Saving with TaLis

How can someone come out with free merchandise and in some cases, even be paid to shop at CVS? No need to be an extreme couponer either. You wouldn’t think CVS is one of the best stores to get health, beauty and from looking at their prices though. However, apply the following tips for easy ways to save at CVS.

CVS is one of my favorite places to shop for health and beauty products.

These tips are geared to be easy to save money at CVS, based on how involved and how much savings you want to get though. Usually people think of coupons when saving money. However, you many not have to clip anything if you don’t want to. It can be as simple as swiping a card.

1. Manufacturer Coupons

Manufacturer coupons are found in numerous sources such as the CVS app, printable coupon sources, as well as inserts in the Sunday paper.

There are 3 types of manufacturer coupon sources – digital coupons, printable coupons and paper coupons

Paper coupons come from the manufacturer and are found in Sunday paper’s inserts, peelies, and other sources (watch Where to find coupons)

Printable coupons are manufacturer coupons you can print on any printer. Especially the printer in your house. You can print up to 2 coupons though. Better than paper coupons, and can be used WITH paper coupons. Printables can be found in the Coupons.com website, and other sources like Lozo, or below:

Digital coupons exist just in the app. But, they can be used with printable and paper coupons. The Coupons.com app is a great source for digital coupons.

2. Cashback & rebate apps

Are you familiar with Ibotta, Coupons.com, Fetch Rewards, Checkout 51, Shopkick? You should because you can stack these coupon apps with CVS coupons, as well as manufacturer coupons.

Best Apps to use at CVS:

Needless to say, the CVS app is a must have. However, there are other free apps that are great money savers, easy to use and also work with other ways to save at CVS listed here.

Fluz

Fluz is at the top of the list for the best apps to use to save money at CVS for me. To begin with, when you join, you get three 35% off vouchers to redeem at CVS. Additionally, you can get 3 vouchers more when you refer someone to Fluz and that person makes their first Fluz purchase. Ongoing cash back earnings every time the person you referred uses Fluz is what draws most people to use Fluz however. You get cash for doing nothing. (Try Fluz with my referral code SAVINGWITHTALIS to get (3) 35%off vouchers) Read about Fluz here.

Ibotta

Ibotta is one of the most used grocery cash back apps today. The main draw of this app is that users get cash back for every day household staples like bread, toilet paper, fruits, vitamins, etc. It also gives cash back shopping for clothes, travel and other common needs. Its also fun to use, with bonuses and extra ways to increase earnings. New users get up to $20 download bonus with my referral code 7pdfg8.

Put cash back savings in autopilot by linking your CVS account to Ibotta. This way all you have to do is browse ibotta app for shopping deals prior to going shopping at CVS an

Shopmium app

The Shopmium app has digital coupons that you can use at CVS. Its available to free in the App Store and Google Play Store.

Free to use, and free to cash out. Shopmium app Typically users can either link to a store’s reward program to redeem for cash back. CVS can’t yet be linked to the coupons app, which is a good thing, however, because this means you can use the digital coupons found within the CVS app in addition the coupons app.

The CVS app allows for redeeming 1 item per coupon. With the coupons app you have another coupon to use in your CVS deal.

Checkout 51

Checkout 51 is another grocery cash back app to use at CVS. Cash back varies according to the product offered. The app resets every Thursday, with new offers available to redeem for multiples of the same product. Checkout 51 also offers cash back on gasoline.

Coinout

Coinout is the simplest way to earn cash back. I call it the lazy earning app, because you can earn cash for snapping pictures of your receipt. Although at CVS, receipts can vary in length, with some of them being ridiculously long.

Fetch Rewards

Another lazy snap a picture and earn app, Fetch Rewards is a bit different because you also get to track your grocery budget over time. This app has a download bonus for new users as well. Use my referral code TOYVQ to try it out and get immediate cash in your account when you upload your first receipt.

Receipt Hog

This is my favorite app by far because its fun. With this app you snap and upload any receipt to get points. However, as you upload receipt you get chances to “spin the slot machine” to win additional coins. Its not gambling, because you don’t spend any money or have to use part of your earnings in order to get spins. This app redeems for cash or Amazon gift cards. Use referral code skok7710 for bonus points after download from app store and get an automatic bonus.

3. Stacking

Combine manufacturer coupons, digital coupons with cash back rebate offers and sales or promotions to your savings. This is known as ‘stacking‘. When using cash back apps or rebates make sure to read the fine print for stacking however. For example, Checkout 51 doesn’t allow the use of coupons with the products you’re redeeming. However, you can use Checkout 51 rebates in combination with CVS items on sale or existing promotions.

4. Pay with an app

Pay with an app that gives you cash back. This is like paying with a gift card instead of a credit card or cash at checkout. Except that when you pay with a gift card in an app, you earn money.

