Step by Step CVS Deal Shopping ~ Lesson One: Beginning Steps #1 thru #3

I recently decided to throw out my old CVS Extra Care Card and to get a new one and to write a step by step lesson series here at Simply CVS on saving money while shopping at CVS. I thought with a new card and having to go thru each step again myself, I wouldn't leave anything out.  Here are three simple steps to get started.

1. Get A CVS Extra Care Card
1. To be able to take advantage of the sales at CVS a customer must have a CVS Extra Care Card.
2. Fill out an application in the store and receive your card immediately and start saving.  You can also apply online but I will explain later why I do not recommend this.
3. With a CVS card the customer will not only get the advertised sale prices but be able to earn Extra Bucks on weekly deals, prescription purchases and quarterly spending.
4. Check out "chapter two" in the CVS 101 for Beginners post for a more in-depth description of the Extra Buck program.
2. Sign Up to Receive Emails
1. Register your extra care card number here with CVS requesting coupons for in-store purchases.
2. Only do this when you are ready to use the $4 off $20 total purchase coupon they will email you when you sign up.  I am not sure how long the expiration date is good for so if you don't want to loose the coupon wait. UPDATE 4/2014:  I am not sure they still send these initial $4 off $20 coupons out.
3. This is why I recommended not getting  your card online. I did that and when I went to sign up for the emails and get my $4/$20 coupon it said there was already an email attached to the card.  I called customer service and they said when you sign up online that the email is already attached to a card. She advised trying a different email address which did not work. So I called again and asked if there was anything they could do and the fellow I talked to that time said he didn't see an email address attached to the card so added the one I tried to add and put a $4/$20 on my card to print at the store.  So if you want to assure yourself of this $4/$20 coupon pick up your card in the store.
4. Periodically CVS sends out coupons via email to customers--though not all customers receive the same coupons.  Some of us seem to never receive emails and some receive them more than once a week.
3. Register Your Card Online
1. Visit CVS.com and register your card online.  Do this after you have signed up for your emails.
2. Periodically visit the account and check for $5/25 coupons and others that are sometimes put there.  I have never received any, but readers of Simply CVS have shared that they often find them there. I wonder if checking in more often helps produce them so I plan to sign in twice a week and see if that helps.

Click the Step by Step banner above to see all of the posts in this series.

Follow along on my $50 CVS Gift Card Challenge Journey as I take a new CVS Extra Care Card account and show how to stretch the $50 into hundreds.

Disclosure: Links in posts may be Simply CVS affiliate partners or personal referrals.