Coupon Jargon

Confused what all the acronyms and abbreviations are referring to in the coupon posts? Check out this list for definitions!

Blinkie – These are coupons found in Smart Source machines. They are red plastic devices attached to shelves that spit out one coupon at a time. Usually they have a flashing light and are located somewhat near the product they are for. Most common in grocery stores.
BOGO – Buy one get one free. This term refers to either a coupon with this offer, or a sale run by a store.
Catalina (or CRT) – Catalina coupons or Cash Register Tape. These print out at the bottom of a receipt, or more commonly separately from your receipt and will be handed to you by your cashier. These are good towards future purchases and are often store specific, but occasionally are manufacturer coupons.
Hangtag – Coupon found hanging from a tag around a product.
IP – Internet Printable Coupon; coupons you can print online!
OOP– Out of Pocket; price you pay after coupons are applied.
OYNO – On Your Next Order
PP – Participating Products
Peelie – Coupon found on the package of a product that can be peeled.
Tearpad -these are coupons that are on a tearpad usually located on a display or shelf near the item.
WYB – When You Buy
YMMV – Your Mileage (or Market) May Vary; refers to deals being regional and that you may not find them in your local store.

Type of Coupon Inserts found in your newspaper:
PG: Proctor and Gamble
RP: Redplum
SS: Smart Source
GM: General Mills

Example:
So if you see a layout that looks something like this

Colgate toothpaste:
Org. $3.99
-Marked down to $1.99
-$1/1 from 8/8 SS
Final price = $0.99

What it’s telling you is:

Colgate toothpaste was orginally $3.99; has been put on sale for $1.99; use the $1 off 1 product coupon from the Smart Source insert that came inside the August 8th newspaper; your final price will then be $0.99!

Hope this has helped!

Happy Savings! ❤

Always Free: iTunes U

Today is the first in a series of articles about things that are Always Free! Hot deals, coupons, and free samples are amazing but they come and go quickly and it’s nice to know there are companies out there that offer free products and services year round.

Today’s article is about iTunes U. I’m choosing this as my first Always Free spotlight because I feel like it gets little recognition by other freebie blogs and it really is a wonderful resource. iTunes U is much like it sounds, an iTunes based university. They offer a plethora of educational podcasts and videos on every subject imaginable. They are always free and aren’t just for students! Anyone can download from iTunes U.

Topics range from foreign languages, to history, to space and beyond. Any subject you could think of, iTunes U has at least a handful of video and audio podcasts available for free. The wonderful thing about these podcasts is that many of them are offered by respected universities around the world. Think Yale, Harvard and Oxford. That’s right. You can listen to an Oxford professor teach Critical Reasoning from the comfort of your living room. Have an iPod? Even better, you can take them with you and listen in the car, at the doctor’s or while you run on the treadmill.

They also offer K-12 learning! One of my personal favorites in the K-12 section is Teacher’s TV.

To access iTunes U, just open iTunes on your computer and go to the iTunes store link. From there, look at the tabs in the black bar running across the top of the store. (Music, Movies, etc.) Click on iTunes U and you’ll be taken to the homepage. The iTunes U homepage highlights the newest and most popular additions to the library. If you’re looking for a specific college, or campus, you can use the links in the right hand side bar. Looking for a specific subject? Just use the search bar inside of the iTunes program.

iTunes U has a goldmine of fun, free, educational programming. Apple says, “iTunes U — a powerful distribution system for everything from lectures to language lessons, films to labs, audiobooks to tours — is an innovative way to get educational content into the hands of students.” Apple also boasts that iTunes U has over 250,000 lectures, films and other resources! Now that’s a great freebie.

To see more about what Apple has to say about iTunes U click here, and if you don’t have iTunes on your computer just scroll to the bottom of the iTunes U Apple page and you’ll see a button where you can download it.

My family and I use iTunes U as a part of our cable-free life and we love it. What did you find at iTunes U? Share in the comments!

Happy Savings (and Learning)! ❤

Getting Started!

New to the idea of freebies, free samples, deals, coupons and more? That’s okay! Everyone has to start somewhere. It can be a little tricky though to figure out where to start to make the process as easy and painless as possible. Not to worry though. Today I’m going to share my tips and tricks for getting started in the world of Free & Easy Living.

1. Dedicate a separate email address for offers, samples and freebies: Free samples and special offers are wonderful, but usually require you to provide your email address and sign-up for the company’s newsletter. This can generate quite an email clog after a short time. In order to still take advantage of the many wonderful and free offers out there, I recommend you sign up for a new email account (any of the free services will work, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo mail, etc.). Once you’ve signed up, assign this email for freebie use only. Don’t share it with your friends and family, or they are likely to send you mail that could easily get swallowed up in the process.

2. Check in often: Many freebies and special offers expire quickly because they are so popular! Set aside a special time each day for you to check out the different offers and sign-up for the ones that interest you. Maybe it’s in the morning while you check your email and enjoy a cup of coffee before you leave for work, or perhaps it’s while the kids are at school or napping. Whenever you decide is the right time, be sure to check in often so you don’t miss out on any other deals you’re interested in!

3. Join the things that interest *you*: Take advantage of the wonderful networks the internet provides! Be sure to sign-up for blogs, forums or websites that cater to your interests. Many times the companies running them offer special deals to members only, and since it’s a community of people with your same interests, you’re likely to learn about other great deals and ideas relating to your lifestyle. For Example: here’s a great post about baby and child related clubs and websites to join!

4. Take advantage of Facebook: In an effort to better advertise and reach customers, many companies offer Facebook pages now. The wonderful thing about this is that there are often time Facebook only offers on these pages! It’s a simple as clicking the “Like” button and checking the tabs to find the special offers included within. If you’re not familiar with the in’s and out’s of Facebook then check out Facebook for Beginners.

5. You don’t have to stick with just one source! Check out other blogs, do some searching, and be in control of your deals. Living a Free & Easy lifestyle is about controlling where your money goes and enjoying a more fulfilling life on a smaller budget. Be an educated consumer! Some of the blogs that got me started on the path to enjoying freebies and deals are: Freebies4Mom, FreeSampleFreak and SavingEveryday. If you want to do your own searching, I recommend using Swagbucks.com. Not only will you get similar results to your favorite search engine, you can turn those searches into earning potential!

Remember, this about taking control of how you spend your money. Be sure to have fun and leave a comment with your experience or suggested tips!

Happy Savings! ❤

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