BIGGER PAPER = BETTER COUPONS
Newspapers in large cities (like the Detroit News/Free Press, Chicago Tribune, etc) generally offer more coupons with better values than smaller papers. In the Macomb area, the Detroit News/Free Press is your best bet.
HOW MANY PAPERS DO I NEED?
A good rule of thumb is to purchase 1 copy for each person in your household. I purchase additional copies if the coupons are especially good that week (i.e. savings on items I know we’ll use) and less if there aren’t many inserts. If you’re just starting out, 1 or 2 newspaper copies will still help your budget. Many deal matchups may require you to use 2 or 4 coupons in one transaction in order to save – and you’ll want a few to be able to stock up on items when prices are at their lowest.
WHAT CAN I DO WITH ALL THAT PAPER?
ISN’T IT EXPENSIVE TO PURCHASE EXTRA PAPERS?
Since the cost of a newspaper copy has risen recently (in our area to $1.50), you will want to make sure you’re serious about using your coupons if you’re thinking about purchasing extras. You can quickly earn back the money you spent on a paper in one well-planned shopping trip.
- Many dollar stores (including Dollar Tree and Dollar Castle) offer the Sunday paper for $1.00 – and often you can still find remaining copies available on Monday and Tuesday.
- Ask your friends, coworkers and neighbors for extra coupon inserts – those who don’t use coupons have no use for them! If you’re able to pick up items for cheap or free with those coupons, you might consider bringing them a little treat every once in a while to show your appreciation or letting them know what you were able to donate with their help.
- If you’re a regular drugstore shopper, buying papers is an easy way to use up your CVS Extra Care Bucks, Rite Aid UP+ Rewards or Walgreens Register Rewards before they expire.
DO I REALLY NEED TO CUT ALL THOSE COUPONS?
NO. And if you’re short on time (like me), I don’t recommend it. I like the method Coupon Mom endorses. Group your coupon inserts each week (use a paperclip, binder clip, staple, rubberband, file folder, etc.) and write the date on the front. Then use the free Grocery Coupon Database she provides to search for existing coupons and clip only those you’ll use as you prepare your shopping list each week. (You’ll be asked to register, but there’s no cost).
Do you buy extra papers each week? Do you have any questions about collecting coupons from newspapers? Share your best tips!
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I do not buy extra coupons every week as I am a two person family and usually my husband is very particular about his stuff. I get one paper delivered to my home and that is it. I find it much easier, because I shop on Friday's to then Monday morning search for coupons I need on ecoupons. If there is a big insert though I will get an extra paper or two. This weekend I will get two extra papers. I have to clip my coupons I have a slightly photographic memory and it works better for me that way. So getting one insert and then going to ecoupons helps not have tons of extras I won't need by getting extra papers.
How long do I need to keep the coupon sections? I have some that are from May…when can I recycle those?
Keep the coupons only until they expire. You can page through your May inserts and see if any coupons are still valid. If it's just a few, remove the good ones and recycle the rest. Often I'll visit Coupon Mom's database, sort by date, and see if there are any valid coupons that remain in the old inserts. If not, I'll recycle the whole stack with that date.
One of my favorite ways to recycle some of my newspapers is to use them in my garden to help keep weeds at bay. Lay a few layers underneath the soil and have less weeds… yes please!
Thanks so much for this info. I just checked out the coupon mom data base. It's great. I'm so far behind on coupon clipping I was ready to throw in the towel. This will be a big time saver.
I have a huge binder of coupons, but I've been thinking of switching over to just filing the inserts. My problem is that I clip the coupons and don't file them and they stack up for weeks. Then when I need some, I have to flip through a ton of clipped coupons.
I'm just starting to file inserts rather than clipping all the coupons first. My question is, what do I do with the printable coupons? Do I go ahead and cut all those and file them or is there a way to file them similarly to filing the inserts? I want to do this in a way that makes sense but I feel like I'm drowning in paper.
Because I’m such an anti-clipper unless I really need a coupon, I’ve been mailing the inserts I’m ready to discard or recycle to Operation Coupon Karma. They’ll clip and sort, then mail to military bases overseas, where they can use expireds.
Jennifer,
What I do with printable coupons is clip them and then stick them in the front of my coupon Binder so I know what I have. I’m more of a print as you go person unless it is a HOT coupon that I know will make an item free or cheap. This method has seemed to save me alot of paper but I sometimes do miss out on great deals.
I love the file system. I just write the date on the front of the insert and file them by date. I have about four months worth. I just rotate the oldest (throw away) when I put in the new ones. I used to purchase 4 papers but the deal expired and have been trying just one paper since January – it works! Many of the coupons I use are printables. Occasionally, I’ll wish I had one or two more coupons but I have to remember that I did used to PAY for those extra inserts. So, I think I’m still ahead this way. Also, from time to time, I do purchase extras if there are several high value coupons I know I’ll use (like the Sunday in January that has several inserts). Hope this helps!
I purchase 3 papers a week, on a week like this up coming Sunday I will purchase 5 or 6. I coupon for my family of 6, my brother (lives with me), my BIL (who hit rock bottom recently and I keep food in his cupboards since I will not give him money it turns into booze), and I also do some for my parents. I also get my mothers inserts every week. I’ve found that I also make up what I spend on coupons very quickly. I have inserts from November of 2009 becuase there are still some medicines coupons that you never know when you’ll use them. I put all the inserts for the week in a folding and file it with the date stickered on the top. I used to seperate red plum, SS, and PG but now I just put them in the same folder unless I have several.
I always buy extra papers each week!!! I have a family of 7. We buy 4 papers each week and 6 when there are super diaper or diaper wipe coupons being that we have triplets who are under a year. The way that I file my coupons works excellent for me. I use a combination of http://www.couponmom.com, http://www.moneysavingmom.com, http://www.sharpenyourscissors.net. For me, I date and put the inserts together on Sunday night so that I know if I need to buy more papers or not. On Monday, I go through paper clip, cut, and file the coupons that I KNOW we will use for sure for PG and Smartsource inserts right as I clip them. That way, I do not have a pile of coupons that are already clipped. On Tuesday, I do Red Plum. I file away the inserts that were not clipped stacking in a basket from most up to date to least up to date to keep in my closet. I hope this helps. By the way, Jolyn, I do not know what our family would have done without your site. You have really saved us thousands in less than a year!!!!! Having triplets has not been a burden financially because of beginning to use coupons a month after they came home from the hospital. I spend about the same amount now on namebrand diapers, wipes, formula, bathing needs, and baby food that someone with a singleton would spend without using coupons and shopping generic names. Thank you@@@
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