Guest Post: How to Score FREE Coupon Inserts (AND Food)!
I’ve received lots of emails from readers recently regarding how to acquire more coupon inserts without having to spend a lot of money. Well, one of my readers wrote a fantastic post in March of 2009 on this very topic, so I thought I’d go ahead and re-post it. Enjoy!
Guest Post by Amanda Allalunis:
For those of you looking for new ways to find coupons (and let’s face it, what money-minded person isn’t interested in more coupons,) I have a nifty new idea that you might like to try. In my town, there are several little coffee shops and diners that sell the local newspapers for customers to read while they eat and relax. One day while I was getting a cup of coffee with my husband I happened to notice many of the customers threw the newspaper away as they left the store and most of them never even bothered to remove the coupon inserts. Because I didn’t relish the idea of digging through the trash can, even for coupons, I approached the owner of the coffee shop with a mutually beneficial idea: I offered to provide the restaurant with a bin to store old newspapers and to take those newspapers to the recycling center weekly. To my surprise the owner of the coffee shop loved the idea, and she even offered to sweeten the deal. If I would agree to take the restaurant’s cardboard to the recycling center once a week as well, she would let me have up to $20 a month in free food and coffee!!!
As of today, I am currently recycling newspapers for six different businesses; and four of those businesses are trading me $15-$20 a month in free food for my services. I’ve been doing this for about 2 months and it has been AMAZING! I usually find at least 10 newspapers a week with full coupons, plus I get about $70 a month in free food for about 2 hours a week of my time! I haven’t purchased my own newspaper since I started, and I often find inserts that are not available in my immediate area – they are brought in by out-of-towners and left to be recycled by me! Not only is this good for my pocket book, but its also good for the environment –a double bonus in my opinion.
If you are interested in trying this neat little trick, here are a few suggestions. First, make sure that you speak directly to the owner of the business and make it clear from the start that you aren’t trying to sell anything to him or her. I found that using the environmental angle when pitching this idea was the most effective. Second, if the business wants you to provide a “recycling bin” for the job – don’t worry about getting anything too fancy. I actually just took a strong cardboard box from the restaurant and wrote “newspapers” on the side. It was fast and, more importantly, it was free. Third, in order to get the most coupons out of the deal, try to collect the newspapers twice a week, the day before the new papers come out, and about two days after they come out. I found that by collecting the papers at these times I get many more coupon inserts and MUCH cleaner newspapers. Finally, while you’re at the recycling center, take a peak into the newspaper recycling bin. You will probably be surprised at the number of clean inserts that you find sitting right on top of the pile!
Great idea, but I no longer have a locally owned coffee shop in my neighborhood. Ours closed last year. To answer Hip’s question, I buy extra copies (besides my home-delivered one) of the paper at Dollar Tree because they are only $1 and not $2 as is normal here. I’ve tried many angles to get free inserts but no luck so this is the next best thing for me. I also trade friends who don’t coupon for free groceries or toiletries that I get free with coupons. Great guest post!
Good idea regarding the trade with friends. I’ve spread the word by mouth, but this is a really good idea…two in one post…kind of like getting a double coupon!!
My mother, mother in law, and grandmother give me their inserts. And in return I give them products that I get for free or cheap that I either do not use or I know they use!
I need coupon code for american airlines from 2010 entertainment book. can somebody help who have that book!
Thanks
it says to go to http://www.entertainment.com/AA10 to receive your code. When you go to that site you probably have to enter the membership card # that comes with the book.
You can have mine I have a $10 off any fare up to six passengers or save 5% on your next vacation which one do you want?
Monique thanks for replying. 5% will really help me a lot becoz i have to buy tickets for india ….and it’s expensive.
ok just go here https://www.aavacations.com/default.asp?ADID=ENTM-SVG-ALL-09-29 and you should be able to buy them thru that link with the 5% discount
Monique, I am going to use this at weekend and I will let u know if this works. But I really appreciate how u helped me. Thanks a lot.
hi
Another suggestion is to just check with restaurants you frequent. Most restaurants get a newspaper subscription on Sundays especially and keep a copy of the paper at the bar. I’ve asked many times if I can have the inserts from it.
