So I am going to try something out. CVS. It's a pharmacy/overpriced convenience store. What could it possibly do for me? CVS bonus bucks. I think that is what it is called. What it is, is money that they give back to you in the form of store credit when you buy certain things. How can this work for you and me is something I am investigating.
Step 1 of this process was going to CVS and filling out information to get their card. It costs nothing to get this card. Basically they like it because they can track your buying patterns and get data for themselves. It works for US because you use it to get sale prices at their store.
BE AWARE! Sale prices at CVS are typically the price you would pay on a regular day, say at Walmart. But there are a few scattered in there where it is a good deal no matter how you slice it. The goal is to look for the deals that are equal to or better than what you pay now, easy right?
So let's take an example from last week. They had a sale 5 -12 packs for $15 and then you get $5 bonus bucks back. So 5 -12 packs for $15 is a good sale anywhere. Walmart price on a 12 pack is $4.28 and here it makes it $3. We drink soda regularly so this is a good deal. PLUS it gave me $5 on my next purchase which is also a great deal IF YOU USE IT ON ANOTHER GOOD DEAL. Use it on something that is regularly priced and you get no deal really. That day I also purchased mouth wash for $3.99 and got $3.99 back in bonus cash. So if I use that $3.99 to buy something that I normally would buy at a price that I normally pay (or less) then it is like getting the mouth wash for free, right? GOOD DEAL! So I walked out of that store spending $20-ish dollars with $8.99 for something else.
NOW, this gets better. I hope not more confusing. So let's say there is a good sale on something you normally buy. PLUS you found a coupon (online, in the news paper, etc). EVEN BETTER. you still get the same amount of bonus money back no matter what you take off using coupons. NICE, huh?
Want it even better? CVS has store coupons. They can email them to you. They have a kiosk inside the store that, if you scan your card, will shoot out store coupons. You can put these coupons WITH manufacturer's coupons (ones from the newpaper) to save even more!! In some cases you kind of make money. Example
Product A is on sale for $4 plus you get $2 bonus cash back
You have a coupon from the newpaper for $2 off
You have a store coupon for $1 off
In the end you pay $1 but walk out with $2 in bonus cash ....so really you are up $1.
OK, this is enough to make your head spin for a while. I will probably go more into detail as this works out more. But as for now, I have spent about $45 on about $100 worth of products that I USE! I also want to say that I am now completely stocked up on shampoo that unless another ad comes out where bonus bucks equals the price, I will not buy more shampoo for a while. Two back ups is all we need for a good 4-5 months.
** I really want to make the disclaimer that I only buy things that I use. I don't buy things just because I get bonus money back. That defeats the purpose. I do not want a house full of things I can't use. I really suggest only buying things that you typically buy. **
1 comment:
Extra Bucks are awesome if you use them wisely. I was very into that in grad school. And if seeing the amount you have saved versus the amount that you have spent gives you satisfaction (especially when the amount you saved is double or more the amount you spent), pay attention to your receipt. They track that for you for the season and for the year (they did a few years ago anyway).
Post a Comment