[sweetjyo]

I am a new couponer and it caught my attention that most of stuffs are usually priced more than walmart and Target. I mean I have two kids and even after using 30% off CVS coupon most kids items are the same price at other store.
What do you usually buy at CVS?? Do you just buy the sale items which produces ECB or cheap/free after coupons??? How do you save money??? Any input appreciated....TIA

[Melema31]

I get shampoo usually pantene or herbal essence dove, Ect body washes and bar soaps Olay mainly such a great deal on them awhile back, laundry soap like tide all. Wisk diapers, make up.. Baby wipes tooth paste and brushes soda deals are often good, I hit then hard when it comes to sales with gc attached or gas card deals or items come up free after coupon, love to get free make up hmm like the fabulous pf this week.. :-) gotta love Cvs

[Quazel]

I am stocked on health and beauty because of sales and ECBs. The red machine at CVS gives great coupons every 2/3 weeks or so that can be stacked with MQs to get free/cheap items I use. I do my best work when there are cash card or gas card deals. Every now and then there are great food deals on things we use like our type of peanut butter and tuna.

CVS is very high priced but their sales and deals are fantastic! Watch the weekly threads for great deals and stock up slowly on great deals, never pay full price here!

[bluespark]

Shampoo, bodywash, toothpaste when I have a coupon and a ECB is attached.

[bendaline]

I'm relatively new to CVS too. I have a good supply of Tide, oral care (toothbrushes, paste, rinse), razors, makeup, shampoo/conditioner (kid and adult), deordorant, body wash, facial care (cleanser and lotion). I get a lot free or cheap with ECBs, gas card deals, etc.

I often cheat and copy other people's scenarios. I don't have the amount of coupons as many people here, but I manage to do well on a smaller scale. I figure everything will go on sale again down the road. My 6 bottles of shampoo should hold me fine until there is another sale. I won't need toothpaste until mid 2013. Most of my toothpaste and deordorant cost very little or was free if you factor in EBCs, CRTs, and coupons.

[JPBMC]

Originally Posted by sweetjyo

I am a new couponer and it caught my attention that most of stuffs are usually priced more than walmart and Target. I mean I have two kids and even after using 30% off CVS coupon most kids items are the same price at other store.
What do you usually buy at CVS?? Do you just buy the sale items which produces ECB or cheap/free after coupons??? How do you save money??? Any input appreciated....TIA

I used to think like you do. I learned quickly that you never pay full price for anything at CVS. No disrespect intended, but I had to learn to think of it differently. I had to reprogram myself to understand that with coupons, sales, deals, ECBs and gas/gift cards that you can get things free or cheap. That is much better than shopping at Walmart and you don't have to stand in line forever (like you do at my Walmart).

Take for instance this past weekend. I never received the great Physicians Formula coupon that a lot of people got. But with the deals, the coupons that printed at the red machine and store coupons, I purchased $187.99 worth of products (this was sale price, not normal price), spent $36.08 out of my own pocket and got back 5 X $10 gas cards. So, I technically made a profit of $13.92. Not as good as many of the pros here, but I was very pleased. You cannot do that at Walmart.

Remember, every penny saved, is a penny you have extra! As other ladies have said, watch the sales, watch the ECB deals, watch the coupons in the paper and printables, then decide on what you need for your family. There is a scenario post discussion post here: CVS Scenarios - Grocery Coupons & Deal Forums - A Full Cup
Also, with every posting of the ad, people usually comment what they see as deals and what coupons to use with it. Keep a watch on those also.

