Archives for December 2009

All of the acronyms I use for couponing are found on the center/right column of Frugal Coupon Living. Below, I have provided a more detailed explanation.

SS – Smart Source. SS is a coupon resource both online and in the Sunday paper.  The larger the city, the larger the SS Sunday insert (and the smaller the town, the smaller the insert size.) Thus, Smart Source coupons can vary by regions.  Almost every Sunday, there is a SS insert in the newspaper. Visit Smart Source for printable coupons that change/vary each month.

RP – Red Plum. Much like SS, RP is a coupon resource both online and in the Sunday paper.  The larger the city, the larger the RP Sunday insert (and the smaller the town, the smaller the insert size.) Thus, RP coupons can vary by regions.  Almost every Sunday, there is a RP insert in the newspaper. Visit Red Plum for printable coupons that change/vary each month.

P&G – Procter and Gamble.  Much likes the other inserts, P&G coupon resource is found in the Sunday paper.  P&G inserts tend to be consistent across the board. In other words the same coupons tend to be in every city/town.  Unlike the others, they come out once to twice a month.  Usually around the front end of the month. P&G e-coupons HERE.

MFR – Manufacturer Coupon. A manufacturer coupon is put out by the company of the item represented. It can be combined with a store coupon in most locations (grocery stores/pharmacies.)  Most MFR coupons have the most expensive item displayed as a picture on the coupon so it is important to read the fine print. Sometimes you can use a MFR coupon on a trial size item. When this is possible, it is best to do this because the savings is a much larger percent then if you were to buy they full size item. Ten bottle of trial size shampoo work just as well as one large bottle (and can end up being FREE!)

SC – Store Coupon. This is a coupon that can exclusively be used in the store in presents. For example if CVS puts out a coupon for Colgate, this can only be used in a CVS location.  This SC can be combined with an MFR to produce a greater savings.

CC – Competitor Coupon. A CC is a store coupon that can be used in another store. For example, I could take a Winn-Dixie coupon and use it at Publix. You can also create a combination of mixing and matching MFRs, SCs, and CCs for an even larger savings! Two places that regularly take competitor coupons are Publix and Home Depot.

B1G1/BOGO – Buy One, Get One. The name basically supplies the definition. When you buy one product, you get the next product for free. In some locations, B1G1 sales reduced items to 50% off so you can only buy one item in the B1G1 sale. I will make a note of this when this is the case. In most locations, for B1G1 sales, two products need to be in the purchase. I personally appreciate B1G1 sales because you can use two coupons. You are getting two products!

WYB – When You Buy. An example of when this phrase is used is get $1 off product x when you buy product y.

YMMV – Your Mileage May Vary. Your mileage may vary is a phrased to describe the situation where you have success at one store and not at another store. This is usually the case because clearance items, sales, or managers discretion may change per store. YMMV can be the case for two stores in the same city or for two stores on different sides of the country.

MIR – Mail in Rebate. A mail in rebate is a situation where you get back a percentage of the amount you spent on a product. A MIR usually requires a UPC (universal product code – CHECK ON ACTUAL ACRONYM – bar code on the side of a box) , original cash register receipt, a form all mailed in a self stamped envelope.  During a MIR, you do need to pay for the product upfront but are refunded your money either in the form of a check or gift card.  Sometimes, MIRs provide you with a product instead of the refund of a check/gift card. In this case, you would know this before sending in the MIR. On average, MIRs take around 8 weeks for a full refund.

FAR – FREE After Rebate. This case is usually accompanied with a MIR. The item would be FREE after you submit a rebate for a refund of a check/gift card.

$1 SS 1/4 – $1 coupon in the Smart Source Inserts on January 4^th. I use this phrase when matching coupons to sales. If we were talking about Dove Deodorant, I would be directing you to cut the $1 Dove Coupon in the Smart Source Insert that came out January 4^th. If you keep your inserts intact, with the date on the front, this is easy to locate. You can keep them in a binder, in a file system, or cut them up and arrange the coupons by month or by type (health and beauty in this case.)

OOP – Out of Pocket. This is the money you are required to pay out of pocket. This money is usually amount you will pay before a rebate or “reward money” found in the form of Extra Care Bucks or Register Rewards (See CVS 101 and Walgreens 101 below.)

