Coupon Classes: Materials For Doing Your Own

Here is the information that I promised you all on how to do your own coupon class. Now keep in mind, I've only done the one myself. I'm definitely not an expert by any means. But at least this will give you a starting point. Yes, please feel free to use the materials. But if you do, I ask that you credit them at some point in your packets/presentation as having come from Coupon Geek. I only ask that as it took me soo many hours to put these together. :)

Here is the order of how I set up my couponing packet:

1) Cover Sheet - Just a nice little welcome and an explanation of who you are, ex. listing your name/website, for future reference. I put a picture of my blog button so they might be familiar with my blog when they went there.

2) Coupon Lingo - I wrote up an extensive list HERE and shared it with them. I did not go over it in the class but did explain it was in there in case they needed to refer to it while I was talking. I made sure to explain what a catalina, Register Reward and ECB was right away, though.

3) Where To Find Coupons - This is so important for new couponers. They usually have no idea where to start. This will give them a few ideas of where to look for coupons. I have a list HERE you can use.

4) How To Organize Coupons - Now they've found their coupons, help them organize them. I wrote the top 3 ways HERE. Visual aids are so useful in this part. You can use an inexpensive shoe box w/ lid from say Target for $1.99 for the coupon box. I happened to have a zippered binder from when I tried that method so I could show them. And the coupon insert method is just an expanding file you can get for $3-5. I got a cute designer one at Target for $5. And the little ones are around $3 at Target. I actually bought an extra for a giveaway. If you wanted to have fun, you could fill an organizer with inserts for a giveaway!

5) Walgreens 101, CVS 101 & Stacking Coupons - Now that their coupons are all organized, teach them how to use them with deals and sales to make the most of those coupons. I wrote this info up HERE. I also did a quick walk-through on Jewel, since that's where most of our area shops. I talked about how you can use coupons with the "Spend 25, Get $10" to make great deals and how sometimes the $25 you need to spend is pre-sale prices and not on the sale prices. This segment is by far the most important one to have visual aids for. In my write-up I gave examples of toothpaste, soap, etc. and I actually brought some with to hold up with a coupon while I explained the steps. I'd highly recommend bringing a Register Reward, CVS Extra Care Buck, Catalinas and Store Coupons to show examples of. Find an example of a Store and Manufacturer's coupon that they could stack. It really does make it easier. If you really want to help, bring the latest sales ad and show them a few deals they could get that week.

6) 31 Ways To Save On Your Grocery Budget - I put this in my packet in case they decided that couponing just wasn't for them. That way, they can still work on reducing their grocery budgets. I have these written up HERE. (Note: I only gave the header of each and refered them to my site for the details of each one. It would have taken up way too much paper to write it all out. Also, please note, these are my own work and not something I simply found online and copied into a posting.)

7) Resources - This was the last page in my packet. It listed several websites/blogs that I recommended in helping them find deals & coupons. This is a personal preference of your own favorites.

Overall, the best advice I can give you is to just be yourself. While speaking in public can be a very nervous experience, you will find partway through just how easy it is to speak about couponing, if it's already something you are pretty good at now. I had so much fun at mine that I completely forgot I was talking in front of people. When mine was over, I handed out a bunch of freebies I collected. These were just things I picked up for free or cheap with my coupons.

In the end, your class shouldn't break your wallet. So if you wanted to do one for FREE, keep that in mind. I was lucky enough that since I did mine for free, the library made the photocopies for me. They also picked up cookies, water and $1 coupon organizers for everyone from Michael's. (You could make your own cookies and watch for a good deal on water/coffee.) I picked up pens for FREE at Staples. I already had my visual aids. I did do two giveaways, along with the freebies. Overall, I really didn't spend a lot. I just gave of my time and knowledge. My class ran about 1.5 hours and then we chatted for awhile afterwards, so I'd figure about two hours.

