How to Find Coupons In the Newspaper

Hint: Not every newspaper offers the same coupons.

coupon woman
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The Sunday newspaper has always been one of the most popular resources for grocery coupons. Depending on where you live, there may be more than one newspaper, and not all newspapers will carry the same coupons.

Before subscribing to the local Sunday paper in order to get coupons, it is helpful to compare all the available newspapers and look at the coupon inserts. Different newspapers can be found at any newspaper stand or store, the local library or any large public place such as an airport or hotel. Even your favorite coffee shop may have more than one newspaper lying around for the customers to read.

The Sunday newspaper is usually stuffed with national printed inserts filled with both manufacturer and stores' coupons, and the national grocery ads along with retail sales inserts. The mid-week newspapers often have a section just for local grocery shopping. This is where your local stores advertise coupons and weekly specials.

Advertising Inserts

There are three major companies which provide advertising inserts with coupons to most newspapers.

  • SmartSource: Generally advertises in the Sunday newspaper every week.
  • Valassis: Inserts can be found often every other week.
  • PGBrand Saver: Look for the PGBrand Saver usually at the beginning of each month.

Missing Inserts

It is not uncommon for the coupon section of the newspaper to turn up missing. This is because the inserts are slippery and not attached to other parts of the newspaper and can easily slip out while en route to your house. If this happens, a call to the newspaper delivery department on the same day the paper is delivered is worth the time. Ask that they deliver another paper with all the advertising inserts or just the weekly ad inserts.

Buying Multiple Copies

On some days the newspaper coupons are like gold in that there seems to be a lot of coupons for the products we buy. On days like that, it could be worth it to purchase multiple newspapers, just to get the coupons. If, for example, the newspaper cost $1.50 and there are $6.00 in coupons that you know you will use, it is worth it to go buy additional copies. Doing a little math will help the decision process.

Tip: Some stores discount the price of newspapers late in the day. Asking store employees is the best way to find out what the policy is on old newspapers.

Buying Out of Town Newspapers

The advertising inserts you see in the newspaper are usually designed for different regions of the country or county. The coupons offered in your paper may not be the same as what is offered in my paper. Therefore, buying out of town Sunday newspapers can be a good resource for finding coupons not normally designated for your area.

This is not only good for building a more diverse collection of coupons, but it can also save more money because many times grocery stores do not mark down items that coincide with the local coupon inserts. By collecting coupons from other areas, we might find more items on sale which we can match with the coupons we find in out of town newspapers.

Other Sources for Newspaper Inserts

  • Neighborhood Recycling Bins: In areas where the laws permit it, many couponers will walk the neighborhood in the evening when people place their newspaper recycle bins on the curb. One man's trash can become a coupon clipper's treasure, but be sure to check the laws for examining other people’s trash in your area first.
  • Public Places: Look for abandoned newspapers in public places such as airports, hotels, waiting rooms, commuter trains, coffee houses, and restaurants.