how many newspapers do you buy a week ? [Archive]

bethanyam

10-23-2009, 05:48:32 PM

depending on how good the papers are i get anywhere from 2 to 10. I have started using a clipping service a LOT more often, because I might only want 3 coupons out of all there are, but I might want 20 of that coupon, and with a service it's a lot more cost effective for me. Even when using a service I still buy one paper to make sure I didn't miss something I may have wanted.

shannon1189

10-23-2009, 05:55:30 PM

I also buy one paper. I use a coupon clipping service too. I just joined a yahoo coupon group too that has where you send coupons and someone and will send you some. I hope it works out alright. I sent out my first packet today.

kswiley

10-23-2009, 06:25:07 PM

i will buy anywhere from 0 to 6. i may start getting more of the ones with really good coupons. i figured out a dollar store not far from me has them. not a guarantee they will have as many as i want though.

justagirlnamedStormy

10-23-2009, 06:49:30 PM

I only get two a week. The local one which has Smart Souce, and the one from Savannah which has Smart Source and Red Plum.

Since I dont' come close to using all the coupons in it, I just wait and when I find a really good deal (cheap or mere pennies) I'll find those coupons on eBay and order them. I find its much cheaper in the long run that way. Even w/ monthly P&G inserts, its cheaper for me to order 10 off eBay than it is to buy 10 papers.

kval07

10-23-2009, 06:52:38 PM

justagirlnamedStormy

10-23-2009, 07:57:14 PM

I either buy 10 papers or none at all. Since they raised the price to $2 I have become much pickier about the weeks that I buy. If I am only wanting/needing a couple, I won't bother. I get the money back all in the end anyway, but it still hurts to pay that much. I really should consider buying inserts on ebay or from traders here.

Ebay usually has some pretty good deals. I can get 10 inserts for $10 including shipping. I usually look at the "buy it nows" rather than auctions. Most of the time the BINs end up cheaper than the auctions.

For coupons I usually can get 10 or 20 of a coupon I want for $1.50 (which includes shipping). Some of the hotter coupons might be $3 for 20, but still a pretty good deal. Theres usually only 2 or 3 coupons I'll buy multiples off eBay per week and its usually ends up beings coupons I couldn't get in my paper anyway.

kval07

10-23-2009, 08:06:06 PM

Ebay usually has some pretty good deals. I can get 10 inserts for $10 including shipping. I usually look at the "buy it nows" rather than auctions. Most of the time the BINs end up cheaper than the auctions.

For coupons I usually can get 10 or 20 of a coupon I want for $1.50 (which includes shipping). Some of the hotter coupons might be $3 for 20, but still a pretty good deal. Theres usually only 2 or 3 coupons I'll buy multiples off eBay per week and its usually ends up beings coupons I couldn't get in my paper anyway.

Do you buy from a particular person regularly on ebay? Or do you just shoot for best price? I wish I could find someone local. If I don't cut the coupons on Sunday, they won't ever get cut.

justagirlnamedStormy

10-23-2009, 08:34:23 PM

Do you buy from a particular person regularly on ebay? Or do you just shoot for best price? I wish I could find someone local. If I don't cut the coupons on Sunday, they won't ever get cut.

Usually I just see who has the best deals. I've only ordered P&G inserts once (for the $4 fusion razor coupon so I could get free razors at Walgreens), but I plan on doing that each month now since I end up using a pretty good percentage of coupons out of the P&G saver. I've ordered btwn 15-20 other sets of coupons and haven't had a problem with any of the sellers yet.

I just noticed some of the posters on here have multiple of some coupons and will trader for coupons or stamps. I plan on exploring this more next time I need multiple of a certain coupon if I remember.

carisal

10-23-2009, 08:41:31 PM

0-10 depending on what qs are expected. I check the previews then decide how many papers I want to buy.

if it is a real bad q week i buy 0. if a just ok week , if I am in charleston I buy 1 or 2; if I am in the upstate I buy 5.
If it is a really great week i make sure I am in the upstate and get 10.