Good luck to all of you! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me at coupongeek at live dot com. I should have some free time tomorrow to answer them and I am also going to email the Word Document I used to those of you that requested it. Thanks for being so patient with me while I put this posting together! I had to get a few postings up for the references.

UPDATE: Yes, by all means, if any of you just reading this would like the Word Document I used, I would be more than glad to email it to you, too! :) Just send me an email to coupongeek at live dot com.

Couponing Basics: How To Organize Coupons

First, there is no right or wrong way to organize coupons. The only right way, is the one that works for you. There are several methods for organizing coupons, but here are the Top 3 that I’ve seen:

(Photo from Super Jenn)

1) Coupon Binder – This is some form of zippered/closed binder that they put “baseball card sleeves” in to hold the coupons. The coupons are “clipped” and folded into the slots of the sleeves so that you can just flip through your coupons page by page. To see how to organize one, Super Jenn has a posting HERE.



(Photo from Money Saving Mom)

2) Coupon Box – This is some form of box where the “clipped” coupons are usually kept in some type of labeled envelope system. If you go with this method, I’d highly advise a box with a secure lid! Usually, when they shop, the box is put in the child seat of the cart for easy access. Money Saving Mom has a posting on one HERE.


3) Coupon Insert Method – This is where the coupon inserts from the Sunday paper are kept intact, and either not clipped or partially clipped, and filed by week. Usually an expandable file folder that has tabs for labeling is used.


I currently use the Coupon Insert Method. Now you may ask, if you don’t clip all the coupons, how can you possible use them? Good question! It’s important to know what coupons are out, so each Sunday, I’ll flip through all my inserts to see what I think I might need. I clip those right away. I then label each insert with that week’s date, so this Sunday’s inserts would be 7/12/09 SS, 7/12/09 RP and/or 7/12/09 P&G, if there was one. I’ll then file them under July. It looks something like this:


(Photo from Coupon Geek) :)

The coupons that I clip, I put into a mini-expandable file coupon holder that fits nicely in my purse so I always have the ones I think I’ll need with me. It looks something like this:


(Photo from Coupon Geek) :)

Typically blogs will list where you can find the coupon needed for a deal. They say something like, “Use the $1/1 from the 7/12 Smart Source.” I’ll then go to the 7/12Smart Source insert, find the coupon and clip it. It saves me from having to clip out all those coupons, but I still have them handy in case I can get a good deal on something.

The disadvantage to this method is that you don’t have all your coupons with you when you shop. But I look at it this way, while I may miss out on a clearanced item or two; it also prevents me from “impulse shopping” and buying something that’s not on my list. I can always jot down the deal and take a chance at picking it up later in the week if I’m out again.

Now, if you make up your shopping list and you are buying, say Skippy Peanut Butter and Hunt’s Ketchup, you can go to one of the coupon databases out there and see if a coupon exists for those products. My favorite one to use is Coupon Mom. You’ll need to register, but it’s free and easy to use. Just sign-in, choose grocery coupon database and then your state. I always sort it alphabetically. For these items, I’d look for Skippy and Hunt’s. If they are listed, you’ll need to see what insert they are in. For example, the Skippy Peanut Butter says 6/14SS, I’d then go hunt down my Smart Source insert from 6/14 and clip it.

Like I said, there’s no one right way to organize coupons. You may even switch over time. I’ve tried all of them! Personally, I hate cutting out coupons and I have little spare time, so that’s why I stick with the coupon insert method now.

Always keep in mind; coupons are “regional,” meaning some areas/states get some we don’t. So you may see some listed on blogs that aren’t going to be in your inserts.

Coupon Class Materials and Info

When I posted HERE that I had just done my first coupon class, I received quite a few emails/comments asking either for the materials I used or for ideas on what to cover in the class.

For those of you that commented/emailed, I would be more than happy to send what I used. They are far from perfect but at least they are a starting point for you. I will also be doing a posting next week sometime on how to do a class of your own. Like I said, I am no expert in this subject but at least it will help you start off and you should be able to at least teach the basics that will help them find the deals and save on their grocery/household budget.

