The Basics, PLEASE READ!

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, there are some basic pieces of information you should know
1. The coupon/deal lingo. Here is a list of abbreviations you will probably see me use a lot and what they mean:
OOP= out of pocket (the amount you have to dish out in real money)
MM= Money maker
Q= coupon
MQ= manufacturer coupon (any coupon that says "manufacturer coupon" on the top and can be used at any retailer)
SQ= store coupon (coupons for a specific store)
TQ= Target coupon (you will probably see a lot of those)
RR= register rewards (given at walgreens)
ECB= extra care bucks (given out at CVS)
CRT= a coupon given out at cvs from their red machine when you swipe your card
CAT= stands for catalina (a coupon printed at registers of lots of retailers)
P&G= Proctor and Gamble (refferes to the company who makes the product and also puts out coupons)
RP= Redplum (you will find their coupons in the newspaper)
SS= SmartSource (you will also find their coupons in the newspaper)
WAGS= walgreens
WM= walmart
stacking= when you use a SQ and a MQ for the same item
PM= price matching
BBW= bath and body works
MIR= mail-in rebate
FARR= free after register rewards
FAR= free after rebate
GC=gift card
NPN= no purchase necessary
Blinkie= coupons that you get out of the little machines hooked to shelves in grocery store aisles
tearpads= coupons that are found on promotional displays throughout stores
IP= internet printable coupons
hangtags= coupons hanging on the necks of bottles at the store
peelies= coupons stuck to products but peel off
this is the basic coupon lingo. I will add more if I think of anything.


2. COUPONS, lots and lots of COUPONS and where to get them:
    I use a lot of coupons on the deals I get. There are lots of ways to get them. Here are some of them
     *sunday newspapers
     *grocery store weekly ads
     *printed online
        -coupons.com
        -smartsource.com
        -redplum.com
        -target.com
        -facebook
        -company websites
      *by contacting companies and complimenting products through email

3. Matching coupons to sales
    I often save coupons until there is a really good sale going so I can maximize my savings with coupons.

4. Stacking MQ's with SQ's
    A lot of time you can use a MQ and a SQ together on the same item to get really great deals!

5. price matching
     Walmart will price match any competitor. this works to my advantage when other stores are out of stock and when I want to take advantage of deals from many different stores without actually going to those stores.

6. facebook contests/giveaways
     Lots of companies are on facebook now and periodically do free giveaways. I will post as I see them come up.

7. Contacting companies pays off (big time!)
     There are lots of items that you will rarely see coupons for or the coupons are very low in value. By contacting companies you are very likely to get some coupons in the mail for products you like and often generous companies will send you coupons for FREE products!

8. coupon doubleing
     Some stores double coupons (which gets lots of FREE products). Fry's actually runs promotions where they make all coupons worth at least $1. So, for example, a 10 cent coupon would automatically ring up as $1
these are the basic pieces of information you need to know about couponing for now. I will add as I remember or new things come about.