Couponing Lingo/Definitions

Here is the skinny:

You will see lots of lingo and abbreviations around. Understanding this makes life easier!

B1G1 - Buy 1 Get 1 Free (and for some stores, you can buy 1 at 50% off)
             Buy 1 Get 1 ____ (usually 1/2 off)
             Just look for if it says free, or half off

B2G1 - Buy 2, Get 1 ____ (free, half off, etc)
             So if it says B2G1 Free, then you buy 2 items and get the 3rd free of charge

$1/1, $2/1 - $1/$2 off the purchase of 1 item (you only have to buy 1 of the item)
$1/2, $2/2 - $1/$2 off the purchase of 2 (you have to buy 2 for the coupon to work)

Blinkie - The little dispenser you find in a store that spits our a coupon

Catalina - These are machines at the cash register, they dispense long receipt-like coupons that may be used on a future purchase. Catalinas, refer to the coupons themselves which may be manufacturer or store coupons. Some Catalina coupons are advertised and some are generated based on consumer behavior.

Double Coupons: (check the store policy to understand their definition)
      -Scenario 1: You have a $0.50 coupon, the store will double it, in effect, making it a $1 coupon
      -Scenario 2: You have two $0.50 coupons, and the store allows you to use both of those
             coupons on the same 1 item, in effect making a $1 coupon
      -Select stores always double coupons up to a certain value, usually $0.50, (or $0.99)
             If your store doubles coupons up to $0.50 off, any coupon $0.50 or under will be
             doubled in value. Coupons $0.51 or greater will be worth face value, no doubling.
             You do not need to present two coupons for one item. Each coupon will be worth
             twice the value. Other stores may double coupons on a particular week day, usually
             a slower day like Tuesday. Other stores may offer physical store ‘twice-the-value’
             coupons. Even other stores may feature double coupons on a special promo week
             basis and will advertise this in their weekly ad.


eCoupons - Electronic coupons may be downloaded onto your store loyalty card or cell phone. Download from your PC or go mobile and download to your loyalty card through your cell phone. Grocery coupons must be downloaded to your loyalty card and will be deducted automatically when you swipe your card at checkout. E-coupons may be downloaded to your cell-phone for other retail items such as movie rentals. Download a coupon using the mobile ap and show your discount code to your cashier.

Extra Bucks - CVS rewards program, formerly called ECBs. Extra Bucks print according to the store’s weekly or monthly advertised deals. When you make a qualifying purchase, you receive the coordinating Extra Bucks value as advertised. Extra Bucks are similar to catalinas or register rewards, but they print directly onto the bottom of your receipt.

EXP - Expires or Expiration Date

Handling Fee - Refers to an amount, usually $0.08, paid by the manufacturer to reimburse the store for the trouble of accepting a coupon. The handling fee is usually used to pay a clearing house to sort, organize and bill the manufacturer. If a store chose to sort its own coupons, they will keep the handling fee.

MIR - Mail in Rebate, refers to rebates which must be submitted by mail. These are the traditional rebates that require you to mail in both your receipt and proof of purchase in the form of UPC barcodes. Manufacturer: The company who produces the brand items: Dove soap manufacturer, Pace Salsa manufacturer, etc.

MFR - Manufacturer abreviation.

Manufacturer Coupon - A coupon created by the manufacturer, or by a marketing company on the manufacturer’s behalf. Manufacturer offers a discount to shoppers in order to entice them to buy their product. When a coupon is redeemed the manufacturer reimburses the store for the entire value of the coupon, plus a handling fee, aprox $0.08.

One Coupon per Purchase - Refers to your ability to use one coupon per item. Meant to enforce the point that you may not use two of the exact same coupon for one item.

One Coupon per Transaction - Limits you to only using one of this coupon per transaction. You may request to do separate transactions. Example: If you have 5 coupons that read “one coupon per transaction” you may request to separate into 5 transactions and pay 5 times.

