Welcome to the ABCs of Savings! Each day we’ll be discussing another money saving topic, each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. Be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you don’t miss any steps along the way. You can read the full alphabet of posts here (updated as they are posted).
D: Drug Stores
Let’s face it. At one point in time, we all thought drug stores were overpriced little places where you would pick up a box of Kleenex when you stopped in to fill your antibiotic prescription. Who in the world would have ever thought we would be using drug stores to save SOOO much money!?
My family thought I was nuts when I told them that I could save tons of money at CVS. But the proof was in those little plastic bags. Each time I went, I would buy a few items, use the Extra Care Bucks I had earned last time, and pay pennies out-of-pocket. I would usually earn more Extra Care Bucks and keep the process rolling along.
If you’ve not taken the time to investigate the drug stores near you, I encourage you to find out how their rewards systems work. If you’re blessed to live in an area where you have CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, I recommend choosing just one of them to start with. Watch the sale ads, check out my posts each week, and then start small. Pick up one or two items and see if you can earn some rewards, use them to buy other products, and then earn more rewards. Once you get your feet wet and are comfortable with the process, you’re going to dive in head first and never pay for toothpaste or shampoo again!
My thinking is this….. If I run out of shampoo on any given day, would I rather stop at Walmart or the grocery store and buy whatever cheap-0 brand they have? Or would I like to stop by my own cupboard and grab the shampoo that usually retails for $5 (but that I got for pennies)? I’ll take the pennies version, thank you!
If you’re interested in learning more about how CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid work, you can follow along on this site. Each week I post the weekly deals for each store. I also post any shopping trips that I do through the week. And if you have questions, be sure to send them to me. If they’re your questions, then they’re probably someone else’s questions too! I’d be happy to answer them for you!
Just wanted to say that I read this and went back to read the A B & C as well. What a lot of great information! I suspect there are a lot of people out there reading, learning and enjoying it. I don’t think to comment sometimes, but I’d like to let you know how valuable this information is and how much it’s appreciated. I’m rather new to all this, so every little bit I can learn helps. Keep up the great work; you’re a good teacher. Thanks so much.
That’s so sweet! And I really do appreicate your comments. It’s nice to know that this series is helpful. I’m planning to redo a CVS 101 and Rite Aid 101 where we can dive into the stores in-depth. That way you can start slow and build momentum. It’s much easier to do when you’re armed with information! So keep reading and let me know what else you want to see posted! 🙂