New to Coupons
COUPONING BASICS
This couponing basic page is for couponing for beginners to learn coupon basics (or for a brush up course for those that have doing it for a while). You will learn how to get coupons especially the high value coupons. Here’s your online couponing class!
Why would you want to coupon?
Coupons are like cash. If someone gave you cash, would you turn them down? The more coupons you use, the less cash you would need to use. Coupons also give you the advantage of letting you get money off of sale prices and can often allow you to get free items.
Why use Lots2Save.com?
When it comes to couponing, it can be intimidating how to find and get the great deals.. Follow me and I will lay it out as simple as possible & help find the best deals for you.
Be sure to go to my Lots2Save 101 to learn more about what is available on this site and how to best use it. Some more great places to learn more is The Clipless Coupon method, Helpful hints, and the Individual stores shopping 101′s. If you will go through the Lots2Save New to Coupons section it will be better than taking a couponing class! 
It is a coupon class! It is a great place for couponing for beginners!
Where can you find coupons?
Everywhere!
- Sunday newspaper – Coupon inserts (RP, SS, P&G, and occasionally bonus inserts depending on your area of the country: Parade Magazine, USA Weekly, General Mills, Target).
- Internet: printable coupons – There are a vast array of printable coupons – on printable coupon sites and manufacturer’s sites. Here are my favorite sites: RedPlum, SmartSource, Coupons.com, Coupon Network.
- Coupon mailers from companies or from a manufacturer that you have signed up in the mail or online with.
- Facebook: Facebook has recently been offering the higher value coupons to print on the individual manufacturer’s Facebook pages. Go to your favorite products, “LIKE” them, and they tend to offer high value coupons. Follow Lots2Save and I will alert you to different coupons available on Facebook.
- In magazines –The All You Magazine is a favorite that is filled with manufacturer’s coupons! You can buy this magazine only at Walmart or by subscription. Other magazines sometimes have coupons in them also.
- From the Manufacturer directly –Call and let them know you like their product or if you complain about a defective product and they will want to keep your business and usually send out replacement coupons.
- Inside products or on the box of a product
- Loaded to your savings card, if available, or to your cell phone
- Store Weekly Circular or In-store –
- Catalina/CAT - coupon on back of store receipt or printed after receipt
- Blinkie or Tear Pad – coupon from a small blinkie machine or pad – typically near the relevant product
- Peelie – coupon on product itself
Coupon Terms and Abbreviations
When you are first learning about coupons some of the wording on coupon sites and blogs will seem like mumbo-jumbo. Below are the most often used terms and abbreviations used that can help you decipher the “mumbo-jumbo”
Sunday Newspaper Insert Abbreviations:
- GM = General Mills
- PG = Procter and Gamble
- RP = RedPlum
- SS = SmartSource
*The date is printed on the spine of the insert..
Other coupon terms and abbreviations
- $1/1, etc. = This is the value of a coupon over the number of item you need to buy. For example $1/1 is $1 off 1 item. The value and item can be any different numbers depending on the coupon for example: $1/2 is $1 off 2 items purchased, $4/2 is $4 off 2 items purchased. You need to buy that amount of items to be able to use the coupon
- AR = After Rebate
- AC :: After coupon
- Blinkie = This is a coupon that you get from a box attached to a store shelf. The term “blinkie” comes from the box which sometimes has a blinking light
- B1G1 or BOGO = Buy One, Get One Free
- B2GI = Buy Two, Get One Free
- CAT or Catalina = These are coupons that print at the register after you purchase something to be used on other transactions. Usually these are to be used only at that particular store.
- CPN – Coupon
- DEAD = Offer No Longer Valid
- DND = Do Not Double
- Double Coupon = A coupon that can be doubled in value
- ETS = Excludes Trial Size
- EX or X = Expires On
- FAR = Free After Rebate
- FILLER = Item Purchased to Reach a Minimum Total in Order to Get a “Deal”
- FS = Free Shipping
- GC = Gift Card
- GM :: General Mills
- IVC :: Instant Value Coupon (Walgreens, found in the monthly EasySaver booklet)
- IP or IPQ = Internet Printable
- MC or MQ = Manufacturer’s coupon
- MFG, MFR = Manufacturer
- MIR = Mail In Rebate
- NED = No Expiration Date
- OOP = Out of Pocket
- OOS = Out of Stock
- OYNO = On your next order
- P&G :: Proctor & Gamble coupon insert found in the Sunday newspaper
- Peelie :: Coupon that are attached to the packaging on the item which can be peeled off and used at the time of purchase.
- PSA :: Prices Starting At
- Q :: Coupon (can also be shown as CPN)
- Regional :: A coupon or deal available in only a specific area
- RP :: Red Plum coupon insert found in the Sunday newspaper
- RR :: Register Rewards (Walgreens, which print with receipt)
- SCR :: Single Check Rebate (Rite Aid)
- SS :: Smart Source coupon insert found in the Sunday newspaper
- Stacking :: These refer to deals that you can use a manufacturers coupon as well as a store coupon on one item to get a better deal.
- Tear pad :: A pad of rebate forms or coupons attached to a store shelf
- TMF = Try Me Free Offer
- UPC = Universal Product Code – The black straight lines with numbers under them or bar code
- UPR or UP+ :: Up Rewards, a coupon you can earn on your register receipt at Rite Aid
- WSL :: While Supplies Last
- WYB :: When You Buy
- YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary – Deal may work for someone else, but it may not work for you