CVS Savings Plan

There are a lot of blogs that have very complicated schemes on how to save money each week at the drug stores. I've tried these only to find that something goes wrong and I end up spending more money than I would've had I just shopped the convenient way (which, in my life, is at either Super Target or Costco). A couple of weeks ago, I stepped back and decided that simpler might actually be better. First things first, I decided to focus on CVS and cut the other drug stores out of the equation. I like CVS better, find their sales easier to follow, and think the cashiers are nicer. Each week I pick up a few things that I think are killer deals. It is fun, and I get the stuff I need. Here is this weeks plan:

Transaction (1) -- U By Kotex is on sale for $4.99, get back $4.99 in ECBs (limit 1). An ECB is like CVS money. It prints on your store receipt after you pay and can be used on almost anything during your next transaction. It is treated like a manufacturers coupon. I also have a $1.00 manufacturers coupon for the Kotex and a $4 ECB that I would like to use from my last transaction. Because I want to use two manufacturers coupons (the Kotex Coupon and the ECB), I will need two items. I am in luck -- Tuna fish is on sale for 49 cents. Awesome. (Yep, that means another Tuna Noodle Casserole is in my future. Sorry Catherine : ) )

It rings up as follows:
$4.99 U By Kotex
$0.49 Tuna
(1.00) Kotex Coupon
(4.00) ECB
-------------
$0.48 plus Tax, get back $4.99 in ECBs.

Transaction (2) -- Crest Pro Health Toothpaste is on sale for $3.50, get back $3.50 in ECBs (limit 2). I have one $0.75 manufacturers coupon and the $4.99 ECB from my last transaction. Two manufacturers coupons, two items. Perfect.

It rings up as follows:
$3.50 Crest
$3.50 Crest
(0.75) Crest Coupon
(4.99) ECB
--------------
$1.01 plus Tax, get back $7.00 in ECBs.

Transaction (3) -- Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreen is on sale for $9.99, get back $5.00 in ECBs. I have a $1.00 manufacturers coupon and the $7.00 ECB from my last transaction. Because I want to use two manufacturers coupons, I will need another item. Bring on another 49 cent can of tuna!!

It rings up as follows:
$9.99 Hawaiian Tropic
$0.49 Tuna
(1.00) Hawaiian Tropic Coupon
(7.00) ECB
----------------
$2.48 plus tax, get back $5.00 in ECBs

All in all for the week, I will have a ton of new stuff that we actually need, and will only have spent about $4 out of pocket plus tax. I'll also have a $5 ECB so I can play the game all over again next week. From one way of looking at it, that's a $1 profit for shopping at CVS!!