19 Best Ways to Get Free Sunday Newspaper Coupons

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If you are someone who is always avidly looking to save a bit wherever possible, you are not alone. There are plenty of people searching for deals and coupons to help them pay for their purchases.


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Now, getting coupons from newspapers is a great way to start or continue your journey on coupon hunting, but the question is, “Are there ways of getting Sunday Newspaper Coupons for free?”

Key Takeaways

  • There are many ways to get Sunday newspaper coupons for free, but you will often have to ask people to help you out.
  • Some ways are easier than others to get coupons, but if you are determined, you will be able to snatch as many coupons as possible.
  • There are apps that stores and even companies themselves have that offer coupons.
  • It would help if you were on the ball with coupons; you do not want to miss out by having them expire, so constantly be on the lookout.
  • What are the easiest ways to get free Sunday newspaper coupons?
    There are multiple ways of getting free inserts (see below). The best or easiest method depends on your personal preferences and where you live. People in large cities typically have the easiest time getting extra sets of Sunday newspaper coupon inserts. But, even if you reside in a rural area, there are excellent techniques available to you. Check out the full list below.

Ways Of Going About Getting Free Sunday Newspaper Coupons

If you have been collecting coupons for a while or have just caught onto the trend of searching out coupons, one way you have likely found them is in the Sunday paper. If you have a subscription to a paper, then if it pays for itself, we recommend keeping it as it is worth it; however, there are alternative ways of gaining access to coupons.

Sunday newspaper coupons can save you a lot of money on your annual grocery bill and other purchases. But what if you don’t subscribe to your local Sunday paper? No problem. There are plenty of ways to get those coupons (technically called “inserts”) for free. Plus, if you want to snag some of the best deals, you should try to get several copies of each week’s inserts.

So, before you sign up to get the Sunday paper delivered, consider the suggestions and tips that we will cover in the points to follow. If you are on the hunt for Sunday newspaper coupons but do not want to have to fork out for the whole paper, be sure to read on to find out how you can gain access to these valuable coupons.


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The good news is that there are plenty of ways to get access to the Sunday newspaper (and other coupons) entirely for free. It might take some effort, but if you are set on seeking out to find them, we shall walk you through some ways to get these coupons.

Here are the most effective techniques for getting as many free Sunday newspaper coupon inserts as you want:

Friends, Family & Neighbors

Firstly, ask friends and family or members of your workforce to save any Sunday paper coupons that they do not intend on using. Some people buy the paper purely for updates on the news, and they are not interested in the coupons, in which case you can benefit from the papers that they buy.

Ask a few friendly neighbors if you can have their Sunday inserts. Single people don’t use coupons as often as families use them. So, check around and list nearby neighbors willing to give you their inserts every Sunday. Ask nicely and always thank them when they give you their inserts. 

Get In Touch With Recycling Centers Near You

You will find plenty of Sunday newspaper coupons at your local recycling center. Get in touch with them and find out if you cannot come in and go through the newspapers before they are recycled. They may even separate the coupons from the paper before they recycle them, in which case you can go and pick them up.

There are many recycling centers to be found, and most of them will be willing to help you out. It might mean putting in some spade work by searching through their paper bins, but in the end, it will be worth your time and effort.


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Free “Shopping” & “Community” Newspapers

So-called “Shopper” newspapers are delivered to many cities for free on Tuesday or Wednesday in the early morning hours. They usually contain a complete set of the prior Sunday newspaper’s coupons. Keep your copy and ask neighbors if you can have theirs. Most people throw these things out, so you can often get as many sets of coupon inserts as you want.

Dumpsters

Want to give your kids some exercise? If you don’t mind putting the youngsters to work or doing a potentially dirty job yourself, check out local dumpsters in open, public parking lots. It’s not against the law to dumpster-dive mostly, so have at it. Wear a mask and gloves when diving, and beware of stray animals in the bins. (Seriously, there are better ways of getting free coupons, but we included this one for completeness).

