In the picture above, my total out of pocket was $3.59. It turned into a HUGE money maker as I got back a $10 Rite Aid gift card and $11 in +Up Rewards (Rite Aid cash that prints at the bottom of your receipt) dropping my total to a $17.41 money maker (meaning everything in the picture was essentially free and I made $17.41 towards future purchases)!!
Types of coupons:
- Manufacturer (these can be used at any store that accepts coupons)
- Store (these are store-specific coupons that can only be used at the store that issues them)
** Most stores that issue their own coupons allow 1 of their coupons along with 1 manufacturer coupon per item. That equals some great savings!! **
Where do you find all these coupons??
- Sunday newspaper (Redplum, SmartSource, Procter & Gamble, USA Weekend, Parade)
- Online (coupon websites – Coupons.com, manufacturer websites, Facebook)
- Magazines (All You, Parents, Parenting, etc.)
- Products (peelies, product packaging)
- In stores (blinkies, tear pads, catalina)
- Mailers (requested from online websites)
- Coupon clipping sites (thecouponmaster.com, coupondede.com, eBay)
OK…Now where in the world do I put them all?
What I find works best for me is a binder filled with baseball card inserts. I use this for any coupons that I actually clip. I “actually” because I don’t clip every coupon I come across in the newspaper inserts. I clip ones for products that I regularly use that would be helpful to have with me at the stores. As you’ll see in posts, since the coupons I’ll be needing for a sale are referenced by their source, I simply save the whole newspaper insert too. I also have a small expandable file that I take to the stores with me. I just find it easier to have everything ready to go and separated by store in that file. I keep any store coupons that I have received in this file too.
Other methods include not clipping any coupons and just storing the inserts or using a box to file your coupons instead of a binder. It really is a personal preference so whatever you like the best is what will work best for you. 
Say what??
Here are some of the most common abbreviations and terms you will hear throughout your couponing travels.
Coupon Insert Lingo:
- RP – RedPlum
- SS – SmartSource
- P&G – Proctor & Gamble
- GM – General Mills
Store Lingo:
- +UP – +UP Reward, Rite Aid
- VV – Video Values Coupon, Rite Aid
- SCR, Single Check Rebate, Rite Aid
- TQ – Target Coupon, Target
- ECB, Extra Care Bucks, CVS
- RR – Register Reward, Walgreens
- IVC – Instant Value Coupon, Walgreens
Coupon Lingo:
- $1/1 – One dollar off one item
- 10/$10 – Ten items for ten dollars
- B1G1 – Buy one item get one item… (can be FREE, 1/2 off, etc)
- B2G1 – Buy two items get one…
- Q – Coupon
- MQ – Manufacturer’s coupon
- IP – Internet printable coupon
- GC – Gift card
- OOP – Out-of-pocket
- MM – Money-maker
- MIR – Mail-in rebate
- WYB – “when you buy”
- YMMV – “your mileage may vary”
- “stack” – using a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon together on the same item
