The goal of this CVS challenge is to come up with up to 3 scenarios where the total spent out of pocket is $5, while still growing your ECB’s. I’m going to assume that you start out with zero ECB’s to start with, or it makes it too difficult for others to follow. For more information on the abbreviations used in this post, please see my Coupons 101 article.
Please note: if you looked at my transactions earlier, I had to adjust them, since I inadvertently included a St. Ives coupon that was not for the correct product. You can see more about the Sun/Mon only specials at the bottom of my post. Sorry about that! OK…the St. Ives coupon may work (according to a reader), so I’ll include the coupon at the bottom of the post. I’m not sure if the body wash is an Elements product, but I won’t see it until tomorrow when I’m shopping.
Transaction #1
Buy Crest Pro-Health Whitening Toothpaste $3.49 – Nov. ECB item, limit 2
Use $1.00 Crest QP 10/12 PG or $0.75 Crest QP 11/2 PG
Total after Coupons: $2.49
ECB’s Earned: $3.49
Transaction #2
Buy Listerine Cool Agent Blue Tinting Rinse $3.99
Buy Glaceau Smart Water 1 Liter $1.59
Use $1.00 Listerine printable or $0.50 QP from 10/5 RP
Use look for B1G1 free peelies (coupons) on the Glaceau water to get an extra water for free
Use $3.49 ECB’s from previous transaction
BONUS: The Listerine rinse is a UPromise item and Listerine has a $0.50 Ecoupon that will be applied to your UPromise account, if you have linked your CVS ECB card to your UPromise account. You will also earn 2% back for the Listerine rinse. See my post here about Ecoupons if you don’t know how to use them. Also, if you don’t have a UPromise account, you need to sign up here and link your CVS card to your UPromise account. If you don’t know what Upromise is, click here to find out more…it’s free and earns you money to apply to your kids college, your college, or your student loans.
Total after Coupons: $1.09
ECB’s Earned: $4.59
Transaction #3
Buy Palmolive 11 oz $1.49
Buy Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner or Styler $2.99
Use $0.25 Palmolive QP 10/26 S
Use $1.00 Garnier Fructis coupon – many out there, most recent from 10/5 RP
Use $3.00 ECB’s from previous transaction (save the $1.59 ECB’s from Smart Water)
Total after Coupons: $0.23
ECB’s Earned: $3.00
Total OOP: $3.81
ECB’s Left to Spend: $4.59
Other great deals that don’t fit into my $5 scenario:
Buy L’Oreal Advanced Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle Serum $11.99 – Sun. and Mon. only
Use $1.00 Loreal coupon 10/19 S
Get $11.99 ECBs
Profit: $1.00 after ECB’s
Buy St. Ives Body Wash 18 oz. $3.99 – Sun. and Mon. only
Use $2.00 St. Ives printable coupon
Get $3.00 ECB’s
$1.01 profit after ECB’s – if the coupon works for this product – see above
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Corrie is a "cents"able wife and stay-at-home mom of 2 boys.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow – thanks for outlining this so clearly. I have read so much about the ECB’s and CVS but when I go there I get a bit overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.
THe St Ives coupon is not for body wash. Were you able to use it anyway?
Whoops…I’m sorry that I gave the wrong coupon. It was posted on other sites as a coupon that would go with the deal, so I didn’t notice. I’m going to change my transactions to take out that coupon.
The St. Ives coupon worked at my store. Even though the body wash is not in the picture, it reads “any St. Ives Elements”
On the print out just below the coupon it reads “Please use this coupon to try any one of our St Ives Elements Products”
-Amber
Thank you so much for putting these on your blog! It has helped me learn the CVS ‘game’!!