[Ayrelass]

Originally Posted by sweetjyo

I am a new couponer and it caught my attention that most of stuffs are usually priced more than walmart and Target. I mean I have two kids and even after using 30% off CVS coupon most kids items are the same price at other store.
What do you usually buy at CVS?? Do you just buy the sale items which produces ECB or cheap/free after coupons??? How do you save money??? Any input appreciated....TIA

I've couponed off and on for the past 10 years or so. Grocery stores started placing restriction and I stopped.
I had always heard about CVS,. and just could not be bothered. I thought it was too much hassle, time consuming etc, but I finally decided to 'try it out'.
That was just over a year ago, and I am hooked.
We are a large family; I've stocked up with items that I would not have purchase otherwise. I've also tried out many items, that I would never buy just to try out.
For example, with makeup costing as much as it does, I've gotten so much makeup for my teens and college age children to try out. They have figured out what is good for their skin, what looks good on them after much experimenting ,and it did not cost them anything.
I do think WM is the least expensive, but with the stockpile I have managed to accumulate, the $150 in ECBs I rotate, the $200 in gift cards which are for a rainy day and now my $100 in gas GC..I don't think any WM or T could give me that.
It does take work and perseverance, everyone got somewhere by starting from the beginning. BTW, I only do CVS, my grocery stores are a PITA, and Wags I can't be bothered with..Need time for myself and my family.

[Joyofmommyhood]

Originally Posted by sweetjyo

I am a new couponer and it caught my attention that most of stuffs are usually priced more than walmart and Target. I mean I have two kids and even after using 30% off CVS coupon most kids items are the same price at other store.
What do you usually buy at CVS?? Do you just buy the sale items which produces ECB or cheap/free after coupons??? How do you save money??? Any input appreciated....TIA

CVS is amazing. I get so many freebies there and cheap kids items that I would never stop doing it. Sunscreen for free or $1, diapers for $2 a bag. I recently got pull-ups for $1.75 each bag that retails for over )$10! You cannot go wrong with cvs!!

[gdaniel5]

At first glance, CVS does seem a LOT more expensive than stores like Walmart..but with some practice you will learn ways to get things very cheaply..at prices that Walmart cannot possibly compete with..but it takes time for sure to learn the techniques..one hurdle I had was buying items I did not need that were MM (money makers) that would allow me to purchase things I did need with the overage..and the deal going on in some areas still with the Physicians Formula is awesome...even without a coupon, you can snag some really cheap makeup..some items I only paid .47! doubt you will do that at Walmart

Learning to "roll your bucks" take a bit of time...always try and never use your bucks to buy items that do not produce more bucks unless no other choice ie ECBs running out or something you need very badly..that is one tip that helped me a lot when I first started learning the ropes with CVS shopping..

Give yourself time to learn and accept that you will make mistakes, miss deals, etc and that's okay..think of it as part of your coupon tuition as another AFCer wrote one day..I always liked that perspective.

[cooletz23]

This is an old pic of my stockpile. It was taken 5 mos after I've started couponing. 99.98% were from CvS. ^_^ $2.xx per pack of diapers,15 free jumbo packs huggies diapers, $1.xx 184ct-216ct huggies wipes, below $2 bottles of tide and wisk. Free glades, free hand soaps, free olay body wash, $1.xx per pack of toilet papers, MM centrum vitamins, free shaving gels and razors, MM or free toothpastes, lots of cheap/free make ups and more....

I am very thankful that I've found AFC. CVS forum here is the best, awesome forum leaders and members. You will learn in no time, just keep your eyes open for upcoming deals. 2 wks preview of weekly ads is very helpful because we have lots of time to prepare our coupons and plan our trips. Learn how to roll your ecb and you will never pay full price again. ^_^

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[mountaindews]

As of right now, I really haven't been shopping at CVS...BUT...That will change come this weekend. The grand opening of a local CVS is on Sunday! Yay!!! I can't wait!

[missdanalu]

I just stick with the free/cheap items every week. Pretty much all of my cleaning, HBA, meds, TP/PT and snack foods have been purchased at CVS.

[monkeydawn]

I started the drugstore game slowly, only buying stuff that I would have been buying then anyway at Walmart, Target, etc only if the drugstore pricing after rewards was a better deal and I chased every MMer of at least $1. I started with the lower amount ones and then used those rewards to buy the higher MMers. When my store rewards get higher than I feel I can reasonably manage I look for ways to 'cash out' with rebates or I buy things I need/ want with the surplus store money. Over time if you stick with it your stockpile will grow to include most everything you would have been buying elsewhere...my vitamin bill was cut into a third, pet supplies are drastically slashed, food bill is way down (save for fresh produce), cleaning supply bill is nothing now, even my gifts budget is way down...people really love receiving a gift bag of drugstore goodies.

