The Language of Extreme Couponers

Long before the show "Extreme Couponing" on The Learning Channel, there was me. I was an extreme couponer before it was cool. I lived in an age when you could find a store that offered triple coupons...an extreme couponer's version of Woodstock or Mecca.

You may have no designs on walking away from a store with three carts full of food for $20 as I did once, but you still want to save a few bucks on the things you buy every week. It doesn't hurt to learn the basics, and that starts with the language. Winetags? Catalinas? BOGO? Say, what?

If you want to walk the walk you have to talk the talk. Rosetta Stone hasn't developed a course on Coupon-ese, so here are five critical coupon phrases you need to know:

BOGO---Buy One Get One free. You'll sometimes see this written as B1G1F.

Catalina'"Some stores spit out coupons at the register based on what you bought that day. These are Catalina coupons. Most are meant to be used on your return visit to the same store. Check the writing on the coupon, however. Some say "manufacturer's coupon." If that's the case, you can use these coupons anywhere.

Price Book--- You know from being a savvy shopper that a roll of "x" paper towels sells for .69 cents. In the sales circular, you read that it's on sale for .69 cents, marked down from a regular $1. Is that a sale? Of course not, but it will seem so for someone who doesn't know what she normally spends.

Develop a price book that lists an item and the typical price you would pay, so you'll know when a sale is really a sale. When you see the circular, you'll know at a glance if it's worth buying. If it's selling for less than your price book amount, and you have a coupon, it's time to buy in quantity.

Stacking---This is how extreme couponers haul in the booty. Generally, coupons say one coupon per purchase, but that's misleading. If Target offers a coupon and sale on tissue paper, and you have a manufacturer's coupon for that tissue, you can use both, using what is known as stacking. You can't use two manufacturer's coupons to buy one item, but you can stack different kinds of coupons to make a better deal.

Stockpile---To make the most of coupons and store sales, people develop stockpiles. As you get to know the "system," you'll find that "x" product goes on sale ever three months or so, so you use your coupon stash and buy a three-month supply when the product is cheap.

Pick an out-of-the-way spot to set up shelves to take advantage of sales on laundry detergent, cleaning product, shampoo, spaghetti sauce and the like. Each week, as you plan your meals and grocery shopping trips, you will make a trip to your stockpile. Take the oldest item on the shelf to use first. Restock these items from the back, so you are always using the oldest items first.

Stockpiling is very personal. Your family may use a lot of cereal, so if you see a sale, you may want to invest in 30 boxes, while another family may only want to buy six to ensure it will be used up before the item loses its freshness. Others may buy more to donate to a local food bank.

Remember that knowing the terminology is just one part of the equation. You may have a BOGO (buy one, get one free) deal, but if the product is selling at retail, you may save more by waiting for a legitimate sale.

The coupon world is very similar to the auction world. It's easy to get caught up in the money-saving frenzy as you hear terms and acronyms that only those "in the club" know. Ultimately, you have to evaluate whether or not it's a deal for you. Even when something sounds good, you can always do better.

More from this contributor:

Frugal Facts: A Review of Printable Online Grocery Sites, Volume 1

Frugal Facts: Save Money on Groceries by Using Coupons Found Online, Volume 2

Frugal Facts: A Review of Printable Online Grocery Sites, Volume 3