This reader question comes from Stacie! Her question is regarding how many newspapers she should buy for her family!
Question:
I want to start buying newspapers and I don’t know how many to buy for my family of 5. Any suggestions on what works best for you?
I buy 4 papers for my family of 5 but I thought it would be great for all of you to help Stacie figure out how many newspapers she should buy based on your experiences too.
If you have a questions you would like to ask the LRWC readers, you can send it to questions@livingrichwithcoupons.com. Put, “Reader Questions” in the subject line.
Cindy Livesey is the force behind Living Rich With Coupons which provides its readers with all the resources they need to shop smart so they can get life’s luxuries for a lot less. Her family of 5 has saved over $11,000 a year in groceries. And you can too.
{ 63 comments… read them below or add one }
I find 3 works well for the 2 of us. Our store only doubles 2 like coupons.
Oops I meant 3
I buy 6. I get one at home and every sunday i go out and buy at least 5. I only shop at Shoprite and they only accept 4 like coupons but i find that deals will carry over to the next week or if i happen to be out i will use it at another store. I have a family of 3.
I get 5 delivered. (family of 5) and if I see a really an item to stock up on I will go to ebay to get more of that specific coupon.
I’m thinking it would depend upon my level of commitment to couponing. I go through periods in which I am able to commit a little bit more time to seeking deals, and during those times, I tend to buy more inserts. It also depends on what stores I’m frequenting (I tend to do a lot of deal-seeking at CVS and Rite Aid) and whether or not they have low limits for their deals. Additionally, on weeks in which there are more coupons for products that I use, I buy more inserts than on weeks in which there doesn’t seem to be as many interesting products with coupons.
We have a family of 5 – 2 adults, 1 toddler (2) and 2 giant great danes. I count the dogs cause they are my “other babies”
and b/c i probably spend more on the dogs food than all 3 of us combined – including diapers and baby stuff! (they are on expensive food -and lots of it).
I get (4) papers delivered. Most stores + P&G and some other coupons limit to 4 like coupons. So I have 4 of each coupon and that’s usually good for most deals. If there is a coupon I see (like this sunday – barber chicken coupon is $1/1. we eat about 3-4 boxes a month of these) so since i know its coming out – I will buy extra of that specific coupon via ebay or a clipping service. Sometimes if I know there are good P&G deals or deals that cindy so awesomely tells us about early – I may buy extra papers so I have more coupons for those deals. I would say most of the time AT LEAST 4 papers are needed.
HTH!
I have a family of 4 (2 of them babies). I usually buy 4-6 papers depending on what’s in them that weekend. You can get a preview of what’s going to be in the inserts so if there are any particular coupons for things you buy a lot of then you can purchase more or less accordingly.
How many papers I buy a week is directly related to how much I was able to save from the previous week’s inserts. If I saved more than $50.00 I would buy more than one paper. Usually no more than four for my family of four (five every other weekend). It also helps to check out the previews to see what is going on and what coupons I can expect. I would recommend that if you are just starting out to get one paper and check it for good coupons you would actually use before committing to buying more. I also would reccomend joining a coupon trading group. That is an excellent way to stock up on coupons you need and get rid of the ones you don’t, in most good groups you can get lots of coupons and it will only cost a stamp to send some in return.
Any suggestions for groups? Are they ppl in your area or ppl you meet online?
We are a family of 3 (but my parents shop out of my stockpile lol so u can say 5 ) I just started to get 6 papers delieverd. i used to get one and go buy more as needed. But find you can not find all the inserts in the store that i get delieverd.
It is just me and my husband. I look at the preview of the inserts and thats how I determine how many to buy. I usually end up buying 4 if the coupons are really good for both of us and even to donates some to the food pantry here. Some weekends I don’t buy any because I am stocked up on those items or something but I have a few petsitting jobs that save their inserts for me so I never seem to be in need when that great sale comes up! Good luck and happy couponing!
