In the picture above, my total out of pocket was $3.59. It turned into a HUGE money maker as I got back a $10 Rite Aid gift card and $11 in +Up Rewards (Rite Aid cash that prints at the bottom of your receipt) dropping my total to a $17.41 money maker (meaning everything in the picture was essentially free and I made $17.41 towards future purchases)!!
Types of coupons:
- Manufacturer (these can be used at any store that accepts coupons)
- Store (these are store-specific coupons that can only be used at the store that issues them)
** Most stores that issue their own coupons allow 1 of their coupons along with 1 manufacturer coupon per item. That equals some great savings!! **
Where do you find all these coupons??
- Sunday newspaper (Redplum, SmartSource, Procter & Gamble, USA Weekend, Parade)
- Online (coupon websites – Coupons.com, manufacturer websites, Facebook)
- Magazines (All You, Parents, Parenting, etc.)
- Products (peelies, product packaging)
- In stores (blinkies, tear pads, catalina)
- Mailers (requested from online websites)
- Coupon clipping sites (thecouponmaster.com, coupondede.com, eBay)
OK…Now where in the world do I put them all?
What I find works best for me is a binder filled with baseball card inserts. I use this for any coupons that I actually clip. I “actually” because I don’t clip every coupon I come across in the newspaper inserts. I clip ones for products that I regularly use that would be helpful to have with me at the stores. As you’ll see in posts, since the coupons I’ll be needing for a sale are referenced by their source, I simply save the whole newspaper insert too. I also have a small expandable file that I take to the stores with me. I just find it easier to have everything ready to go and separated by store in that file. I keep any store coupons that I have received in this file too.
Other methods include not clipping any coupons and just storing the inserts or using a box to file your coupons instead of a binder. It really is a personal preference so whatever you like the best is what will work best for you. 🙂
Say what??
Here are some of the most common abbreviations and terms you will hear throughout your couponing travels.
Coupon Insert Lingo:
- RP – RedPlum
- SS – SmartSource
- P&G – Proctor & Gamble
- GM – General Mills
Store Lingo:
- +UP – +UP Reward, Rite Aid
- VV – Video Values Coupon, Rite Aid
- SCR, Single Check Rebate, Rite Aid
- TQ – Target Coupon, Target
- ECB, Extra Care Bucks, CVS
- RR – Register Reward, Walgreens
- IVC – Instant Value Coupon, Walgreens
Coupon Lingo:
- $1/1 – One dollar off one item
- 10/$10 – Ten items for ten dollars
- B1G1 – Buy one item get one item… (can be FREE, 1/2 off, etc)
- B2G1 – Buy two items get one…
- Q – Coupon
- MQ – Manufacturer’s coupon
- IP – Internet printable coupon
- GC – Gift card
- OOP – Out-of-pocket
- MM – Money-maker
- MIR – Mail-in rebate
- WYB – “when you buy”
- YMMV – “your mileage may vary”
- “stack” – using a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon together on the same item
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