I live in an apt building and I often see inserts in the garbage so I posted an envelope under near the trash bin asking for the precious inserts! To my surpurize I get about 6 inserts a week!!! I love it!!!
Now do they just drop them off at your apartment?
I get a newspaper delivered to my apartment. I then go and buy two more since I think people would steal them not thinking someone wants more than one paper! I also plan on getting more than one delivered when I buy a house. If I don’t find a place to get them free first!
I just started asking people at work to bring in the coupons that they don’t use. Since I’m hooked on this site and others to find all the freebies, I tend to save tons each week and can really donate much of it to needy causes.
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i’m all about saving money, but that’s dishonest. sometimes people go out of town for a couple days and they come home, expecting to get the paper and it’s gone because you stole it! that’s actually happened to me before and i get really upset.
My paper’s been taken too because i got home late that night 🙂 .
I am not taking papers from random houses. I have asked them beforehand if I can take them when I have noticed they never pick it up. I ASK them. And NOBODY lives in the house that are for sale that I pick them up from.
why would some1 pay for a newspaper subscription & send it to a vacant house?? sounds sketchy!
I think she is talking about the free papers that they leave once a week for addresses that don’t subscribe to the regular paper, alot of those have the coupons in them and you don’t subscribe they just leave them in the driveway.
angela22 – NOT subscribed – FREE PAPERS that are left weekly. FREE, not subscribed. They don’t cost anyone anything. They have people who once a week put them at EVERY House – for FREE. Some places call them the PINCH or other clever names. They have coupons etc in them and they are FREE. Many people don’t like getting them because they end up looking like trash because people don’t pick them up – because they are FREE and no one is subscribing to them. They are FREE.
Not sketchy, FREE.
Thank you for pointing out the FREE part of those papers I pick up. If home owners don’t care about leaving a paper to literally disintegrate on their driveway then why not ask if they will give it to someone who can use it? This way the subdivision doesn’t look junky with all those rotten papers in the driveway. And I just carry a canvas tote with me and I am not embarassed to have all those papers in it. I just think of it as a sack full of money.
The wonderful part of what you do is *ask*. I’ve read this comment forum since it was first posted; another commenter that was deleted said she just picked up unclaimed papers Sunday night and what looks like some people responding to you was actually some people responding to her. i have come home late Sunday night or Monday morning to find my paper missing and would gladly have given it to someone who asked for it (were i not wanting my own coupons, ha ha! 🙂 ). i’m so glad you ask — we just need to be sure even when it seems obvious.
They are FREE ones that EVERYONE gets in the WHOLE town.
Meredith – these are those FREE papers that most communities get. Darn you really have some problems with stuff don’t you. Again FREE papers that alot of people NEVER pick up. If we got ones with insert, I’d walk the neighborhood after a couple days and ask at the houses where they weren’t picked up.
One of my couponing friends lives 3 doors down (great coincedence, huh? 🙂 ) from a 24-hr convenience store. At 0’Dark:30 on Monday mornings she stops in and asks to take the insides of the leftover sunday papers — to get credit from the printer for paper unbought, they only need the front page. Almost always the cashier doesn’t care and lets her take them. She takes just a few for herself so many people could ask and have some leftover paper guts! 🙂
What about the people who but their paper on Monday with no inserts? Not sure that this seems right to me.
I think she is talking about Sunday papers. Whatever didn’t sell on Sunday she picks up on Monday morning.
A lot of stores around here don’t sell the papers on Monday- they send them back to the printer first thing Monday morning.
The Sunday paper isn’t available after a certain hour on Monday morning to prepare for the rest of the sunday papers to be destroyed and Monday’s papers dropped off. 🙂 She doesn’t take inserts from a paper someone else could buy. 🙂 Hope that clears it up!
