Nest for Less

Coupon lingo can be confusing and frustrating when you’re getting started. Here's a handy guide to common coupon lingo:

$/$ – dollar amount off dollar amount, for example $1/$5 is one dollar off a five dollar purchase

B1G1 – buy one get one, this can be buy one get one free or buy one get one at the amount stated after (i.e. B1G1 for $.01)

BOGO – also buy one get one as described above

Blinkies – coupons that print out of machines in store, usually found placed near the product. Named for the blinking light often found on top of the machine

CAT or Catalina – a coupon or offer that prints at the register following your purchase. These are usually store specific.

CRT – cash register tape

DND – Do Not Double – some coupons specify that they shouldn’t be doubled. Different stores may or may not abide by this, but if the barcode starts with 5 the computer system likely will not double

Double coupon – some stores will offer you double the value of your coupons, up to a certain amount. For example, if you have a .50 coupon, they will give you $1 off. This is a huge money saver! Check with your stores, some have limits to the number of coupons they’ll double or the total amount you can save in one transaction or day.

Ea – Each

ECB or Extra Care Bucks or EB – used at CVS drugstores. ECB’s are basically a receipt for cash off your next purchase.

ESR – Easy Saver Rebate – Walgreen’s rebate program

Exp – expiration date. Some stores take coupons after the expiration, so be sure to ask around

GC – Gift card

GM – General Mills, a coupon insert found in newspapers. This is not a weekly insert.

Hang tag – a coupon or rebate offer hanging from a product, often coupons around the neck of bottles

IP – Internet printable coupon, also called printables

MIR – Mail in rebate

MQ – Manufacturer coupon

OOP – out of pocket, the total you will have to actually pay following your coupons and deals

OYNO – On Your Next Order – an offer to be redeemed on your next offer

Peelie – coupons found attached to products. Please, don’t take the peelie if you aren’t buying the product. It is attached to the product, and thereby belongs to that item.

PG – Proctor and Gamble, a coupon insert found in newspapers. Generally comes out once per month.

Printable - Internet printable coupon, also called IP

Q – coupon

Raincheck – when a store is out of stock on a sale item you can ask for a raincheck. If/when the store gets that item back in you’ll be able to purchase the specified number of items at the sale price. Some rainchecks have expiration dates and some sales items are normal stock and will not be received again (for example, movies at CVS)

Regional – coupons sent to specific regions. Inserts often vary slightly by region.

RP – Red Plum, an insert found in newspapers, generally weekly

RR or Register Rewards – Walgreens program similar to the CVS ECBs. A receipt treated as cash on your next purchase.

SCR – Single Check Rebate – Rite Aid rebate program

SS – Smart Source, may also be listed as simply S, a coupon insert found in newspapers, generally weekly

Stacking – using more than one coupon for one item. Often store will allow you to use a manufacturer’s coupon plus a store coupon on one item. Policy varies by store.

Tearpad – a pad of coupons found in the grocery store. May be found in aisles, but often on product displays or on end-caps

Triple coupon – some stores will triple the value of your coupon (this is the holy grail of couponing!) For example, you have a coupon for .50, the store triples it and give you $1.50 off. Most store limit this to once a week or only on occasion, and often limit the total number of coupons or total amount off you can have.

UPC – the bar code on items. Sometimes rebates require that you keep, copy, or mail in UPC’s

WAGS – short for Walgreens

YMMV – Your Manager May Vary – individual store managers are often allowed to use discretion on stacking certain coupons or accepting certain deals. Couponers use this to basically say “I got this great deal I want to share, but your store might be different”.

WYB – When you buy – for example “Get $5 WYB 5″ is get $5 off when you buy 5 items

Alright, let’s put your new language to work…

You see this on a coupon site:

B2G1 Free Large Eggs (1 Dozen) wyb (2) Sargento Shredded Cheese

Got that? This is a buy 2, get 1 free deal. You’ll get 1 dozen large eggs free when you buy 2 Sargento’s shredded cheeses

How about another?

Vigo Saffron Rice, 10 oz pkg, BOGO $1.29
-$0.50/1 Vigo Rice 10/3/2010 RP Insert (exp 12/31/2010)

This is a common way to show a deal – item first, with original price and sale price (indicated here with the BOGO). The coupon and where it was found is listed underneath. This one tells us that Vigo Saffron Rice in the 10 oz package is $1.29 and on sale as a buy 1, get 1 free. There is a coupon for .50 off 1 package. This coupon was located in the 10/3 edition of the Red Plum insert and it expires on 12/31. Since the coupon is for 1 item, you can use 2 coupons if you’ll be purchasing 2 items.

To return to Rules of Coupons page, click here

To return to the full tutorial list, click here