I’m seeing ALOT of people double counting their rewards lately at CVS, Walgreens and Target!! You want to NOT do this. This will trick you into thinking you are saving way more than you really are. Rewards can be tricky. You either have to think of them like Coupons. or think of them like Cash. But you have to think of them as whatever you pick ALL the time!

An Example of double counting I see ALOT..

Transaction 1: Buy item 1 for $10 – Get back $10 ECB = FREE
Transaction 2: Buy item 1 for $10 – Used $10 ECB – Pay NOTHING Final price = FREE
Total Spent: NOTHING cause they were both FREE

^^ In this scenario you are telling yourself that you got both items free.. So now you have $10 worth of FREE items.. but you are still short the $10 from the original transaction.. Doing that too much over time can have you thinking you’re saving a TON when you’re not. Now this is how it would look depending on whether or not you consider your rewards like coupons or cash:

Rewards = Cash

Transaction 1:

Buy 1 Heart Meter for $10
Get back $10 ECB
Final Price:FREE

Transaction 2:

Buy 1 Bottle of lotion for $10
Used $10 ECB
Pay NOTHING
Final price: $10

Total Spent For Both Transactions: $10

Rewards = Coupons

Transaction 1:

Buy 1 Heart Meter for $10
Get back $10 ECB
Final Price: $10

Transaction 2:

Buy 1 Bottle of lotion for $10
Used $10 ECB
Pay NOTHING
Final price: FREE

Total Spent For Both Transactions: $10

Both ways are correct, you just have to make sure you view them that way ALL the time. You can subtract them off your total spent like you’re getting cash back, and then the next week not factor them in AS cash when you spend them. It sounds fantastic on paper but it’s not realistic and will cost you ALOT in the long run. I here alot of people say “The rewards aren’t coming out of my wallet.. they’re not coming out of my bank account.. so I don’t consider them as something I spent..” And that’s fine! But then when you get BACK rewards from a transaction.. you ALSO can’t put them BACK into your bank account..