Small towns only get one paper a week and it is on Sunday. Larger towns get one a day. I’m sure she lives in one of the towns that have a daily paper. 🙂
I also am able to go to a local gas station on Mon morn and the Sun papers that are left they let me have.
The Sunday newspaper should never be for sale on Monday so it is neither fair or not….the News Companies are responsible for restocking the paper usually aroun 3-4 am daily they retrieve the day before to reset the new day…so they are basically pulling the inserts from papers that are not able to be sold at 3-4 am…..because the gas stations or retailer cannot be paid without a complete newspaper containing all NEWS sections of the papers the sales inserts are paid for by the advertisers so they do not care if they are included or not….they are depending on the newspaper company either donated to schools for projects and assingments or recycled.
I guess it depends on the newspaper, because around here you can still buy the Sunday paper all week. I often grab an extra at Safeway or even The Dollar Tree later in the week. I do have to look through the entire paper, because often they are missing the coupon inserts!
I agree…around here, you can pick up the Sunday paper all week long at many stores. I get extremely aggravated when I am in a hurry, pick it up for $2 (even though it’s 3 days old!), and get home to find that there are NO inserts!! I understand what others are saying that the paper company should remove them at 3 am or whatever, but that does not seem to be the case here. So if your stores tend to sell them all week, I’d suggest NOT taking the inserts, as others who are BUYING the paper, expect them to be there!
I sell Sunday papers in my gas station, and I also take out all the inserts of the non-selling Sunday papers. The paper man also gives me Sunday papers and any other days’ papers for free as long as he has the top corner that shows the date. I love my paper guy!
I noticed that when buying the newspaper from stores, it has a message printed on the paper that says “Please be aware that all papers may not contain the weekly coupons.” I think they stuff the papers that go directly to houses and if they have some left over, they might stick them into the papers that go to the stores. It took me a few weeks to figure out that I had to just buy my own subscription.
My sister works at a breakfast restaurant and always keeps her eyes open for inserts left on tables. Also, my moms’ group has a Coupon Swap about twice a month.
I also buy my papers at the Dollar Tree and then I also have my dad send me the coupons from his Sunday paper that he already receives and doesn’t use.
in my area they have a spanish version of the sunday paper called el sentinel it comes out every saturday and guess what is freeeeeee! i s avail in spanish bodegas etc they always have the sunday paper coupons on it but when there is a pg insert coming i will have to buy the sunday paper since this never have them but i ususally get about 6 to 8 of this if i find some they are starting to be very popular.they even have them in the chinese restaurant now lol.
You’re from the Orlando area aren’t you?? I was going to post about the same paper. I just found out about this wonderful paper about 3 weeks ago. Small world. 🙂
I have searched everywhere in the Winter Garden/Ocoee area for the El Sentinel. Any suggestions where I can find them? Thanks
It’s with the South FL SUN-Sentinel, not the Orlando Sentinel. Broward County.
Awesome tip! Thank you! I’ll definitely have to keep my eye out for that.
Some of the stuff I get for free I don’t really use (ex mens deoderant). I bring my freebies to work to give to co-workers and ask for their coupons in exchange!
I love that idea! I have 4 deodorants and 6 shampoos that are just waiting for me to run out. But there never seems to be a month when there isn’t a free deal. I need to start a barter basket!
I dig em out of recycle bins at a local condo complex, usually get 8 copies. I can’t imagine justifying buying 10 copies at full price, just doesn’t seem like it would be worth it.
What a great idea.
My mother gave me an idea for doing a swap once a month or so instead of for the coups, for the extra products that you buy but dont need.. or need asap. pot luck dinner .. lots of fun.
Also I go to the dollar tree and purchase like 5-6 papers and only pay the price of one or two weekly papers bc it’s only a dollar.
🙂
What a neat idea!! I might have to try that with our local coffee shop.. Maybe even get my 7 year old son in on it and he can learn all about recycling the paper and helping the enviroment!!
I also collect unwanted papers from family and friends!! And I have often wondered what local gas stations do with extra Sunday papers!!! Hey it never hurts to ask!! Great post hip2save!!
