Couponing Lingo

Couponing lingo can be a little overwhelming at first, so I wanted to create a guide to help you all be able to understand some of the different terms that I use.

Coupons can vary by location. The products typically are the same across the board but I might get a $1/2 coupon down here in the south, and someone who lives up north might get a $1/1 coupon for the same item.

When a date is listed next to a coupon, the date is the date of the paper that that coupon was in. For example, if I put “2/8 RP” after a coupon, then that means that it came from the Red Plum coupon insert that came out on February 8th.

Here are the terms that you will find here at Surviving The Stores:

$/x: A certain dollar amount off of a certain number of items. For example, $1/1 is one dollar off one item and $1/2 is one dollar off two items.

x/$: How many items you can get for a certain dollar amount. For example, if I put 5/$10 then that means that five items will cost ten dollars total.

Blinkies: Coupons near the product, usually from a box that has a red blinking light on the top. When you take one coupon out the machine will spit out another one.

BOGO or B1G1: Buy One Get One Free

CAT or Catalina: Coupon that prints out at the register after your purchase (sometimes it is attached to your receipt and sometimes it comes from a separate machine)

CRT: Cash register tape/ticket – these print out in the store and are generally store coupons that can be used with a mfg coupon. The $5/$25 ($5 off a $25 purchase) CVS coupons are considered CRTs

ECB: CVS Extra Care Bucks are store coupons that print at the bottom of your receipt and can be spent like cash on anything at CVS except prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, gift cards or lottery tickets. ECBs generally expire one month from when they are issued.

ESR: Walgreens Monthly Easy Saver Rebate

EXP: Expiration Date

FAR: Free After Rebate

GC: Gift Card

GM: General Mills coupon insert in the Sunday paper

IVC: Walgreen’s Instant Value Coupon – these are in their monthly catalogue

IP: Internet Printable Coupon

Mailer: Coupons that you receive in the mail

MFG: Manufacturer’s Coupon

MIR: Mail In Rebate

OOP: Out of Pocket

OYNO: On your next order

P&G: Proctor & Gamble coupon insert in the Sunday paper

Peelie: Coupon that is stuck to the package and you have to peel it off

RP: Red Plum coupon insert in the Sunday paper

RR: Register Rewards from Walgreens, which are store coupons that print from the Catalina machine next tot he register. They can be spent like cash in Walgreens on anything except prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, gift cards or lottery tickets. They generally expire two weeks from when they print.

SS: Smart Source coupon insert in the Sunday paper

Stacking: Using a store coupon with a MFG coupon (for example, using a $1 Target coupon and a $1 MFG coupon on one item)

Tearpad: A pad with several coupons (sometimes refund forms) hanging from a store shelf or display

WAGS: Walgreens

Winetag or WT: A coupon found in the wine section or hanging on wine bottles

WYB: When You Buy

YMMV: Your Manager May Vary – different managers could decide differently (what works at one store might not work at another)