Tag Archives: cvs

CVS

Today we're talking about paper products. I know, it's a fascinating subject, isn't it?? My point today is to show you that you should NEVER pay full price for toilet paper, paper towels, or facial tissue again (and if you use napkins or disposable diapers, those too).
I grew up in a frugal household. We were not Scrooges, we were just frugal out of necessity. If you don't have much, you have to learn how to get the necessities while sticking to your budget. My mama taught me to use coupons because even $0.25 off is $0.25 more for something else. Now I don't have to be so frugal because I'm not struggling to buy groceries anymore, but I still use that strategy because saving a little, here and there, can add up to a lot over time. But there's more to it than just using coupons.
I have learned through experience to never buy paper products when you need them. Buy them when they go on sale and you have a coupon, that way your savings are multiplied, then you will have that item when you need it. I don't mean to save up 48 rolls of paper towels at a time, just think ahead. If you only have 3 rolls left, and you see a good sale, snatch it up. If you have the space to store more, buy a lot when there is a really great sale. I don't personally have a ton of storage space, but I always keep ahead on paper products. Plus, the sales are cyclical. If you buy when it's cheap, you probably will not run out before you can get that sale again in a couple of months. Once you get the hang of the cycles, you will always be able to purchase when there is a sale, and you will never pay full price again.
I sometimes shop at CVS. Their regular prices are not great, so I don't shop there weekly, but they have a fabulous sales program that they run periodically which will save you a bundle. Today I bought:

  • 18 rolls Scott Extra Soft toilet paper
  • 18 rolls Cottonelle Ultra toilet paper
  • 12 rolls Scott Choose-a-Size paper towels
  • 3 boxes 184-count Kleenex

This stock of supplies should last me for several months (I already have a decent Kleenex supply, otherwise 3 boxes would not get me through winter months).
Since Walmart is always touting their low prices, I wanted to compare their prices to what I paid. Some of the items do not come in the same quantities, so I had to do the math to figure out what my quantity would cost based on their prices (don't worry, I'm excellent at math):

  • Scott tp Walmart price: $8.23, w/ my coupon, $7.23 (40 cents per roll)
  • Cottonelle tp Walmart price: $10.48, w/ my coupon, $9.98 (55 1/2 cents per roll)
  • Scott towels Walmart price: $11.83, w/ my coupon, $10.83 (90 cents per roll)
  • 3 boxes Kleenex Walmart price: $4.47 (1.49 per box), w/ my coupon, $3.97 ($1.32 per box)

These are actually pretty decent per-roll/box prices, but I did better at CVS. You see, CVS has store coupons ($1.50 off that printed for me today) that you can combine with your manufacturer's coupons. Plus, their special promotion today was buy $30 of select paper products, and receive a $10 gift card for CVS. Again, I'm doing a good bit of math here, but it all checks out. Here's what I paid at CVS today:

  • Scott TP: regular 10.99, marked down to 7.49- $1 manu. coupon – $0.50 store coupon – $2.49 (portion of free $10 gift card I received) = $3.50 (19 1/2 cents per roll)
  • Cottonelle TP: regular 12.99, marked down to 9.99 – $0.50 manu. coupon- $0.50 store coupon- $3.33 (portion of gift card )= $5.66 (31 1/2 cents per roll)
  • Scott towels: regular 14.99, marked down to 9.99 – $1 manu coupon- $0.50 store coupon- $3.33 (portion of gift card )= $5.16 (43 cents per roll)
  • Kleenex: regular $6.66 on 3, marked down to $4.50 on 3 – $0.50 manu. coupon- $0.85 (portion of gift card) = $3.15 ($1.05 per box)

Total w/ taxes: $29.68
Therefore, I got a better price on each item from going to CVS, I'm stocked up for awhile, and I parked in the spot right next to the door, something you never get to do at Walmart!
Now, keep in mind, you don't have to do this kind of serious math just to figure out if you're going to save money. My basic tenant is, am I spending less than $0.50 per roll on toilet paper, am I spending less than $0.90 per roll on paper towels, am I spending less than $1.50 per box of Kleenex (of course, that is for a 184-count box, not a 64-count box or something else tiny). The less I can spend, the better. As you get used to doing this kind of thing, you can easily calculate it in your head. For instance, I saw that 18 rolls of Scott Extra Soft TP was marked down to 7.49. I knew from experience that this amount was already decent, plus I had a manu. coupon and a promotion deal to sweeten the pot. On top of that, the coupon that printed at the CVS kiosk made it even less. Don't worry, it's not hard to get the hang of! If you want someone to help you do the math, visit a site like southernsavers.com.
I should add one little note. I am a toilet paper snob. I know you can get cheap, 1-ply tp inexpensively, but you end up using at least twice as much than the nicer stuff. After trying the options, I found that my wallet and my butt thanked me for consistently buying the extra soft or ultra brands when they go on sale. And don't forget to pair your sale items with coupons!
I hope this helps you save in the future. Please, if I was unclear on anything, ask me for clarification!