My work subscribes to the local paper, so in addition to my subscription to a larger paper, I take the inserts from the paper at work as well.
Plus a lot of family and friends will give me coupons, particularly for diapers and other items they think that I’ll use.
I put notes in all the interoffice mailboxes at work stating that if anyone wasn’t using their coupon inserts, I’d be MORE than happy to take them off their hands. I usually get about 10 extra inserts a week. In return, I bring in freebies that I’ve scored or bake brownies (from my super cheap brownie mixes). 🙂
I have also wondered what gas stations do with their leftover Sunday papers…… Anyone know??
they throw em out. they have to cut the date part off the front page to be reimbursed (or whatever?? prove they weren’t all bought??) but the rest goes in trash/recycling.
They told me that in Utah, the newspaper company picks up the old papers and they recycle them.
Yup, here in my area the gas stations and convenience stores have to keep the extras for the newspaper company to come and take.
Same here in Dallas. Back in NC they would discount them on Tuesday. No luck here.
I am in NC and I have never heard of anyone “discounting” their newspapers…… What are some of the stores in NC that do that?????
We don’t get the redplum in the newspaper anymore so I usually only have one insert a week in the sunday paper that is $2 each! I’ve found I can get 5 inserts for less than 2 dollars on ebay – if you dont mind waiting then it’s a great way to go!
I posted on my FB page and on my Moms Group sites that I will take the coupons that they don’t want/use…I now have people often times leave envelopes on my front porch with ALL the coupons!! My Grandma clips all the coupons out from her paper and mails almost all of them too me and so does my mom! I asked my MIL to save all hers for me…but knowing her she hasn’t! One to work on I guess! LOL!
Speaking of which…Grandma mailed me coupons and I got them today!! YAY! <3 checking the mail and finding great stuff! Thanks Collin again!!
What a great idea! I think I might have to try that myself. I know a lot of my FB friends/Mom’s group friends are fellow couponers, but if the others would ‘share’ that would be a big help. I think I may just have to borrow your idea. :0)
Another idea is to call your newspaper company and ask for a subscription deal to get multiple copies of the Sunday paper. This has worked in lots of areas (Sacramento, Idaho Press-Tribune). Often you get 2-5 extra copies delivered on Sunday for about .50/paper. Then you don’t have to hike to Dollar Tree either 🙂
In Phoenix the extra papers are $1 each with a delivery subscription.
LOVE IT! Helping yourself, helping the environment, helping a buiseness, and getting freebies!
We get a local newspaper free delivered to our doorstep every Tuesday. I had no idea util two days ago that it contains the same inserts as the Sunday paper!!! I was so excited!!! I waited until dark and went around our neighborhood and collected the ones that nobody picked up!! I scored 6 of them. I still can’t believe that I just threw it in the recycle every week without checking! Go figure!
Wendy that is too funny. Because we too, get a free weekly paper delivered on Tuesdays. each Friday I take an hour walk and pick up all the papers left on the drive ways. One time a lady said Hey! I was like oh no. I thought she was gonna yell at me for picking up papers. Then she said thanks so much for helping to recycle. I said oh your welcome and giggled. But I sure did recycle them after that!
This is to funny. I just figured out this past week about the same paper. I also didnt know they had coupons. Now I am also picking them up. Ok so I have a teenager who helps. But we recycle them too.
Where are you guys located? I would love to get a free Tuesday paper!
My grocery store in town has coupon drop off area. Customers can drop off what they don’t want, and take what they need. The only problem is that it’s not in any kind of order, and you have to spend 10-15 looking through it. But, it’s totally worth my time. Last week, I found a bunch of $1 Danimals Crush Yogurt coupon. My son just loves these.
I e-mailed all the families in my church asking if I could have the coupon inserts from anyone that wasn’t going to use them. I ended up getting 2 responses, and they leave them on the back table for me every week. But I could always use more, so thanks for the suggestion!
