This is a pretty slow week at CVS (at least in my opinion), so it would be a good time to take advantage of some of the monthly deals if you haven’t already.

If you are just learning how to shop at CVS, start here for some helpful tips.

The coupon match-ups for the weekly deals are here and the coupon match-ups for the monthly deals are here.

The following are scenarios for people who are “new” to shopping at CVS or who have very few ECBs to start with: (these are just ideas….you do not have to follow this exact order and you can skip some items if you do not need them or don’t have the coupons that match up with them)

Spend $5.11 OOP, get $27.09 in merchandise, end with $3 ECB

Transaction #1:
Buy Mylanta Cherry flavor (see my monthly deals match ups here for the details) – $3.65
Use $3 insert coupon or $2 printable coupon

Spend $.65 or $1.65 OOP (depending on your coupons), get $3 ECB back

Transaction #2:
Buy 2 Stayfree pads – $3.99/each
Use BOGO free coupon
use $3 ECB from Mylanta

Spend $.99, get $4 ECB

Transaction #3:
Buy Gillette Fusion Gamer – $7.99/each
Use $4 manufacturer’s coupon
Use $4 Stayfree ECB (they will need to adjust it down to $3.99)

Spend $0, get $4 ECB
**If you did the Fusion deal last week, you may not be able to do it again this week. Check the bottom of your receipt to see if it is still showing “limit reached.” If it is, skip this transaction!

Transaction #4:
Buy 3 Valentine’s Day cards – $2.49/each
Use $4 Gillette ECB

Spend $3.47, get $3 ECB

Here’s an alternate idea:

Spend $4.97, get $19.96 in merchandise

Transaction #1:
Buy CVS Pharmacy Children’s Chewable Aspirin (36 ct) – $1.99

Spend $1.99, get $1.99 ECB

Transaction #2:
Buy 1 Gillette shampoo – $4.99
Use $2 Gillette coupon
Use $1.99 ECB

Spend $1, get $3 ECB

Transacton #3:
Buy Gillette Fusion Gamer – $7.99
Use $4 Gillette coupon
Use $3 Gillette shampoo ECB

Spend $.99, get $4 ECB

Transaction #4:
Buy Extreme Energy 6 hour shot – $4.99
Use $4 ECB

Spend $.99, get $4.99 ECB

I’ve got quite a few ECBs that expire this week (and a few that already expired, but I’m hoping I can still use). My stores always seem to be out of everything lately (I went twice last week and didn’t find anything on my list!). Here’s my plan (assuming I can find everything):

Buy 1 Extreme Energy 6 hour shot – $4.99
Buy 2 Stayfree pads – $3.99/each
Buy Mylanta – $3.56
Buy Johnson First Aid pads – $4.99
Buy Gillette Fusion Gamer – $7.99
Buy Johnsons travel First Aid kit – $.99

Total before coupons: $30.5

Use BOGO free Stayfree coupon, use $2 Mylanta printable, use $3/2 Johnsons coupon, use $4 Gillette coupon

Total after coupons: $17.51

Spend $17.51 in ECBs, earn $18.99 ECBs

Transaction #2:
Buy 3 Valentine’s cards ($2.49 or higher/each)

Earn $3 ECB

My “Madagascar 2” scenario:
Buy 2 Bounce dryer sheets – $5.49/each
Buy 1 Pampers diapers – $9.99/each
Buy Madagascar 2 – $19.99

Use 2 .25/1 Bounce coupons, use 1 $1.50/1 Pampers coupon, use $3 Madagascar coupon, instant $15 Madagascar coupon (CVS) for purchasing P&G products

Spend $20.96 OOP (I will pay using a CVS gift card) – if you were planning on buying the movie anyway, it’s like you’re getting all of the other stuff for free!

If you are new to shopping out CVS, check out this post.

