CVS pharmacies regularly structure promotional events to provide consumers with opportunities to acquire products at no cost or significantly reduced prices through the use of Extrabucks rewards and manufacturer coupons. For the week of January 11, 2015, specific deals were available across several categories, including health, household, and food items. These offers typically require an ExtraCare card to access sales pricing and earn rewards. Understanding the mechanics of these promotions allows consumers to maximize savings on essential goods.
Health and Personal Care Freebies
One of the most prominent no-cost offers identified for this period was the CVS Gas Relief product. Priced at $9.99, the purchase triggered an immediate $9.99 Extrabucks reward, effectively making the item free. This offer was limited to one per ExtraCare card holder. Extrabucks function as a store credit that can be used on future purchases, essentially functioning as a rebate on the initial transaction.
Cough drops were another category featuring a significant price reduction. Halls cough drops were priced at 2 for $3.00. A $1.00 Extrabucks reward was generated when purchasing two units. Additionally, a $1.00 printable coupon was available for two packs. When combining the sale price, the reward, and the coupon, the final cost for two packs of Halls cough drops was $1.00.
Oral hygiene and personal cleansing items also featured "Buy One, Get One" (BOGO) deals and reward structures. CVS Select Vitamins were available on a BOGO basis. Irish Spring 3-packs and Softsoap hand soap (7.5 oz) were priced at 2 for $4.00, with a $2.00 Extrabucks reward issued for purchasing two. This brought the net cost down to $2.00 for the pair, or $1.00 each.
Dawn dish soap (9 oz) was sold for $0.99. Using coupons from the Pantene General Mills (PG) insert—specifically $0.50/1 or $0.25/1—reduced the price to $0.49 or higher, depending on the specific coupon used.
Household and Grocery Deals
Household essentials provided opportunities for savings through combined coupon and reward strategies. Xtra liquid laundry detergent (30 loads) was on sale for $2.49. A $1.00 coupon available from the in-store kiosk reduced the price to $1.49.
Bausch & Lomb Peroxi Clear (12 oz) was priced at $7.99. A $3.00 coupon from the January 11 SmartSource (SS) insert, combined with a $2.00 Extrabucks reward, lowered the total to $2.99.
Paper goods and cleaning supplies were part of larger threshold rewards. Scott Choose-A-Sheet paper towels (6 pack) were priced at $5.49, and Scott bath tissue (12–18 pack) was $6.99. Coupons were available for $0.75/1 on these items from the January 11 SS insert. Cottonelle bath tissue (18 pack) was also $6.99 with a $0.50/1 coupon.
A $5.00 Extrabucks reward was offered when spending $20.00 on select items, including Scott, Kleenex, Duracell, Cascade, Huggies, Depend, and U by Kotex. A separate SavingStar offer provided $5.00 cash back when spending $30.00 on Scott, Cottonelle, and Kleenex products.
Gevalia coffee (12 oz bag) was priced at $4.99. A $1.00 coupon from the January 11 SS insert reduced the price to $3.99.
Cosmetic and Beauty Rewards
Cosmetics and beauty care products were eligible for a tiered reward structure. A $5.00 Extrabucks reward was generated when spending $14.00 on select cosmetics, hair care, hand and body lotion, and personal cleansing products. Participating brands included Garnier, Tresemme, Maybelline, Covergirl, Revlon, L'Oreal, Jergens, Gold Bond, Nivea, and Almay.
Specific coupons were available to lower out-of-pocket costs during these transactions: * Garnier: $2/1 and $1/1 coupons found in the January 11 RedPlum (RP) insert. * Covergirl Blast Mascara: $1/2 coupon from the December 28 PG insert. * Maybelline: Various coupons from January 4 and January 11 RP inserts. * Tresemme: $2/1 coupon from the January 4 RP insert.
Food and Beverage Promotions
Food items featured multi-buy deals and reward incentives. Bumble Bee tuna (5 oz) was priced at $0.88, with a limit of 10 per transaction. Gold Emblem Ginger Ale (2 L) was $0.88.
Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, Mini Wheats, or Nutrigrain bars were on sale for 3 for $7.00. Buying three triggered a $2.00 Extrabucks reward. Coupons available included $1/1 (redeemable for 850 points at Kelloggsfamilyrewards.com) and $1/2 printable coupons from the same site.
Cheerios Protein cereal and various General Motors (GM) cereals were available on a BOGO basis. Coupons included $0.75/1 Cheerios Protein (January 11 SS), $1/3 GM cereals (January 4 SS), $1/1 Fiber One (Pillsbury.com), and various $0.50/1 coupons for Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Mars Valentine Minis or fun size candy (11–11.5 oz) were 2 for $6.00. A $2.00 Extrabucks reward was issued for buying two, and a $1.00 coupon from the January 11 SS insert was available. The total after reward and coupon was 2 for $3.00.
Gold Emblem nuts (8–10.5 oz cans) were on a BOGO deal.
CVS Coupon Policy and Extrabucks Mechanics
To participate in these offers, consumers must possess a CVS ExtraCare rewards card. This card is required to access the specific sales prices listed in the weekly ad and to earn Extrabucks. Extrabucks are issued at the conclusion of a transaction for qualified purchases and function as a coupon toward a future purchase. The CVS Coupon Policy requires that coupons be presented at the time of purchase. The policy basics indicate that consumers should check the coupon kiosks located in stores for additional store-specific coupons, as noted in the source regarding the $1.00 coupon for Xtra detergent.
Additionally, external rebate applications such as Ibotta and Fetch Rewards were mentioned as tools to further reduce costs on receipts, although specific offers for January 11, 2015, were not detailed in the source material.
Conclusion
The promotional structure at CVS for the week of January 11, 2015, provided multiple avenues for acquiring products at no cost or low cost. The most direct freebie was the CVS Gas Relief product, which was entirely free after the issuance of an equivalent Extrabucks reward. Other categories, such as cough drops, laundry detergent, and coffee, offered significant savings through the combination of sale prices, manufacturer coupons, and store rewards. Consumers looking to utilize these strategies must possess an ExtraCare card, monitor the weekly ad for specific pricing and reward thresholds, and collect manufacturer coupons from Sunday newspaper inserts or printable online sources. The "rolling" of Extrabucks—using rewards earned from one transaction to pay for the next—is a common strategy to minimize out-of-pocket expenses.