My local grocery store often has someone giving out newspapers on Sundays, so if I’m shopping that day, I get one. They are looking for subscribers, but are never pushy and are happy to give me a copy.
I have a monthly payment deal with my local newspaper and I get several newspapers for a fraction of the price. I also go to my local dollar store on Monday as they get the Sunday paper and sell it for $.50 each! WAHOO!!
What dollar store is that? Dollar Tree?
I used to be an activity director at an assisted living. The residents LOVE to save their inserts for me and my children. We can go pick them up door to door with a cart every Monday. Just ask your activity director they win, the residents get to feel needed and you get free coupons! It’s great exposure to your children to learn how to communicate with the elderly. All around goodness.
That’s a neat idea! How would you suggest approaching someone about that? I don’t want them to think I’m some kind of nut or something! ;0)
My boyfriend works at a car dealership and they get 3 papers on Sunday so he brings me all the coupon inserts from the papers… I wonder how many coupon inserts I could get if I just stopped at a couple car dealerships while out shopping and ask them for the coupons out of their newspapers. I’m sure I would get a few funny looks but they would probably give them to me.
A friend of mine who lives in a small town has a woman who works at the local recycling center pull out the inserts for her when she sees them. Then in exchange she brings her a basket of free things she got throughout the month with the coupons. I wish!
Here my recycling center is city owned that so that wouldn’t be allowed. All of the recycling dumpsters at places like Kroger have big city warnings on them that taking anything from inside is theft and they will prosecute. We have curbside recycling too, so no chance to go dig through anyone’s bin like others have mentioned. Great ideas here for those that can do them, though! 🙂
I have a cleaning service, which has taken a hit right now, but the customers I have now save me there papers and coupons and magizines they usually throw away.
Ask the local library’s on and off base. I have a friend who works at the base library and they let her take all the inserts, she then passes them off to me and I take what I want then cut the rest out and send them to my friend stationed in Japan.
I also send my coupons overseas. They can use coupons up to 6mths after experiation. I wish I could find the website for the list of bases. We send ours to a Navy base in Italy but there are so many to pick from.
thekrazycouponlady.com has a post the beginning of every month on where to send them to.
I go to a busy coffee shop on Sundays for some much needed alone time. I sit in the chair right by where people drop their read newspapers off. I just sit, read and collect free coupons for about an hour. I usually get around five sets of inserts this way.
i really got a bad taste in my mouth after reading this post. it’s like you’re asking us to use a guise to get people to give us their newspapers (at coffee shops, etc). do you actually take these newspapers to the recycle bin or is that just what you want these unassuming shop owners to believe? i think couponers are going to get a bad name if there’s people doing what this author is doing. there’s a line of honesty, respect for others and self-respect, and ethics that definitely gets crossed sometimes on some of the suggestions on this website and it sometimes seems as if some people have a real me, me, me, what can i get for myself mentality. i’m not trying to create drama, i just think sometimes we need to re-evaluate our methods…
She said she DOES bring them to recycle
Seriously, what’s your problem? She clearly states she takes them to be recycled. She’s actually doing something positive and good for the environment! I think it’s a great idea!
Oh please! Go to a different website that’s your choice.
Did she not explain in much detail how she WAS taking them to recycle???? I understand where you’re coming from, but did you read this article or just jump to conclusions and accuse??? It seems like some people on here just look for something to “jump on”.
I don’t think anyone is saying they take the newspapers under the guise of recycling and then DON’T recycle. I receive a large number of newspapers each week from a wonderful source and GLADLY recycle them. I also give her a weekly bag of goodies that I have been able to get with my couponing. It is a definite win-win.
Also, if papers are going to be thrown away, does it matter if the coupons are taken from them? I don’t think so.
I actually got a bad taste in my mouth after reading your hateful comment. She clearly says “it’s good for my pocket book AND THE ENVIRONMENT!!!!!!!! I believe it would be unethical to just take them and not talk to the owner. But this author CLEARLY states tha she spoke to the owner first. Good night, read it through before you make your judgements. Honestly
LOL!
