Read the Deals Carefully

I have seen many deals that say the item or items are 100% free, but they are not.  Look at the deal a little more closely.  Does it say free after you use said coupon?  Okay, then it would be free...well you still might need to pay tax.

However, I have seen many deals that say free or a moneymaker that require you to pay for the item or items first.  Then how is it free?

CVS offers Extrabucks back on certain items each week.  If an item is $2.00 and advertised you get back $2.00 extrabucks back it is like you get the item for free.  Yes you do have to pay the $2.00 to get the $2.00 back.  You then can use the $2.00 Extrabucks on items that offer Extrabucks back to "roll" them.  However you can use it on regular priced or sale items that don't produce Extrabucks back as long as it is within the rewards terms.  I have used Extrabucks on both items that produced more extrabucks and just items on sale with no extrabucks offer.  I have sadly let some expire and go unused because I totally forgot about them.  I highly suggest having a spot in your  binder that you look at often to put your Extrabucks.

CVS is not the only one to offer rewards back for your purchases.  Rite Aid offers Up rewards.  Rite Aid makes things easier by loading the Up rewards right to your card.  There is one catch, you can not turn and use the Up Rewards on your next purchase that day like you can with Extrabucks, instead the Up rewards becomes available to use the day after your purchase.

With both Extrabucks and Up Rewards if you use them on the same items that produced the reward another will probably not spit out.  There are some rules, regulations and exclusions on that you can use them on.  They also limit the amount per offer you can get per card.

The last store that I have seen offers for that say free for an offer is Target.  They started to offer gift cards for items for purchasing a certain amount of items purchased in the same transaction.  I recently saw an offer for cheap or free deodorant after coupons and gift cards.

For me I'm still trying to figure out what are good deals before the reward or gift card offer and what is not.  Just because you see free or money maker don't run out to do the deal.  Make sure it makes sense for YOU.