CVS-How to Earn & Use ECBs

So I've explained RiteAid; I better cover some other stores.

At CVS you have to sign up for an Extra Care Bucks card. On your first visit you pay the full price for the product you purchase the first trip that you make (excluding any MQs that you use). At the end of your receipt you will receive the ECB that you earned on the products purchased & these can be used on future purchases (& on anything in the store-there are no limits to what you can use the ECBs on).

**I try to "roll" my ECBs so that I never have to start over again (pay the full amount out of pocket again). This means that once I've earned ECBs I try to only buy items that I will use & that earn more ECBs for that week***

An example from this week's CVS ad (2/14-2/20):

Crest Pro-Health Enamel Toothpaste or Rinse is on sale for $3.50
You will receive $3.50 in ECBs wyb the toothpaste or rinse.
There was a $2 off MQ in 2/7 PG insert.
The limit on this is 2. I receive 2 papers so I have 2 coupons.

So if I were starting out this week with No ECBs I would buy any combination of 2 items for *$3.50 each, bringing the total to $7.
*I'd use 2 $2 off MQs, bringing the total down to $3.
*I would pay $3 + tax OOP.
*At the end of my receipt I would receive $7 in ECB ($3.50 for each item purchased).
By the time you add what I get back in ECBs & what I saved with MQs I will have gotten both items for the price of the tax only. In the couponing world that's called FREE.

Now I have $5 ECB in hand right now so let's take a look at the same transaction with that factor.
*2 $3.50 items total $7.
*Scan the 2 $2 MQ ($4 off), bringing the total down to $3
*Scan my $5 ECB, bringing the total to $2 over. So I would need to have another item (say the Aussie styler that's on sale this week for $2.99-throw in the MQ of $1 brings it down to $1.99)
**So my OOP would only be the sales tax. FREE again.
EXCEPT I would earn $9 in ECBs at the end of this transaction (2 $3.50 ECBs for the Crest & 1 $2 ECB for the styler).
-The reason I got the styler in this transaction is because I would just lose the $2 of ECBs if I didn't-I paid the money for that ECB up front so I certainly don't want to lose it.


*****Key to CVS-START SMALL!!***** You don't want to blow your budget earning ECBs. The first time just buy an item that earns it's full value in ECBs. Then use that ECB to purchase something slightly pricier that earns its total value in ECBs etc.

Always have them scan things in this order:
Store coupon of $/$$, MQ, ECBs.
For maximum savings, always use a coupon & get the item on sale.