Coupon Lingo

Couponing 101: part deux




There are a few different types of coupons as well as some interesting .


Manufacturer's Coupon:

These are cut from inserts or mailers. These also include:

Blinkies (those little machines that you pull a coupon from)

Peelies (ones you peel off a product)

Tearpads


Store Coupons:

These are store specific. I.E. Publix, Target, Walgreens, etc. Some stores take competitor's coupons in which case it's even better because you can stack these with other coupons. Check with your store to find out if the honor competitor's coupons and which stores they consider to be competitor's.


Now on to "Coupon Lingo":

OOP or Out Of Pocket: This is the final amount you spend after all coupons have been deducted. Of course you're looking for the lowest OOP but depending on the state you live in, you'll usually end up with taxes remaining unless your state allows for overage from coupons to help cover them. Florida is not one of those states, LOL!

Stacking: This is one of the best and easiest ways to get the most out of a deal. Most stores allow you to use 1 store coupon combined with 1 manufacturer coupon.

BOGO or Buy One Get One - this can be a BOGO Free or a BOGO 50%. In which case depending on how your store does it, a BOGOF will be either buy 1 product and the 2nd rings up 0.00 or some stores do a different version where the sale items ring up 50% off each but when added together equal the normal price. And of course, a BOGO 50% is Buy 1 Get the 2nd at 1/2 price.

Depending on your store you may be able to use a coupon on the free item. This is completely up to the cashier/manager/store. Some don't care and some will fight you over the fact that the item is free so you can't, however my personal opinion is that because the item is being marked out of their stock it is indeed being sold so there is no reason not to accept a coupon for it. It just depends on how much you want to fight or be frustrated/embarrassed if you decide to push the issue if/when it comes up.

A good example is Store X is having a BOGO sale on Suave Shampoo for 2.99/2. Depending on the coupons available (we'll use a store coupon of 1.00/2 and a manufacturer's coupon of 1.00/2 for this) it would read out as such:

Scenerio:

2.99 x 2 bottles of shampoo
-1.00 x 1 store coupon
-1.00 x 1 manufacturer coupon
------
0.99 for 2 bottles of shampoo


Overage is another key word. Some stores allow is and some stores don't. Sometimes it even breaks down to cashiers/managers who make the decision. If you know your cashier and you're friendly then you have a better chance of them passing it through making both items free with a penny extra off. If this isn't allowed then they can markdown a coupon to .99 to make both still free.


Example:

Advil is on sale for 3.00 per box. You have a store coupon for 5.00/2 and 2 manufacturer coupons of 1.00/1.

Scenerio:
6.00 x 2 boxes
-5.00 x 1 store coupon
-2.00 x 2 manufacturer coupons
-------
-1.00 overage


Make sure that there is additional items to "eat up" the overage. So you buy some fruit or another item you have a coupon for but will still cost money and use the overage on that as well.


$/$$ Off Coupons are wonderful and completely stackable! They are usually store specific but can be used in conjunction with other store coupons and manufacturer coupons. These help bring your total amount out of pocket down.


CVS has a store coupon of $5.00 off $25.00 or more. Your grocery store takes competitor's coupons from CVS. So, when you go shopping, and your total reaches that $25.00 mark, automatically you'll get an extra $5.00 off the order. If you have a store coupon for $/$$ those will usually stack with the competitor coupons for an even bigger savings!

Scenerio:

Publix (not sure where else to offer since I don't have many other stores nearby!) has a sale on Suave at BOGO 2.99/2 bottles, Advil for 3.00/box, ground beef for 1.99/lb, gallon of milk for 2.99, Kraft sliced cheese for 2/$4.00 and Kellogg's cereal for 2/$5.00.

2.99 x 2 Suave
6.00 x 2 Advil
7.96 x 4lb ground beef
2.99 x 1 gallon of milk
4.00 x 2 Kraft cheese
5.00 x 2 Kellogg's cereal
-------
28.94 plus tax
- 5.00 off $25.00 CVS coupon
- 2.00 off $20.00 store coupon
- 1.00 off 2 Suave store coupon
- 1.00 off 2 Suave manufacturer coupon
- 5.00 off 2 Advil store coupon
- 2.00 x 2 Advil manufacturer coupon
- 1.00 off 2 Kraft cheese store coupon
- 1.00 off 2 Kraft cheese manufacturer coupon
- 2.00 off 2 Kellogg's cereal manufacturer coupon
-------
8.94 plus tax OOP for everything if your store allows for the overage from the Advil. If your store will not allow for the overage, your total will be $9.95 plus tax.


Catalina: Here's an interesting word. Catalinas (also knows as Cats) are the tickertape coupons that print out at some stores. Depending on the store, it could be store specific or a manufacturer coupon usable anywhere. These are usually given when a certain item or $ amount is reached prompting the computer to print one. A lot of northern stores use these as well as Target and Walgreens.

