Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
Many stores offer weekly incentives on items throughout their store, they just have different names for them; such as Register Rewards from Walgreens and Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) from CVS Pharmacies. From time to time, you can even find offers at grocery stores.
Understanding incentives: Incentives are linked to purchasing specific products that typically change weekly. Participating stores list items that qualify for additional incentives in their sales flyers. Purchasing these items triggers coupons to print at the register, worth cash off your next store purchase. Many of these net getting the entire product for free – and, when combined with other available coupons, can even gain you money (like getting cash back!) to spend at the register.
How to work incentives: First, make note of the required purchase item(s), any quantity requirements (such as needing to buy two), and the incentive coupon amount you should receive after completing the purchase.
Next, look for coupons to match your item choice and then purchase the item(s). After paying at the register, receive the incentive coupon for money off your next shopping order.
Later, continue purchasing incentives on a regular basis, saving your incentive coupons to use from week to week. Not only will this net you items for free, it also allows you to “roll” the same money, rather than paying the full amount out of pocket each time. For example, one week you might obtain an incentive of $10. The following week, use that $10 coupon at the register to pay for another incentive offer. Then the next week, use the one you obtained spending the $10 incentive, and so on.
Stacking incentives with coupons: The amazing magic of incentives is you will often be able to also use a manufacturer’s coupon; and on occasion, you can even use a store coupon – creating the coupon trifecta! Using a coupon on the purchase will not reduce the amount of the incentive you receive. This is how you can actually get “paid” for purchasing products. A typical transaction would be an item that is $8, and you use a $2 off manufacturer’s coupon. You actually pay $6, but receive a coupon worth $8 off your next shopping order back. You’ve paid less than the incentive coupon is worth, netting the item for free, and an extra $2 profit!
Terms, limits, exclusions, and multiple opportunities:
(1) When spending incentives, read the fine print. Like any other coupon, they do have terms, and they do expire.
(2) Some stores will not allow you to spend an incentive coupon until a specified amount of time has elapsed. (In other words, you cannot receive an incentive and spend it right away on another order.) CVS Pharmacies is an exception; they allow you to spend incentive coupons immediately.
(3) Most offers are set up so you cannot spend an incentive coupon on the exact same deal again. (Referred to as a “rinse and repeat”.) If you try, the coupon will not print following the second transaction, even if you are allowed the deal more than one per household. You can, however, spend any incentive coupon on a different offer.
(4) Speaking of one per household, there is good news! The bulk of deals are limit one, but frequently you can find offers that you can do more than once, allowing you to stock up.
Leveraging incentives is a savvy way to increase your savings and build a stockpile of needed items. Although the majority of offers are for household, health, and beauty items, sometimes you can find food deals too. In my opinion, one of the absolute best things you can do with these free and deeply discounted products you don't need, though, is to give to organizations in need. This is one of the semi-secret weapons avid couponers use to do a lot of good in their local communities.
