My CVS Black Friday Game Plan {34 Items. $100 Value. $14.70 Money-Maker!}

(REMINDER: CVS starts its Black Friday sale on THURSDAY (Thanksgiving day). Fore more information, see this post.)

Hoooboy, am I excited about Black Friday at CVS.

You’ve read my 10 tips for making the most of the Black Friday sale at CVS. But I was also asked to share my game plan, so I’ve put together these five transactions.

Yes, this is what I personally plan to do on Thursday morning, assuming all goes well!

Note that you don’t need to start with any ECBs in your pocket; in fact, it assumes you have none.

Transaction #1

Buy 1 – Bayer Advanced Aspirin, 20-ct – $.99, Limit 1

Buy 1 – Finish Quantum, 10-ct – $2.99, Get $2.99 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 1 – General Mills Total – $2.87, Get $2 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 2 – Theraflu Caplet, 8-ct – $1.87, Get $1.87 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 1 – Benefiber Sticks, Trial Size, 3-ct – $1.49, Get $1.49 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 1 – Carmex Lip Balm – $1, Get $1 ECBs, Limit 1

Use coupons:

Total Before Coupons: $13.08
Total Out of Pocket: $3.78 OOP + applicable tax
Earn: $9.35 in ECBs

Transaction #2

Buy 1 – Breathe Right Nasal Strips, 10+2-ct – $5.99, Get $5.99 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 1 – Cepacol Lozenges, 16-ct – $4.99, Get $4.99 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 2 – Listerine Pocketpaks, 3-pk, 72-ct – $2.99 Get $2.99 ECBs, Limit 2

Use Coupons:

Total Before Coupons: $16.96
Total After Coupons: $11.96
Use $9.35 in ECBs from Transaction #1
Total Out of Pocket: $2.61 + applicable tax
Earn: $16.96 in ECBs

Transaction #3

Buy 2 – GUM Super or Micro Tip Soft Toothbrush, 2-ct – $2.99, Get $2.99 ECBs, Limit 2

Buy 2 – Colgate MaxClean SmartFoam, MaxWhite, MaxFresh, Total Gum Defense, Advanced or Enamel Strength – $2.87, Get $2.87 ECBs, Limit 2

Buy 1 – Wet N Wild Festive Flirt Nail Kit – $2.88, Get $2 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 2 – Theraflu Daytime or MultiSymptom Travel Size, 1-ct – $.99, Get $.99 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 1 – Be Kool from Fever Discomfort Gel Sheets for Kids, 4-ct – $4.49, Get $4.49 ECBs

Buy 1 – Advil, 10-ct – $2.99, Get $2.99 ECBs, Limit 1

Use coupons:

Total Before Coupons: $24.06
Total After Coupons: $18.06
Use $16.97 in ECBs from Transaction #2
Total Out of Pocket: $1.09 + applicable tax
Earn: $22.19 in ECBs

Transaction #4

Buy 1 – L.A. Looks Styling Gel, 20-oz – $2.49, Get $2.49 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 1 – Sheets Energy Strips, 10-ct – $3.99, Get $3.99 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 1 – CVS Alkaline Batteries, AA or AAA, 4-pk – $3.99, Get $3.99 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 1 – Pepto Bismol, 4-oz – $2.99, Get $2.99 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 1 – CVS Dental Flossers, 90-ct – $1.99, Get $1.99 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 1 – Kleenex Cool Touch Tissues, 50-ct – $1.50, Get $1.50 ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 1 – Philips or Magnavox Universal Remote – $6.99, Get $6.99 in ECBs, Limit 1

Buy 1 – Advil PM, 4-ct – $.99, Get $.99 ECBs, Limit 1

Total: $24.93
Use $22.19 in ECBs from Transaction #3
Total Out of Pocket: $2.74 + applicable tax
Earn: $24.93 in ECBs

Transaction #5

Buy 2 – Hershey’s King Size Bar – $.99, Get $.99 ECBs, Limit 2

Buy 4 – Mars Chocolate Singles – $.75, Get $.75 ECBs, Limit 4

Buy 1 – Philips Earbuds – $6.99, Get $6.99 in ECBs, Limit 1

Total: $11.97
Use: $11.97 in ECBs from Transaction #4 (from $6.99 universal remote, $3.99 batteries, $.99 Advil)
Total Out of Pocket: $0 + applicable tax
Earn: $11.97 in ECBs

Total Trip Out of Pocket: $10.22

Total Trip ECBs Remaining: $24.93

You will spend $10.23 + any applicable tax to buy 34 items, and walk out with $24.93 in ECBs to spend the next time you go shopping.

In other words, purchasing 34 items, whose retail value is approximately $100, will actually MAKE you $14.71!

Did I mention I love Black Friday at CVS?!?!

Comments

  1. Looking forward to seeing what other retailers you can show us this with.
    The nice thing is that I doubt CVS is going to have a huge line on black friday, and I need to pick up some medication that will be about $20!

  2. awesome! I’m going to have to print this out 🙂 So, do we go Thursday morning or Friday morning to get these deals?

  3. I guess you didn’t get the $5/$25 coupon vi email, right?

  4. Jessica Rine says

    Why do it in so many different transactions?

    • Jessica – I do it in separate transactions to keep my OOP (out of pocket) as low as possible. That’s pretty much my goal with couponing in general, spend the least actual money possible! Since these transactions assume you don’t have any ECBs to start out with, then you are best off doing more transactions. HTH!

  5. What do you do with the stuff you won’t use? Like the remote, we don’t have a tv, do you just donate it to get the extra bucks to roll? Also have you had any problems at our CVS here, making multiple transactions? I am a little scarred.

    • It’s funny, b/c I wasn’t going to get that remote – thinking, what do we need this for. And then randomly last nite, DH mentioned wanting one b/c the kids lost either the TV or the BluRay remote. So, yeah, electronics I personally probably won’t get unless I think we might use it. The earphones – we go through them like crazy for road trips, so we can never have too many!

  6. I also have 2 different $5 off $25 coupons on my CVS account. I’m very excited to hit CVS on Thursday morning! Thanks for the plan 🙂

  7. I also had 2 of the $5 off $25 in my CVS.com accounts, which I sent to my CVS card :). Thanks for the game plan! I’m excited to head to CVS on Thursday morning for my first ever CVS Black Friday adventure! Just one question, what’s your advice about using ECBs and the gift cards that I have saved, should I use them or hold them for a different day?

    • The coupons have an expiration on them – I’ve read the 26th. As for the ECBs and gift cards – I’d definitely roll the ECBs, no doubt about that. For the gift card, I would use it to cover your balance after coupons and ECBs are applied. Still, have a goal to have as little balance left as possible – but just use the gift card, so you don’t have to take it out of pocket.

      At least that’s what I’d do!

  8. I don’t understand the theraflu deal.
    The coupon says $3- off 2, but you wrote that there is a limit of one. Is the second one just not too expensive?

    • Liba – the “limit one” thing just means that you can only get the ECBs on one. The $3/2 coupon will make both straight-up free, the ECBs is just a happy bonus. HTH!

  9. Thanks SO much for this post!! My store didn’t have everything, but I ended up 25 items worth $73 and it was a $4 money maker (would have been better if I didn’t have my husband with me picking up things that were not on my list, lol!). But for this newbie couponer, I’m so excited! Thanks again!

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