Saving Pennies Again

I found fewer deals this week at CVS and Walgreens. I wonder, are the deals catching on with too many shoppers? Are the stores cutting back on the "good stuff"? Even mfr coupons seem to be for fewer cents off. A .25 or .30 coupon is a throwback to 30 years ago, when I first started grocery shopping. It hardly puts a dent in the price of a grocery item today, even if doubled. But, like other couponers, I'll take anything I can get, as long as I can use the item.

I did most of my bargain-hunting late in the week after spending most of the week with daughter and new baby. At CVS, store #1:
Small J&J Baby Shampoo, $1.99, used $2 coup, .01 overage
3 pks Energizer batteries, $5.29 each, used $5 printable coup, 3 $1 mfr peelies, earned $5 xbucks
2 Robitussin, $4.99 each, used (2) .50 coups, earned $5 xbucks
Dove body wash, $5.29, used $1 coup, earned $1 xbuck
L'Oreal eye shadow, $6.99, used $2 coup, earned $2 xbucks
Stacked $3/$15, $2/$10 coups, used $15 xbucks
OOP $6.13, earned $13 xbucks
I tried to use two more $2/$10 coups, but the cashier at the photo counter wouldn't let me, nor would he let me use the other $1 mfr Energizer coup I had. Also, I later regretted buying the Dove body wash. I spent too many xbucks on it, with not enough gained in return. My oop could have been $1.84.
This store was out of stock on free CVS tissues

So, on to CVS store #2:
CVS tissues, .99 sale, coup for item free
5 pkgs CVS cough drops, .99 each, earn .99 xbuck on each
12-pk CVS disposable razors, $4.49
Total about $10.50, used $2.50/$10 coup, free tissues coup, and $5 xbucks
OOP: $1.89 and earned $4.95 xbucks

Walgreens:
I raced through the store while helping out my daughter. Her state tax is over 9%! I bought:
3 Celestial Seasonings tea, $1.50 each, used $1/3 coup
2 Arrid XX deo BOGO, $2.99, used .55 coup on each (net .95 each)
Splenda packets, $1.99, used $1 coup
Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, $1.99, used $1 coup
2 boxes envelopes, .59 each
2 bottles spices, .50 each
4 rolls Scotch Magic Tape, .50 each
2 bags Hershey's kisses, $1.50 each, used $1.50/2 coup, net .75 each
Ajax detergent, .99, used .20 coup
Curel lotion, clearance $3.59, used $1 coup
Nivea Firming lotion, clearance $3.59, used $2 coup
Purell Foam Sanitizer rain check from a few weeks ago, net .49, used $1.50 coup, $1.01 overage

Rite-Aid:
I don't often shop here, but I saw several deals, so daughter and I stopped. They were reasonably well stocked on what we wanted.
2 pkgs O-Cell-O Sponges, .99 each, used $1/2 coup, net .50 pkg. I had one more coupon, but the store didn't have enough sponges left for me to use it.
2 tubes Crest Toothpaste, .99 each
2 bags Russell Stover International chocolates, $2 each, used $2/2 coup, net $1 a bag
Whitman's Sugar Free chocolates, sale $4.99, used $2 coup