Tip of the Day Tuesday: Tips for new CVS shoppers

Helpful Tips for Rookie CVS Shoppers
These easy to follow tips will make shopping at CVS a breeze, even if you are a newbie!
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1379497/helpful_tips_for_rookie_cvs_shoppers.html

Tip of the Day Tuesday: Coupon lingo

When I first started couponing, I felt like I was entering a secret society that spoke a language filled with acronyms. It was a bit confusing at first! If you’re new to the world of coupon lingo (or you’ve been around for awhile but still haven’t figured it all out), here’s a key to help you “decode” things on my blog and other blogs/message boards you may visit:

$ off – this is a “slang” term used for most common coupons that have a $ off amount. If you are reading message boards, people will sometimes shorten this to $/1 or $/2 (meaning the dollar off and then the # of items that need to be purchased)

Blinkie – These coupons are usually found at grocery stores and come out of a little machine with a blinking red light

BOGO = buy one, get one (usually buy one get one free or buy one get one 1/2 off)

BOLO = “be on the look out” (some examples = BOLO for these coupons, these clearance items, etc.)

Cat = Catalinas. Catalinas are the coupons that print out at the machines by the register that they often hand you with your receipt. These are usually considered “manufacturer’s coupons” and the items you purchase usually “trigger” these coupons. You can read more about catalinas here.

CRT – CRTs stands for “cash register tape.” These are the coupons that print out at the bottom of your receipt (they have these at CVS and at Target)

DND = Do not double – Some stores will double or triple a coupon to a certain face value. If the coupon says “DND” or “do not double” at the top, this may or may not apply (it will be up to the individual stores)

ECB = Extra Care Buck – you earn these at CVS when you purchase certain targeted items from the weekly or monthly ad. They can be used like cash off your next purchase.

ES = Easysaver coupon booklet – a monthly coupon booklet at Walgreens (usually found near the front of the store by the weekly ads)

ESR = Easysaver Rebate (Walgreens monthly rebate program)

GDA = Good Deal Advertised or Good Deal Alert

IP = Internet print – these are the coupons from websites such as Smartsource.com or Coupons.com that you print online

MIR = Mail in rebate

NED = No expiration date

OOP = The amount of money you spent out of your own pocket (after using gift cards, coupons, ECBs, RRs, etc.)

OYNP = On Your Next Purchase – Some grocery stores offer promotions where you earn a catalina that can be used like cash off your next purchase when you purchase participating items.

Peelie – a coupon that is placed on the outside of a product and peels off

PG = Procter & Gamble insert (from the newspaper)

RP = Red Plum insert (from the newspaper)

RR = Register Reward – You earn these for purchasing certain targeted items at Walgreens. These are like catalinas and are considered to be “manufacturer’s coupons” so the one coupon per item rule applies to these as well.

SS = Smart Source insert (from the newspaper)

Winetag/WT – these are found around bottles of wine and are usually good for a $ amount off of the purchase of items such as meat, cheese, and produce. Some require a wine or beer purchase to use them and others do not require a wine/beer purchase (these will be marked as NWPN or NBPN).

WYB = when you buy – Some coupons will say “free item when you buy X item.” In these cases, you can usually use another coupon to buy the “X” item

YMMV = your market may vary (in other words, this is how it works in my area, but the prices/deals may not be the same in your area)

If you’ve come across a term/acronym that you aren’t familiar with, post it here and I’ll decode it for you!

Tip of the Day Tuesday: How to find the real deals and spot online scams

Have you ever gotten an e-mail promising you a $500 gift card to your favorite restaurant or clothing store just for completing a survey? You may have clicked on it figuring it was worth checking out only to find out that you were faced with page after page of “questions” and offers with no end in sight. You never did get your $500 gift card, but you sure did end up with a lot of extra junk mail in your inbox.

Finding the real deals can be tricky and once you’ve been scammed, it can be discouraging.

Check out this article for tips on avoiding online scams and finding the “real” deals.

Tip of the Day Tuesday: Tips for Coupon Usage

If you’ve been couponing for very long, chances are that at some point, you’ve been faced with a cashier who accused you of trying to commit coupon fraud or you’ve had to deal with frustrated customers behind you in line. Check out these tips which will help to make your couponing experiences a lot easier!

The Unspoken Rules of Coupon Etiquette

Tip of the Day Tuesday: Dining out on a Budget

During the holiday season, many of us are constantly on the go and we aren’t home long enough to cook a meal or sit down to eat it. This time of year, budgets are already stretched thin. Just because you’re on the go and eating out more often than usual doesn’t mean that you have to kill your budget.

You can find some practical tips for eating out and staying within your budget here.