New hobby

So I've discovered the art of "CVSing" and I figured I'd let you in on it so maybe you can start saving money, and if you're like me, the two things I LOVE doing are shopping and spending little to no money. The two usually don't go hand in hand, unless you dumpster dive and trash pick. Both are limited resources in upstate New York. I'll start putting on my blog what I saved.

First, you go to any CVS and sign up for their ECB (Extra Care Bucks) card. It's free and it takes only a minute. Then, you proceed by taking their weekly flyer, which is at CVS or comes in the Sunday paper, and as you flip through, you'll see that for some of their items on sale that week, it's like getting it "free" when you use your ECB card. Those are the items that when you first initially buy them, you pay out of pocket. Like this past week, they had a 3 day sale, Sun. to Tue., where Blink Tears, artificial tears, were on sale for 7.99. But when you used your ECB card for the 3 day sale, you got 7.99 put straight back onto your card, and when you purchased it after using your CVS card, even though you have to pay the cashier 7.99, the cashier will then print out a coupon with 7.99 on it. It's like free money. Most people would use the 7.99 for anything else in the store. But for me, I would go back and buy 7.99 worth of other stuff that's like "getting it free" when you use your ECB. Example.

This past week: (I had 10.50 ECB to start off with from previous purchase)

7.99 Blink Tears
.99 One Subject Notebook
2.99 5" Scissors
1.50 Compass
.99 Glue Stick 3 pack
4.99 Irish Spring Body Wash

Total with tax: 20.50

Here's where clipping coupons comes in handy (my boyfriend and I don't buy the Sunday paper. Instead, we go around on trash night and pick Sunday papers with the coupons still in them off the side of the road. It's a lot of fun :)

They had an online coupon for CVS that if you bought $20 worth of their stuff, you received a $4 coupon off your purchase. So that's what I used first.

20.50
-4.00
=16.50

Next, I used a coupon that CVS had in their store for $1 off any Softsoap or Irish Springs body wash. On top of that, I also printed out a coupon for $2 off any Irish Springs body wash that I found online.

16.50
-3.00
=13.50

Next, I used a $3 off any Blink Tears product that came in this week's Sunday paper.
13.50
-3.00
=10.50

Then, I used my $10.50 worth ECB in coupons from my previous purchase, which meant I owed .01 out of pocket for EVERYTHING. BUT, on top of that, a handful of coupons printed out. Since the rest of the items I bought, the scissors, notebook, compass and glue sticks, were "like getting it free" when I used my card, it printed me out coupons for...
2 (when you bought Irish Springs, you received 2 ECB)
2.99 (when you bought scissors, it's like getting it free)
.99 (wyb glue sticks, it's like getting it free)
.99 (wyb notebook, it's like getting it free)
1.50 (wyb compass, it's like getting it free)
7.99 (wyb Blink Tears, it's like getting it free)

So I walked in with 10 dollars worth of Extra Care Bucks, and walked out with 16.50 ECB's to spend on my next purchase and paid one penny out of pocket for 20 bucks worth of stuff!!!!

Think it's worth it? I do!!