Coupons
There are many coupon resources available to help you save money whether at the grocery store, the shopping mall, online or even at restaurants. Below are a few of my favorite resources to help you save big this year.
Printable Coupons
One of the easiest ways to save money at the grocery and drug store is by using coupons that you can print out from your computer. Here are a few of the most popular sites for printable coupons.
You’ll also find printable coupons on the web sites of some of your favorite brands, like Betty Crocker, Pillsbury and Stonyfield Farm. Plus, Target has printable store coupons right on their web site that can be paired with printable manufacturers coupons.
E-Coupons
E-coupons are coupons that you can add directly to your store loyalty cards, which are then deducted from your grocery bill at check-out. Not every grocery store makes e-coupons available to their shoppers, but the Kroger and Safeway chains do, and it’s possible that smaller chains will follow suit in the near future. Here are a few sites for e-coupons.
Through Upromise you can also access coupons that can be redeemed at check-out. However, the value of these coupons are added to your Upromise college savings account rather than deducted from your food bill.
Coupon Clipping Services
The traditional coupon insert that comes with the Sunday insert is not dead. In fact, a variety of coupon clipping services enable you to purchase coupons from these inserts in bulk quantities so you can take advantage of special deals at your stores. Just place your order and the coupons will be mailed to your home. Here are a few to check out:
Newcomer’s Guide to Coupon Acronyms
If you’re brand new to using coupons, you may also appreciate the explanations below of some of the most common coupon acronyms.
P&G, RP & SS: These stand for Procter & Gamble, Red Plum and Smart Source, and these refer to the coupon inserts that come in the Sunday newspaper. So, for example, when I say that you’ll find a certain coupon in the “12/6 SS insert,” that means you’ll find it in the Smart Source coupon insert of December 6.
Each coupon insert will say either Procter & Gamble, Red Plum or Smart Source right on the front page. If you’re not sure the date, look on the spine of the insert and you’ll find the date right there.
ECB: ECB stands for ExtraCare Buck, which is money that can be used only at CVS. So, let’s say an item is on sale for $5 and you get back $2 ECBs. That means you pay $5 at the cash register (or less if you have a coupon) and you’ll get back $2 at the end of your receipt (when you use your CVS ExtraCare Card). You just clip it off the end of the receipt and use it next time as cash.
CRT: This stands for Cash Register Tape, and while I rarely use this acronym, this refers to a store-specific coupon that comes out at the end of your receipt. So when you make a purchase at CVS you may receive both ECBs (CVS cash) and CRTs (coupons on the receipt that can only be used at CVS).
RR: RR stands for Register Rewards. It’s the same as an ECB, only it’s specific to Walgreens. It’s like cash that can only be used at Walgreens. It doesn’t come on your receipt like at CVS, but instead will be given as a Catalina coupon (a coupon that comes out next to the register receipt that can be used on a future purchase).
SCR: An SCR is a Single Check Rebate, which is a cash back rebate on purchases made at Rite Aid. You can find the Rite Aid SCR booklet in their stores and on their web site as well.
