Monday, May 4, 2009

The order of your purchases

When you are buying items that give you a ECB or Register Reward back and are then using the earned money to purchase other items, the way you make your purchases can cost you more money depending on the order you purchase the items.

I will use the four items I plan to buy at Walgreens this week as an example. I am buying these items:
Right Guard Deoderant $2.99- $2 RR- $1 coupon= free
Colgate Sensitive $4.49-$4.49 RR- $.75= free plus
Pullups $9.99- $3 coupon= $6.99
Bayer crystals $2.49- $2.49 RR= free

Scenerio #1:
If I purchase:
Colgate $4.49- $.75= pay $3.79 /get $4.49 RR
Bayer crystals pay $2.49/get $2.49 RR
Total OOP $6.28 / earn $6.98 RR

2nd transaction:
Pullups $9.99- $3 coupon= $6.99- use$6.98 RR from 1st transaction
Right Guard Deoderant $2.99- $1 coupon= $1.99 / get $2 RR

Total out of pocket for both transactions $8.28/ have $2 RR remaining

Scenario #2
1st transaction
Right Guard Deoderant $2.99- $1 coupon= $1.99 / get $2 RR
Colgate $4.49- $.75= pay $3.79 /get $4.49 RR
Total out of pocket $5.79/ earn $6.49 RR

2nd transaction
Pullups $9.99- $3 coupon= $6.99-use $6.49 from 1st transaction- $.50
Bayer crystals pay $2.49/get $2.49 RR
OOP $ $2.99/ earn $2.49 RR

Total out of pocket for both transactions $8.77/ have $2.49 RR

In the above scenario it is only a $.50 difference in the two scenarios, but my goal is to limit what I actually spend out of pocket and roll my ECBs and Reg Rewards. I would rather have my cash over store credit pretend money.

4 comments:

Marva said...

Great example! Hope all is well! Blessings!!!

Angie said...

You are good! My mom does this too and I need to start!

Rochelle said...

Okay, I need help understanding this stuff. Q stands for coupon? ECB and RR, what are those?

Southerner said...

Rochelle,
ECBs are Extra Care Bucks that you get back on purchases at CVS. They offer items each month and then some weekly items that when you purchase an item for say $2.49 you get back $2.49 or $2.00 in ECBs. It is on the bottom of the receipt and usually expires in a month. You use it towards your next purchase.

At Walgreens they have Register Rewards that you get out of a Catalina Machine that is a paper coupon they hand with your receipt. They usually expire in a week or two. You cannot do the same deal again with that Register Reward, but can use the "money" for any of the other deals or for any other purchases.

When an item is $2.49 and it offers $2 back and I have a $.50 coupon, I get the item for free.

When an item is $2.49 and I have a $1 Q then get $2.49 back, I just made $1.00(minus tax)

You objective is to do enough of the money makers and keep using your ECBs and RR for the new deals each week so that you "rolling your ECBs/ RR" and purchasing items for little out of pocket expensse each week.

Let me know if you have any other questions.