16 Ways to Save Money Shopping at CVS

CVS is my favorite of the drug stores. For years (seven in fact) I worked as Deal Detecting Diva – a coupon blogger covering deals at every single major retailer in the midwest. When they finally came to my neck of the woods in spring of 2013, I scoured the internet to learn all I could about this new-to-me drug store and how to save money shopping at CVS.

16 Ways to Save Money Shopping at CVS

In the several years since, I have been shopping and saving while fine-tuning my CVS shopping skills and they are still my favorite! They consistently have amazing specials, they have the best rewards programs and coupon policy and you get additional rewards for being a member of their free clubs. What’s not to love?

ExtraCare Card

Before shopping the first time at CVS you’ll want to sign up for an ExtraCare card. I recommend getting one in the store rather than online simply because you’ll be able to scan it right away at the Magic Coupon Machine (a.ka. the kiosk) and you’ll have the card in your wallet right then. Totally up to you though. The ExtraCare card is a frequent shoppers card just like you’d get a Kroger or other grocery store chain. You’ll also earn 2% back in ExtraCare Bucks on nearly every purchase you make! For doing nothing.

Get the App

You’ll find special in-app coupon savings that will change each week. You can also view the current sales circular and manage your prescriptions.

Email Alerts

Make sure that you sign up for their emails because you will get special offers and coupons when you do! You might even get a sign-up bonus. Every week I get some kind of special offer, and sometimes they are amazing!

ExtraCare Bucks

CVS has a program called ExtraCare. ExtraCare rewards are called Extra Care Bucks (referred to as ECBs in the couponing community). These are rewards CVS offers in the form of a store coupon. They are printed at the bottom of your receipt after purchasing qualifying item(s) or sent to your email to be used later. I highly recommend not having them sent to your email, but having them printed on your receipt instead. I had a mishap with mine once and missed out on $9 in savings. It was only $9 but I was still rankled. Learn from my mistake!

Earning ExtraCare Bucks

ExtraCare Bucks are offered on participating products on a weekly or monthly basis; buy a specific product or specific dollar amount of product and earn a specified amount in rewards. You can always use coupons on an item producing ExtraCare Bucks. ExtraCare Bucks typically expire 30 days from the date they are printed. Treat them like cash!

Once you earn ExtraCare Bucks, you will them be able to use them in your next transaction. You are allowed to redeem any number of ExtraCare Bucks in a given transaction, but there is strategy to this as well. Let’s say you have a $5 ECB and you want to buy something that costs $3. You can absolutely purchase an item lesser in value than your ExtraCare Buck, but you will lose out on that other $2. Use it all or lose it. In this instance, the better idea would be to buy another $2 item to get your total to $5 and buy them both!

Let’s say we have an ExtraCare Buck reward this week that is a threshold reward; meaning that you have to spend $x amount to receive $x reward. Let’s use this Huggies offer pictured above. Buy $30 or more in Huggies, Pull-Ups or GoodNites and get a $10 ExtraCare Buck reward.

You do not have to purchase all $30 in one transaction or even one shopping trip! You can break them up throughout the week in case you don’t have enough coupons with you, or they are out of stock, or you only need one package etc – and still earn the $10 when you DO reach that threshold! How awesome is that?! Your running total for that ExtraCare Buck promotion will print on your receipt.

The 97% Rule 

There is a little known rule (that you really should know) shopping at CVS for those ExtraCare Buck offers that require a threshold purchase. The $10 ECB when you buy $30 or more in Huggies we talked about earlier is a perfect example! You don’t actually have to hit the $30 mark to receive your rewards. As long as you’re close – around 97% of the total needed – the ExtraCare Buck will still print.

ExtraCare Buck Limits

When looking at the ExtraCare Buck deals for the week take note of how many times per household the ExtraCare Buck will print – located directly under the “final price” in the sales circular and at the bottom of the shelf tag. If the limit is six like in the Almay deal above, you can purchase ALL SIX of them in the SAME transaction and get the ExtraCare Buck six times! This is a big part of what sets CVS apart from the other drug stores in my mind. Most are one and done.

Using coupons

You can absolutely use both manufacture’s coupons and store coupons – even on the same item! As long as the qualifications of both coupons are met, you can use a CVS store coupon right along with a manufacturer’s coupon. I recommend having a backup plan in case the items you’re planning to purchase are sold out (at any store when couponing, not just CVS).

Also keep in mind exactly which items are producing ExtraCare Bucks that week, including sizes and varieties. If you are unsure, you can scan the item at the Magic Coupon Machine (a.k.a. The kiosk) and it should tell you. You can also check the sales circular or ask an employee for assistance.

Beauty Club

Make sure you also sign up for their free Beauty Club. They offer a 10% off Beauty coupon offer just for signing up, you get a free $3 ExtraCare Buck reward on your birthday AND you will also earn $5 ExtraCare Bucks for every $50 spent in the Beauty department. I can totally do that. 

The CVS Beauty Club officially retired as of Dec. 31, 2022

The Magic Coupon Machine (a.k.a. The Kiosk)

There’s a machine at CVS that I like to call the Magic Coupon Machine. You’ll just scan your CVS shoppers card every time you go and it will spit out CVS store coupons for you. Some of these coupons are featured in their weekly ad, and sometimes they are tailored to each unique user.

Prescriptions

Join the ExtraCare Pharmacy and Health Rewards program. Many times they will offer a $5 ExtraCare Buck for filling your first prescription, or a gift card for transferring your prescription to them. Earn a $5 ExtraCare Buck for every 10 refills on your prescription and get that reward faster for performing other small tasks. Sign up for more information.

Join the CVS Adviser Panel

If you enjoy doing surveys, sign up for the CVS Adviser Panel. A few times a year they will send a survey for you to complete. In return you earn extra ExtraCare Buck rewards. Done and done.

Use Savings Apps 

Just like the CVS savings app, download and use ibotta, Checkout51,  and a number of other apps to save money shopping at CVS. You can use these on top of those manufacturer’s coupons AND CVS coupons!

For Veterans

Are you a veteran? I thank you for your service, and CVS thanks you as well! Get 20% off every online order and free shipping.

Follow on Twitter

Follow CVS on Twitter for news and updates. They frequently announce or remind us of rockin’ deals on our Twitter feed. While you’re there, follow Heart Hook Home too! 😉

Do you know of other ways to save money shopping at CVS? Leave your tips in the comments to spread the money saving love!

More savings tips before you go:

Ways to Save at Kroger (from an Extreme Couponer turned Frugalista)
12 Creative Ways to Save on Pet Food
19 Secret Shopping Hacks for Saving Money Shopping at Kohl’s
Top 13 Ways to SAVE at Lowe’s Home Improvement: Coupons, Price Match, Competitor and More
16 Ways to Save at Michaels
10 Tips for Saving Money at Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts
6 Secret Tips to Saving BIG on Airfare {without signing up for 100 credit cards}
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