T's trip to CVS... 5/14/09

I bought:

(2) Bayer Contour Glucose Meters - on sale for $14.99 (normally $79.99)
(2) Crest Pro Health Enamel Shield Rinse - on sale for $3.49 (normally $5.39)
(1) Colgate Wisp 4ct disposable toothbrushes - on sale for $1.99 (normally $2.59)

Coupons used:

(2) $30 off Bayer Breeze or Contour Meter (*note* no overage, will just get you $14.99 off each)
(2) $1 off Crest Pro Health Enamel Shield Rinse
(1) $0.50 off Colgate Wisp 4ct
$7 in ECBs (Extra Care Bucks)



Total before sales and coupons: $173.75

Total after sales and coupons: $2.40

Total savings: $171.35 (yep... 98%)

Extra Bucks Earned:

$10 for Bayer purchase ($5 ECB for each meter) =
$10 MONEYMAKER, ZERO OUT OF POCKET!

$4 for Crest Pro Health purchase ($2 ECB for each rinse)

= $14 ECBs earned total

** This is a perfect example of a situation when you can't make use of a product (in my case - the glucose meters), but when you can get an item for FREE... or in this case MAKE MONEY on it, you can donate the items to someone that needs them. For the glucose meters, you could consider donating to your church, a local shelter, or organization like the Diabetes Foundation.**

Now... this was a great deal. This one did take a bit of effort on my part. Originally, when I presented my coupons for the Bayer meters, the cashier at CVS told me she could only give me $9.99 off each meter, meaning with extra bucks I'd be completely breaking even. I did question her on it (as CVS's policy states that when you have a coupon for more value then the item, they will take off the entire price of the item, without regard to ECBs earned) but she insisted she was only able to take off $9.99. I purchased the meters anyway, as even with a "break even" it was a good donating opportunity. However, when I returned home I called the manager who told me I was entitled to the full amount and to please come back and bring my receipt and they would adjust the amount. I also noticed that the Colgate Wisp toothbrushes did not ring up at the sale price, so upon returning to the store they corrected that as well.

Moral of the story?

1) Be persistent. Don't hesitate to ask for a manager in a case like this. The cashier was just unfamiliar with the policy. Next time I will handle this while I am still in the store...

2) Check your receipt. ALWAYS. At every store. I try to do this in the car before I leave the parking lot. If you see a problem take it to a manager or customer service.

One more thing... when I build up my Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) I usually only use them to, in turn, earn more ECBs. There are always lots of scenarios each week you could do to earn ECBs. We hope to be able to start posting some of these sample scenarios for you very soon. This week, the Colgate Wisp toothbrushes weren't earning ECBs, but I purchased them anyway because I love them! They make it so convenient to be able to brush your teeth away from home, just brush and toss! :)