Getting Started with Coupons?
You'll want to read these subject areas below.
Couponing Abbrevations
Most of you are wondering...what does "XX" mean? What does "XXX" mean? Coupon terminology can be...well, difficult at first! When I first started, it took me a long, long time to get adjusted to the terminology. Now, over a year later, it's second nature.
Coupon Lingo
Alby's = Albertsons
MIR = Mail in Rebate
ONYO = On your next order
CAT= a receipt that prints from the machine (paper money) to use ONYO (see above).
RR = Register Reward (Walgreens term)
ECB = Extra Care Buck (CVS term)
MM = Money Maker
MFR = Manufacturer
OOP = Out of Pocket
Wags = Walgreens
SW = Safeway
BOGO = Buy 1 Get 1 Free
B1G1 = Same thing as BOGO
B1G2F = Buy 1 Get 2 Free
B2G1F = Buy 2 Get 1 Free
P&G = Proctor and Gamble
SS = Smart Source
RP = Red Plum
Blinkie = machine that spits out coupons!
TP = Tear Pad. Located in the aisles, a pad of coupons
IP = Internet Printable
SS = Smart Source insert (in newspaper)
RP = Red Plum insert (in newspaper)
GM = General Mills insert (in newspaper)
PG = Proctor & Gamble insert (in newspaper)
YMMV = Your Mileage may Vary - essentially means it may depend on your store/cashier!
eQ = AKA e-Coupon - coupons loaded to your shopper card
RAOK = Random Act of Kindness!
Next Topic: e-Coupons!
Ever heard me write about eCoupons? If you're new to couponing, then take note!! eCoupons, otherwise known as "Electronic Coupons" are coupons that you load directly to your shopper card. There are three ways you can do this: Shortcuts, Cellfire, and P&G. The benefit of eCoupons is that you can still use a paper coupon at the cash register, as the eCoupons are on your card!
Shortcuts.com electronic coupons are a convenient way to save money at the grocery store. Free coupons load directly to your participating grocery store savings card, so there are no paper coupons to lose or forget. Go here to find out what stores participate!
Just 3 Easy Steps to FREE Coupon Savings:
1. Sign up at Shortcuts.com and register your grocery store savings card.
2. Select the grocery coupons you want.
3. Swipe your card at checkout. Coupon discounts are deducted automatically.
Lose the paper. Keep the convenience and the savings. It's the smarter way to coupon.
Cellfire is the premier destination for valuable savings. You will need to provide the following information to successfully register. Registered users will gain access to offers on groceries, shopping, restaurants, and entertainment from a computer and/or mobile phone. This is a free service.
Mobile Phone # (you must use a valid cell phone number; you cannot use a home telephone number)
Year of birth
Zip Code
Gender
Email Address
You can select whether or not you would like to receive offer alerts via email, text message or not at all. On future visits to Cellfire.com you will log in with your phone number and date of birth. I like this log in system because is hard to forget this combination!
Once you have registered you will need to add a grocery shopper card to your account or set up Cellfire Mobile. To see what deals are available in your area click the Deals tab. You may view the offers by category or all offers at one time.
You save grocery coupons directly to your shopper card. Go here for a list of the grocery stores currently accepting Cellfire coupons. To save a coupon to your card just click the "save to card" button located beneath each coupon. The first time you click "save to card" you will be prompted to enter your shopper card information. If you have multiple coupons for the same product saved on your card, Cellfire will deduct the one with the most benefit to the customer first. Make sure you read all the details for each coupon. Some may be a discount on one item and some you may have to purchase multiple items in order to use the coupon.
Cellfire offers are updated every other Tuesday. Your grocery coupons are automatically redeemed when the cashier swipes your shopper card and you purchase a qualifying item! You can save up to 50 coupons onto your shopper card. You cannot remove coupons from your card once they have been added. Coupons will be removed when they are redeemed or when they expire whichever comes first.
Another great feature of the Cellfire grocery coupon service is the ability to print a shopping list with the coupons you have saved to your card. You can do this my clicking on the My Account or Deals tab. The Shopping list will also show you the addresses for your local grocery store! I print this list to remind myself what's on my card when I'm attempting to do my weekly matchups :)
Here is an example of how your receipt will look showing the Cellfire coupons deducted:
You can also put Cellfire coupons on your mobile phone for places like Hollywood Video, and the like.
These coupons are saved directly to your cell phone. With mobile coupons, you use the Cellfire mobile app to show a coupon code to the cashier in order to get your discount. (Using Cellfire on your mobile phone requires access to the mobile web. Data fees may be charged by your carrier so please consider this before using this service. The Cellfire app is supported on almost all cell phones that have the ability to connect to the Internet or data network.
A Huge Thank you to Drug Store Divas for this information!!
Note about eCoupons: you may very well have the same coupon loaded on each Cellfire and Shortcuts! If that happens, you may have both coupons come off for possible FREE product, or FREE + Moneymaker!
P&G E-Saver
Proctor and Gamble (P&G) offers a variety of coupons on their website. From Tide, to Downy, to Clear, Blue and Easy.....you can load them all to your grocery card! The coupons will only come off one time, and best part is, you can still use paper coupons at the checkout for even more savings! You may want to check with your local grocer to ensure that they honor P&G eCoupons; for example: if you are here in Phoenix, Fry's Food Store (also known as Kroger) does not participate. However...Safeway does!
Go here to sign up and start loading coupons to your card.
What is a Catalina?
I often times ramble and ramble with all these Acronyms and terminology of coupons, without any regard for those reading my site! For that I'm truly sorry :(
Today's question comes from a reader in Arizona - who asks "What is a Catalina?"
No need to re-invent the wheel .....so I turned to Mommy Snacks who does a very thorough job of explaining catalinas for those of you who may not be familiar with them!
If you're not quite sure what a catalina is, then go here to read the article by Mommy Snacks, and let me know if this post helped you! :)
Want to find out more about the basics of Couponing? Go HERE!
Thanks Sheryl i was wondering about all the abbreviations on the page!!
ReplyDeleteEver heard of ROAK? Saw on another blog but was not sure.
ReplyDeleteSure have! It means "Random Act of Kindness" =) It's like you doing something for someone out of generosity and them not wanting anything in return!
ReplyDeleteHI I am new to understanding coupons but a quick question. I understand that fry's is accepting other stores coupons...so the $5 off 20 at fresh and easy can you use more than one $5 off coupon if you spend lets say $60 can you use 3? sorry I am just trying to get the hang of this. Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole :)
ReplyDeleteYou sure can! As long as you spend the quota - so if you spend $60, you should be able to use 3. Just remember...some cashiers may and some may not - understandably we call this "Your Mileage May Vary". Not all cashiers are on the same "sheet" of music so to speak.
It really is no different than doing 3 different transactions. The F&E is used before your coupons, as coupons are a form of legal tender (that they get reimbursed for). So when you get to the register, you should give the F&E first, then the competitor coupons for which they have to "change" the price on something (like coffee for $6.99 or something), then the MFR, then any Target coupons.
If you have any trouble, as some of us do, just ask for the store manager. Fry's has emailed me and spoken to me personally & let me know the particulars, and have assured me that they have trained their store managers; yet, sometimes things do fall thru, in those cases, just contact Fry's if you have any trouble (i.e. the store won't allow the F&E before your coupons) and Fry's will credit your Fry's card and call that store to retrain :)
I am new to this web site, have used cupon's all 30 years of my marraige.(Or our 3 children would of been naked on a Sgt pay.) I say cupon's keep them clothed!!! We are military so I shop a majority at the Commissary and I use cupon's every time. Can you tell me anything about using cupon's there??
ReplyDelete