CVS Challenge $20/4 weeks

Results:
My cost: $19.99
CVS retail cost: $106.74

I decided I wouldn't use any money out of pocket to start the $20 challenge. The planets lined up and two things made this possible.

The first $10: I have to give a little background here. Some time ago, CVS created a Customer Advisor Panel to get feedback from customers about the services they provide. Surveys come by email and after you complete a survey online CVS in return rewards you with Extra Bucks. This is a wonderful idea and benefits everyone. The $10 Extra Bucks cost me nothing except a few minutes of my time. So that is my first $10 to work with in my challenge. Here's a link if you want to learn more about the CVS Advisory Panel.

The second $10: CVS mailed a $10 gift card to me as a "thank you for your patience" acknowledgement. There's not much to tell, but if you want the whole story scroll all the way to the bottom.

So now I've got $20 to work with and it didn't cost me anything out of pocket.

1. Extra Bucks
See the "Extra Bucks Explained" section if you aren't familiar with how it works.

2. There's a CVS within 1/4 mile of my house.
A lot of time spent traveling and a lot of fuel for the car would defeat the idea of saving money. So with a CVS just a minute away, it's super convenient for me.

The best way to explain Extra Bucks is to show an example. Here's a scan I made of a CVS weekly ad. It shows Excedrin for $4.49. When I check out at CVS, I will indeed pay $4.49. But notice it says "Extra Bucks Reward $2.00". That reward will print out on the bottom of my receipt and looks like a coupon. I'll hang onto it, and next time I go to CVS I'll use it like cash when I check out.

So, let's say on my next trip to CVS, I purchase shampoo for $3.00. I'll hand over my $2.00 Extra Bucks I earned from the Excedrin deal and only owe $1.00. And to make the deal even sweeter, the shampoo I purchase on my second trip may earn Extra Bucks as well. I can then take those Extra Bucks and use them toward my 3rd trip to CVS and so on and so on. This strategy is knows as "rolling Extra Bucks".

And to make a sweeter deal even sweeter, I can use coupons and it will not affect my Extra Bucks in any way. So that Excedrin I'm buying for $4.49...I'm really only going to pay $3.49 out of pocket because I just found a $1.00 off coupon from a Sunday paper insert. $4.49 -$1.00 coupon - $2.00 ECB's = like paying $1.49.

Savvy CVS shoppers will "roll" Extra Bucks for weeks and weeks and weeks. Paying very little out of pocket each week. This program is a genius marketing idea from CVS. It keeps customers coming back to CVS (benefits CVS) and keeps customers happy by offering great deals (benefits customers).

One more thing about Extra Bucks - you must use your Extra Bucks coupon in one transaction. In other words, no change is given if your total at checkout is less than your ECB. For example is your total purchase is $4.75 and your ECB is $5, you will forfeit the remaining $.25. Take some time planning your trip and this will not happen to you. Update: This happened to me on week 3 because I miscalculated somewhere along the way. My total at checkout was $9.91 and I paid with a $10 ECB. I forfeited $.09.

I've looked over my CVS weekly ad and the best deals I see this week are on milk and soap refills. I'm heading over now to purchase my items.



I bought 2 gallons of milk and 2 softsoap refills.

Here's how it all breaks down:
1 gallon of milk for $2.79 (used $1 coupon) = $1.79 (milk also earns $1 ECB (Extra Buck) this week)
It's like getting a gallon of milk for $.79
1 gallon of milk for $2.79 (used $1 coupon) = $1.79 (milk also earns $1 ECB this week)
It's like getting a gallon of milk for $.79
1 softsoap refill for $3.99 (used $2 coupon) = $1.99 (soap also earns $2 ECB this week)
It's like getting a soap refill for $.00 (FREE)
1 softsoap refill for $3.99 (used $2 coupon) = $1.99 (soap also earns $2 ECB this week)
It's like getting a soap refill for $.00 (FREE)

There's also some tax to pay: $.46

Regular retail would have been $14.43

I spent: $8.04 -$6.00 ECB (added back to my cash) = $2.04!

__________________________________________________________________

Spent this week: $2.04

Left to spend: $17.96
___________________________________

My cost to date: $2.04

Retail cost to date: $14.43

__________________________________________________________________

Wow, there are lots of great deals this week! I won't know until I do all the math, but I don't think I've got enough money left for all of them. I've got 2 weeks after this to go and don't want to run out of money early.

I'm looking at the Banana Boat Suntan Lotion deal, the Swiffer Dry Cloth deal, Pantene shampoo deal, and the Dawn dish soap deal. I've needed the Swiffer cloths for a long time so I'm getting that one for sure.



I bought Swiffer Dry Cloths and Febreeze Air Effects deal the and Dawn Dish Soaps. The Pantene deal wasn't what I thought it was so I skipped it.

