Out of My Box

I've been thinking outside of my brand-specific box. I must admit.... I was pretty brand-loyal before my CVS days. Or maybe I was just lazy. I found something that worked and that I liked, and I stuck with it.

As I've been CVSing, I've snagged some great deals on brands that I would never have picked up off the shelf before. Most of these have been items that I've gotten for free and/or almost-free. I've found some things that I absolutely love, some that work as well as my previous brand choices, and others that I wouldn't buy again. Here are some examples:

• Garnier hair color - I was a Nice 'n Easy kind of gal before CVS. When I got two Garnier hair colors for free, I figured I'd give them a try. I LOVE THEM!!!! They didn't leave the big black marks on my hairline, and the color is very natural-looking. If I never received any other coupons in the future, I would stick with this brand.




• CVS Brand Baby Wash - This works well on my daughter's skin, but it's no good on her hair. The bottle says it's for both, but maybe that's for babies who are mostly bald. My daughter has TONS of hair, and this product left it oily. So we decided to get some regular baby shampoo and use the baby wash just on her skin. It won't go to waste, but I won't buy it again.




• All Small & Mighty laundry detergent - I only bought Tide high-efficiency before this. When I was able to get 6 bottles of All almost free one week, I did. We've been using it ever since, and the stains still come out. Our clothes are clean and look great. I don't love it more than Tide, so I'll keep buying whichever one is a better deal. It's nice to have a backup plan for the times when Tide's not on sale.

We've even been enjoying the free samples that we're getting in the mail. They're a great way to try products without buying them. If we love them, then we'll watch for them to go on sale and maybe buy them again. If we hate them, then we're not out anything to try them.

My husband has a great outlook on all of this. I've shaken up a few of his favorite brands too, but he shares my mindset. If it works as well and it's free (or almost-free), why not!?!?

With this new mindset, I'm clipping almost every coupon in the newspaper now. Who knows when something might become free with one of those coupons. When that happens, we'll be sure to try it!