This blog was created to help as many people as possible to save money in as many ways as possible; couponing, budgeting, changing life habits, etc. So I am more than thrilled to help anyone that would love to teach these same things to people within their communities.

So stay tuned. I'll try to get the posting up late next week.

Walgreens 101, CVS 101 & Stacking Coupons

WALGREENS & CVS INFO

One of the ways to save with coupons is to combine them with the deals going on at stores. Walgreens and CVS each has their own programs that give you, what I call, paper cash. They will print out on/after your receipt and they are like cash (with exclusions!) that can be used on future purchases. Once you fully understand how each stores’ program works, you’ll really be able to start saving BIG! I’ll try and outline each of the “basics” for each store.

WALGREENS 101

1) Walgreens puts out their own store coupons. These are usually in their ads or sometimes you’ll find them throughout the store. These will say Walgreens coupon—and no where on it will it say manufacturer’s coupon. When you find coupons, such as these, you can “stack” them with a manufacturer’s coupon for the same product.

2) Walgreens will have weekly and monthly items that when purchased, will produce a Catalina called “Register Rewards” (RRs) that can basically be used like cash on your next order. But there a few important things to understand about them:

a) Some exclusions do apply, such as they can’t be used on gift cards, stamps, alcohol, etc.

b) Some RRs are rolling, some are not. By rolling, this means you can repeat the same transaction over and over and another RR will print. Usually, you can only use one from the same manufacturer. In those cases, if you were to do the same transaction again, an RR wouldn’t print.

c) You need to spend more than the value of the RR. For example, if you have a $10RR, you’d need to spend at least $10.01 when you checkout.

d) An RR is considered a coupon. When you check-out, you must have as many items as you do coupons. So if you are “stacking” coupons and have two for any particular item, you must make sure that you have another item that doesn’t have a coupon in order to use it. Also, since they are considered to be coupons, when Walgreens puts out one of their $$ off coupons, such as their “$5 off $25 purchase coupons,” the amount of the RR must be discounted before the $25 total.

3) When you hand over your coupons, the order you hand them over is important. There is nothing wrong with using RRs, store coupons and manufacturer’s coupons all at once, they just should be in this order: RRs first, then manufacturer’s coupons then store coupons.

4) Register Rewards typically have a two week expiration date. So don’t lose money by forgetting to use them!

5) Currently, “competitors” will take Register Rewards slips that say “Manufacturer’s Coupon” on them. (Jewel, Dominick’s, CVS.) But always ask at the Customer Service desk of stores to be sure.

6) Ideally, what you want to do is keep “rolling” Register Rewards for other items (of a different manufacturer) that print out Register Rewards.


How Deals Will Look On Blogs for Walgreens

If you get big into couponing, you’ll want to follow a few blogs. They’ll help you find some really great deals and break them out for you on what coupons to use, etc. Here are a few examples of what a Walgreens deal would look like:

Buy 1 St. Ives Body Wash at $2.99, Get $2.99 Register Rewards
*Use $1.50/1 coupon from 5/10 Smart Source insert
FINAL PRICE = Free plus $1.50 in overage after coupon and Register Reward

In that instance, you’ll pay $1.49 plus tax if you have the coupon. After you pay, a Register Rewards slip will print out for $2.99. You can then use this on your next purchase that is NOT a St. Ives product.

Buy 8 select Dove Products, Get $10 Register Rewards
*Deal Idea*
Buy 8 Dove Bar Soaps (2-packs)--on sale for $2.24 each
*Use 8 - $1/1 Dove Face Care coupons from the 5/17 or 6/7 RedPlum inserts
Spend $9.92 plus tax out of pocket, Get $10 Register Rewards
FINAL PRICE = Free after coupons and Register Rewards

In this instance, you’ll pay $9.92 plus tax if you had the 8 coupons. After you pay, a Register Rewards slip will print out for $10. You can then use that on your next purchase that is NOT a Dove product. If you had bought the St. Ives prior to this, you could have used the $2.99 Register Rewards on this purchase and only paid $6.93 plus tax out of pocket and received the $10 Register Rewards. (See what I mean about “rolling?”)