I buy 1 paper for the ads I would reccommend skipping the extra papers and buy your coupons from clipping services It is faster, and cheaper for me. I can stock what i want that might be on sale that week i love doing couponing this way ! I save a bunch and have lots of time left over
Where do you recommend? I have trouble making the math work in my favor between the volume you have to buy, the shipping fee, the clipping fee, and the membership fees.
Yes Dixie can you tell us which you use? Thanks so much
i use couponbeat.com. No minimum to buy and shipping is only $0.50 for normal delivery (3 or 4 days). I order them on saturday and get them usually on wednesday
Some of you mentioned buying specific coupons via ebay or a clipping service. What clipping services and how do you buy coupons on ebay?
Thanks
Jessica
Jessica I have just searched on ebay for “egglands coupons” or whatever the product is plus “coupons” and it usually brings up all the listings… only purchased a few times but both times it was well worth it
GL
I have a family of 4 and I generally will buy only 2 papers. If it’s a slow coupon week, I generally only get 1. If there are lots of good inserts, I will get 3 (that doesn’t happen too often). For me, I find that’s plenty. On rare occasions, I will order coupons I really want, but many of the coupons I use are electronic or printed from the Internet.
Same here I buy 2 for the 4 of us. But I often swap coupons with the girls at work, so I usually get extra of the coupons I want, I give them the baby coupons and things I do not use for things I use. Works out great!
It’s 3 of us and I only get 2 copies delivered. I recently got a free subscription to the Wall Street Journal and the weekend edition comes with a smart source. If I need more or didn’t get a certain coupon I buy it on ebay.
It’s me and my honey but I also coupon with my mom and get things for my brother. But in all honesty what I base it on is the amount of inserts and how many relevant coupons there are for me. If I see a great sale coming up or there are high value coupons or just based on what I buy. Like for instance Tidy cats litter I will buy extra papers that week ( I have 2 furry kids at home) I have bought as many as 8 papers. I’m also in CA and we don’t ever double coupons out here so I have to work a lil harder. Good luck
Dont know where you are in CA, but I used to live in LA and all the albertsons doubled manufacturers coupons.
I buy 8 papers for my family of 7 (5 kids and 2 adults). I used to only buy 4 at the local Wawa but when I found out that the Dollar Tree store carries the same paper for only $1 I started buying 8 for about the same price I paid for four papers.
I have a family of 5. I get one paper delivered. I get one paper from my step-mom. If I see that its a great coupon week I will go out and buy 2 more papers so that I have a total of 4 papers. I also try and trade with my friends. Cindy usually lets you know ahead of time what inserts you can expect mid week so I can decide then if I will run out early Sunday morning.
I have a family of 4, and I only get 2 papers delivered. If there are coupons that I know I would want more of, I just go to the store and will buy another 2 papers. After I have clipped all of my coupons, I meet up w/ 2 of my friends every week and we go through whats left of each others inserts.
NONE! That’s right. NONE!
I used to buy 4 a week- but only a handful of the coupons would ever get used.
Check LRWC often. The day the match-ups go up, head to E-bay and bid or buy the coupons you want in bulk- it is so much cheaper and so much more efficient.
I find the best coupons are IPs. However, I always hear of people’s e-bay orders arriving too late for a sale. That would drive me crazy.
Some eBay sellers take forever to ship, yet they still have super high ratings….deceptive!,
I buy 4 for the 3 of us because 4 is the max of ‘like’ coupons the stores around me allow (Pathmark, Shoprite).
I buy 2 papers for myself and my son (2 years). The first few months of couponing, I used to buy 4, but I find myself using mostly printable coupons. Luckily, I have the help of 2-3 coworkers helping me to print coupons. I do notice it’s nice to have coupons in sets of “four” but I can’t say there was a deal I was upset I missed out on because I didn’t have four copies of the coupons. If there is a great deal, I will go on ebay and order 20 or so coupons to stock up on a product.
I use to buy 8 papers and 2 delivered per week when I first started to stockpile items I really use. Now I have cut it back to 6 papers. We are a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 kids. My in-laws and close family members get items from my stockpile so I buy more of hot items because I know they will fly off my shelf or I won’t be able to withstand the urge to share. I use to order extra coupons last years when I first started but I have at least 2 years of personal care and household items so I have no need to do that anymore. Soooo, to answer the question would really determine your personal situation and what you are trying to do.