[sweetjyo]

Originally Posted by cooletz23

This is an old pic of my stockpile. It was taken 5 mos after I've started couponing. 99.98% were from CvS. ^_^ $2.xx per pack of diapers,15 free jumbo packs huggies diapers, $1.xx 184ct-216ct huggies wipes, below $2 bottles of tide and wisk. Free glades, free hand soaps, free olay body wash, $1.xx per pack of toilet papers, MM centrum vitamins, free shaving gels and razors, MM or free toothpastes, lots of cheap/free make ups and more....

I am very thankful that I've found AFC. CVS forum here is the best, awesome forum leaders and members. You will learn in no time, just keep your eyes open for upcoming deals. 2 wks preview of weekly ads is very helpful because we have lots of time to prepare our coupons and plan our trips. Learn how to roll your ecb and you will never pay full price again. ^_^

Attachment 28855

Wow! Love your stockpile......nice work! Last week I got CVS brand diapers for really cheap but how do you get Huggies diapers so cheap????

[cooletz23]

Originally Posted by sweetjyo

Wow! Love your stockpile......nice work! Last week I got CVS brand diapers for really cheap but how do you get Huggies diapers so cheap????

Huggies is often part of ECB deal and last year CVS had a promotion of buy 6 diapers get 1 free. Also they sometimes have $3/1 man q in RIB that you can use for the deal. I got free diapers when i had CVS huggies coupons that i traded with AfCer. Stacked it with sale, man q and $/$$ then tada!!!! ^_^

[tbabs12]

health and beauty items for my fiancee.. and mostly whatever i can get a great deal on.. deals come around often at cvs.. have been able to stock up on Charmin, Tide, and other great items with paying very little.. love CVS..

Just watch the forum and great deals pop up all the time.. HTH

[ilovecoupons3455]

All Hba's. Tp/pt's. It's amazing what I cab get at CVS for pennies! Not new to coupons, I read AFC everyday, but never had a login! Excited to comment now!

[huthmagl]

In following with everyone else, start slow and learn the system. Enroll in the Beauty Club and always scan your ExtraCare card while you're in the store.
Create, nurture, and maintain strong relationships with cashiers and managers at your local stores. This can make a huge difference for pre-orders or even unadvertised/clearance sales.
Eventually you'll build a large buildup of ECB's that you've earned for pennies on the dollar. I recently used an accumulated $40.00 in ecb's and beauty bucks to purchase summer items for around the house. It's likely I maybe "spent" 3-5 earning those ecb's. The system is wonderful and with a forum leader, members, and lots of working minds together AFC is an awesome place to learn and flourish in CVS shopping.

[mommabailey]

Of course I always try to buy the Free & MM'er items Then pretty much anything we would have to pay full price for then I buy it there since it counts toward Quarterly ECBs

[Quazel]

Cooletz, your stockpile looks fantastic!

[liibyz]

Originally Posted by missdanalu

I just stick with the free/cheap items every week. Pretty much all of my cleaning, HBA, meds, TP/PT and snack foods have been purchased at CVS.

[Momma-of-4]

We get ALL diapers, Laundry det, body wash, shampoo, dish soap and tabs at CVS

[cooletz23]

Originally Posted by Quazel

Cooletz, your stockpile looks fantastic!

Thanks that's what AFC gave me. ^_^

[alvarezr21]

I get all my household products at drugstores, usually its with the deals that produce extrabucks and i generally use a mfr coupon with it and a store coupon if available. I usually get things when they are on a sale price and it gives me extrabucks .

[guera185]

Same here, basically anything I need to run my household, I get at CVS. Dishwasher detergent, personal care items, cosmetics, tp, they're all free or almost free at CVS once you get the hang of shopping there. I haven't stepped foot inside a Walmart in over a year and only hit up a Target if there's a freebie or moneymaker giftcard deal.

Hate Wally World, never have a reason to shop there anymore.