CVS—GAMING THE SYSTEM

When Cory and Tracy went to overnight camp in the summer, they told me that if there were an award for the parent who wrote the most letters, I would win. I wrote almost every day. While camp has many lessons to teach, I thought that I’d add a few of my own. I’d include”The Word of the Day”, newspaper articles. And “Poisonous Quotes” —you never know when you’ll need a zinger. (Source- The Guinness Book of Poisonous Quotes, Compiled by Colin Jarman). So, take a look at what a camp letter would look like now:

Dear Cory,

Dad and I were so happy to see you on Parent Day. The walk to the lake was beautiful, though it was a challenge to avoid all of the bear poop—not to mention the need to be on the lookout for bears. And I don’t think that I’ll ever understand archery. You and Tracy did a good job. I know—my attempt at it was pretty feeble. Pulling the bow back, only to have the arrow drop at my feet looked ridiculous. I guess that it’s a good sport, though less useful than some. If you decide to live in New York after college, it wouldn’t be a good idea to protect yourself at night by carrying a bow and arrow. It’s unwieldy, and you could get stopped by a cop. Imagining that picture, I’m cracking up.

Dad and I haven’t had many adventures since I last wrote. Mundane as it may sound, we did have a money saving adventure at CVS. CVS prices are way too high. But if you game the system, you can really save money. Aside from sales and manufacturer’s coupons, the secret is looking through the CVS coupons. Combining them can be the key to big savings. For example, there can be a coupon for a percentage off of all non-sale items, as well as coupons for specific items, such as dollars off of soap in general, plus dollars off of specific soap brands. The coupons arrive via mail, email, and miles of paper on the store receipt. Going through this can be a pain because it’s real work to keep track. But the big advantage: On our last trip, we saved $23 in coupons. A lipstick that was overpriced at $15.49 went down to $6.96. A $15.29 face cream was free after all of the discounts and coupons. We paid 28 cents for a bottle of Palmolive that was priced at $1.99. I guess that the lesson here is that sometimes, the worst option can be the best option. I’m guessing that this is boring to you now, but you can use it in the future.

Tell me what you think about the newspaper article I’m enclosing about the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911. Can you believe that Picasso and Apollinaire were suspects and that Picasso threw Apollinaire under the bus?

Word of the Day:  Ambivalent—having or showing simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings toward something or someone (Merriam Webster dictionary online). Used in a sentence—I’m ambivalent about shopping at CVS.

Poisonous Quote of the Day—“I think the American people want a solemn ass for president. And I think I’ll go along with them.”  (Calvin Coolidge)  Some things never change. (Mom)

Love,

Mom

TODAY’S WORD IS AMBIVALENT. SOMETIMES, BEING AMBIVALENT CAN STILL SAVE YOU MONEY