I had a friend contact me and wanted some guidance with getting started in couponing. No problem! In addition to helping her learn the policies at whatever grocery store she goes to, I always recommend that couponers pick at least one pharmacy-CVS, Walgreen’s or Rite Aid, and learn how to play their game.

I’ve been doing the CVS and Walgreen’s thing for years. If I had more room in my brain, I’d love to add Rite Aid and ditch probably Walgreen’s, I just haven’t had the time. Unless Rite Aid is having a no-brainer easy peasy deal, I stick with what I know.

So I was looking over the CVS ad to help her get started. It’s actually a pretty good week there, especially if you got the Procter & Gamble home mailers. When I post those links to get them, sign up! I always end up using many of them. I’m actually going to give mine to my friend, while I love a freebie I already have tons of this stuff and would like to get her on her way. Here is my plan for her, hopefully she’s game for doing 3 or 4 transactions.

Transaction 1:
Back page of ad, the Herbal Essences offer; pay $5.97 for two bottles, get $2 back
We’re going to pay with two home mailer coupons–one for a Free Herbal Essences product, the other is $1 off Herbal Essences.
Final out of pocket (oop): $2 plus tax, get $2 ECB back
**If you don’t have the home mailers, the last P&G inserts had $1 off HE, so your oop will be $4 plus tax, get $2 back.

Transaction 2:
A Crest toothpaste or Glide floss, back page of ad
$3.49, get $2.50 back
Gain dish detergent is $0.97, I have three $1 coupons from home mailer booklet.
3.49 Crest/Glide
2.91 three Gain detergent
$6.40
Minus:
$3 Gain coupons
$2 ECB from Herbal Essences
$1 coupon for either Crest/Glide
Final oop: $0.40 plus tax
Get back $2.50 from Crest/Glide
**If you don’t have the home mailers, the last P&G inserts had coupons, but only the Glide will work. The Crest coupon is $1 off 2, and the Crest mouthwash is not the right size.

Transaction 3:
the Crest/Glide offer is limit 2, so pick another item
$3.49
Pay with $1 coupon and $2.50 ECB from previous transaction
$0 oop
Get $2.50 back from Crest/Glide
**fwiw, I HATE having a zero balance because the register beeps like crazy and sometimes it requires a mgr to come up & override with a key. So if you don’t want to be bothered with that, find a $0.30 piece of candy near register.

Transaction 4:
Back page of ad, Irish Spring deal
$2.99
Pay with $2.50 ECB and $0.50 coupon from today’s paper
$0 oop, get $2 ECB back.
Again–the zero balance thing, get candy if you don’t want it.
**I read online that coupons dot com has a $1 printable for the Irish spring, making it a better deal, but I can’t find it anywhere. If you see it, please post the link for us. If you do have the $1 printable, you’ll have $0.50 overage so you need to find another item.

After that, four transactions:
You should have paid roughly $3-$4 oop, and still have $2 in ECBs. And….
2 Herbal Essence products
2 Crest/Glide items
3 Gain dish detergents
1 Irish Spring body wash

And then we just wait until Wednesday when we get our new ads in our mailboxes, to see what next week brings.