CVS 101

Before you can start getting deals at CVS, you’ll need a CVS card. If you don’t have one, just ask at the register for a form to fill out and they’ll give you a card that same day when you turn the form in.

1) CVS has a program called “Extra Care Bucks” that will generate “paper cash” on the bottom of your receipt that you can use on your next purchase. Again, there are exclusions that do apply, such as the ECBs can’t be used on gift cards, postage stamps, etc. With the ECB program, you also earn a certain percentage of your purchase, currently 2% that you will receive quarterly.

2) Whenever you checkout, you’ll need to have them scan your CVS card to get the prices that are advertised and for the ECBs to print. (Remember, the ECBs are on the bottom of your receipt—so don’t throw it away!)

3) Like Walgreens, CVS has their own store coupons. These can be “stacked” with manufacturer’s coupons on the same item. Unlike Walgreens, though, you do not need as many items as you have coupons.

4) In some CVS stores, there is a machine where you can scan your card and extra coupons will print out. If you have one of these machines, make sure you always scan your card before shopping. You might receive a coupon for $$ off your purchase or on a better product that may alter your shopping “game plan.”

5) Each week/month, CVS puts out certain items that will produce the ECBs. Except for the general ECB exclusions, you can use these on anything and keep “rolling” deals, buying the same thing over and over. BUT you must always check the limits on deals in the ads. Some will not list a limit. Others will say limit 1. Some may even say limit of 5. Your CVS card will keep track of what you buy so there’s no sneaking in an extra item if you’ve reached your limit. At the bottom of your receipt, it will list what you’ve bought and if you’ve reached the limit for that deal. So keep track of your receipts.

6) The amount of your purchase must be higher than the value of your ECB. For example, if you have an ECB for $5, your purchase must be at least $5.01.

How Deals Will Look On Blogs for CVS

Buy 1 Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste, Rinse, or Oral B Floss at $2.99, Get $2 ECBs (Limit 1)
*Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 6/7 P&G insert
FINAL PRICE = $0.49 after coupon and ECBs

In the instance above, you’ll spend $2.49 plus tax out of pocket, if you have the coupon. After you checkout, an ECB for $2 will be on the bottom of your receipt that you can use on your next order. Now, since this is only a limit of 1, you cannot buy this deal again and have the ECBs print out.

Buy 1 Schick Quattro Titanium Razor or Trimmer at $7.99, Get $3 ECBs (Limit 3)
*Use $4/1 coupon from the 4/19 RedPlum insert
FINAL PRICE = $0.99 after coupon and ECBs

In the instance above, you’ll spend $3.99 out of pocket, if you have the coupon. After you checkout, an ECB for $4 will be on the bottom of your receipt. Since this deal is a limit of 3, you could buy this deal two more times and ECBs will print out. If you ran the Crest deal before this one, you could have used the $2 ECB on this order, making your total out of pocket only $1.99 plus tax. This is called “Rolling ECBs.”

OTHER STORES THAT STACK COUPONS

One of the ways to get a really great deal is to be able to “stack” store and manufacturer coupons for the same item. This may sound weird to you but this is how it works – the store pays for the one coupon and the manufacturer for the other. This is why you can “stack.” (Otherwise, it is illegal to use more than one coupon on the same item.) The thing to always remember for a “store” coupon to really be a STORE coupon—no where on the coupon can it say “Manufacturer’s coupon” as some will list a store but state that. Here are a few other stores, in addition to Walgreens and CVS that stack:

TARGET – They have coupons on Target.com or through Target Generators on other sites.

JEWEL-OSCO – They will mail out coupons or have some in their ads or in-store. Make sure you register your preferred card under Avenu on their site. These are considered to be “clip-free” coupons and are taken off automatically when you check out.

