Coupon Terms

I get a lot of questions about couponing terms, so I decided to make a place where you can find everything.

Q's = Coupons
OOP = Out of Pocket This is the amount paid out of your pocket.
MIR = Mail in Rebate  Rebates you mail in to the manufacturers and get reimbursed by check, gift card, coupon or other means.
BLINKIES = Coupons you find in the store at those blinking machines in the store aisles
BOGO/B1G1 = Buy One Get One
DND = Do not Double (Some coupons state this)
DOUBLE COUPON = Coupon that grocery store doubles in value
EB/ECB = ExtraCare Bucks (CVS)
FAR = Free After Rebate
P&G = Proctor & Gamble (Newspaper Insert)
Peelie = Coupon you peel off package
STACKING = When a store allows you to "stack" (or use both) a manufacturer AND store coupon (Walgreens, Rite Allows & Targe allows this)
TEAR PAD = A pad of coupons or MIR near a product or on display
WYB= When You Buy
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary (Depends on certain store policies/factors whether the deal will work.)
CATALINA = Coupon printed at register after purchased (see below)
RR = Register Rewards (Walgreens) (see below)
UP+ =  Rite Aid's rewards (see below)

This is a recent receipt from Rite Aid.  I purchased items from their ad that stated they were giving UP+ rewards on Mars Candy, and Thermacare products.  When I purchased them, under my receipt printed these UP+ rewards.  I clip them off the bottom of my receipt, and I get to use them as CASH off my next purchase.  At the bottom of my receipt also printed a survey and if I submitted my survey, I get  a $3 coupon, and that is the coupon you see above the UP+ rewards.

Walgreens offers a very similar type of reward, called Register Rewards (RR's).  After your purchase and when your receipt is printing, if you purchased any products that stated you would get a RR, they will print off of a separate receipt printer.  These, too, can be used as cash on your next purchase! I love collecting these, and using them on following purchases.  BUT your RR's will not print if you use a RR on an item that you got that RR from.  For example:  Say Lysol gives you a $2 RR.  Then you turn around and buy ANOTHER Lysol in another transaction and use your previous Lysol $2 RR towards that purchase - you will not receive another $2 RR.  Instead, pay cash for your Lysols, collect the RR's on them, and use them to purchase something else that is NOT a Lysol product.

These are RR's:

Catalinas:  Catalinas are coupons that print on the same type machine that your Walgreens RR's print from.  You usually get these at grocery stores when you buy certain items.  Here is a Catalina I received from my Tops grocery store:

BOGO Deals:  This is one of the most asked questions about couponing!  How do BOGO deals work?   If a store has something on sale for "Buy 1 Get 1 FREE" and you use a "Buy 1 Get 1 FREE" coupon - then this makes BOTH items free! 

Scenario:  

Buy 2 Crest at $3.99/2 - Buy One Get One Free
Use Buy One Get One Free Coupon (takes off $3.99)
Final Price: $0 + a few cents tax.

IF you run across a sale that is for BOGO FREE - and you don't have a BOGO FREE coupon - YES you can use either 2 coupons (for example: $1 off any 1), OR one coupon if it states something like $1 off any TWO items.  If you use a BOGO FREE coupon you cannot use any other coupon for those two items, as the BOGO coupon covers 2 items.

What about BOGO 1/2 OFF deals?

In this case you buy one item at full price and get the second at 50% off. If you also have a BOGO coupon, the value of the lowest priced item is the one that should be applied to the coupon. So here is a sample scenario:

Buy 1 Gillette body wash at $4.99
Get one 50% off at $2.49
Use BOGO coupon (should take off $2.49)
Final Price: $4.99

Of course there might be some situations where a cashier takes off the higher priced item, but in general these almost never work out to be a very good deal.