I also dumpster dive occasionally when there has been a good coupon/coupons out ;)

in charleston the papers cost me 1.75 a piece, in the upstate I can get them .75 a piece. If I need more of certain qs I try trading for them.
HTH

Mrs H

10-23-2009, 09:35:44 PM

I already get a newspaper delivered to me, but I generally buy up to 5-10 papers dependent on what coupons are inside. I buy an early Sunday paper on Saturday, check out the coupons and then decide how many more I'm going to run out and get. Also on Tuesday, the at least 1 SS flyer is in the paper-- the same SS that was in the previous Sunday's paper, so that's a nice treat.

rachellepeters

12-07-2009, 04:43:44 PM

This is funny to me....the only reason I now buy papers is for the coupons. People reading printed papers has declined so much since the internet, sounds like couponers are the only people keeping them alive! :)

Sher71481

12-07-2009, 05:54:42 PM

I used to buy 8-10 papers for $1.75 a pc. Now i buy full inserts online for $0.25 a pc. So i get 40 inserts a week (what will fit in a flat rate envelope) and pay about $12.00 wayyyyyyyyyy cheaper!!

GameVoid

12-09-2009, 12:15:41 PM

People reading printed papers has declined so much since the internet, sounds like couponers are the only people keeping them alive! :)

Not quite! (http://www.theonion.com/content/news/report_majority_of_newspapers_now)

megani

04-21-2011, 06:19:56 AM

I've been couponing for quite a while, but have never really had a stock pile. now that we're in a bigger home I have some room to save some items and would like to start one.

My question is I see so many people that say they have 100 +shampoos, 50+ cereal etc etc. How many papers are you buying each week to have that many of one item saved up?

Right now I buy one to two papers a week, I was thinking of uping that to four a week but even at four papers I wouldn't have enough coupons to buy 50 boxes of cereal. Are you buying this many during one sale cycle or over many many sale and coupon cycles? Plus my Sunday paper cost $2 so if I start buying 4 papers that's $8 a week for coupons I might not actually get to use.

How many do you buy each week and how do you justify the paper cost?

chitownmelli

04-21-2011, 06:25:25 AM

I buy 4 per week, and I get them for $1 from either dollar tree or the person who sells them up the street on Sunday morning. I figure the even number will be better for if any of the items in the inserts go bogo, a coupon for the bo and the go :) We always have $4 or more left in our grocery budget, so I just take it from there, since the coupons after all are responsible for my savings to begin with :) HTH

dianasattic

04-21-2011, 07:54:27 AM

I buy a couple per week. Sometimes just 1.

You mentioned 50 boxes of cereal. My take on getting that many coupons is people order them. If you are looking to build up a stockpile, that goes rather slowly, but builds up fast. HTH

gctattoo

04-21-2011, 08:00:07 AM

I very rarely buy a paper. I get my inserts from dumpster diving. And when I don't feel like doing that, I trade for ones I want on here. That is what I would recommend if you want high multiples. No need to buy an entire paper for a few Q's when you can get exactly what you want much cheaper from an HCW trader. ;)

kendra228

04-21-2011, 08:36:08 AM

CW&M Mom

04-21-2011, 10:33:37 AM

For me...it totally depends on the week. The most I get is 10 but that is rare now days. I get one delivered to me...but I don't shop on Sundays...so to get more...often is just pure luck....if Dollar Tree still has some when I get there.

megani

04-22-2011, 06:22:36 AM

I only buy one, and then my mother gives me her coupons. Anything else I am looking for, I try and find here and trade for stamps, etc. But I also don't buy 50 shampoos, etc! No extreme couponing for me, just realisitc couponing! :wink7:

Yeah no extreme couponing here either. :giggle2:
But I wouldn't mind having a few extra bottles of shampoo or other non perishables. A good 3 to 6 months stock would work for me on all products.
I remember a few years ago when I first started I was getting so much free shampoo I actually started passing up the deals. But lately I haven't seen any free shampoo for quite a while. I do CVS and it just seems like I keep missing the good weeks or something.

~~Who,Me?~~

04-26-2011, 05:53:32 AM

I only get one paper per week, delivered to my home. And I only get the subscription (Philly Inq) whenever the run the $1/week deals. I get my inserts from a newsstand. On Mondays, they pull the inserts from whatever papers they did not sell on Sunday. In return, I send bags of free stuff their way. It's a nice arrangement.

