Tip #11: Learn The Couponing Lingo {Surviving The Stores Through Couponing}

Tip #11: Learn The Couponing Lingo

With just about any skill-set out there, there are specific terms, or “lingo” that go along with that skill-set.

I know next to nothing about sewing.  Sure, I can sew on a button, sew back together a seam, and MAYBE put in a hem.  Maybe.

But if I wanted to start sewing items to sell and help bring in money for our family, then I would need to learn A LOT more about sewing and one of the first things I would need to study & learn is the sewing LINGO.

The people who put together the patterns aren’t going to explain exactly what every word means every time.  They are going to tell me that I need to do a backstitch and assume that since I am sewing that I know what that means.

So what does that have to do with couponing?

Well, I’m assuming that you are couponing to help bring in more money for your family.  And, like sewing, couponing is a skill-set that has its own LINGO!

Couponing lingo can be a little overwhelming at first, so I wanted to create a guide to help you understand some of the different terms that I (and most other couponers) use.

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 is the couponing lingo 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.

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.  You don’t have to use the peelie on that product (you can save it for later), but you must buy the product that the peelie is on (you can’t just take the peelies off without buying the product).

PSA: Prices Starting At

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.

SCR: Single Check Rebate from Rite Aid – you fill this out online to get money back on certain purchases

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

UPR: +UP Rewards – Rite Aid rewards that you get back at the register – you can use these rewards like cash on future Rite Aid purchases

VV: Video Values – you watch these videos on the Rite Aid website to get coupons for certain products (coupons only valid at Rite Aid)

WAGS: Walgreens

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

WYB: When You Buy

YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary (the deal might be good in one place, or one manager may allow it, but it might not work somewhere else)

I hope that helps to clear up any confusion about couponing lingo here on Surviving The Stores!  Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions, or if you think there’s another term that should be added.  🙂

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