Mommies 2 Cents

Last time I told you all about how I collect and store my coupons. Now, that you have some coupons to work with it’s time to start shopping and building your stockpile. I know that a lot of you have been watching TLC’s Extreme Couponing. Personally, I love watching! It gets me so excited to go shopping. However, keep in mind that these couponers do not shop like this every time they walk into a store. These are special trips planned to showcase the possibilities of coupons.

Don’t be afraid of the word “stockpile”. You don’t need to store toilet paper in your kids underwear drawer. I find that having shelves in the garage where I can store my extra items allows me to keep my indoor cabinets more organized. There are also some items that I am not going to use very often, such as 9 boxes of air freshener starter kits, extra paper towels or boxes of diapers. I also use cheap plastic bins to organize smaller items. The shelving in the garage helps me keep the clutter out of the house but you have to find an organization system that works for you and your space. Bottom line is, don’t feel like you have to build a miniature supermarket in your home just because you start couponing.

I found that the best way to build my stockpile was to start at the drugstores. By getting more expensive items like razors, shampoo, deodorant or cleaning products for just pennies or even FREE allots more money for other items on my grocery list. I also think these are the items that are the worst to run out of; nobody wants to be caught without deodorant! These are also the items that usually have the highest value coupons and go on sale most often. Couponing on this level requires that you get out of the mindset of “I don’t need that right now”. It may seem silly at first to come home with 6 tubes of toothpaste but you probably spent less than $0.50 and you won’t have to think worry about toothpaste for at least 6 months!

Starting at the drugstores is a great way to start small and not get overwhelmed. You’ll learn as you navigate through the world of coupons that the rules are tricky and differ from store to store. Some stores are not as coupon friendly as others but CVS and Walgreens are two stores that like to play the game. They have more coupon savvy cashiers and are willing to help new couponers.

B2GO – Buy 2 Get One Free coupon or offer
BLINKIE – Coupon machine at the grocery store with a red blinking light on it. Coupons that come from the machines are referred to as ‘blinkies’.
CAT – Coupon that prints from a Catalina machine at the register. A Catalina Machine is a marketing tool that manufacturers use to print coupons as incentives to shop.
COUPON POLICY – Each store has a coupon policy. The policy stipulates what their procedure is in regards to using coupons. It is important to know that policies change often and can vary from store to store based on manager’s discretion. Some policies are corporate policies and some vary by store. It is important to contact the store you shop and find out their coupon policy before you shop.
DEAD – Refers to a dead deal, or that an offer is no longer valid, this is often used in terms of a coupon that runs out of prints.
DND – Do Not Double – in reference to coupons. Some manufacturers place a DND at the top of the coupon by the expiration date, meaning that the coupon should not be doubled at the store.
ECB – Extra Care Buck, Earned at CVS
ES – Easy Saver, Walgreens rebate booklet
EX or Exp. – Expires or Expiration date, in reference to coupons or rebates, they must be used before they expire.
GM – General Mills Coupon Insert, found in the Sunday Paper
HBA – Health & Beauty, in reference to products at the store
HOT – Hot Deal or Coupon, a deal or coupon that will not last long
INSERTS – Coupons found in the Sunday paper
IP – Internet Printable Coupon, a coupon that you can print online
IVC – Instant value coupons, Walgreen’s rebate booklet
MANAGER’S DISCRETION – A store manager often has the discretion to set limits on coupons used and items purchased.
MQ – Manufacturer Coupon, provided by the manufacturer to use when making a purchase
MIR – Mail in Rebate, provided by the manufacturer to use when making a purchase. You will pay out of pocket and receive a rebate in the form of a check back from the manufacturer.
OOP – Out Of Pocket, this is the total that you pay or your expense
OOS – Out of Stock, when an item is not available to purchase
OTC – Over the counter medication, in reference to products at the store
OYNO – On Your Next Order, this is an incentive where you make a qualifying purchase and then receive an incentive to use on your next purchase.
P&G – Proctor & Gamble Coupon Insert, found in the Sunday Paper
Peelie – Coupon found attached to a product. You have to peel it off to use it. It comes from the manufacturer attached to the product to use when you make that purchase.
POP – Proof of purchase, used when remitting a MIR.
Q – Coupon, the same as cash
RC – Rain-Check, obtained when an item is OOS. You can extend the price of the sale when you obtain a Rain Check from the store. Not all stores write rain checks.
RP – Red Plum, Coupon Insert, found in the Sunday Paper (formerly called Valassis)
RR – Register Reward, from Walgreen’s – This is a manufacturer coupon and is an incentive from the manufacturer to make a qualifying purchase.
RUN – Going to the grocery store to use your coupons
SCR – Single Check Rebate (Rite Aid), an incentive program that offers you MIR when you make qualifying purchases.
SS – Smart Source, Coupon Insert, found in the Sunday Paper
STACKING – Using 1 manufacturer coupon and 1 store coupon on the same product (if store coupon policy allows)
DOUBLE – A coupon that the store doubles the face value of, if the coupon policy is to double coupons.
TEAR PAD – A pad found hanging from a store shelf or display. This could be either coupons or MIR.
TRIPLE – A coupon that the store triples the face value of, if the coupon policy is to triple coupons.
UPC – Universal Product Code, bar code on the product, used for MIR.
WYB – When You Buy, the wording on a coupon.
YMMV – Your Mileage May Vary. This deal worked for me; however it may not work for you.

Use this list as a reference when you are reading through your daily deal sites and always ask if you get confused. Next time I will be giving you the ins and outs of CVS. Like I said before, CVS is a great place to start and I know you are dying to get started! Keep collecting those coupons and get ready to shop!