I love that I get free inserts, but it is a crap shoot. Some weeks they sell all the papers and I get none. And, they sell about 6-7 different Sunday papers, and some inserts are better than others. Some weeks there may be a really hot coupon, like 'round here the $0.85 Viva coupon is sweet because we get true doubles, or the $3 Nivea coupon.....and I may get 20 inserts but none of the good coupons. But some weeks it works out great and I get tons of good coupons.

As far as having hundreds of something, that's not because I buy coupons. I never buy coupons. But like the $1 Kotex coupon that came out several times a year for years. Each time it'd come out, I'd go to Walmart and get the $1 Kotex. A dozen here, a dozen there, it adds up.

You'll find that coupons are very cyclical. Like P&G puts out the same coupons every month. We all got free Gain for a few months, it adds up.

CW&M Mom

04-26-2011, 05:59:11 AM

OH and for cereal...GM in particular I get better coupons online then in the paper.

pasharain

04-26-2011, 06:04:38 AM

I subscribe to the paper and only get one. I just use that as a gauge to see what is out there--coupons and sales papers.

I built my stockpile pretty quickly. How I did it was by looking at the "ad coupon matchups" in the forums for the stores I shop. For example, one of my stores, Harris Teeter, doubles coupons and their ad is usually posted here on HCW early. I check the posted coupon matchups and, if there is something I want to stockpile, I put an ISO (in search of) ad in the trading forums to try to get the coupons I need in time for the sale.

If I am unsuccessful in securing a trade or if I want instant gratification that day, I hit eBay--which has a plethora of coupon listings--and I buy the coupons I need.

For example, I bought several $1/1 Edge Shave Gel coupons to use at Harris Teeter's Super Doubles next week. Edge will be on sale for $1.99. The coupons will double and viola. . .FREE (except for tax) shaving cream.

Pennstater

04-26-2011, 06:08:10 AM

I trade on our trading board for what i need each week. Nothing to buy!

Artrena

04-27-2011, 08:42:17 PM

:wavehi:I have just started and i get 4-6 papers a week depending on what is in them. holidays i dont get them because there is no coupons. my stock pile so far consists of razors and body wash ect.. i just went the other day and got 3 bottles of mouth wash, 9 floss, and 4 packs of razors for $7! i think i did really good!

jkeating

05-03-2011, 04:20:23 PM

It depends on the coupons. If there are really good ones that I'll use I buy several. This past week I bought 8 papers. I've already used about $30 in coupons and there are quite a few more I know that I'll use. Our stores don't double coupons so I only save the value of the coupon unless I can stack with a Target web coupon.

robynadams75

05-05-2011, 09:00:09 PM

For my family of 4 (2 of which are young children), I buy 3 papers when there are 2-3 inserts. On weeks where there are 4+ inserts I buy 4-6, depending on what the coupons are.

This works great and I can build a fine stockpile for my family and enough to share a bit with family and friends. I would love to get free ones, but with small children at home and other obligations, I just don't have time. (I'm doing good to be able to go to more than 2 stores. Now that both kids are in school -one only half a day- I'm like a mad, crazy shopping woman. I forgot what that freedom is like!!)

I've only done it a few times, but I have used clipping services & ebay when I couldn't get a paper and there were some coupons I couldn't live without!! :biggrin: I also did it when I first started to get some inserts I didn't have. Worked fine but I still prefer to just go to the gas station and get them myself.

KenyaMK

05-20-2011, 05:38:53 AM

rachellepeters

05-20-2011, 06:02:48 AM

I only get 1 paper subscription...mine is $1 too, but there are several weeks per year that there are no inserts at all. I just get the paper...look and see if it's worth buying more then I will. Some weeks there just aren't any good ones and some weeks there are none, so I don't commit to multiples, but that's just me. I also hit the recycle bins so rarely do I buy extras, I just wait til Wed and go grab 10-20 for free :)

amylynne01

05-20-2011, 06:03:57 AM

Some people recommend you get one paper for each person in your household and one extra. So for a family of 4, 5 papers would be the recommendation.

There are 4 in my family, and I get just 1 paper each Sunday. My mom gives me her inserts, and if I want more papers, I buy them on Sunday, or I trade for the coupons I want. The qs in my local papers are not great, so I don't bother too much with them.