WFC – Weekly Flyer Coupon. This is a coupon found in a store weekly sales flyer. This coupon is required for the discount on the item. It is not a “clip free” coupon.

$1.50/2 – $1.50 off two items. In this example you get $1.50 of the price of two items. If I do not provide a back slash and number, then the discount is off one item. I provide the discount price followed by a slash and number to share with you when you have to buy more than one item for the coupon reduction.

ECBs – Extra Care Bucks. This is a money system found at CVS stores. It is like paper money that can be used on products in their store only. ECB sales are found weekly in their store flyer. Sometimes, CVS has items that are FREE after ECBS (much like the FAR system.) See more on shopping at CVS with ECBs below.

Wags – Walgreens. Acronym used for Walgreens.

RRs – Register Rewards. This is a money system found at Walgreens (Wags) stores. It is like paper money that can be used on products in their store only. RRs sales are found weekly in their store flyer. Sometimes, Wags has items that are FREE after RRs (much like the FAR system.) See more on shopping at Walgreens with RRs below.

Related Posts:

Eight Tips to Couponing HERE

CVS 101 HERE

Walgreens 101 HERE

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Last Updated on March 9, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living

If you are new to Frugal Coupon Living, take a look at Frugal Coupon Living’s Features as well as the printable store feature.

1)      Stay Organized

Overall organization is critical to maintaining sanity and realizing long term value.  There is nothing worse in couponing than going into a store unorganized.  Have your list, your coupons, and know your sale.  Leave the rest in the car.  A little prep work in needed before you hit the stores.

2)      Know the Code

There is a secret formula.   A sale + a MFR (manufacturer) coupon + a SC (store coupon) + a CC (competitor coupon)  = freebies, moneymakers, and cheap items.   When possible combine these things.   In addition to the secret formula, you need to know the acronyms (see my side bar for examples.)

3)      Be Flexible

Break from brand loyalties, there are a lot of great coupons out there if you are willing to try new things.  You will find when combining coupons you end up buying most of the brands that are most expensive for the least amount of money. Don’t worry about having to only buy the generic items.

4)      Learn to Stockpile

When there is an amazing sale combined with a large coupon you must stockpile.  Know your store sales, how frequently things go on sale and then save enough until the next sale.  This might mean you need several copies of a coupon…getting multiple copies of newspapers is a good idea. A general rule of thumb is one copy of the paper for as many people in the house – four people in the house would mean four Sunday papers. If you find you are in a time when you can not coupon as much, cut back to two papers. You at least one two papers, so during B1G1 sales you have a coupon for each item.

5)      Reward Cards Are Your Friend

Many stores offer great incentives only for those who are reward card holders.  Sometimes it is best to get reward cards of stores not even in your area because some stores will take those competitors’ coupons that might come to your address for being a club/reward card member.

6)      Understand the Fine Print

Make sure you read the details so you truly understand what is on sale and what items for the coupon will work.  Most manufacturers display the most expensive item on face of the coupon.  Consumers look at the picture and select that item.  If you read the fine print there might be a cheaper item for which you could get the discount (one example is a trial size item.)

7)      Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

Frugal Coupon Living has done the work for you.  Don’t get stressed trying to plan your shopping list.  Use this website to see what is on sale each week and what is matched to a coupon.  If you do not have the coupon, don’t buy the item unless your family is in need (sales are good, but they are even better with coupons.)  Look at my shopping lists then create your own list.

8)   Manage Your Time

I realize that gathering your coupons, list of sale items, etc can take some time and can make going to the grocery store difficult. If you are strapped for time, I encourage you to shop the B1G1 sales, items that are significantly reduced, and at least take along printable coupons attached to the lists provided on Frugal Coupon Living. Sometimes, I personally find, hunting for the coupon in my coupon binder can be more difficult than just selecting print on my computer. Do the best you can and don’t be hard on yourself for what you didn’t’ do, rather rejoice in how much you did save!

Related Posts:

CVS 101

Walgreens 101

Couponing Acronyms and Explanations

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Last Updated on February 2, 2011 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living