This is your expert guide to saving money when shopping at CVS.

Be sure to check out the BeFrugal $100 CVS gift card giveaway as part of our Daily $100 Gift Card Giveaway!

Visit the BeFrugal page for CVS to check out coupons for additional savings.

1.        Online & Printable Coupons

Each week, CVS offers amazing deals on individual products, store-wide sales, and ExtraBuck deals. On top of these great offers, CVS accepts online printable coupons, CVS coupons, manufacture coupons and, of course, your ExtraCare Bucks. You can find manufacture coupons online, in your Sunday newspaper inserts, or on the products themselves. ExtraCare Bucks are only eligible for ExtraCare Card members. CVS does not accept competitor coupons or match competitor prices.

The greatest thing about CVS’s coupon policy is they allow coupon stacking. CVS allows 1 CVS coupon and 1 manufacturer coupon per item. But you can stack these with dollar-off CVS coupons ($3 off $15) and your ExtraCare Bucks towards your final total amount.

 “Buy One, Get One Free” (BOGO) sales are also very common at CVS. Since you are essentially getting 2 of the same product, BOGO coupons can be stacked with 2 manufacturer coupons as well as a CVS coupon or ECB applied to your final total amount.  

In addition, Facebook and Twitter can be a useful online tool to find CVS deals and coupons. You don’t need a Facebook or Twitter accounts to view CVS’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

To find the latest printable coupons and deals, check BeFrugal.com for CVS coupons. You can also find their latest sales and coupons online at CVS.com in their “Sales & Specials” section. Check the bottom of your receipt for other product coupons as well.   

2.        CVS ExtraCare Card

Even if you only go to CVS once a month or multiple times a week, you should get a CVS ExtraCare card because the majority of the advertised sales prices are for ExtraCare cardholders. Being a cardholder will save you money on every trip to CVS, no matter how frequent you shop there. You’ll also earn 2% ExtraCare Bucks (ECB) on every purchase in-store or online, plus 1 ECB for every 2 prescriptions filled. Every 3 months, your ECB will print on your store receipt. You can also print out your ECB online through your ExtraCare account or at the in-store kiosk called the CVS Coupon Center - just scan your card and your coupons and ECB will print out for you to use before you checkout.

You can receive a $4 off $20+ coupon when you register to receive ExtraCare emails notifications. ECB can only be used at one time and do not carry over to other purchases; For example, if you have $2 in ECB on a $1 purchase, you forfeit that remaining $1 ECB. ECB do have expiration dates within a short period of time, so redeem them as quick as you can!

To capitalize on your ECB, you can also choose to do numerous transactions in one CVS shopping trip. If you are buying multiple items that will each earn you ECB, apply those ECB from your first transaction towards your second transaction. Your out-of-pocket amount is less than buying everything together since you are using your earned ECB from each item right away.

3.        Enroll in ExtraCare Beauty Club

If you are already a CVS ExtraCare cardholder, you should also enroll in their ExtraCare Beauty Club. You’ll earn additional ECB on all your beauty product purchases. Immediately after you enroll, you’ll receive a 10% off beauty products coupon in your inbox to use right away. As an ExtraCare Beauty Club member, you’ll earn $5 ECB with every $50 beauty purchase. If you add your birthday to your ExtraCare account, you’ll receive $3 ECB on your birthday. You can also visit their Beauty Club Facebook page for upcoming deals and beauty tips.

4.        Ask for a Raincheck

If CVS is out of stock on a sale item that you intended to buy, ask your sales associate for a raincheck. Rainchecks do not expire and you can use it once that item is back in stock to receive that sales price

5.        Green Bag Tags

Save the environment for more savings! Earn ExtraCare Bucks when you bring your own reusable bags on your shopping trips to CVS. All you have to do is purchase a “Green Bag Tag”, which can be found near the cashier for $1 and attach it to your reusable bag. Keep your eyes out for an offer to get these tags for free if you use an ECB with your purchase. For every 4 shopping trips you scan your Green Bag Tag, you’ll earn 1 ECB. Last year alone, over 1 million ExtraCare cardholders scanned their Green Bag Tags saving millions on plastic bags.

6.        Become a CVS Advisor to Earn More ECB

An easy way to earn more ExtraCare Bucks without spending any money is to become a member of the CVS Advisor Panel. It is free to join and you must be a CVS ExtraCare cardholder to register. You’ll receive email invitations to participate in their online surveys throughout the year. Immediately after you complete a survey they’ll give a self-printable CVS ExtraBucks coupon. Not only will this help you save more when you shop at CVS but you are also involved in helping CVS improve their shopping experience for all customers.

7.       Grab the CVS Weekly Flyer

Check your local Sunday newspaper for CVS weekly ad flyer! You can also view their weekly & daily ads online at CVS.com. Or receive the weekly ad right to your inbox every week! You can sign up online.

8.        Earn Cash Back on Your Online Order

Earning cash back on all your cvs.com orders is easy and free, plus you can stack this on top of promotional codes for extra savings! Sign up as a BeFrugal.com cash back member and you’ll receive cash back on all your CVS online purchases

9.        Buy Discounted CVS Gift Cards

You should never pay full price for Gift Cards to CVS! Either for gift ideas or just for yourself, you can purchase discounted gift cards for up to 25% off their retail value. The best places to find CVS discounted gift cards would be to search ebay.com or use a discounted gift card finder.

10.        Become a CVS Employee

The ultimate, most extreme way to get the best deals at CVS is to work there! CVS employees receive 20% off regular merchandise, 30% off CVS brand name items, but unfortunately employee discounts are not eligible on sale items.

A Few Other Things You Should Know

After all this shopping and saving, if in the unfortunate event you are unhappy with your recent CVS purchase there are a few things you should know:

1. Call Customer Service: The first place to start addressing your concerns is directly with CVS. You can either head into a store to speak with a manager or contact customer service via phone or email.
2. CVS Return Policy: CVS has a hassle-free return policy. Bring back any product, opened, unopened, or defective, along with your receipt within 30 days for a full refund (Some exceptions may apply on certain products). For online orders at cvs.com or prescription items, you must call their Customer Care Specialists at (888) 607-4CVS.    

Download BeFrugal com's PDF Guide to CVS.