CVS goes bankrupt. Film at 11.

Friday I run out at lunch and visit the CVS.* I bypass the library (that aisle where everyone mills around reading magazines and tilting their heads sideways) and I pick up a couple items*** that total ~$25. But wait! I am a CVS club member and membership has it's privileges. I have a sheet of CVS coupons.

They are quite the variety, coupon-wise. Some are good for this week. Some next. Some are specific to the things you can buy (CVS brand items only.) Some are "get $3 off when you buy $15 worth" while others are "get $4 off when you buy $20 worth." Some are the same coupon repeated. Some are not. And there's fine print!

Yeah, I know: Who can be bothered?

Not me.

I plunk down the whole sheet and say "whatever you can do..." and leave it to the cashier to determine what the best deal is.

She studies the sheet and gives me a "$4 off $20 worth" credit. I'm now down to ~$21.

Me: Thank you.

But she's not done. She does a second $4 off $20 worth coupon.

Me, thinking "Huh?!", as I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to be combinable: Uh, thank you!

But she's not done. Now, that she sees the machine has no problem accepting multiple coupons, she's taking it as a personal challenge. We're down to ~$16 at this point and she explains that she can apply the $3 off $15 worth coupon. And she does.

Me: Thank you!!

I'm beginning to think they're going to pay me for these items.

At this point, she apologizes--APOLOGIZES--that she can do no more due to the specific item required by the coupon or the date it's effective.

Me: I think you did great!

She gives me back the remaining coupons, pointing out the ones I can use at a later date. I give her one more big "thank you" and I leave the CVS with ~$25 worth of stuff for ~$13.


* That translates to Rite Aid, Walgreens or whatever the pharmacy is in your neck of the woods.**

** Just where is the "neck of the woods"? Aren't there better parts of the body with which to describe some portion of a forest? Go ahead, think about it. I'll wait.

*** If I tell you what I got, you won't be surprised when you open your birthday present. Man, I hope I got the right thickness. I've said too much.