I don’t buy any newspapers, but that’s technically cheating
I visit my parents often and they buy two papers per week. They are not heavy couponers, so they take whatever coupons directly interest them and give me the rest. Like Mary most of my coupons come from printing online and using electronic coupons.
I have a family of 8, I use to buy 2, more if needed. I have a source where I can get coupons from unsold papers. Depending on the coupons coming out I will buy 2-6.
I get 1 delivered to my house. Recently, if it is going to be a really good week, I have purchased 2 additional (usually the Saturday edition with the inserts).
I also get 2 from my mother and 2 from my mother-in-law (although from her it is not usually the same week – depends when we see her – sometimes she forgets to bring them and then next time I will have 2-3 weeks worth). Sometimes from co-workers.
I agree that ideally you want 4 of each coupon – for me that works well for printables because we have 2 computers in our home.
My family is 2 adults and 1 child.
For our family (2 adults, x1 4yr old & x1 9 month old) i get 4 papers. my understanding is that you are suppose to buy 1 paper per family member in even numbers. I also get a local paper on wednesday nights that i make my hubby go search the neighborhood for extras of : ) so i have 4 of those too! : )
I would say buy a paper for each member of the family do this way when u buy a product u can have a coupon for each person.
I get 12 but im a special case!!! lol i like to do multiple trips of 4 and i also shop for my mom so use coups for her groceries also.
I usually buy 10 at my local Menards. They are only $1. And in the Chicago Burbs, where I live, the papers are in the stores on Sat at 9AM. So I try to get to Menards and pick up at least 10. I have bought as many as 15. That was when they had really high value pet food coupons. Our household has 3 cats and a very hungry Husky! We also have 2 adults and 2 adult kids. I get 2 papers delivered, but they don’t always have the same coupons. I also get 2 from neighbors. I tend to stockpile on things that we really use, like especially pet food. And I’ve found some really good deals. None of the stores around me limit the number of coupons you can use in a transaction, unless the item that you are buying is a limited amount. So, if I’ve got 15 like coupons, I can use them all in the same transaction. I like to stay ahead of higher prices. I also intend to give out of my stockpile to my church’s annual food drive in the fall.
My advice would be to see if you can get any of the coupon inserts for free from friends, relatives & co-workers first. My co-worker gets 2 papers delivered and brings me the coupons. I also get just the Sunday edition delivered to my home for $0.50 week. (talk about a deal!) Plus, I received a gift card to Barnes & Noble fo X-mas that I’m slowly using up to buy extra papers when there are coupons I really want. However, I’m just couponing for my husband & myself and just started getting really serious about it this year.
I only have one paper delivered because I find that purchasing coupons is much more effective and economic. You can start to buy your coupons (coupon dede) as soon as Cindy post the ShopRite, or you can buy once you see what you get in the Sunday paper. You can get the coupons for the items you specifically want, large quantities of those coupons (10 coupons on average), and you pay what you would for 5 or 6 Sunday papers.
I get delivered 4 papers. We are a family of four.
I’m in central NJ. I usually buy 4 papers a week from Quick Chek – either Courier or HomeTown News, b/c Ledger doesn’t have Red Plum when you buy them at the store.
I am interested in getting 4 papers a week delivered. I have no interest in reading the paper – I only want the coupons. So, that would be Sunday only? Or, I hear some people get their newspaper coupons delivered on Thursday?
Anyway, does anyone have any advise for setting up multiple home deliveries. And can you opt out of a week without coupons? And, which paper do you recommend getting delivered for my area?
Any advise on this is much appreciated. Also, how do you handle tipping if you never see the paper boy? When I was a kid, we went door to door to collect, and that’s when they would pay and give a tip. Now it’s just someone driving down the middle of the street, and your lucky if your paper makes it past your gutter.