Maybe we should all pass along our toothpaste coupons to Meridith so she can get rid of her morning breath. That bad taste in your mouth is clearly the taste of haterade.
lol…..
The post clearly states that these newspapers plus the coffee shop’s cardboard waste are indeed being taken to the recycling center. Besides these are newspapers and inserts that were going to end up in the garbage otherwise. I don’t think that there is anything un-ethical about this post perhaps it is you that needs to re-evaluate your thoughts and ideas.
Meredith are you head of the LEMON & GUM gang? =P’
(jk)
I’m sure no1 would offer to recycle newspapers only to throw them directly into the trash! C’mon now have some faith in mankind. No one is asking YOU to do anything. Hey, if some people are willing to take their time, gas, & efforts to help mother earth & themselves at the same I say more power to them,
Now who’s thirsty for some free lemonade? 😉
J, thanks for the laugh!!
😀 LMAO J!!!! 😀
i thought this was the MOST creative idea ever!!!! it is wonderful all the way around!! it helps the shop keeper, the couponer and the enviro!! It is honest and upfront and it saves $$. how many papers get trashed along with the inserts each week? All this post is doing is helping us with ideas to do the same. And besides that with all the extra q’s you could get think of all the extra stuff you could donate! So then it also helps those in need…. i thought it was a wonderful idea…
Too funny, J. I was wondering if Meredith was the lemon person, too! Forgot all about the gum. I swear people come on these sites just to write judgemental, rude comments.
Great ideas all around on here!
There is always one of you in the group that has to have a issue.. Re-read the post, she says she takes them to the recyle. Now if your jealous, then feel free to come up with a better idea or go pay for them and please read all 10 papers you buy so you dont have a bad taste in your mouth, because you will be contributing to the waste in the enviro.
Meredith, Collin never suggests or posts anything that would be unethical. She’s here to give us a forum to discuss ideas, offer information that saves us money and provide ways for us to connect. I think you need to revealuate your reasons as to why you would post such a hurtful comment, and I second Tarin’s advice, go to another site. I’m sure you have benefited from a number of Collin’s post, and I’m sure that ALL readers on hip2save strive to be couponers that live with integrity.
Wow! You are ridiculous! I think that you did not actually read the post before putting such a nasty comment. Clearly she recycles the newspapers and the coffee shops’ cardboard as well. How many times has Collin and tons of others said that they donate what they can’t use for their own families? A TON! It’s not a me, me, me attittude and if you think that everyone getting together and helping each other out of this blog with deals is selfish in any way, you should go to a different blog! We are lucky to have Collin put all that she does on here! Just look at what was posted today alone and how much it will benefit our checkbooks, families, and others in our communities. Bye!
I think meredith came to this conclusion bc there’s been a few things on this site that cross the line if you hold yourself to a standard. i dont think this is a huge issue, but its kind of classless. don’t be mad at meredith bc she has a standard for herself!
What–and please be specific–have you found on this site that has crossed the line? I’ve seen no such thing–but perhaps I don’t “hold myself to a standard”?
I’ve never thought of recycling newspapers that would otherwise be thrown in the trash as “classless”….gosh, I need some new standards, apparently!!
what is the standard?
I nearly choked on my gum and spilled my lemonade.
NaNa Coupons 2, please please elaborate. I believe NaNa and Meredith are the same types who, when Collin posts a deal at Crocs, turn their noses up and make sure we all know how ugly they are – classless? Wow. But then I do suppose there are those who would come here with their elitist attitudes. I do wonder why they are coming to a site dedicated to saving money if they think that recycling is ‘classless’.
I don’t think that Meredith or NaNa’s comments are being mean. Just because they like saving money too but don’t want to sit at a coffee shop and wait for people’s cast offs doesnt mean they are snooty.
I love a good deal and all of my family and friends know I like to stretch a dollar. But I would pay for a paper before I would go thru leftovers at a coffee shop or anywhere.
To each their own. But they are just giving their opinion like everyone else on these sites do. They should not be told to find another website to use, that they are snooty, etc.
