Newspaper Subscriptions

I have been taking the paper for almost 4 years. What's funny is that my husband had to convince me to subscribe. He wanted it for the Church News (in Utah that's the only way to get it). When I didn't want to fork over the money, he appealed to my frugality by suggesting that I could use the coupons (smart man!). I'd always shopped bargains, but I had never used newspaper coupons. I was doubtful, but agreed. Fast forward 4 years... I'm the main reason we take the paper!

Some of you have asked questions about newspaper subscriptions that I'll address here:

Do I need to subscribe to the paper? Yes! Newspapers are a great way to get a lot of coupons for very little money. Occassionally I will buy a paper (or 2) from the newsstand (when that week's coupons are especially good), but most of the time home delivery is much less expensive. And it sure is convenient to have it on your doorstep!

How many papers do you take? I get 3 Sunday papers. That is just about right for me. If you are serious about couponing, I'd suggest at least getting 2. I actually renewed today and the customer service rep said that you can only get 2 of each. (I've had 3 Deseret News before, but whatever.) So, I will be getting 2 Deseret News and 1 Tribune.

What kind of subscription do you need? Sunday papers are the ones with the coupon inserts. So, a Sunday subscription is sufficient if you are subscribing solely for coupons.

Do they all have the same coupons? This will vary depending on your location, but I'll answer for Utah papers. The Deseret Morning News and the Tribune have the most coupons. Often, you will get identical inserts from the smaller papers as well (ie: Standard, Herald Journal, Daily Herald, etc). However, frequently the inserts will vary a little. You will get the same insert, except for 2 or 3 coupons. Less often (I'd say 3 times a year), you will completely miss out on an entire insert. These are usually the best inserts, unfortunately.

Edit: As of August 2009, RedPlum inserts are being delivered by mail. They are no longer included with most Sunday papers in Utah. The only exceptions are the Provo Daily Herald and St George Spectrum. Smart Source and P&G are still included in every paper.

How do you get the best deal? Don't pay full price for the paper! The regular price of the Deseret Morning News is $96 for 26 weeks. If you call and ask for their best deal, you will likely get it at half price (at least).

The Deseret Morning News/Tribune has a special for new customers-- $39/year for a weekend (F, Sat, Sun) subscription (ask for code 52/39). I actually got really lucky and I only pay about $15/year. If you watch for those specials, you might be able to get a really good deal too.

I would also suggest paying for 6-12 months if you have a daily subscription. It will often get you a better deal than paying by the month. Another reason to do this, is because the paper may raise your rate. When we first subscribed, we were on a 12-week payment plan. Each time the bill would come it was high. I would call them to say that I wanted the lower rate back. They would lower it, but I got sick of calling! When we started paying a yearly fee, it was sooo much easier and actually cost less per paper. Now, when they raise our rate each year, it's only 1 call to request a better rate.