I guess CVS got the note about my reluctance to shop there this week because they have really upped the deals! Now if only I had a $/$$...! Be warned about this particular Charity Challenge. It's rather big (4 transactions) and requires you to complete it by Monday because of certain Sunday & Monday only sale items. And since it's all about growing your ECBs, if your store is out of stock on any of these items you've got to either get creative or pay a bit more OOP on the following transactions.
That being said, I would not recommend that someone take a printout of this and go to the store to try and complete it. Each transaction just depends too much on the transaction before, and ending up with a $11.97 ECB is not the way to go either. I really don't like high value ECBs. These are really more "for educational purposes only" scenarios.
Transaction #1
Buy 2 Brach's Pumpkins, autumn mix, Indian, or candy corn 10 oz ($1.29 each): $2.58
Buy 2 Funlights ($0.99 each): $1.98
Subtotal: $4.56
Grand Total & OOP expense: $4.56
ECBs returned: $2.58 (Brach's) + $1.98 (Funlights) = $4.56
Transaction #2
Buy 2 Pumpkin Pails ($0.99 each): $1.98
Buy 2 Colgate toothpaste/toothbrush ($2.99 each): $5.98
Buy 1 Excedrin Express gel: $1.99
Buy 1 Gum toothbrush: $3.99
Subtotal: $13.94
Use 2 $1/1 Colgate mfg coupon (-$2.00)
Use 2 $1/1 CVS Colgate coupon (-$2.00)
Use 1 $2/1 Excedrin mfg printable (-$2.00)
Use 1 $3/1 CVS Excedrin coupon (-$3.00)
Grand Total: $4.94 (use ECBs from transaction #1)
OOP expense: $0.38 (Total OOP so far: $4.94)
ECBs returned: $1.98 (Pails) + $4.00 (Colgate) + $3.99 (Gum) = $9.97
Transaction #3
Buy 1 Gum toothbrush: $3.99
Buy 1 Just for Men: $7.99
Subtotal: $11.98
Use $2/1 Just for Men mfg printable (-$2.00)
Grand Total: $9.98 (use ECBs from transaction #2)
OOP expense: $0.01 (Total OOP so far: $4.95)
ECBs returned: $3.99 (Gum) + $7.99 (Just for Men): $11.98
Submit for a full Just for Men rebate and get $8.00 back like I did.
Transaction #4
Buy 3 Gum toothbrushes ($3.99 each): $11.97
Subtotal: $11.97
Grand Total: $11.97 (use ECBs from transaction #3 - lose a penny)
OOP expense: $0 (Total OOP so far: $4.95)
ECBs returned: $11.97 (Gum)
Charity Challenge Roundup
Merchandise total: $42.45
OOP expense: $4.95
Total savings: $37.50
ECBs left for next time: $11.97
Now, it's not exactly the best deal out there considering you end up with one huge $11.97 ECB, but that was the way that I figured it so you could get the most of everything without going over $5. The only freebie that I couldn't figure onto the list was the Powerade that sales for $1.69 and produces $1.69 in ECBs. Oh, and the GUM toothbrushes are popping up everywhere because they have a limit of 5.
By the way, there are coupons out there for Powerade and the GUM toothbrushes, but I didn't have any so if you're got the right coupon match-up it could be an even sweeter deal. CVS allows 1 manufacturer's coupon and 1 CVS coupon per item, you can stack the card-scanner coupon printouts along with manufacturer's coupons! Take into account your $2 ECBs returned, and CVS is paying you $1 to take their Colgates!
The same thing applies to the Excedrin, although I'm not sure where else you can get a $3/1 CVS coupon other than from the trusty card-scanner. If you have that awesome coupon, then you will have a savings of $5 on a $1.99 product. That's a profit of $3.01.
I love it when I get paid to get freebies...CVS, you have now have my undying love. You'll have it forever if you'll just send a $2/$10 coupon my way now...
2 comments:
Where do you get the CVS coupons?
I got all my CVS coupons from the register & card scanner. I never used to get any from the register at all, but lately they've been printing out 3 or 4 every-time I do a transaction...my register receipt is about 3 miles long now - it used to only be a mile or two with the ECBs!
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