I guess I just don’t get it. People ACT snooty and then don’t like it when people call them on it? Why not just NOT comment if you don’t agree. There are lots of sites I visit and when something isn’t to my liking I don’t crap all over it, I just move on. And Meredith ACCUSED the poster of not recycling etc – she didn’t simply ‘not agree’.
When they make comments like “if you hold yourself to a standard” she is being snooty to the people on here. As if no one has standards because they exchange a recycling service for some coupon inserts!
I agree that it’s fine to state your opinion, but you don’t have to put others down while doing it.
That was a good one Deb!
now that’s funny lmao
How rude can you be? This is an extremely positive website. If you dont like something on this site and you feel wrong for using coupons that’s your deal but dont say Collin is shady because she is far from it as you can tell from her entire site. I usually do not reply to such ignorance but I need to stand up with the rest of the readers on this one! Donations and recycling are spoken about many a times on this site. Maybe you should watch the follow me monday video where it was all about giving back. I know for myself I donate many many items to my church that they put to good use. I think that statement was a little too bold. I personally do not believe that anyone on this site is me, me, me. Think how that makes Collin feel it seems as if she is posting 24-7 and if you are on this site then i know you are reaping the benefits so how dare you say that I think it’s time for you to find another blog to follow!
LMAO! I bet “meredith” “nana” and “kim” are all the same person, trying to make it look like there are several people feeling the same way! hahahaha
What a hater!
lol…….
What Meredith is missing with her comment is that nobody is using a “GUISE” as she claims. The OP clearly states that she approached the owner and told them why she wanted the leftover papers and in turn would recycle them (which she does) so where is the GUISE????? The Op never suggests you should just ask to recycle coffee shops papers etc… for them, but even if you did what harm would there be in that? If people willingly throw out their coupons with their papers, then they obviously do not care what happens to them so who the heck cares????? Meredith, honestly with all of the problems in the world, you need to find something else to worry about!
This sounds like a great idea. I am trying to think of some coffee shops that would let me do this, I know I have one right down the road…at present, I receive two coupon inserts from my next door neighbor (convenient, huh?) b/c she recycles her Sun. paper and a neighbor’s across the street. Also, sometimes I will just buy one as well since my hubby loves the sports page…but when you really look around, there are TONS of ideas and options for more inserts if we just think! Doctors offices, any restaurant on Sundays, really, esp. IHOP and The Waffle House. Just brainstorming. Perhaps this is the perfect time for me and my family too as we have just started (back) recycling! I sell Avon, so I am receiving two cardboard boxes per two weeks, at the least (ample size) for recycling when I take my product out that folks have ordered. Thanks for the tip from your reader Collin. 🙂
I get inserts from my mom (some of the time) and also trade with friends. We also have a friend who works at a gas station and she saves the left over inserts for us. With the coupons we have left over, we started a community coupon bin at the library. It is there for anyone to go through and take what they can use.
sorry. this is off subject… if somebody shopped at JCPenny recently and still have their receipt with them, could you please give me the code for the ‘15% off next purchase’ survey code#? Would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you.
I live in South Florida and there are several free newspapers that come with coupons:
La Palma (Spanish version of Palm Beach Post) comes out on Fridays. It’s free and 1-2 times a month it comes with coupons. Look for locations at Lapalma.com
El Sentinel (Spanish version of Sun sentinel) comes out on Saturdays and it always has coupons. Again, it is totally free. Lots and lots of locations carry it, including Publix. Look for locations at elsentinel.com)
HI-Riser – local newspaper which is also free. I normally get it at a local restaurant. Comes out Every Thursday and always has coupons. (this one is published by Sun sentinel). I’m guessing if you advertise with them, they give you newspapers for your business.
I’ve become friends with the owner where they have the Hi-Riser and he saves the coupons for me.
I have also heard if you go early Monday morning to newspaper distribution center they will give you all the left over coupon books for free. I have not done this as you need to be there quite early, between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 .am.