The first scenarios are for “newbies” or those who don’t want to spend much out of pocket but want to get started “CVS”ing:

Spend $5.98, get $19.47 in merchandise, end up with a $6 ECB

Transaction #1:
Buy 1 Excedrin 10 ct – $2.49
Buy 1 CVS Children’s Chewable aspirin – $1.99 (this is a February monthly deal)
Spend $4.48, get $4.48

Transaction #2:
Buy 1 Extreme Energy 6 hour shot – $4.99 (this is a February monthly deal)

Spend $.51, get $4.99 ECB

Transaction #3:
Buy 2 Gillette shampoo – $4.99/each ($9.98 total) (this is a February monthly deal…if you have already done the deal this week and reached your limit, do not try to do it early….it may mess things up and your ECB may not print)

Use 2 $2 Gillette coupons
Use $4.99 ECB

Spend $.99, get $6 ECB

My transaction:

Buy Excedrin 10 ct. – $2.49
Buy 4 Glade scented oil refills – $2.50/each
Buy 2 L’Oreal Revitalift face wipes – $5.99/each
Buy 2 L’Oreal shampoos – $6.99/each
2 Nature Made vitamin B12 – $6.39 (BOGO free)
2 Progresso soups – $2.99 (BOGO free)
2 L’Oreal lip products – $5.99 (BOGO free)

Total before coupons: $53.82

Use $1 CVS Excedrin CRT
Use 4 $1 Glade scented oil coupons
Use 2 $1 L’Oreal coupons
Use 2 $2 L’Oreal shampoo coupons
Use 2 $1.50 Nature Made coupons
Use 2 $1.10 Progresso coupons
Use 2 $2 L’Oreal coupons
Use $10/50 CVS CRT

Spend $23.62 (pay w/ ECBs), earn $22.49

I’m posting this early for people who like to shop early! 🙂

My coupon match-ups for the week are here. My coupon match-ups for the month are here and my scenarios for the monthly deals are here.

Don’t forget to check out my $15 CVS gift card giveaway!

Here are some scenarios for “newbies” with little or no ECB to start with:
Spend $7.48 OOP, get $19.98 in merchandise (walk away with a $2 ECB for next time)

Transaction #1:
Buy Gillette shampoo – $4.99
Use $2 coupon

Spend $2.99, get $3 ECB

Transaction #2:
Buy Gillette Fusion – $7.99
Use $4 manufacturer’s coupon
Use $3 ECB from shampoo

Total OOP = .99, get $4 ECB

Transaction #3:
Buy 2 Wisk laundry detergent – 2/$9
Use $1.50/2 coupon
Use $4 ECB

Spend $3.50 OOP, get $2 ECB

Scenarios if you have a $5/15 CRT (always scan your card before you start shopping!) – These will also work if you have a $3/15 CRT (you just spend $2 more OOP!)

Scenario #1:
Buy 3 Wyeth Products (3 Robitussin, 3 Dimetapp, 3 Advil or mix and match)
Use 3 $2 off printables
Use $5/15 CRT

Total before coupons = $15
Spend $4, get a $5 ECB

Scenario #2:
Buy 1 Fusion razor – $7.99
Use $4 manufacturer’s coupon
Buy 2 Gillette shampoos – $4.99
use 2 $2 Gillette coupon
use $5/15 CRT

Total before coupons = $17.97
Spend $4.97, get $10 ECB

Scenario #3:
Buy 2 packages Energizer batteries ($12 for both)
use 2 $1 Energizer coupons
Buy 1 Gillette shampoo – $4.99
use $2 Gillette coupon
use $5/15 CRT

Total before coupons = $16.99
Spend $7.99, get $7 ECB

Scenario #4:
Buy 4 12 packs Pepsi – $16.67
Buy 3 bags Lays potato chips – $6
Buy 1 Pepsi 2 liter (or Gatorade/Sobe Life water/Propel) – $1.25
Total before coupons – $20.58

Use $5/15
Spend $15.58, get $10 ECB (don’t forget to send off for the MIR here)

**If you usually shop “early” (on Saturdays) and you’ve already done the Pepsi deal, I would wait until next week to do this deal. I have a feeling there will be some computer glitches with pricing (the prices are different on 12 packs and chips between the two weeks) and with the computer thinking you’ve already done the deal for the week.

