How to Save Big Money on Groceries at CVS – Free Food!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Easy Care Card issued by CVS
Sunday newspaper
calculator
Computer and internet connection (optional)
printer (optional)

Step 1

Photo pixeljones’ at flickr.com

First of all, find out where your local CVS drugstore is. Then either visit your local CVS or their website and sign up for a free Easy Care Card. If you do it in-store you will get your card immediately. Otherwise, you should receive it in the mail in a few weeks. Once you have that in hand you are ready to start saving!
Step 2

Photo by rhukill at flickr.com

While you are waiting, begin saving the coupon inserts that come in the Sunday newspapers. Ask your friends and family to save them for you as well. These are a vital piece of the free groceries puzzle.
Step 3

Photo by Waffle Whiffer

Organize your coupons in a way that is most efficient for you. I like the way thecouponmom organizes hers using her computer. See the Resources below.
Step 4

Save all the CVS sales circulars both weekly and monthly (from the newspaper or from the store) or you can bring them up online.
Step 5

Photo by timstock_NYC

Search carefully through the current week’s and month’s circulars for “
free after ECB” (Extra Care Buck) items.
ECBs are Extra Care Bucks which you can use as a gift certificate at CVS. For example, recently Crest Pro Health Night Rinse was on sale for $3.49. After purchasing it I received an ECB certificate for $3.49 that was attached at the end of my receipt. The next time I shopped at CVS I was able to use the $3.49 ECB to purchase more items. My goal is to grow my ECBs, to always use ECBs to purchase items that will generate the same amount or more ECBs than I previously had. In this way, all of these items are truly free. Using this method it is common to bring home $15-50 worth of groceries but pay only $1.00 out of pocket and earn the same or more ECBs than before so that I can go back and do it again next week!
Step 6

Photo by teemus at flickr.com

Leverage your manufacturer’s coupons for more free merchandise.
Match the coupons that you have with items that are on sale and/or give ECBs. For example, you have coupons for Adidas deodorant which is advertised on sale for $2.49. Your manufacturer’s coupons are for $1 off 1. To buy one you hand over one of your coupons and pay $1.49 plus tax. Your receipt comes with $3.00 ECBs. You go back in the store, pick up another deodorant and another item that you need like emery boards for example which cost $1.50. At the register you are charged $2.49 for the deodorant and $1.50 for the emery boards totaling $4.00 (plus tax). You hand over your $1/1 coupon and your $3 ECBs. Assuming you have enough coupons, you repeat this for a total of four times. Once finished, you would bring home five deodorants, $6 of emery boards and other necessary stuff and $3.00 ECB to use on your next CVS trip. A total value of $23.00 of merchandise and $3.00 ECB for only $1.49 out of pocket!
Even if they don’t give ECBs, you can find good deals using manufacturer’s coupons. Look through the circulars for items that are on sale for a good price for which you also have manufacturer’s coupons. Using online databases makes this task easier. (See Resources.) Often, if you match sale prices with manufacturer’s coupons you can find items for pennies like Cheerios for $0.99/box or Bounty paper towels for $0.29/roll!
Step 7

Use CVS coupons in addition to manufacturer’s coupons.
After you’ve been shopping at CVS for several weeks using an Easy Care card, you will start receiving CVS coupons at the end of your receipts. They are store coupons with expiration dates which can be used together (“stacked”) with manufacturer’s coupons. You can use these in addition to manufacturer’s coupons on the same item. Your savings will really start stacking up! If you had had a CVS coupon when you purchased the $2.59 Adidas deodorant, you could have used both the $1off 1 manufacturer’s coupon as well as the $1 off 1 CVS coupon to make the final cost out of pocket on one $0.49. Plus you’d get $3.00 ECB. Pretty nice, huh?
Step 8

Photo by helen_1984 at flickr.com

Make your ECBs grow even more with $3/$15 or $4/$20 coupons in addition to the other deals you are doing.
These coupons are just what they sound like. You will get $3 off of your total if you purchase $15 or more in merchandise (or $4 off of $20). This is like free money to me. If I’m already going to be buying $15 worth of products before coupons (with ECBs, of course) then I can get $3 of free groceries! These $3/$15 or $4/20 coupons often print at the bottom of your receipt. Newspapers will sometimes carry them as well if your area drug stores are in intense competition.
These coupons can be stacked on top of manufacturer’s coupons, CVS coupons, and ECB deals to make even more money. Here’s a current deal this week:
Buy 8 bottles Dove shampoo/conditioner at $4.29 for 2 bottles x 4 = $17.16 total (This price may vary according to region.)
Use the following coupons for this deal:
$5/$15 CVS coupon
$3/$15 CVS coupon Beauty Purchase from a CVS email
$6 off by using 2 Manufacturer’s coupons $3/2
$12 off by using 4 Manufacturer’s coupons $3/1
Total coupon value $26
This amounts to a negative balance of $8.84. CVS actually owes you money. But their policy won’t allow paying you money. In this scenario they pay you with merchandise. You knew about this negative balance before getting to the register because you tallied up your purchases with your handy-dandy calculator. So, before going to the check-out counter, you simply put about $8.84 or slightly more of merchandise into your cart that your family needs anyway. These are your free groceries on top of your free shampoo!
Step 9

Photo by *bel* at flickr.com

Make your list.
Plan exactly what you will purchase so as to get maximum ECBs with as little out of pocket as possible. If you’d like some suggestions check out the becentsable blog (link in Resources).
Step 10

Photo by phil_g at flickr.com

Gather your goods!

When you shop be sure to scan your card at the price check machine in your store. Coupons and rebates will print.

If the CVS you shop at is out of stock on a particular item you want, be sure to ask for a raincheck that reflects the ECBs you missed out on. Just because they miscalculated their inventory needs doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the good deal.
Before approaching the register, tally up your total (after coupons) with a calculator to be sure things go smoothly. If your total is less than your ECBs find some items that you need for your family that will bring your make up the difference.
Step 11

Photo be sirwiseowl at flickr.com

Buy your goods for pennies.
The order in which you present your coupons makes a big difference.
First be sure that they scan your CVS Extra Care card before your first item is scanned. Otherwise, it can really mess up your total.
Next, scan the merchandise.
When paying give the $X/$XX coupons first. This is important. If you do it after the CVS and manufacturer’s coupons the total price will be smaller and your transaction may not qualify for the coupon.
CVS coupons come next.
Then hand over your manufacturer’s coupons and get your final total.
Lastly, use your ECBs. If you find that you don’t have the exact amount of ECBs to pay for your total you can add small items to make up the difference. You don’t have to do that but if you pay with a $3 ECB but only owe $1.00 you will be losing $2 ECB in the transaction.

It is quite a thrill to have a total go from $16, down to $13, to $11, to $3! And as a crowning touch pay with $3.00ECB! Nothing like free groceries to make my day!
Step 12

Check your receipt. After a few weeks of using your Extra Care card you will begin occasionally receiving discount coupons such as “save $2 on your next $10 purchase” as well as coupons for a specific products such as “$4 off when you buy $10 in health or nutrition products”. These print at the end your receipt. Save these with your ECBs.
On your first shopping trip you will have to pay out of pocket. The following weeks, however, you will pay for your groceries with previously earned ECBs.
Step 13

Do it all again next week!