KenyaMK

05-20-2011, 06:09:58 AM

Well, I would do that too! I wish I could find a place that offered them for free on Wed!

I am not aware of anything like that here.

Ok, so, 1 per person.....interesting. We are a family of 5.

Dawn

I only get 1 paper subscription...mine is $1 too, but there are several weeks per year that there are no inserts at all. I just get the paper...look and see if it's worth buying more then I will. Some weeks there just aren't any good ones and some weeks there are none, so I don't commit to multiples, but that's just me. I also hit the recycle bins so rarely do I buy extras, I just wait til Wed and go grab 10-20 for free :)

Summer10

05-20-2011, 06:20:54 AM

Buy only the week they have inserts...
When I started couponing a month ago, I bought a sunday newspaper($2)..I thought someone stole the insert out of my newspaper, there's only 3-4 coupons in it..then I realized Insert doesn't come every week.
I read somewhere 1st Sunday of June suppose to have lots of insert.

Sign up for P&G, they'll mail/email you free coupons. Setup an email for coupons and facebook account. The secret to couponing is to get it really cheap or FREE! HTH-

couponmommyof3

05-20-2011, 06:22:14 AM

I tell my newbies to start with one paper per person. You need to grow your coupon garden, so to speak.

My papers here are $2 a piece and I was able to get a deal for $1 each for Sunday Subscription. I only have to pay month to month, but honestly would probably rather pay one year up front, then I wouldn't have to worry about a little $20 bill every month.

Once you get your papers go through what you don't need, then list them here to trade for coupons you could use.

BUT if you have some cash you could put some in a PP account or get some stamps and forget newspapers altogether or get 1 and just trade PP and stamps for the coupons you need.

Also, be creative in finding inserts. Recycle bins or centers, friends, family.

Good Luck!

KenyaMK

05-20-2011, 06:40:19 AM

I have tried to get free coupons, and so far, it hasn't worked. I have no local family and I feel like I am hounding my friends for their coupons as they haven't freely said, "Sure, take them."

I am unaware of recycle bins near me, although I am sure some do exist. I just haven't found them. Our local stores have said they have to return all unused Sunday papers at the end of the day and they don't recycle them. Even our paper girl said she isn't allowed to keep unused copies anymore. I don't quite know the policy, but it doesn't sound like there are unused copies floating around.

I am aware that some weeks there are no inserts.

Dawn

gctattoo

05-20-2011, 06:51:10 AM

IMO, it'd be more cost effective to forget about getting multiple papers and just trade for Q's you'd like on here as a pp suggested. Then you wouldn't be wasting money on the weeks where either there are no inserts or ones with very few coupons you want. Trading is easy. You can find great Q's for dirt cheap. And you get exactly which ones you want.

rdot

05-20-2011, 07:10:55 AM

Do your newspapers allow for more than one paper to be delivered to your address? Strangely, our local newpaper will not allow you to buy more than one paper for home delivery. They told me to see if my neighbor will allow me to use their address for an additional paper.

Right now I get one paper delivered every Sunday and if the coupons are really good I will buy 5 additional papers at my local Walgreens. They sale the paper for 1.50 instead of 2.00.

Chica163

05-20-2011, 07:15:52 AM

I have a daily subscription to the local paper and a Sunday-only subscription to the Chicago Tribune. Our local paper doesn't have nearly as many coupons as the Chicago Trib. I will usually buy 1-3 more Tribunes depending on the coupons. If I don't make it out to get another paper, I trade on another forum (I'm new to this forum, I will get to trading on here too).

KenyaMK

05-21-2011, 06:13:47 AM

Yes, we can get up to 10 of these.

Dawn

Do your newspapers allow for more than one paper to be delivered to your address? Strangely, our local newpaper will not allow you to buy more than one paper for home delivery. They told me to see if my neighbor will allow me to use their address for an additional paper.

Right now I get one paper delivered every Sunday and if the coupons are really good I will buy 5 additional papers at my local Walgreens. They sale the paper for 1.50 instead of 2.00.

KenyaMK

05-21-2011, 06:18:49 AM

How do you know what coupons you will need? How do you know what will be on sale next week?