Peelie - Adhesive manufacturer coupons found on products in the store. Peelies are often good on a wider selection of products than the one it is stuck to. Be sure to read the fine print on the peelie to discover if the coupon may be used on a smaller size or different variety of the same product, to allow you to maximize savings.

Purchase-Based Coupon - Purchase-Based coupons specify a dollar amount off a minimum dollar future purchase. Some common values: $2 off $10, $3 off $15, $4 off $20. Purchase based coupons may be used in addition to store and manufacturer coupons.

Raincheck - A Rain Check is a written slip that you can request from a store when a sale item is out of stock. When the store restocks the item, after the sale period is over, a rain check entitles you to purchase for the previous sale price. Store may include an expiration date as well as a quantity limit on your rain check. Rain checks are usually issued at the customer service desk.

Rebate - A rebate is a refund of part or all of the amount paid. KCL refers to rebates as programs that offer you cash back for making a qualified purchase. Rebates are sponsored by a store or a manufacturer. Either clip and mail UPC barcodes or enter receipt proof of purchase online, then wait for your rebate check in the mail.

RR - Register Rewards. Walgreens drugstore rewards program, and version of the catalina coupon. Look for the same machines located at register, dispensing long receipt-like coupons that may be used on a future purchase. RRs cannot be ‘rolled’ like catalinas.

Rolling Catalinas - Refers to the practice of separating your purchase into multiple transactions in order to use register catalina coupons from your first transaction to pay for your second transaction. Another catalina prints from the 2nd transaction that pays for the 3rd transaction and so on.

Stacking - Stacking may refer to using any two promotions together. When a coupon coincides with a promotion, we say “stack the coupon with the sale or promotion”.


Stacking Coupons - Stacking coupons refers to using both a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon on one product. Nearly all stores will allow you to “stack”. Only one manufacturer coupon may be used per item.

Stockpile - A food storage or stash of food and non-food items. Buy items when they’re on sale and you have a coupon. Buy products before you need them and build up a stockpile of food and toiletries. When you run out of an item shop from your stockpile instead of running to the store.

Store Coupon - A coupon created by the store to entice you to buy a certain product at their store. Stores receive no reimbursement from store coupons. Store coupons may be found in the weekly ad, printed online or downloaded as e-coupons.

Store Loyalty Card - A free card which you present at checkout to receive additional savings. Fill out a short application to receive a loyalty card at your local grocer. If you don’t want to carry the card, the cashier can look up your preferred card by entering your ten digit phone number.


Transaction - A transaction refers to your entire purchase, especially the payment you make for that purchase. If I buy 30 items and then pay the cashier, I just made one transaction.

Tear Pad - A pad of manufacturer coupons found near product on shopping aisles. Tear pad manufacturer coupons may be used at any store, not just the one where you found the coupon.





WYB - When You Buy. Some sales or coupons require purchase of multiple items.





I did not define all of these on my own, I did pull some from:

thekrazycouponlady

Where should I coupon!?

This is a choice all unto your own. Start with the store you currently shop at, at least for your first few trips)

That can be a Grocery store, Drugstore, or Bigbox store (walmart, target, kmart, etc.)

Once you have chosen your store, Google '    store         coupon match ups'    and you are going to find someone who has already done all of the legwork/handwork for you.. How fantastic huh!?   this makes it soooo much easier & less daunting.

Now, organization again...   I open up a blank word document, and copy all of the info on the product I want to buy:

-Item name
-Current price
-Coupon value
-Coupon location (print, newspaper, company)
-Final price (before tax but after coupons)


I then print this document out (and save it so you can access it if needed), and print out all of the printable coupons that match my list.

Next is to pull out your newspaper's and cut out the coupons that match. (More newspaper explanations later, i will review coupon jargon, and such)


Into my organizer the list & coupons go, and I am ready for my trip.



I currently shop at 4 stores, but only coupon at 3, and only coupon regularly at 1:
Harris Teeter
Target
Walgreens
Food Lion

In another post I will go over what I know about these stores & their coupon policies and lingo. every store tends to have their own policies on how to handle coupons.


