How to Save Money on Makeup!

I shop a lot, but I also save a lot! I rarely buy anything full-price. I think the bargain is half of the excitement of a new purchase. My latest big snag is the L’Oreal Nude palette, sold for $20 at CVS. This guy came home with me for the low cost of $2.59.

Here are my 5 Steps for Saving Money on Makeup:

1. Pick Your Poison: Decide on one place to shop and stick to it, whether it be Ulta, Walgreens, CVS, or Rite Aid. I know changing stores is fun, but you’re not getting the most value out of your shopping. Stores reward loyalty. I normally shop at CVS and really love their rewards program.
2. Wait For Coupons: NEVER buy anything at the drugstore full price! You can get store coupons, manufacturer coupons, or store rewards. No need to ever cough up the full amount at the drugstore. Full-price terror is restricted purely for Sephora.
3. Double Up: You can combine manufacturer coupons along with CVS rewards and CVS promos. For example, you can combine a Physician’s Formula $3 manufacturer coupon along with a 25% off CVS coupon and use your Extra Bucks (normally $5). So, for a $12 product, you’ll be getting it for about $1. This was the coupon cocktail I used for the L’Oreal palette.
4. Raid the Magazines: Magazines are one of the biggest places to get a manufacture coupon. See a coupon in the magazine at the doctor’s office? Snatch it up. True life: I’ve taken one before. Manufacturer coupons normally last for a year, so it’s probably safe to say the one laying in the waiting room is still good. Always check your magazines for coupon and hold onto them in an envelope. Even if you think, “Oh, I don’t use Olay products,” you never know. You can always pass the coupons along to a friend.
5. Be Smart: Don’t just buy just to buy. It’s easy to get sucked into. I sure have. If you don’t really need another Wet ’n Wild trio, don’t buy it just because it’ll only be 50 cents. Still not worth it if it goes unused!

That’s it! Those are my tips for saving money at the drugstore. Don’t think couponing is stupid! Saving money is never stupid.