later in the week.
This is the first and most important step to begin your CVS shopping.

Extra Care Card
If you’re going to shop at CVS, you’ll want to sign up for the CVS ExtraCare Rewards Card so that you can receive ExtraCare Bucks. Every non-prescription purchase you make earns you 2 percent in ECBs, credited to your ExtraCare account. At the end of each quarter, you’ll get the value in your account back as ExtraCare Bucks to use on a future purchase! And, as if that weren’t enough, you’ll also earn $1 for every two prescriptions filled using your ExtraCare card. Many other items sold at CVS will also produce an ECB when purchased, which you can find in your local ad circular.

The best way to use ExtraCare Bucks is to combine them with a great sale price, a CVS coupon and a manufacturer's coupon (also known as coupon "stacking”). You'll get an even better deal if you can “roll” your ECBs from one transaction into the next, eventually resulting in zero out-of-pocket expense.

Here's how it works:
First, scan your local ad circular to see which products will generate ECBs. For example, let’s say Crest toothpaste is on sale; purchase one tube for $2 and get $2 back in ECBs. Use those ECBs to pay for the next transaction - a second tube, which will generate $2 more in ECBs. And so on. To maximize savings, use the ECBs you earned from a transaction to buy something in a subsequent transaction. If you can pay for an item with ECBs, then get more ECB from the transaction, even better! Just remember, you must use your individual ECBs at one time. So, if you use a $2 in ExtraCare Bucks on a $1 purchase, you forfeit the extra $1.

Once you get your ExtraCare card go online and sign up for emails and get $4.00 off a $20.00 purchase.

To view your ExtraCare rewards, print Extra Bucks and to take advantage of convenient new online features, you will need to Sign Up for an online account, and follow the steps to Attach an ExtraCare card

If you already have a CVS.com account with an ExtraCare card attached, Sign In using your Email Address and Password. You will be able to view and print your ExtraCare rewards and access your ExtraCare account information.