MEIJER – Visit their site under Meijer Mealbox for coupons.

These are just some of the stores in my area. Check your local stores to see if they have their own store coupons and if they allow "stacking." You'll find out that most will.

Huggies: Enjoy the Ride Rewards Program

Money Saving Mom has all the details here on Huggies new Enjoy the Ride Rewards Program, similar to Pampers' Gifts-to-Grow program. There's also info on how to get a $2/1 printable coupon!

Couponing Basics: Where to Find Coupons

So you've been bit by the couponing bug and now you want to find even more coupons, but you don't know where to look. Here are the top places to find coupons:

1) Sunday Newspapers - These are the biggest sources of coupons. To find additional copies, check recycling bins or ask your family/friends if they are using theirs. There are anywhere from none to three inserts per paper. For a preview of upcoming coupons, click here. For the 2009 schedule, click here.

2) Mail - You can sign-up for coupons from Red Plum here.

3) Free Samples - Signing up for free samples is a great way to get some higher dollar coupons. I'd advise creating a separate email address for "freebies."

4) In-Store - You can often find coupons called "blinkies," which are the little machines that spit out coupons by the products they are for. There are also "tear-pads,"as well. You can sometimes even find "peelies" right on the products themselves.

5) Printable Sites - Two of the big printable sites are Coupons.com and Smart Source. These coupons rotate week after week and sometimes even have maximum printings that when the limit is reached, they are pulled off the site. So if you see one you think you might need, you should print it. (You can usually print two per computer.) Other sites are CoolSavings and EverSave.

6) Blogs - Blogs are a great place to find coupons. I stumble upon several at my fellow blogger's sites throughout the week. I compile them throughout the week and post them on Mondays.

7) Search Engines - If you are looking for a specific coupon, just type the brand name followed by the word coupon and you might be able to find one that way.

8) Join Groups/Surveys - There are some groups you can sign-up for that will offer/mail you coupons from time-to-time. Some are:
Vocal Point
Shoppers Voice
Upromise
Ebates
Cashbaq

9) Manufacturers Websites - More and more manufacturers are hosting coupons on their own sites now. If you use a lot of a particular item/brand, check their website to see if they offer coupons. If they don't, email/mail them and request some. I've gotten a few this way. Here are some of them.

10) Magazines - By far, the magazine with the most coupons lately has been All You magazine, which you can only get by subscription or at Wal-Mart. The price of the magazine is well worth the coupons inside. Make sure you check your magazines to see if there are some inside.

11) Free Periodicals - Some stores will have local newsbooks that have local area coupons inside. (For Chicago, try Chicago Parent and Famiy Time)

12) eBay - There are several coupon clippers that sell their services and send you coupons for a fee. Just type in the product and the word coupon to see what's available. Be sure to go through Ebates to earn 3% more.

13) Forums - There are several great forums out there to check into. The top ones I've found are WeUseCoupons, HotCouponWorld and AFullCup. You have to register at each of them, but it's free.

14) Store Websites - Make sure you sign-up for your local store's loyalty programs and register at their websites so you can get emailed coupons. Here's a list of some stores with their links. You can also sign-up to have them pre-loaded at Shortcuts or Cellfire.

15) Phone Book - Don't forget to check your phone book for coupons for your local area businesses.

16) Entertainment Books - The Entertainment books here have coupons for restaurants, entertainment, retail stores, etc.

Here are a list of common sites that regularly offer coupons:
Coupons.com
Smart Source
Pillsbury
Very Best Baking - Nestle
Family Cents
Eat Better America
Box Tops for Education
Red Plum
Target Coupon Generator
Shortcuts.com
Cellfire.com

Couponing Basics: Understanding BOGO Coupons and BOGO Sales

BOGO (Buy-One-Get-One) coupons and sales are the still the hardest thing for me to wrap my head around as a couponer. And that's mostly because they are almost too good to be true sometimes! :) Now keep in mind, it's always up to the stores on what their policies are on handling coupons. But here is how they generally work:

BOGO Coupon By Itself (or a BOGO sale item by itself) - If you use a BOGO coupon by itself, you'll pay full price for one item and get the other one for FREE.

