~The CVS Game~

The following is the best explanation that I've found to explain what I call "The CVS Game".

If you are new to couponing, you may wonder why so many people talk about CVS Pharmacy. There are several reasons, but the number one reason is FREE STUFF! Close your eyes and imagine how much money your family would save each year if you never had to pay for soap, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, razors, deodorant, hair styling products, make up, body wash, lotion or OTC medicines such as Tylenol or Advil. For the average family, that amounts to about $500 a year in savings. If you know how to work CVS, you can stock up on featured items and never pay for toiletries again. PLUS, CVS offers ECBs and CRTs that you can spend on other things such as diapers, snacks or gifts.
CVS Card-Just like many grocery stores, CVS requires a card to enjoy their additional savings.
Knowing the Lingo:
Extra Care Bucks (ECBs)-These are valuable gift certificates that print at the bottom of your receipt. You earn ECBs when you purchase specific items or spend a specific amount of money on a particular manufacture. The ECBs you earn can be spent on ANYTHING in the store with the exception of prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco or gift cards.
Example; Buy Product A for $2.99 and receive *$1 ECBs. Once you purchase item A, the ECBs will print out at the bottom of your receipt. You can use those ECBs on the very next purchase, or save them for later.
*There is also a limit to how many times you can earn ECBs by purchasing item A. The limit usually range from 1-5 times per card.
Cash Register Tape Coupons (CRTs)- These are valuable coupons that print at the bottom of your receipt OR they can be printed at the store's Price Check/Coupon Printer. I love these coupons for 2 reasons; They are generally vague and can be stacked (discussed later) with manufacture coupons.
Example; $2 off any pain reliever or $2 off any facial cleanser. These are very vague and allow you to use them in a variety of ways. "Pain Reliever" can mean Tylenol or an Ice pack! "Facial Cleanser" can mean soap or a wipe! It's all how you (and the cashier) interprets the coupon. Plus, don't forget, you can use a manufacture coupon as well.
**Company Coupon Policy= 1 Store coupon and 1 Manufacture Coupon for each item*
*"Rolling" ECBs- simply put, this means you take the ECBs earned and use them to pay for an item that earns you additional ECBs.