You mentioned CVS. I get 20% coupons in the mail. I used one on a $17 item, and paid $13.40. Then I was in Target and saw it for about $10 (before any sales or Redcard discount). Seems like the whole CVS deal is a scam. What say you?
Oh no no I LOVEEE CVS in fact that's where I do majority of the shopping I have. You see the trick to using those percentage off coupons is you must use them on non-sale items, that you have coupons for AND ideally gives back extra care bucks! Regularly cvs sends coupons to its members who shop pretty often a customer specific coupon every Monday. Then every Thursday as well. Either to your email or your app.
Example is: I have a 35% off my total coupon from cvs.. and cvs is having a extra buck sale on day tide laundry detergent like spend $15 get back $10 ecb. So if the detergent is ringing up $4.99 I know I have to buy 4 (pre tax to get the deal.. BUT I also have manufactured coupons from PG that is giving me $2 off per 1 tide. So I will buy 4 @ $4.99 use 4 $2.00/1 coupon now making my total $11.96 i will then use my percentage off coupon for 35% and any extra applicable coupons cvs has to go with it. But let's say there isn't any..
$11.96- 35%= $7.77 plus tax out of pocket. Because cvs does not count what you bought post coupons you will now receive $10 extra care bucks back to spend on anything you want in then store except alcohol, eggs and milk.
$10 back means you made 100% of your money back plus MORE that you put in that you can use towards whatever. In this case I will use my ecb toward other items giving ecbs in another transaction until I've gotten everything I want and all my ecbs are gone.
You may of initially spent $8 up front but getting all the ecbs back and rolling them in different transactions just bought you say 6 detergents, 4 shampoo and conditioners, 2 tooth pastes, mouth wash and a tooth brush. Or towards make up. Meaning you spent $8 on a $75 purchase this saving you BIG. Shopping like this will save you MUCH money. It's not about buying what you need right now but what you will use or need at some point.