Coupons on BOGO Sale Items - If your store is running a BOGO sale on an item, you can use TWO coupons, one for each item, even though one item was technically free. The reason for this is because the sale is offered by the store and the coupons are re-imbursed by the Manufacturers.

BOGO Coupons w/ BOGO Sale Items - This is like winning the lotto. You get BOTH items for FREE. Why? The store will give you one for FREE with the sale and the manufacturer will re-imburse them for the value of the coupon. (Check your store for policy on this.)

The best way to use BOGOs? Shop with a friend and split the bill! (unless you personally need two of one item.) This is especially helpful if you only have one set of coupons to use.

Always keep in mind that you have to pay tax on the free item. Like they always say, nothing in life is free. :)

Hope this helps!

Couponing Basics: Using Register Rewards and Catalinas at Other Stores

Some of you may be hestitant to grab the great deals at Walgreens because you don't shop there enough to use the Register Rewards that help you technically get your deals for free or money-makers. (Or you have enough toothbrushes, toothpaste, air fresheners and shampoo to give one to your entire town!)

Well, here's great news for you: Register Rewards can be used at other stores that accept Competitor's coupons! (Check your store's policy to see if they will take them.) This also works with store Catalinas!

Why would they take them? Most Register Rewards/Catalinas will say "Manufacturer's Coupon" on the top. This means that the stores can mail them into the specified manufacturers and get their money back.

I've found out that my CVS, Jewel and Dominick's will take these. (I haven't checked with Target/Wal-Mart yet.) So I figure out which store has the best overall deals and use them there. This week, it's Jewel! I can run the Huggies deal at Walgreens, get the Register Rewards and then go and buy up some super discounted items at Jewel! In the end, I'll still get a great price on diapers, I can still mail my receipts into Caregiver's Marketplace AND I get groceries for next to nothing out-of-pocket. (I've got enough stockpile in most of my household items right now.)

This is how I keep my grocery AND household costs down. Just make sure two things: Do those Register Rewards/Catalinas say Manufacturer's Coupon on the top and will your stores accept them?

Also, make sure you are really using them to their best potential---basically you need to figure out what will give you the most groceries/household items that you REALLY need for the smallest out-of-pocket cost. It's great to get a lot of "freebies," but if you don't really need them and are paying more for groceries, it's not a deal. Free isn't always free. :) (And remember...you still have to pay tax on "freebies.")

Hope this helps! I'll be putting up more Couponing Basics as time permits!

(Confused by "Coupon Lingo?" Click here for the explanations.)

Note: I do still pick up freebies often so I can donate to charities or help out my family members. I just have to make sure I am providing for my family first. In the end, you'll figure how to "run the deals" so that you can do both!

What is Vocal Point?

After my last posting, I thought I should do another call-out on Vocal Point for any new readers.

If you haven't already, you'll definitely want to go here to sign-up for Vocal Point. They are really good about sending you GREAT coupons! You can read all about them here.

Basically they'll send you a bunch of coupons for an item. One/Two for you and a few others to pass out to your family/friends so they can try the product, too. You can then log on and give your opinion about the product. (Don't worry if you forget to do this!)

Trust me...when you get your first set of coupons, you'll be thanking me for telling you about it! :) And no, there's no "referrals" connected with this company. Just a happy participant here.

Coupon Lingo List

For those of you that are new to couponing, I've compiled a list of some of the abbreviations/terms that you might find while shopping/blogging in the "coupon world." If you see one that I missed, please let me know and I'll add it. Thanks!

$$/$$ - This means $ off when you spend $ amount. Example: $5/$30 is $5 off your purchase when you spend $30. (Check to see if the amount has to be before or after coupons to apply.)

