Local Paper

Coupons are money waiting to be spent elsewhere. Today's technology allows people to download coupons from the internet at sites like coupons.com, and apply them at stores. Often though, internet coupons aren't targeted at the items you might purchase frequently and they require a bit of "shopping around" online to make sure that you find the coupons you're after.

Another problem with online coupons is that they don't necessarily cover local stores. After all it costs money to print a coupon online and many smaller, local businesses, are often scared about embracing technology when they can't see the results. On the other hand, the big guys in the grocery store world can afford to experiment with new technology. Kroger and Proctor and Gamble are currently testing out digital coupons. If you traditionally shop local, it may be difficult to find coupons online.

Local shoppers may have a friend in town that's been overlooked: your local paper. Sure, it's never that good at covering the international news. It's finance section is lacking more than 2/3 of your portfolio. But when it comes to coupons the local paper is King. Businesses often run on a trial and error basis. If something works, they keep doing it. Advertising in the paper using coupons is something that works, and although there are fewer Americans buying the paper than before, it's a tradition store owners are not parting with anytime soon.

Spending $1 to save $2 is an investment easily seen. Spending a few dollars on a newspaper for coupons usually has its rewards as well. Let's look at some of the ways of making this work.

• Traditional Subscription- This means that you get the paper seven days a week. You'll be able to keep up on Dilbert, Snoopy, Zits, and everything going on with the Family Circus in addition to catching those mid-week coupons. When talking to the sales rep at your local paper be a tough sale. Initially their job is to offer you the paper at the full price, but you may qualify for discounts that knock the price down to as little as $5 a month. You should get a discount for being a 'first time subscriber.' Some papers offer student discounts (have the K-12 kids in the house sign the form), military discounts, and a variety of other offers.
• Weekend Only Subscription- The majority of coupons are in the weekend papers. If you don't want the clutter kicking around your house of 5 extra newspapers a week and care more about the environment than what's happening to Charlie Brown, you're certainly in good company. Getting the weekend only option is a very popular way to maximize your investment in the newspaper, and could save you several dollars from a daily subscription.
• News Stand- In some places the Sunday paper can cost upwards of $2.50, but may still contain more than that in savings. Before committing to any subscription it's wise to buy a few days worth of the paper at the news stand price, that way you can research what's really out there. After all if the paper's full of coupons for diapers, and you've got teenagers, it doesn't do you much good.
• Multiple Subscriptions- If you know you're saving money on the paper keep track week by week and ask yourself if you could benefit from having more of the same coupons. If you can, then add an additional subscription to your service. Again, be a tough customer when trying to sign up. Even though you already get the paper they've still got deals that may apply to you, but they wont tell you without asking.
  

Tracking your savings is good advice. If you're a coupon clipper you're probably trying to stay within a budget. Tracking what you save using coupons from the paper is more work, but it's also a really solid way to pat yourself on the back for doing a good job.

An accountant working from home kept track of her savings with coupons throughout the course of the year. She realized that she could save more with several subscriptions to the paper. At the end of the year she was proud to report that she had saved $676. For a family of three that's not very big shoppers to begin with the newspaper turned into an excellent tool. Not all of us are accountants, but we can all understand that turning $15 into over $600 and getting to read Baby Blues is a solid investment.

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