Lady J,
I get 3 papers delivered. I set them up to be delivered to my address but with an number after the address. So it would be 123 main st. #1 , Main St. USA . Use more numbers for more papers. I get Sunday only delivered. As far as tipping, my newspaper delivery person sends out a Christmas card. I send him a note with a tip.
Lady J,
I am also in Central NJ. I buy 4 Star Ledger and 4 Courier at my local Quick Mart. I am trying to find a better, less expensive option. The Star Ledger has more Smart Source coupons than the Courier. The Courier has the Red Plum, but the Star Ledger does not. I have in the past had them delivered, but I found that they were both unreliable. Sometimes the paper was not delivered and sometimes the coupon inserts were not in the paper. I think I am going to try a clipping service. Usually, the driver would leave an envelope with his/her address during the holidays to send the tip.
There are six of us, and I always buy 4 papers. Sometimes DH comes in with 2-4 more which he gets free from a friend, but that’s depending on how good the coupons are. I always regret it when I don’t get that many. Even when DH goes shopping and we only use a few, we still save a good amount. We do even better when I hit CVS on Sunday mornings. So for us the papers pay for themselves ten fold.
I purchase 8 Sunday papers. We have a family of 4. I chose this quantity based on my the coupon policy at my Grogery Store. I’m only able to use 4 like coupons per transacation, and the P&G coupons only allow 4 as well. When I do find a great find and it’s time to stock up, I will hit the Store twice that week to maximize my coupons. Less than 8 papers I’ve been disappointed in the past I missed out a great deal, and more than that I honestly don’t have the time with a full time executive job to allocate more time for coupon clipping/organization.
i have a family of 4 with all of us beging adults i buy 2 but i also buy alot of coupons on ebay when i see the sale preview
I get an APP Delivered with the coupons on Saturday (In which when i signed up I got a target gift card deal) and I get a Star Ledger delivered Sunday morning (which had a gas gift card deal). I find that if I know ahead of time which paper is offering what I can base my decision of how many more I need to purchase & and which paper I need to purchase. The star ledger will often offer that higher value coupon. Or the coupon that the Asbury Park Press doesn’t even have. Since I keep every coupon, because I take anything I can get free or a money maker (if i don’t use it, i donate it) – most often I purchase 4 additional papers at the dollar tree (The sunday paper there is only $1.00 so that is also a savings). My family include myself, my boyfriend and my pupppy. Happy couponing, I hope this helps!! ☺
Ask around, you will be surprised how many people will happily save the inserts and/or print any out for you! I tend to buy one paper if I know ahead there are things that I can match up for the week. Cindy is awesome at getting things out early and it will give you the opportunity to print or order specific coupons to match up. I justify ordering on line, if there are things I know will be on sale and it takes the place of buying papers for the week.
I like to have 4 papers for a few reasons: sometimes there are deals which require you to buy 4 of the item so I like to have 4 copies of each coupon, some stores limit 4 like coupons per transaction so 4 papers allows me to maximize each transaction. I have 2 papers delivered to my home. Before I buy any extra papers I look at what coupons are in the paper. There are weeks where I don’t buy additional papers and weeks when I buy 8 papers instead of 4.
I only shop for myself and to donate so I subscribe to one paper. If there are great coupons in it, I may buy 1-2 more at a store and I trade with a couple of friends when I need extras they wont use.
For my family of 5 plus 2 border collie (large breed) a bunny and a daycare of 16 kids we buy 4 papers and get 4 -6 sets of inserts given to us. I shop at Shoprite, Wal-mart and Rite aid. I find that deals often overlap between stores so I comparison shop before buying items to ensure the best deal.
I get two different papers delivered, buy 3-4 depending what coupons are in the paper. I also check to see what is on sale, and if it is someting I need, I may buy extra. I also have a share at work where we bring in our extras.
Just 2 of us here and I get 3 delivered. Make sure no matter how many you decide on to find a deal on your subscriptions. I paid $26 per year for mine, I think it pays for itself many times over.
