C-V-S! C-V-S! C-V-S!

Every Time I walk out of CVS, I feel like cheering! I just can't help but get excited over the larger hauls and huge savings I make on almost every visit to the store.

A few posts ago, I mentioned that we'd talk about saving big money on personal care items and other household goods. Well, your best bet for doing this is shopping at drugstores, of which, CVS has quickly become my favorite. With a little know-how and planning, you can shop drugstores and practically eliminate spending on items like shampoo, toothpaste, soap, razors, cleaning supplies, etc. Let me begin to tell you how...

• The very first step to big CVS savings is signing up for a CVS Extra Care Card - this allows you to receive the sale price on items in the weekly ad.
• Next, search the weekly ad for items that will earn you Extra Bucks, which is CVS currency. These extra bucks are reward dollars that can be used to pay for your next transaction.
• To maximize savings, try to buy sale items that offer extra bucks that you also have a coupon for. In some cases, this will actually MAKE you money.
• Roll your Extra Bucks in future purchases to buy other items that earn Extra Bucks. With the right amount of planning, after you initial purchase, you can roll your Extra Bucks to get many free items, only paying state sales tax!

Let me give you can example.

Start by looking for an item, THAT YOU WILL ACTUALLY USE, that is advertised to return the full price of the item in Extra Bucks. These tampons are on sale for $6.79, and you will earn $6.79 in Extra Bucks by purchasing them. I can't stress this enough...couponing is only worth your time if you buy products you will actually use! I started my CVS shopping in July by purchasing contact solution and diapers, two things we needed in our home!

Next, see if there is a coupon that matches your product. Here is a printable coupon for $1.00 off. By using it, you will pay $5.79, but you will earn $6.79 in rewards, which is making you a profit of $1.00!

Finally, use your rewards on a future transaction to buy other extra bucks earning products. You could do this on the same visit if there are more good extra bucks deals, or save them for another sale week. Just be careful, the extra bucks do expire. The expiration date is located on your receipt. It's also important to note that each extra buck reward must be used in its entirety at one time. That means, using the example above, you would need to spend all $6.79 at a time. It won't deduct and keep a balance like a gift card.

I will share more CVS tricks and teach you how to roll your extra bucks in another post.

Reader Response: Which household and personal care items do you find yourself spending the most money on? (If I know, I can share specific deals!)