Drugstore Couponing Strategy

Sundays I get the paper delivered.  I gather up my grocery circulars that typically arrive Wednesday or Thursday (our sales start Fridays) and the CVS Circular in my sunday paper and the coupon inserts. Also scissors and a cup of coffee - I guess the coffee isn't necessary - but it is to me and it's my blog so...whatever!

 I subscribe to Sunday Coupon Preview which I always take a look at during the week to get a sense on weather there will be anything worthwhile in the coupon inserts.  Also this is almost always a preview as to what will be on sale.

Then I get out my trusty scissors and I clip anything I might use either regularly or want to try out.  Clipping the coupons is free and I have space in my binder so I'd rather clip and toss than not clip and regret it!

I have two piles.  One is my drugstore pile (CVS for me) and one is my grocery pile (Stop & Shop, Shaw's & Roche Bros)


Then I start with CVS.  The reason I start with CVS is because I don't do as much comparitive shopping as I do for food.  Basically at CVS, I am just looking for good deals for stuff to stock up around the house for.  I match up any of this week's coupons against the circular.   If something winds up being free (example below) I get it (I even go back to clip if need be) because it can always be donated to a shelter or something if not used in the house.

                 



My next part is that I search for anything that will get me extrabucks back that I have coupons for.  For example below.  I had a $3.00 off Maybelline purchase and CVS will give me $3.00 Extrabucks (EB) so that's how I stock up my makeup collection - maybe try a new shade of eyeshadow with little regret.

         
Then I'll go to my stash of coupons and match up the same thing.  If I'm in need of something, I'll shoot for a sale + coupon (for example - I needed dish soap and CVS had Palmolive for $.98 for 10oz bottle and I had a $1.00 off 2.  So I got 20 ozs of dish soap for $.96 cents!

You never know what you'll find in the stash.  Though most sales and offers are designed to match up with the current week's coupons, if I see something that isn't quite as low as I like it, I'll just hold on to the coupon and wait for the price I want.


I keep all my extrabucks and in store coupons filed in the back of my binder - these need to typically be cleaned out for expired coupons pretty quickly, but the Extra Bucks typically are good for about 4 weeks.  I don't go to CVS every week, but if I find a deal I'll clip my extrabucks to my coupons and head on over to CVS.  If I have expiring Extra Bucks, I'll just go grab some items just around the value of my extrabucks..so they don't go to waste.  That's the biggest key is not to let the extrabucks go to waste.  For example I used $5.00 this week and I earned $10.00.  I'll use them for my next visit!

My friend Caitlin is a real champ when it comes to this and made me see the light - I'd always been good at the grocery store, but I never kept up with it at CVS - just had picked up shampoo when I needed it or worse - I'd get it at Target because it was cheaper but I would walk out with $50 worth of random stuff!

Do you have any good tips to share about your drugstore couponing?