The Best Laid Plans

Sometimes I get all excited and coupon'ed up for my trips to the drugstores! I arrive ready to execute my deal and then I look around and:
a. things are unavilable
b. my coupon said something a little different than i thought it did
c. prices are different in store than I'd assumed
See...this whole *savings* thing is a journey. I don't return triumphant from every trip to the drugstore. Sometimes I don't make money, sometimes I don't break even and sometimes it's *gasp* WAYYYY more than I'd planned for. Like today for instance--I went to CVS to get the deal I blogged about earlier--but through the misleading pictures in the circular I'd planned a deal that just didn't exist. The razors I'd planned on buying were $16 instead of $10. It just threw off my plan so much I couldn't recover it. I hated it. I stood in the aisle gazing at my coupons and the shelves trying to make a plan of action where I'd still come out on top. I dislike going and NOT being able to use my $5/$25 coupon--it feels like I'm just giving up *freeness.* I couldn't abort my mission though--I needed hairspray and that was part of my plan. So I changed my plan. I gave up my quest to gather as much freeness as possible and just got what I needed. And it was ok. I'm still learning and getting better at this! But I am saving money and that's what counts.
Transaction:
Herbal Essence Shampoo 3.99
Herbal Essence Hairspray 3.99
Orbit Gum 3 pack 1.50
=9.48
-$3.99 Bogo Herbal Essence (2/7 PG)
-$1 Herbal Essence (3/14 RP)
-$1 Orbit printable (from a while back)
-$1 Extra Care Buck (from last week)
=.71 cents with 1 Buck Back for Herbal Essence.
I guess you could say I *made* .29 cents. Not quite as exciting as I was hoping. Maybe next time =)