Red Headed CVS-er

You know there is a phenomenon called CVS-ing. There are individuals out there who use coupons, rebates, discounts, websites, circular deals, store discount cards, etc. to get a mass of merchandise at a ridiculously low price. One of the places these individuals get great deals is CVS Pharmancy (CVS-ing), as well as Walgreen's, or even Target. One of those individuals is my friend Mary M. She has a blog where she sometimes highlights her super buys.

I have this mental image of Mary as she enters Wal-green's armed with her notes/list, store map?, and appropriate coupons selected from her three-ring binder system and acquired from the Sunday paper, various web sites ,and who knows where else. I picture her gliding through the sliding doors, and stealthy grabbing the cart as the Mission Impossible music begins to play. You all may be chuckling at the picture I paint, but check out her blog and what she pays for this stuff. I swear, someday the cashier is going to hand her CASH back with her purchases. Shopping is like a conquest!

Anyway, I will NEVER have these kinds of skills in retail... but I do find a deal or two.

If you know me, you know I am a natural red head. Yeah RIGHT...unless 15 years of Loreal Performing Preference makes you "natural". Well, it is no secret I color my hair. My mom made me a convert a week before I went off to college as a freshman. I wanted a change! She colored my hair, and it came out blond-ish. I HATED it. She changed it to red the same night. I have been a red head ever since! God bless Marlys the cosmetologist (always armed with a scissors!). Word has it she was the best back-comber in town! If you don't know what that means, ask someone with grey hair who gets it "set" once a week. When I travelled to England to study abroad (three years into my stint as a red head), mom equipped me with 6 boxes of Performing Preference to keep my short locks a uniform color from root to tip while living across the pond! Thus began my do-it yourself color jobs while living in the Alnwick Castle.

Okay... back to the present here Andrea....

I think I color my hair for less then $66 a year TOTAL. Maybe I am frugal after all! Yes... it is true - I was CVS-ing on my drive into work the other morning (no extra gas used for an errand!). I stopped in with my Extra Care Card in hand and three manufacturer coupons. The card provided me with the discounted box price of $6.99. My coupons provided an addition $2.00 off per box. According to my CVS receipt, I saved $15.00 on my three boxes. (I think you have to stock up and buy in multiples to officially be a CVS-er.) Not only do I for-go the cost of the salon, but I NEVER buy my hair color at full price. Call me cheap!