I’m sure there is many other free newspapers around, but these are the three that I have been using for the past couple of months and have gotten lots and lots of inserts. I nornally go the first day the paper comes out and get one or two newspapers and go the night before the paper is delivered again and take the rest, as I was advised by the locations that at that point noone is really going to take them.
I think it’s a great idea, I live in big city so it wouldn’t work for me but I think it’s great!
At the Kum & Go gas station near me, if you fill up with $10 or more of gas, you get a FREE paper. I have several Kum & Go stations near me, so my husband and I put $10 of gas in a 1 station, get a free paper – go to another Kum & Go (within 2 miles of one another!) and put another $10 of gas in, get another free paper. I usually get 3-4 free papers every week this way! Kum & Go in Iowa participates in this free paper program – I’m not sure about other states.
Good luck!
Shelley, we do that too at Kum & Go 🙂 We have one delivered to our house and then get one or two more at Kum & Go. We just have to make sure we don’t fill up our gas tanks before Sunday!
If you don’t have any coffee shops you could also try a local hotel. Many nice hotels put a newspaper in front of every occupied door…many times the papers are just stepped over. You could offer to gather them up!
San:
SUR10JAN
that should get you 15% off. Doesnt expire till 2/20/2010
When I first started to do the “coupon” thing I asked around to the people at my church. Turns out alot of the people who get the paper aren’t interested in the coupon inserts. So I asked them if they minded giving them to me. Not only do they give me the ones from the paper but also any that are mailed to them. I usually get 2 or 3 a week. In return for their generosity I try to look out for deals I can give as little “happys”.
DH and I both work on a military base and there’s a free base newspaper that has SS in it. I always send DH to his office mailroom to pick up any leftovers the day before a new issue comes out. It’s only SS and not RP or P&G though. It’s free, so I won’t complain.
I’ve been tempted to go through neighbor’s recycling bins when they’re at the curb. Some of them have all their newspaper neatly stacked in old milk crates or in plastic bags.
I used to scrounge every week for coupon inserts from neighbors, family, the recycling bin, but that got real old. I got tired of nagging and dumpster diving for coupons. So I broke down and order a multiple newspaper subscription and just sit back have them delivered to me. I am now an instructor for Grocery Smarts in the state of Utah and as such I can get anyone who wants it, a discount on the Sunday Papers with a gift card. I pay $.88 for my papers. If I use just one $1 off coupon it pays for itself. To me it’s worth the money for less headache of searching and nagging. If anyone if Utah or the Las Vegas Area wants a discount on the Sunday paper and a gift card let me know! Shoot me an email at aacoupongal@gmail.com.
I used to do the same thing and ask neighbors. It was nice at first because they would just give them to me right away. Then after a couple weeks I had to keep reminding them because they would forget and I would feel like I was nagging. Now I just get them from my mom, MIL and grandma. I wish I could get more copies. Our papers are $2 and I know that I save more than that but I hate having to pay when I know I can get the free from neighbors.
Thanks a ton, Mrs B!!!!!!!!
Something I do with my Girl Scout troop as well is we gather papers from parents who don’t use coupons from the schools, we also have a few boxes at the retirement homes to collect papers there as well. Now, before anyone gets upset we use these papers to send coupons over seas to troops which can use expired coupons up to 6 months old, cut them out for the animal shelter and any freebies such as shampoos or other toiletries we give to the womens shelter, red cross, or the other various terribly in need organizations. Just some ideas for the coupons we couponers don’t use.
Try asking your local retirment home if you can collect their Sunday newspaper!
We get the local paper on Fridays with almost the same coupons as the Sunday one and it’s free. My brother in law is a realtor and the houses for sale that are unoccupied I pick the papers up so it doesn’t get messy for showings. He asked his coworkers if I could do the same for them so in my subdivision I go for a walk for about 2 hours every Friday afternoon and end up with about 20 papers. I get a wrokout and the neighborhood looks nice. Also there are many people who for some reason just don’t pick up their papers and I have asked them if I could have them and all have agreed.