Loading ...No More Sunday Paper
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At 3.25 a month it has been decided that the Sunday paper is no longer worth the money. I’m canceling the Sunday paper for a few reasons:
1. I don’t need extra paper laying around, I don’t have animals that need the paper to poop on
2. It’s one less paper that has to be printed since I can read the paper online
3. Most importantly, I don’t always get my money back every month in coupons.
Instead, I now print out the available coupons as I need them on scratch paper. And if I need more than one or two coupons on the same item, there are enough sites that allow me to print out 1-2 for each site. That is more than enough to stock or give away to others who may want them.
This though means I need to have a regular schedule of checking the site for coupons I would need before the expiration date, but with time and discipline I’m sure I will build a habit.
I have to say that it is nice not having the clutter of the paper around the house, not having the added weight in the trash bag and now having the 3.25 a month left in my account. It’s not a big impact but who said all the changes have to be big, even little things can be a big relief.
update: I found a nice site that has listed the coupon inserts for 2008, if I want to purchase a paper for extra coupons. Otherwise, I just go online to coupons.com or couponmom and print off my coupons there.
update 2: The cancellation has finally kicked in and this is the first weekend without the paper - I just realized how much it was a part of my morning ‘routine’ (coffee not included). But it’s all good, the paper just seemed to give me an excuse to delay the inevitable tasks that needed to be attended to, now I get started with my ‘to do’ list sooner (until I find something new to do and delay it).
I did that a few years ago and also love not having the pile of papers around the house. I do miss out on some local news since the local paper made their website subscription only, but not much. I get a free liberal..arts and ads…paper to use in my vermicomposter or old copies of The Nation from a coworker (very liberal worms!)
Enjoy the lack of paper clutter!
May 27th, 2008 at 6:05 amMy Mom lives in the same town as us and she subscribes to the city paper……we read it after she has. We subscribe to the local area paper, we give to her to read. She also subscribes to her hometown paper, we read after her and give that back to her (she collects those ones). We put everything we read in the recycle bin in town here.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:25 pmWe’ve been reading our news online for so long now that paper news annoys me. There’s so much waste and stuff I’m not interested in! I can see how the loss of coupons would be a concern for you, though. Hopefully your new routine will kick in soon.
I’m sorry to have missed your visit; Sean says he enjoyed meeting you both. It was important that I help my Mom move. She wouldn’t have finished it alone and who would have polished off the big box of See’s chocolates?
Thanks for participating in our Mr. Linky.
May 27th, 2008 at 3:08 pm$3.25 a month for the Sunday paper, only? Here in L.A., to get the L.A. Times (which has the most coupons) I’d have to get the paper for several days (can’t remember exactly), not just Sunday. So, I trek down to the local market every Sunday morning. I save up to $50 a week with coupons, so it’s definitely worth it.
May 27th, 2008 at 7:04 pm@Dale Anne
Sharing would definitely be an option if I was around family.
@Claire
May 27th, 2008 at 7:13 pmThe Denver Paper has at most 3 inserts for coupons, some weeks there is nothing. It’s just easier to print out what I need.
I find I buy so much generic and shop around the ‘outer ring’ of the grocery store that there aren’t much for coupons on those.
Extra weight in the trash? We recycle our papers, have for years. Put them in the recycle bin, put it out by the curb every other Sunday. Is this not the norm?
May 28th, 2008 at 10:52 am@Jeanine
May 28th, 2008 at 10:57 amI knew someone was going to ask me this…
We don’t have a recycle area around in our complex, neighborhood or within 5-10 miles. So the papers get trashed unless I used them for packing when I mailed something out or dropping them at the bottom of the trashcan to absorb odors from the trash.
my darling husband cannot stand reading the paper on-line…so he spends $1.50 per day for the two dailies and $3.50 for the two sunday papers. i know this really adds up…but what the heck! i get to read them when he is finished, and i can use the coupons sometimes (as we are like in the sticks(rurally speaking). we do not have recycling available locally, so i recycle the papers myself with crafts, garden, and the like. personally, i would not buy the papers if it were just me..but that is because i am more likely to get my news anywhere i can for free.
May 28th, 2008 at 4:52 pmI subscribe to the daily paper. The price has been rising pretty steadily lately. It’s recently gone up to $19/month. I hate that I spend that much on it, but I go through serious withdrawal if I don’t have my paper. I especially feel it when we’re on vacation or at youth camp. I love it too much to give it up.
My house would be less cluttered without it, though.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:54 pmSeriously? You don’t use enough coupons to pay for the paper?? I find that coupons are probably THE most frugal part of my lifestyle. I consistently save 50% or more at the grocery store and get my household & beauty products for free most of the time — all because of coupons combined with sale prices.
You can always purchase the coupons singularly at places like The Coupon Clipper or Coupon Inserts by DeDe (links are on my site). But I have a walk-in newspaper recycling repository near me and I’ve been known to go hunting for inserts in there! Now *that’s* some recycling! LOL
May 30th, 2008 at 3:12 pmI’ve subscribed to the Sundays-only paper for a while now, having primarily started it for the coupons. We haven’t been able to use them much here lately, and the paper does add to the trash, etc. It is a small fee each month, but when added to other fees it starts to add up. I feel we are being nickel and dimed to death!
June 1st, 2008 at 8:09 amHi, I understand about the coupon thing. I don’t tend to purchase refined food products which is what most of the coupons are for. I generally will shop at Aldi’s and their stuff is all off-brand label and cheaper than the coupon item. I tend to purchase fresh veggies/fruits, meats, the deli counter, and the dairy center. At Aldi’s I get the frozen tater tots for hectic nights) and some canned items like cherries, diced tomatoes, etc. and other staples. I usually get storebrand paper products (tp, pt) when on sale and in bulk. (my family is not yet ready to try flannel washable wipes in place of tp).
I should probably check through more on the coupons for personal hygiene products like Listerine, toothpaste etc.
June 8th, 2008 at 3:40 pmBravo. I quit the newspaper years ago and just don’t miss it. I can read the parts that interest me on line. As far as coupons go, if I had a family to feed, I might reconsider. My drive is to cut down on my own product usage and consumerism as much as possible and to try not to spend much on anything but true necessities, which I admit works beautifully if you live alone, ha-ha. The more I stay out of any of the stores and stay busy doing anything but shopping, the better this works out.
June 14th, 2008 at 5:16 am