I purchase 4 papers for my family of 4 since ShopRite has a limit of 4 like coupons per transaction. If there are high value coupons in the paper, then I will buy more. I used to have it delivered to my house but unfortunately the carrier raised the price and it is cheaper to go to the store and buy it. I also purchase different papers every week depending on the insert. Since we all know which inserts will be delivered, then I will make sure I buy the paper with all the inserts. Sometimes that requires I buy 4 of one paper and 4 of the other. I know it’s more money than I would originally like to spend but in the end, it is a small investment compared to my savings. A paper that costs $1.50 can save me almost $5 -$10 from one paper. I always tell my friends a minimum should be 4 since most stores allows you to use 4 coupons. The more items you buy on sale WITH a coupon just means the more you save and more money in your pocket!
I buy 1 or 2 each week, but the man at my local gas station saves some extra inserts for me each week so I end up with much more
. Unfortunately, the paper he gets them from NEVER has as many coupons as the one I get delivered, so I’ve found myself getting excited over a deal only to realize that a specific coupon was not included in all the inserts. Still, you can ask a local store to save them for you…sometimes they only have to return the cover page of the unused papers…the rest of the paper gets thrown out!
i have a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 kids. I get 1 paper delivered on sunday. If there are a lot of inserts I will go to dollar tree and buy 1-3 additional papers. If there are not many coupons that interest me a particular week I wont buy any additional papers. My mother-in law gives me coupons she thinks i can use that she does not want so that helps also.
Just go to your local gas station or shopping store on Sunday evening and ask if they have any extra papers. If they have extra papers they usually give it to you. I usually get 40 to 50 papers with minimal work.
I started out getting 4 cause shoprite would take 4 like coupons. But now I find that six works out well and I have plenty for deals at numerous stores and somtimes some to share. One thing I would suggest is to keep your eyes out for deals on delivery at your local paper. I go buy my five every Sunday but for the next six months I get one delivered as well because the paper was running a $1/week Sunday only special. Also if the major paper in your area is expensive look for smaller township or county papers that carry the same coupons but are cheaper. For me the philly inquirer is $2 the courier post is $1.75 but the gloucester county times which has the same coupons as the post is just $1! Plus dollartree stores sell sundays for $1 but some stores limit how many you can buy. Hth!
I usually buy 3 different papers on Saturday and three on Sunday. Where I am, they publish “Early Sunday” editions on Saturday and put coupon inserts and some stores, then the rest of the stores and more coupons on Sunday. Sometimes, if I think that the out of state papers (mostly NYC, I live in CT) have coupons my locals don’t, I get one or two of those on Saturday. Also, my local arts weekly free paper will have the previous week’s coupons. Then there’s my local town paper, which is weekly and mostly a vehicle for inserts and flyers. That’s the only one I get delivered. The rest I pop out for. There are 3 adults in my home. But we can shop like fools. I keep having to yell at them for calling me last minute with 5 more things if I just ran out for 1 and didn’t bring my coupons in. I’m just gonna start carrying it everywhere.
always check each paper you buy to make sure the coupons are actually in there. even if the insert is redplum (for example) the LAYOUT varies from paper to paper so i get 4 of the SAME paper (that way you can stack and cut once just like cindy teaches in her video). i check all the various papers to see which coupon inserts i like better and buy 4 of that paper. for example, the star ledger is $2 but sometimes the ny daily news or ny post has the same inserts but is $1.25.
We have a family of 5 and we get two. They both have completely different coupons. We also get extra inserts from our family members and put the word out at work if people don’t use their coupons that we’ll take them. Lastly, we asked our courier if she would give us any of her leftover papers with the inserts. She was more then willing!
I get 6total4 of my local for the SS coups and I then get 2 of each of the ny papers for the RP, which also has SS in them. I find that I get a good selection and quantity that way
I live in Central NJ and I buy 1 Star Ledger as I read that paper. Sometimes it does not carry the coupon inserts so I also buy the Home News or the Courier. My sister also gets the Trenton Times so she gives me her coupons. I let her shop in my stockpile and she loves it.
I also get coupon inserts from my coworkers and on the internet. I have the ability to use more than one computer at work so I can get more coupons when there is a sale on a product I really want to stockpile.