My Scenario: (I will do this all in one transaction)
$52.96 in merchandise for free! (walk away with $17 ECB)

Buy 2 Huggies Pull Ups – $10/each
Use 2 $2 off Pull Ups coupons
Buy 3 Advil Cold & Sinus – $5/each
Use 3 $2 Advil printable coupons
Use $1 CVS CRT
Buy Gillette Fusion Razor – $7.99
Use $4 Gillette manufacturer’s coupon
Buy Gillette shampoo – $4.99
Use $2 manufacturer’s coupon
Buy 2 Pepperidge Farm Goldfish – $1.99 (BOGO free)
use $1 manufacturer’s coupon
Buy 2 CVS tissues – on sale 2/$1

Total before coupons = $50.97
Use $10/50 CVS CRT (be sure to scan your card!)

Total after coupons = $22.97 (Pay w/ ECB), earn $17 ECB
(I will also get back $1.50 in rebates from Caregivers)

**JUST AN FYI – Apparently the “Fusion Gamer” won’t be available in stores until 1/30. I was hoping some of the other Fusion razors would work for the deal, but I scanned them while I was there today and they aren’t!

This has turned out to be a fairly decent week, especially since last week was kind of slow.

Here’s a good scenario for newbies or those with very few ECBs to start out with:
Spend $5.97 OOP, get $16.46 in merchandise
(if you want to add Excedrin or St. Ives, see my scenarios at the end)

Transaction #1:
Buy 1 Herbal Essences Hydralicious shampoo or conditioner – $2.99
Use $1 manufacturer’s coupon

Spend $1.99, get $1 ECB

Transaction #2:
Buy 1 CVS 24 hour allergy relief – $3.79
Use $1 ECB from HE
Spend $2.79, get $3.79

Transaction #3: (if you don’t need/want more allergy meds, move to transaction #4)
Buy 1 CVS 24 hour allergy relief – $3.79
Use $3.79 ECB from HE
Spend $0, get $3.79

Transaction #4:
Buy Cottonelle moist wipes 2 pk – $5.98
Use .50 printable coupon
Use $3.79 ECB from CVS allergy relief
Spend $1.69, get $3 ECB
.50 rebate from Caregivers

Somehow I missed this deal. Buy 3 American Greeting (or Hallmark) – YMMV cards, get a $3 ECB. Prices start at .99. So, buy 3 cards, use your $3 ECB from the Cottonelle (they will need to adjust the ECB down if you are not buying anything else and are buying the .99 card) and you will get $3 back. SO FREE! 🙂

My transactions for the week

I have about $17 in ECB that I need to “roll” before they expire on 1/20. Here are my scenarios: ($54.48 in merchandise for .51 OOP)

Transaction #1:
Buy 2 CVS Allergy meds – $3.79/each

Buy 2 Herbal Essence shampoo – $2.99/each
use 2 $1 coupons

Buy Cottonelle moist wipes – $5.98
use .50 printable

Buy 2 Excedrin – $1.99/each
Use 2 $2 Excedrin printables (they will have to adjust the coupon down in the register)

Buy 2 St. Ives Scrubs – $2.99/each (I printed coupons to do the Wags deal a few weeks ago and never made it there)
Use $3/2 CVS CRT
Use 2 $2 printables

Buy 2 Dawn dish detergent – $1.99 (BOGO free)
Use 2 .25 coupons

Total before coupons = $31.49
Total after coupons = $17.51
Spend .51, get $12.58 in ECBs

Transaction #2:
Buy 4 Pepsi 12 pks – 4/$12
Buy 3 bags of Lays/Tostitos chips – $3 each

Total = $21 (pay w/ ECBs), earn $10 ECB