When I talk to people about saving money or couponing, the most popular response is “Oh, you are one of those people...” followed by, “How can I get products for free like they do on that TV show?”

My response is that you can, and it’s easy when you learn more about the stores you are shopping at. Over the next few weeks, we are going to examine the popular drugstores in our area, starting with CVS.

CVS offers some top rewards programs to help you earn cash back using your Extra Care card. An Extra Care card will enable you to accumulate Extra Care Bucks (ECB) every time you shop. CVS tracks your shopping with this story loyalty card and offers extra discounts to card holders.

There is only one card allowed per household and many times you will see limits to the amount of Extra Care Bucks you can earn during a certain period. Extra Care Cards are free and are a necessity to shopping at CVS. Sign up at and start saving today.

Another way to save money at CVS is at the CVS coupon scanner. The big, red coupon machine can be found in the front of most stores. These machines offer store coupons for certain money off your total purchase or certain products. These are considered store coupons so you can still use them with a manufacture coupon.

Each day you visit CVS, make sure to scan your card until the machine reads, “There are no more coupons for today, check back tomorrow.”

CVS also encourages customers to go green by offering a Green Bag Tag that allows customers to earn $1 in ECB for every fourth visit to any CVS store. This tag can be purchased for $.99 and can be placed on any reusable bag to be used at CVS. This is a great way to earn ECB just for shopping at CVS.

When shopping at any store it’s important to know their store policy on coupons. CVS accepts manufacturer coupons from newspapers, magazines, and printed from the computer. These coupons are considered manufacturer coupons.

There are also coupons available to print on , which include store coupons that can be stacked with manufacturer coupons. These coupons must say “CVS Store Coupon” or “Use only at CVS.”

You can also register your Extra Care card at to receive specials via email. You will also receive a coupon for $4 off of $20 just for registering online. The best part about ECBs is that you can print them from home by signing into your CVS account. If you misplace the ECBs before they expire, you will still have a chance to use them.

I’ve written about how you can get items for free using your Extra Care card and coupons. You may still have to pay money up front, but you’ll get the money back in ECBs. For example, if toothpaste is $2.99 and you will get back $2.99 in ECB that that would make the toothpaste free after ECBs. If you have a coupon to add to the deal, then you can actually walk out of CVS and make money.

What items have you gotten for free from CVS? Share with us at