Rolling Catalinas: This is done when you take a Cat from a previous purchase and use it to buy another item/items that print out another Catalina. Catalinas will usually print even if coupons are used unless the ad states differently.

Rewards Programs: Stores like CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens have rewards programs. Not sure about other stores like Meijer, etc though since I don't have one nearby.

CVS: Extra Bucks or ECBs - these are given when you buy an advertised item showing you will receive Extra Bucks with the purchase of X, Y or Z and sometimes with the total $$ amount of X, Y or Z.

These are usable only at CVS unless your store accepts them as Competitior's Coupons. You must sign up for a Care Card which gives you a run down of which items are still needed to be purchased to complete a deal or what has been completed and the total amount of Extra Bucks has printed.

Upside: Your Extra Bucks are usable on pretty much any deal they have going. They accept coupons usually without issue and it can be easy to get them rolling. They will usually give you a RainCheck (RC) for out of stock items and include the ECB to be gotten later. So if you do the special and are able to get an RC for another set you can go back the following week or so and get another set and get the ECBs that way!

Downside: Most of the time, they will only allow 1 transaction per week per card within the household. And the ECBs are not transferable to another card so if you're name is on it, no one else can use it. If you use try to purchase another set of items using the card rewards card, it will not print out ECBs and your receipt will show the limit reached.


Walgreens: Register Rewards or RRs - these are actually considered Manufacturer Coupons but are not useable outside Walgreens. Just like CVS or wherever, you buy a specific item/items and one will print. The only thing is that they will not print if used on an identical transaction. You have to "Roll" them from one to another which often mkes for a lot of smaller transactions in order to get everything you want.

Upside: You can do whatever deals as many times as you have coupons for. Some stores are pretty easy with coupons, some aren't. If a Catalina doesn't print, there is a # you can call and after investigating the issue, if its valid and you purchased the necessary items, they'll send you the RRs that should have printed.

Downside: Walgreens does have an oddball approach to RRs. It will help to ask if the machine is working before you go through the trouble because they are often offline and nothing will print. Some stores will tell you an RR won't print if you've used a coupon or other RR. This is NOT true. If the cashiers insist of this you have 2 options: #1 - Tell them to cancel the whole thing and try another store or #2 - Ask for the telephone number to Walgreens Catalina department. They will investigate and if they owe you one, you will recieve it via mail.

Couponing 101

Welcome to my attempt at a couponing blog! Couponing is something I love to do. Seeing the savings at the end of the receipt add up and end up with so little spent but with so much in my cart definitely can be a rush!

I've been doing this on and off since I was little. Mom isn't sure where I learned how to coupon, but I've always had a knack for it. Now that I'm back into the couponing arena, I've been able to accumulate quite a stockpile of items that help me and my family out. Learning how to stock up when you can get a really good deal means that you have to spend less in the future for the same items when they aren't on sale or affordable.


So, here we go..

First of all, there is a few things everyone needs to understand:

1. Every store has a different coupon policy. Yes, two identical stores 5 miles apart may have seperate store policies regarding coupons. Ask at your favorite stores ahead of time to see what theirs is.

2. There are a lot of people who don't appreciate couponers. Ignore those people/cashiers/other customers. Don't get discouraged by those who get impatient or rude.

3. Visit different couponing sites to find one that suits you. Hotcouponworld.com or SlickDeals.net or AFullCup.com are all great sites that offer a wealth of information.

4. Learn how to use coupons correctly. I know this sounds weird, but there are many people who use them improperly and cause issues for those who use them right. For instance, you can print coupons via several sites, however it is illegal to photocopy them. Doing so is considered Coupon Fraud.

5. If you don't have many newspapers, there's a few options. 1) See if neighbors or friends can give you theirs. This is free to you and many people just throw them away. 2) Purchase them online. Ebay is one site that you can buy coupons from, but there are others. Check on the couponing websites to find lists. 3) Trade for them! The same sites usually have a trading forum where people list what they have and will trade for other coupons, stamps (yes, postage stamps!), PayPal or good old concealed cash.

6. There are different types of coupons: Manufacturer's Coupons and Store Coupons. I'll cover these in my next blog to help break down how these work together for the best savings.

Lastly, I'm in Florida so there is only so many stores here. If you're in another state and need some help with a specific deal, leave me a message with the city/state and store as well as what you're looking to do and I'll do my best to help. I'm not perfect. I'm still learning just like everyone else as I only have experience within my local area. If I don't know the answer, I'll try to find someone who does or direct you to a site that does have an answer for you.

Please also remember that I'm only 1 person. I do this because I love it. I want to help others realize the savings they can see so quickly if they put a little time, energy and patience into it.