Here's how it all breaks down:
Swiffer Cloths $7 + Febreeze Air Effects $3 (used $.50 coupon) = $9.50 (this combined deal also earns $5 ECB's this week)
It's like getting both items for $4.50
2 Dawn Dish soaps $2.00 (used $.50 & $.25 coupon) = $1.25 (dish soap also earns $1 ECB this week)
It's like getting 2 Dawn dish soaps for $.25

There's also some tax to pay: $.12

Regular retail would have been $17.02

I spent: $10.87 - $6.00 ECB (added back to my cash) = $4.87!

__________________________________________________________________

Spent this week: $4.87

Left to spend: $13.09
___________________________________

My cost to date: $6.91

Retail cost to date: $31.45

__________________________________________________________________

I'm looking at the Aveeno Lotions deal, the Kellogg's cereal deal and the VO5 shampoo deal. I need to round up all of my coupons and see what I can do with my remaining $13.09.



OK, so far I purchased the Aveeno deal (spend $20, get $10 ECB's). And I learned that Aveeno has, at their website aveeno.com, a $10 off 3 products coupon. Won't need lotion for a while after this deal. This should be sweet! Update: Went to CVS this afternoon and got 2 Rice Krispies, 1 razor, and 8 (yes 8) bottles of shampoo/conditioner. We were completely out in both bathrooms.

Here's how it all breaks down:
Aveeno Positively Ageless Firming body Lotion (3@$7) $21 - (used $10 coupon) = $11.00 (this deal also earns $10 ECB's this week)
It's like getting 3 lotions for $1.00
2 boxes Rice Krispies (2@1.88) $3.76 - (used 2/$1.00 coupons) = $1.76
Got cereal for $.88 per box
1 Schick Razor $7.99 (used $4.00 coupon) = $3.99 (razor also earns $3 ECB this week)
It's like getting a Schick razor for $.99
8 VO5 Shampoo/Conditioner (8@.77) $6.16 (used $2.00 coupon) = $4.16
Got 8 bottles of shampoo/conditioner for $.52 each

There's also some tax to pay: $.86

I made a $.09 error* :-(
When I checked out I miscalculated somewhere and was only able to apply $9.91 of my $10.00 ECB's toward my purchase. Ugh. Since it was only $.09 I left it alone.

Regular retail would have been $56.55

I spent: $21.77 - $13.00 ECB (added back to my cash) = $8.77!

__________________________________________________________________

Spent this week: $8.77

Left to spend: $4.23
_________________________

My cost to date: $15.68

Retail cost to date: $87.99

__________________________________________________________________

I just looked over my CVS sale paper for this week and I sure wish I had more money to spend. But I am very satisfied with the products I purchased last week and would not change that. So now I've got $4.23 left to spend and this is going to be tricky with such a small amount. I'll update this page as soon as I get my trip figured out.

Well, I decided on the Cascade, French's Mustard, Hot Sauce, BBQ Sauce and some toothpaste we need.



Here's how it all breaks down:
Cascade Dish Detergent $2.99 - $1 coupon = $1.99
Got Cascade for $1.99
2 bottles of French's mustard (2@1.00) $2.00 - $1.50 (used 2/$.75 coupons) = $.50
Got mustard for $.25 per bottle
Red Hot Sauce $1.00 - $.50 coupon = $.50
Got hot sauce for $.50
Aquafresh toothpaste $3.69 - $2.75 ($2.00 CVS coupon & $.75 Manu. coupon) = $.94
Got toothpaste for $.94
Kraft BBQ Sauce $1.00 - $.75 coupon = $.25
Got BBQ sauce for $.25

There's also some tax to pay: $.04

Regular retail would have been $18.75

I spent: 4.22!

__________________________________________________________________

Spent this week: $4.22

Left to spend: $.01
_________________________

My cost to date: $19.99

Retail cost to date: $106.74

__________________________________________________________________

If you are interested in couponing (it has gotten so popular that this is now considered a verb), this is my best advice:

1. Purchase two Sunday papers a week.
For me the papers always pay for themselves and more. I purchase one local smaller newspaper and one very large newspaper published in the nearest large city. We get all the news plus 2 sets of all coupons. Having 2 sets really pays off for Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) deals. Many stores allow you to use 2 coupons on BOGO items.

2. Don't throw away any coupons you think you won't use!
I cannot say how many times I've thrown away a coupon I thought I wouldn't use only to want to use it later. Keep a folder of coupon pages that you have a slim chance of using and tuck it away - you'll have it IF you need it.

There are many ideas of how to file and keep coupons. I keep mine all together (not cut out) in a file and cut them out as needed. Many people have extremely organized systems that work great. To be honest, I have not seen or figured out a system them works perfectly yet for me! Do whatever works best for you.

I contacted CVS by email with a very specific question about using coupons at their stores. I wanted to know if there was a known problem and/or solution for a particular coupon that didn't ring up correctly. A manager called me and gave me all the information I needed and also had my local store send me a $10 gift card.

I never asked for the gift card and it didn't cross my mind that they would offer one since I wasn't really complaining...only trying to figure out a problem.