Other stores to consider:
CVS
Rite Aid
Publix
Kmart
among many others (these change from state to state, and from city to city)

Organizing those Valuable Coupons!

For me, and every Coupon-ing how to site that I have visited, organization of coupons is KEY to major success.

And, like everything out there, there are so many ways you can organize your 'stash'.


Here is what I suggest, feel free to do as you please, but as a beginner coupon-er, this has worked fantastic! and has cost me almost nothing!


DO NOT cut out the coupons from your Newspaper inserts, for each week, collect the inserts, and keep them together! I use magazine holders to keep them together, and I've seen people put them into protective sleeves in a binder. Just keep each week together, and try to keep them in order weekly so you can find the insert.

I do cut my printed coupons out. BUT i do not print a coupon unless I know for sure that I will use it!




I have a small coupon organizer: Like This One

I have a tab for each store that I shop in (more on this later), a few tabs for my current coupon trip, a few tabs for 'Loose Coupons' (aka, coupons that i cut out & did not use, or coupons that I received from a company), and a tab for rain checks (again, more on this in a later post)

When I am preparing for a trip, I will cut out all my coupons that I need from the Newspaper inserts, and my printed coupons, and organize them into my mini organizer, and them I am off to the store!

How to Get Coupons...

Ok, so there are a few places to start... This post will be on How to get those fantastic coupons!

First Pick your Medium:


-You can buy a newspaper 
          ~Downside, spending money upfront on newspapers
                   Tip: Watch for the News & Observer Sale...  a few times a year, they will
                           offer $1 a week for the Sunday edition. You can usually start out
                           at 13 weeks, but they also offer 26, and 52 week packages.

          ~What I do: I bought 3 full year subscriptions to the News & Observer. it was
                  $52 upfront for each, but I have saved over $400 thus far (at least) and it is only June!

          ~If you don't want to spend that much up front, you can start by going to Walgreens
                   every Sunday morning that you want the coupons, and buy your copies there.
                   This will run you about $1.50 per copy every week. Other places are more
                   expensive. CVS was charging $1.75, and Food Lion was charging $2 last I checked.
                   Now, these prices could have changed since I last bought a paper at these
                   stores was January 2015.



-You can Print coupons from home
          ~Downside, spending money on a printer if you dont have one, and spending money on ink
                    If you are to go this route & dont already have a printer, look for sales,
                    and research what it costs to replace the ink, and if the printer can function
                    with a 'dead' cartridge (aka having 1 of the colors out of ink, will it still
                    print black? or vice-versa)

           ~What I do:   I have a HP ENVY printer, i got it on sale for $50, and it will function
                    with a 'dead' cartridge. it costs me about $34 for an XL capacity cartridge,
                    which has lasted about 3 months so far. ::knock on wood:: it has started to fade yet!




-You can contact companies directly
            ~Some companies are nice enough, that if you e-mail/mail/call them, they will
                    send you coupons for their products. Sometimes they are High Value
                    (like $2 off), and sometimes they are even for free products!

             ~I do not do this often. It does take a lot of time, and you never know when
                    they will send the coupons, or if they will even send any.

             ~Tip: Google 'companies that send coupons' and you can find so many websites
                    that will tell you who you can email.





Now, watch expiration dates!  It sucks to get to the checkout after walking the store,
            to only realize that you coupon WONT scan because it is expired! 




I will talk about Coupon organization in the next post!

So you want to Learn HOW to Coupon!?

Saving MONEY is sooooooo much fun!!!!   And it is a great rush too!


Forewarning!!!  There will be a LOT of INFO to come!  I will break it up into separate posts to make it a little easier to find.

Don't get discouraged!  It takes some time to get rolling and to save the big bucks...  but just remember...  that even a few cents saved is a win!


BIG TIP!!!!!   NEVER buy anything you will not use! even if it is a great deal!!!!!!

Now, if it is free after coupons, at most places, you still have to pay the tax on the item (before coupons price of the item), so you are still spending money on that item. So resist the urge to buy something you wont use.

Congrats on wanting to save!  I hope I can at least be a little bit of help!