5. CVS Rewards

There are 3 CVS rewards programs that add extra savings to your shopping: Extracare Rewards, Beauty Rewards and Pharmacy Rewards.

Join all of them.

Join CVS reward program, known as Extracare Rewards. Present your rewards card every time you shop to earn 2% back in rewards every you use it. Earn “extrabucks rewards”

Join CVS Beauty Club. This is in addition to what you earn through the Extracare program. For every $30 you spend on beauty products you’ll earn $3 extrabucks. Categories include makeup, skin care, hair care and fragrance.

Join Pharmacy & Health Rewards. Every time fill a prescription at CVS you’ll receive credit. Receive $5 extrabucks for every 10 prescriptions filled. One thing that is super important is that you must complete the HIPAA form to stay active in this program.

Additionally updating the HIPAA form ensures you continue getting CVS %off coupons and other app coupons in your account. If you have stopped getting CVS coupons, read this article about how to get them again.

6. CVS Kiosk

The red kiosk inside CVS should be the first stop for every CVS shopping trip. Scan your card to receive special discounts and coupons that you can use at checkout. Tip: scan several times until you get a message stating you got all your coupons.

7. ExtraBuck Rewards

Use extrabucks to pay at checkout. Extrabucks are ‘CVS money’. You can check your extrabucks balance online or through the CVS app.

Talis tip: If you don’t have any Extracarebucks (or ECB), Fetch Rewards is the only app I know that you can redeem for a CVS gift card. Use this gift card to pay for deals and get extrabucks to keep rolling ECB transactions at checkout.

Not familiar with “rolling ECB transactions”? This is when you use ECB to pay for items that earn ECB. The benefit of doing this is that you lower your out of pocket cash to pay at check out and you get more ECB cash to pay for your next shopping trip.

At one point I had about $50 ECB. It sort of became unmanageable because they expired at different times. I found that the right amount to handle was $25 however. This way I could use it with CVS deals where you have to spend $25 to get ECB deals.

8. Surveys

Sometimes CVS sends out quality surveys to find out the type of service customers are getting. I get these usually when I fill a prescription. If you get one, be sure to fill out any CVS surveys you receive. Most of the time there is reward extrabucks or discount coupons for completing them.

9. Emails

10. Weekly Ads

The weekly CVS flyer is a must to check out before shopping at CVS. Check for products you buy, and get them when there are sales. CVS weekly ad is published online every Thursday, and a hard copy is found on Sunday’s newspaper.

Pro Tip: CVS sales cycle through with the same sales about every 3 to 5 months. Sales tend to match manufacturer coupons too. For example, when L’Oreal has coupons for hair color, you can find L’Oreal hair color on sale at CVS.

11. CVS Sales Cycles

Are you able to match your shopping needs sales cycle? As I mentioned above, CVS has a sales cycle where every few months you can see the same deals. These deals often match manufacturer coupons or manufacturer promos. If you’re able to buy the products when they’re on sale instead of waiting for when you need them, chances are you’ll start needing them when the next sales cycle rolls around, and get them when they’re on sale. Give it a try and monitor the CVS sales cycle and your shopping needs. You’ll be surprised to learn they sync up.

12. Raincheck

Don’t forget to ask for a ‘raincheck’ if the product you want on sale is not in stock. This will lock in the sale price, and you can buy it when it is stocked again, but pay the sale price. Rainchecks at CVS never expire. So store them, and use it wisely. I wrote a post sharing my superbly compact coupon binder if you want to check it out.

my compact coupon binder - saving with talis

13. Download CVS App

The CVS app is the hub of extra savings and its a must-have if you want to get ‘app exclusive coupons’. It also consolidates the pharmacy and beauty rewards with all the coupons and sales available, making it super easy to shop.

14. Shop Online

Is shopping online better? Its a personal preference. Prices are the same as in the store for items that are listed in the Weekly ad. Personally, I prefer it, because when i’m writing out my shopping deal I can see what discounts are being applied and edit the shopping cart myself. At the store, if there is an issue with a discount not being applied, it turns into a hassle with the cashier.

Another reason I prefer to shop online is that I don’t have to worry about out of stock products. With more people becoming savvy shoppers at CVS, there are many times I get thrown off an extreme couponing deal because one of the items is out of stock.

15. CVS Brand

CVS has its own brand products which often has much lower prices and are often on sale. They’re practically the generic version of the name brand. Vitamins and other wellness products for digestive health, cold medicines, eye care among others are available in CVS brand. The CVS brand products are often on sale, and typically at the same time there is a CVS coupon to stack savings.

Shopping at CVS can be expensive, but using coupons and other type of saving methods really helps keep the cost down.

Happy savings, TaLis

Also Read: Best CVS Deals this week

Ready to shop?

The following deals are cheap using the CVS app coupons. These CVS deals are also online for those of you who want to save on gasoline. They have the same price as in-store.