$/# - This means that you get $ off for every # you buy. Example: $5/2 would mean that you get $5 off every 2 that you buy.

B1G1 = Buy One Get One Free (B1G2 is Buy One Get Two Free etc.)

Blinkie = A coupon that prints out at a machine in the store. They are located by the product associated with that particular coupon.

BOGO = Buy One Get One Free

Cash Register Tape = Your Receipt. Also refered to as CRT.

CAT = Catalina. A coupon that prints out at the register that is either $$ off your next purchase or $$ off a certain product. You typically have to use them at the store they printed, but some stores will take "competitor's" coupons. Note: These are sometimes delayed in printing so wait a minute before walking away from the register. If you think you were supposed to get one and didn't, talk to the cashier/manager and explain.

Catalina = Also refered to as CAT. A coupon that prints out at the register that is either $$ off your next purchase or $$ off a certain product. You typically have to use them at the store they printed, but some stores will take "competitor's" coupons. Note: These are sometimes delayed in printing so wait a minute before walking away from the register. If you think you were supposed to get one and didn't, talk to the cashier/manager and explain.

Closeouts - These are typically greatly reduced items that the store does not plan on re-stocking.

Competitors - This is the term meaning "of related chains." For example, grocery stores will take other grocery store's coupons and drug stores will take other drug store coupons. Always check with each store on what their couponing policy is and whom they consider to be a competitor.

Couponing Policy - This is the statement that each individual store abides by, in relation to coupons. What is typically included in their policy is whether they: take competitor's coupons, take coupons past expiration dates, "double" or "triple" coupons, accept Internet Printables or if they even accept coupons.

Coupon Insert - These are "packets" of coupons found in Sunday papers and also sometimes in the ads mailed to you during the week. These are typically sent out by Smart Source (SS or S), Red Plum (RP) and Proctor & Gamble (PG)They are also refered to as inserts, S, SS, RP and PG.

CRT = Cash Register Tape, or your receipt

Discontinued - This means that a store has depleted their inventory of an item and does not plan on re-stocking it.

Double Coupons = This is the term used when stores will double a coupon's value. Example, if you have a $1 off coupon, they'll take $2 off. Stores vary on how often they do this ranging from never, always, on occasion or specific days of the week. Some stores may also set a maximum value limit. Example, no coupons over $2 and only 10 per transaction/day.

ECB = Extra Care Bucks. Exclusive to CVS. They work like cash on your next order. (Some restrictions do apply.)

ES =Easy Saver. This is Walgreens' monthly rebate program. You can find the books by their ads in the store.

EXP = Expires or Expiration Date

FAR = Free After Rebate (See Rebate for explation)

FAE = Free after Extra Care Bucks (See ECB or Extra Care Bucks for explanation)

FARR = Free After Register Rewards (See RR or Register Rewards for explanation)

Inserts = These are "packets" of coupons found in Sunday papers and also sometimes in the ads mailed to you during the week. These are typically sent out by Smart Source (SS or S), Red Plum (RP) and Proctor & Gamble (PG) They are also refered to as coupon inserts, S, SS, RP and PG.

Internet Printable = A coupon that can be printed online. Also refered to as IP or Printable.

IP = Internet Printable Coupon. Also refered to as "printable."

IVC = Instant Value Coupon. These are found at Walgreens in their weekly ads.

MFR = Manufacturer

MIR = Mail In Rebate. These are checks or coupons that the manufacturers/stores will send you if you meet the requirements on the rebate form.

OOP = Out-of-Pocket. This is the amount of money that you have spent after coupons, ECBs, RRs, Catalinas (See terms for explanations)

OOS = Out-of-Stock. This means that the store is temporarily out of an item but plans on getting in more inventory. Sometimes they will offer a raincheck in cases like these.

OYNO = On Your Next Order. Used when refering to coupons that you can use on your next order at that store. (Sometimes Competitors will take them.)