Dawn

IMO, it'd be more cost effective to forget about getting multiple papers and just trade for Q's you'd like on here as a pp suggested. Then you wouldn't be wasting money on the weeks where either there are no inserts or ones with very few coupons you want. Trading is easy. You can find great Q's for dirt cheap. And you get exactly which ones you want.

6quivers

05-21-2011, 07:39:52 PM

Sign up for P&G, they'll mail/email you free coupons. Setup an email for coupons and facebook account. The secret to couponing is to get it really cheap or FREE! HTH-

I went to the P&G website...where do you sign up for coupons? I was not able to find it.

$Saving!

05-21-2011, 07:46:53 PM

Just curious.

Our local paper is running a special. We can get Sunday only for $1. That is 50% off the price of me going to the store and buying it, which I often forget to do.

I have ordered 2 so far.

I think I would like to get 2 more, but you do have to pay the entire $52 for the year up front. So, it would mean another $104 in cost.

My problem lately is that I keep forgetting to go to the store and buy them on Sunday, so I end up ordering them from an online source and the coupons are not the same! This week is triples at my local store and I am noticing more than ever that I don't have about 25% of the coupons that my local paper would have had.

How many would you order?

I don't want to overdo it and burn myself out, which is what I have done in the past with hoards of inserts ordered online.

Thoughts?

Dawn

Is that the Raleigh N&O? I get three, it's much cheaper and delivered to my house:biggrin: Plus, since there are only 7 weeks without coupons scheduled for the year, the cost of the papers that do have coupons is so mitigated as to make those 7 weeks negligible to overall cost.

Now, one whole set of inserts I clip and send to my sister in law in Pgh, for some reason her Pgh papers get no coupons :sad3: And so I send those out to her. The two I keep I clip and pass on to my local sister in law and she does the same with her papers to me. More than enough to satisfy our household needs.

If there is some really hot coupon I want more of, I can always manage to get more in the two coupon swaps I organized and set up this year, those happen once a month. It's amazing how many coupons everyone goes away with that they want from those swaps!

So two papers is enough for me. I have upon *rare* occasion bought an extra paper but it's not common at all.

carmen_1979

05-21-2011, 09:48:02 PM

I only buy one paper a week, then get lots more copies other ways. Work saves them for me (I get 1 or 2 inserts a week this way), I hit the paper recycling bin at my local dumpster about 3 times a week to look there (it's on my way to work), the lady at the local gas station saves some for me from what's left from the Sunday paper (just started this last week, got 1 insert from it). I also go to my parents neighborhood the night before trash pickup and look in people's recycling bins, get a bunch this way. Basically it's a good deal of work, but for me, it's worth it. I don't want to spend the money on extra papers (I buy the one so I can preview it and decide if I should look for extras) and I don't really waste any extra gas since everything is close to me. The real convenient way is to just buy more copies, but I'd rather do the extra work and get them for free. But that's sorta a personal decision. And also whether you want to dumpster dive. I'm a tad embarrassed while I'm doing it, but the payoff is so good I get over it.

ioncewasamjskeptic

05-21-2011, 10:03:39 PM

I (dh) buy 2 sunday papers, times and tribune, and on sunday nights( when i feel like itLOL) i got to the little store next door before closing and get the inserts that are left in the papers, the paper co. counts the whole, for credits etc. There is also a yearly line up of the inserts:-) Or talk to your paperperson and if they have had the route a while, they might now which of "your neighbors" toss the ads.... Just a few ideas, GL:-)

JulieDB

05-22-2011, 12:01:12 AM

I only take one paper. Sunday only. Just started so will have it in a few hours. $2.95 per month when you pay in advance. Don't have to pay for a year though. They charge you monthly.

My dad is going to save his coupons for me though. But... I usually go there on Saturdays so the coupons will not necessarily work for me. For instance the store coupons that are good only for a few days would not be good. He lives in another city though and it wouldn't pay me to make an extra trip out there.

KenyaMK

05-22-2011, 06:07:25 AM

No, it is the Charlotte Observer

Dawn

Ebay usually has some pretty good deals. I can get 10 inserts for $10 including shipping. I usually look at the "buy it nows" rather than auctions. Most of the time the BINs end up cheaper than the auctions.

