How do you get your coupons? I've been struggling in my mind whether its worth it to buy a lot of newspapers to get a consistent supply of coupons. Another blogger has an offer to get the Sunday paper for 0.50 each. I already get two papers delivered to my house, but one is the crappy St Pete Times which does not distribute the Smartsource insert. But DH likes that TV guide better, otherwise I'd cancel it. Then a couple people bring me their inserts to work and I can get a couple SS inserts that way.
Then on Monday nights, I go recycling with DH and the dog. Usually I can walk about 6 blocks and pick up about 10 copies of the inserts. But in Tampa, since January when SPTimes quit carrying the SS insert, it means I only get half the usual count, about 4 or 5. I could walk around another block but I've canvased the neighborhood and its not really productive to go off my route. It also seems as though more people are cutting coupons than previously. There are houses where I always used to get the insert, and now they're not in the recycle bin. So I can get my 10 RPs, but I'm lacking in SS.
I do check the insert on Sunday mornings to see if I REALLY need a coupon in SS, but then is it worth buying a paper for $1? For example, this past weekend there is a Texas Toast crouton coupon for 0.50. These go on BOGO a couple times a year and then the coupon makes them really cheap. They also go on Advantage buy. Since we eat salads for lunch every day, we go through a bag of croutons every week, so I need to have a lot around. In fact, I need to get some this week with the new coupon. But I only have 6 copies, plus a few printables of same.
So is it better to suscribe to more papers or buy coupons? I've only bought coupons once. I got 20 of the $4 knox coupons for 0.40 each, when my supply ran out. I was hooked on that easy overage, after months of phazyme and knox - I'm going crazy now. Anyway, I'm thinking it may be better to skip getting the extra 6 papers each and every week for a cost of $156 dollars a year? Or, should I just spend a few bucks every so often when I really need some coupons? Will I spend up to $156 each year buying coupons - because that's what getting all the extra papers is essentially.
Whats a couponer to do?