ESL Podcast 434 - Using Coupons and Rebates

to clip (something) - to cut something, making it shorter or smaller, or separating it from a larger piece of something

The barber clipped his customer's hair too short.

coupon - a small piece of paper that a shopper shows to the store when buying something that lets him or her have a lower price

Tuna normally costs 97¢, but I bought a can for just 42¢ because I had a coupon for 55¢ off of one can.

to cut corners - to save money or time by doing something differently

The store cut corners to save money by having fewer employees, but the customers didn't like the lower level of service.

that's what you think - an informal phrase used to show that one disagrees with what another person has said, usually followed by the reasons why one disagrees

Luiz said that riding the bus was too expensive, but I said, "That's what you think!" and then I told him how much money I saved by not having a car and using the bus instead.

expiration date - the date after which something is no longer valid or can no longer be used

Milk tastes horrible after its expiration date.

terms and conditions - the parts of a legal agreement that provide all the specific details about how something will function or work

The company advertises a cell phone for only $20 per month, but if you read all the terms and conditions you find out that you'll have to pay a lot of money in extra fees.

rebate offer - an agreement where a company refunds part or all of the cost of something if a shopper buys the correct item on the correct day(s) and provides copies of the receipt and/or packaging information

This computer has a $150 rebate offer, so even though I have to pay $999 today, I'll get a check for $150 in a few weeks, meaning that the computer will cost only $849 in the end.

to put (someone) on - to trick someone; to try to get someone to believe something that isn't true; to play a practical joke on someone

You're putting me on! I don't believe that you're going to quit your job as a lawyer to become a professional surfer.

UPC code - universal product code; a bar code; a small rectangle on the package of most things that are bought in stores, with many vertical black lines and numbers on the bottom that can be "read" by a machine, letting it know what the product is and how much it costs

The cashier couldn't get the computer to read the UPC code, so she had to enter the information manually.

receipt - a piece of paper that one is given after buying something, showing what one has bought, where, when, and how much it cost

Excuse me, there's a problem with my receipt. It shows that I was charged for two bottles of shampoo, but I bought only one.

manufacturer - the company that makes a product

This is a well known computer manufacturer.

retailer - a store that sells things that are made by other companies to ordinary people (not to other businesses)

The store on our street is a low-cost retailer that is growing very quickly in the United States.

discount - a reduction in the price of something

The store is offering a 15% discount on shoes this weekend.

rebate check - money received from a company after one has followed all the rules for a rebate offer

When she bought the stereo with a rebate offer, she filled out all the paperwork, and then seven weeks later, she received a rebate check for $60.

turnaround - the amount of time needed to receive something, process it, and send it back

What is the average turnaround time when someone applies for a driver's license?

to be worth the wait - for something to be so good that one is willing to wait a long period of time to receive or use it

Joao had to wait months to get the new cell phone, but when he finally got it, he was very happy and said that it had been worth the wait.

to mess around - to spend time doing something that is unproductive or that is not a good use of one's time; to spend one's time in a silly way or doing silly things

They spent hours messing around online instead of doing their homework.

penny-pincher - a person who doesn't spend very much money and always looks for the lowest prices for the things that he or she wants to buy

Manny is such a penny-pincher that he hasn't bought any new clothes in almost three years.

poorhouse - a place where very poor people used to be able to go for help when they didn't have enough money for food or clothes

If we eat at expensive restaurants every night, we'll end up in the poorhouse!