Does a newspaper save you money?

midnight · #1 (**permalink**) 09-08-2005, 07:16 PM

I'm thinking of cancelling my newspaper subscription and wanted know opinions on whether you think that a newspaper saves money? I do get the Sunday coupons, but I don't use them very often since most aren't for things I buy. But it does alert me to sales at local stores that sometimes saves me money. What do you think? Should I keep it or cancel?

mom-from-missouri · #2 (**permalink**) 09-08-2005, 08:45 PM

I canceled mine. I save money from getting my sunday paper at walgreens, on the way home from church. For some reason, Walgreens only charges 99 cents for the KS Star, when it is $1.50 everywhere else in town. That is the only paper I buy, unless I see really good coupons in the library copy.
I combine my coupons with what walgreens has on sale. I also use it for the aldi's ad.
However, I am also starting to print more and more coupons off line from smartsource. They are the same company that puts the coupons in the paper. And, there is no charge to download and print the coupons-same coupons, that are in the sunday paper.
The local paper I still take--I have to, as I am the PR person for 2 different organizations and the school, and its just more sense to subscribe to the paper that I submit daily articles and photos too. But, being a small town paper, its only $25 for the year-for a daily m-f paper.

PrincessPerky · #3 (**permalink**) 09-09-2005, 05:03 AM

I don't think the few rare coupons for stuff we might buy if we wanted to splurge would ever equal the cost for me. But since you are getting it now you could try to keep track for a week or month to see just how many of the coupons you use, then compare that to the cost of the paper.

Sale wise, most of the neccessity stores around here send out weekly flyers in the mail (which I actually hate) so I don't need to get them twice. - non neccessity wise I bet you could sign up to get emails from your favorites.

mccartygirl · #4 (**permalink**) 09-09-2005, 05:10 AM

I used to get a paper at Walgreens but after going home and it not have any coupons or ads in it, I started getting one delivered Sundays. For some reason, the Walgreens papers never have the coupons, someone must take them out. I am going to have to figure out how much I save with the coupons and compare it to the price of the delivery plus tip. Also, the stores usually have their ads online. I know that Meijers, Farmer Jack and Kroger all have their weekly ads online.

gakline · #5 (**permalink**) 09-09-2005, 09:53 AM

I love the paper. I actually get all 7 days but the best days are Thursday and Friday. Since I live near Chicago, I get tons of coupons to save 20% off at the department stores. These coupons are usually good for Thursday through Saturday but will not show up in the Saturday paper. I get tons for JCPenny, Marshall Field, Carson Pirie Scott (Yonkers, BOston Store), Meijer, Kohls and others. I've saved my subscription price ten times over at least.

Gailete · #6 (**permalink**) 09-09-2005, 10:45 AM

I get the daily paper, but then I don't watch TV news, so for me, it is a NEWSpaper! I don't get much in the way of coupons, but I do get news about upcoming yard and book sales, which I need to know about. I also get the comics everyday, and the biggest reason of all: every morning I sit and read the paper while hubby drinks his coffee, I read him anything interesting or pertinent that he needs to know. For us it is wonderful quality time together that we both enjoy and so very worth the low cost to strengthen an already strong marriage.

baselle · #7 (**permalink**) 09-09-2005, 10:02 PM

I like my newspaper. That being said, if the only reason you're using the paper is to check on sales, check and see if you find the specials on the store websites. I know my grocery flyers are online.

Armywife · #8 (**permalink**) 09-10-2005, 07:02 AM

I stopped my sunday only delivery because the coupons were for things I really don't need and since school just started, finances have to be set under a microscope. $1.50 hurts when you look at the big picture ($78.00 a year for news I read on the internet at 5am everyday!)

lovingyoualways · #9 (**permalink**) 09-10-2005, 07:36 AM

if you get it just for the ads at the local stores you can use this website http://www.sundaysaver.com a friend showed that to me a long time ago its great!

Julia

shengmei · #10 (**permalink**) 09-11-2005, 10:39 AM

I live in a college town, where they have super-cheap student subscription rates--$20 for a whole semester.

I love my newspaper. All my neighbors have newspapers too. Once a while somebody comes around and steals all the newspapers, but it is totally worth it. The time I spend reading my newspaper I could spend $$$ somewhere else.

CheaplyClever · #11 (**permalink**) 09-12-2005, 07:02 AM

I try to buy the Sunday paper every week. My favorite grocery store doubles coupons. My Sunday paper has a TV Channel guide that we can refer to the rest of the week. And best of all, the color funny papers are used for gift wrapping. We spend an hour or so together reading the rest of the paper. The paper costs $1.50 and if I don't actually save money, I feel I get my money's worth.

Max'sMommy · #12 (**permalink**) 09-12-2005, 10:26 AM

We just get the Sunday one for news, ads and coupons- which save it us tons! I know our grocery store as well as stores like Penneys Target, ect do have the ads on their websites as well.

CRFSaver · #13 (**permalink**) 09-12-2005, 12:54 PM

Check your work place lobby (during the week). They normally get a newspaper there. How many visiters are looking for coupons?

ken1706 · #14 (**permalink**) 09-12-2005, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lovingyoualways

if you get it just for the ads at the local stores you can use this website http://www.sundaysaver.com a friend showed that to me a long time ago its great!

Julia

That sundaysaver site looks like it's very comprehensive. Do you find those ads to be up-to-date?

I've also used these sites:

http://salescircular.com/
http://www.cairo.com/

Salescircular often seems to be late with some of its ads.

lovingyoualways · #15 (**permalink**) 09-12-2005, 05:32 PM

yes the sundaysaver seems to be rather up to date but that is because it connects you to the sites

Luv2shop · #16 (**permalink**) 12-14-2005, 11:28 AM

Call them and tell them that it's not worth it for you and maybe they will lower the price

It's worth a try!

fultron · #17 (**permalink**) 12-14-2005, 01:15 PM

We canceled a long time ago. I just pick up the Sunday paper for the coupons.

AntiCost · #18 (**permalink**) 01-03-2006, 06:09 PM

My town has a local "free" paper which has enough circulars to keep us busy. For all other news, I can check it online (all our local papers have an online presence) as well as just using the major news sources (msnbc, cnn, usatoday, etc).

No need for any other paper, they only take up space and tattoo your fingers with black ink!

niki_the_tiger · #19 (**permalink**) 01-03-2006, 09:26 PM

I'm a writer, so I *should* be getting the paper, but I just never read it... I picked one up for the coupons but there was like a total of $10 worth of coupons and $9.45 of them we would never use... It would have been good if we lived near the place where most of the flyers were from... but we're two hours away, so it's pointless.

Thx everyone for the websites!!

rob62521 · #20 (**permalink**) 01-04-2006, 09:56 AM

I used to write for a local paper and thought newspapers were wonderful. However, I don't feel that way for our local paper anymore. I would love to cancel it, but my dh says no. He likes the paper. I am very frustrated at how much we pay and get so little news -- local and national/international.

DH always buys a Chicago Trib on Sundays and the coupons in it are far better than the local paper's Sunday coupons. Go figure.