For coupons I usually can get 10 or 20 of a coupon I want for $1.50 (which includes shipping). Some of the hotter coupons might be $3 for 20, but still a pretty good deal. Theres usually only 2 or 3 coupons I'll buy multiples off eBay per week and its usually ends up beings coupons I couldn't get in my paper anyway.

I only get two a week. The local one which has Smart Souce, and the one from Savannah which has Smart Source and Red Plum.

Since I dont' come close to using all the coupons in it, I just wait and when I find a really good deal (cheap or mere pennies) I'll find those coupons on eBay and order them. I find its much cheaper in the long run that way. Even w/ monthly P&G inserts, its cheaper for me to order 10 off eBay than it is to buy 10 papers.

Is that the Raleigh N&O? I get three, it's much cheaper and delivered to my house:biggrin: Plus, since there are only 7 weeks without coupons scheduled for the year, the cost of the papers that do have coupons is so mitigated as to make those 7 weeks negligible to overall cost.

Now, one whole set of inserts I clip and send to my sister in law in Pgh, for some reason her Pgh papers get no coupons :sad3: And so I send those out to her. The two I keep I clip and pass on to my local sister in law and she does the same with her papers to me. More than enough to satisfy our household needs.

If there is some really hot coupon I want more of, I can always manage to get more in the two coupon swaps I organized and set up this year, those happen once a month. It's amazing how many coupons everyone goes away with that they want from those swaps!

So two papers is enough for me. I have upon *rare* occasion bought an extra paper but it's not common at all.

KenyaMK

05-22-2011, 06:10:02 AM

I won't dumpster dive in my neighborhood. I don't have family nearby either.

If DH's work buddies would give him coupons I would be thrilled, but I am not sure he will ask....I don't currently work.

So far, buying my own is my only source.....but I will work on finding other sources soon.....but for now, let's just assume this is my only way to get newspapers.

Dawn

I only buy one paper a week, then get lots more copies other ways. Work saves them for me (I get 1 or 2 inserts a week this way), I hit the paper recycling bin at my local dumpster about 3 times a week to look there (it's on my way to work), the lady at the local gas station saves some for me from what's left from the Sunday paper (just started this last week, got 1 insert from it). I also go to my parents neighborhood the night before trash pickup and look in people's recycling bins, get a bunch this way. Basically it's a good deal of work, but for me, it's worth it. I don't want to spend the money on extra papers (I buy the one so I can preview it and decide if I should look for extras) and I don't really waste any extra gas since everything is close to me. The real convenient way is to just buy more copies, but I'd rather do the extra work and get them for free. But that's sorta a personal decision. And also whether you want to dumpster dive. I'm a tad embarrassed while I'm doing it, but the payoff is so good I get over it.

NBusc41144

05-22-2011, 11:46:58 AM

Depending on the week and what Q's are expected I get anywhere from 2-6. I have two local papers that don't publish Sunday papers so the coupon inserts come out on Saturdays in those papers. This way I can pay $.75 per paper instead of $1.50 per on Sundays. I used to get home delivery but I'd always run into the problem of missing coupons so I stopped.

Wolfsnaps

05-22-2011, 09:42:41 PM

Im a newbie to the coupon game...it really is a game isn't it? Right now, I have a subscription for one paper (got my first one today!) plus my mom gives me what she doesn't use. My in laws will probably give me theirs, just need hubby to pick them up...thats the hard part I am working on. I also got a subscription to ALL YOU magazine.

I also dumpster dive. Well, I live in a semi rural area so its actually not a dumpster but a shed where people leave their papers for local farmers. Who knew they used it for bedding? So I check there weekly and average a whopping five inserts a week.

I found another place I am thinking about checking out under cover of darkness. LOL. Check your local news for crazy coupon girl getting arrested for dumpster diving. Honestly though, I must have no shame because I think its fun. Its like finding gold!

I think the best thing to do is ask friends and family if you don't or can't dumpster dive. SO many people throw those inserts away. Heck that used to be me!

Free4realz

05-22-2011, 10:20:22 PM

I am buying about 10 newspapers a week just because something really good deals come for coupons that came out 1 month ago and by that time the clipping services I use don't have them available.

Free4realz

05-22-2011, 10:22:29 PM