OYNP = On Your Next Purchase. Used when refering to coupons that you can use on your next purchase (order) at that store. (Sometimes Competitors will take them.)

Peelie = Coupons found on products in the store. (Don't forget to pull these off and hand them to your cashier when you check-out. Don't rely on the cashier to notice them for you. It will only aggravate you later when you come home to find it's still there!) :)

PG = Proctor & Gamble. A big chain of brands that also puts out a coupon insert.

Prinables - These are coupons that you can print online. Also refered to as IP or Internet Printables.

Q = Coupon

Raincheck = A slip you can ask for in the store when an item’s on sale and out-of-stock. Some sales will specifically say “No rainchecks” and some stores will put an expiration date on their rainchecks

RP = Red Plum. This is a coupon insert that you'll either find in your paper or the mail.

Register Rewards = Exclusive to Walgreens. They work like cash on your next order. (Some restrictions do apply.) Also refered to as RRs.

Rolling Catalinas - This means that you can use a catalina (see definition) as payment on another transaction of equal merchandise and another catalina will still print. Example, if you buy 5 "name brand items," a $5 catalina will print. If you then buy another set of those same 5 "name brand items," you can use the previous catalina you received as payment towards the order and another $5 catalina will print.

RR = Register Rewards. Exclusive to Walgreens. They work like cash on your next order. (Some restrictions do apply.)

S or SS = Smart Source. This is a big name coupon source. They not only send out inserts in the papers but they also have an online site with printables.

Stacking Coupons = This is the term used when stores will let you use their own store coupons along with a manufacturer's coupon for the same item. Example: Most Targets would let you use their $ off "specific brand" product coupons along with a manufacturer's coupon for that same "specific brand" product.

Triple Coupons = This is the term used when stores will triple a coupon's value. Example, if you have a $1 off coupon, they'll take $3 off. Stores vary on how often they do this ranging from never, always, on occasion or specific days of the week. Some stores may also set a maximum value limit. Example, no coupons over $2 and only 10 per transaction/day.

UPC = Universal Bar Code. This is the bar code that’s scanned on products for pricing/info at the stores. Several companies will ask you to mail these in on rebates

WAGS = Abbreviation for Walgreens

WT = Wine Tag. These are coupons that you’ll find hanging on the wine bottles in the stores.

YMMV = Your Mileage (Manager) May Vary. This is what you’ll see when someone finds a deal but they want you to know that your store branch may not offer the same deal.

WYB = When You Buy

OK, now you can put on your job applications/resumes that you speak a foreign language - Coupon Lingo! :)

Tuesday Tip: Hang Onto Free Coupons

(I didn't get a chance to post this yesterday...)

The 'Net has been full of free coupons that are snail-mailed lately. Your first impulse when you get them might be to grab them next time you are out. But, if they have a longer expiration, consider holding onto them. (Unless you are prone to losing coupons, of course!) :)

Since we have a lower budget for grocery and household items, I sometimes have a hard time reaching those higher dollar thresholds that CVS and/or the grocery chains have for $$ off coupons, especially if I split my groceries over a few stores. This is when I'll pull out a chunk of my FREE coupons to help me bump myself up to that threshold.

For example, CVS does $5 off $30 from time to time. I'll use my free coupons, pick up their weekly/monthly free-after-ECB items and a few items I need and there I am at $30. Instead of just getting free items, I tend to make money on the transaction (accounting for ECBs earned) or I'll get the whole order for free.

So allow yourself to be patient and let those free coupons work out an even better deal for you. Just make sure you check a few things: Does that store actually sell the free item? and Is there a requirement on the coupon threshold that the say $30 limit has to be AFTER all coupons? (CVS almost never does that but grocery stores and Walgreens do that a lot.) Also, what is the store's policy on free coupons? One of our local Jewel branches refuses to take Internet printables for free items now but they do take those that aren't printables.

Happy Shopping!