Mailboxes

If you live in an apartment or housing community with grouped mailbox stands, check the trash receptacles and look on top of the mailbox units on Sundays and Mondays. Many people pull the inserts and place them on top of the boxes so others can use them. Or they toss them in the trash. Always be careful when grabbing items from the trash.

Find printable coupons, which can be found online at coupon sites (like Coupons.com, Rakuten and Ibotta) that offer coupons for you to print out and then go and use in-store. There are weekly and even daily coupons made available online from varying sources such as the stores themselves or coupon websites.

They will generally be limited to the number you can print per device, but you get more coupons if you have a few devices. Additionally, it is a good idea to check regularly as the validity of the coupons may expire, so be sure to check when that is and use the coupons before this occurs.

Download Stores’ Mobile Apps

Nowadays, many things are online, and just like you can get coupons to print off the internet, many stores now have mobile apps. These apps sometimes include loyalty discounts, and they will inform you of promotions that are being held. Additionally, they also often feature coupons on their apps, so you will not need to buy the paper but just have a phone.

Download Coupon Apps

On the topic of apps, not only do stores themselves have apps that will help you save on your purchases but there are also coupon apps such as Ibotta, Checkout 51 and SavingStar. There are plenty more out there, and a quick search will bring up various coupon apps that you can download and make use of on your next trip to the store.


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Look At Company Websites And Sign Up For Their Mailing List

Sometimes the Sunday coupons are not sufficient for what you require, and you may be looking for something more specific. For instance, there may be items from a particular company or manufacturer that you particularly like, and you constantly do not find coupons for them in the paper.

Therefore, it is advisable to check the company websites and see if they do not have a mailing list worth signing up for. Most of the time these are tied to reward programs. Some of these companies will inform you when specials are taking place in their online stores, or they may even email you coupons to use when buying their products. Your inbox may sometimes be flooded with marketing material, but you may get something out of it.

Enquire At Local Hotels Or Bed And Breakfasts

Another trick to acquiring these precious coupons is visiting nearby hotels or bed and breakfasts. Many of them provide guests complimentary newspapers, or some will be made available in common areas of the hotel or B&B, such as the lounges. This means that plenty of papers will be read, but the coupons are likely not to be used.

A final thought on this point is that instead of visiting, you call in advance and ask them if they have any available. Some may not take to kindly to your asking, but there may well be others that are friendlier and more accommodating. You can always ask whether they have some old papers or even current ones from which you can extract the coupons.

Look At Local Restaurants Or Eateries

The same thing applies to restaurants and eateries; they may well be a treasure trove of unwanted coupons that people leave behind when they finish their meal. If you are at a restaurant and notice people reading the paper, wait to see if they leave the coupons behind. This may even be the case for the likes of fast-food places so keep your eyes peeled and be aware of anyone with a paper.

See If There Are No Free Local Newspapers That Have Coupons

There may well be local community papers that get delivered, and perhaps you will have to enquire about getting them delivered to you, or they may already be filling up or postbox on weekdays. Many of these papers include coupons that you may also get in the Sunday paper, so they are worth looking through to see if there aren’t any hidden gems available.

If you find coupons in these papers, you may want to check with your neighbors if they use the coupons in their copies. Often people see these papers as “junk” mail, and they either leave them in the postbox for days or simply discard them when they take them into the house. If they aren’t using them, then, by all means, ask if you could have them.

“Dollar” Stores

Many dollar-type stores have racks in the front where they place Sunday coupon inserts. Sometimes these racks get picked clean by Tuesday, so be sure to check them early Monday morning. 

Convenience Stores, Fast-Food Joints & Gas Stations

Convenience stores, fast-food places, and service stations that sell Sunday papers will often give you sets of inserts late Sunday night or early Monday morning before their newspaper seller retrieves unsold Sunday papers.


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When you head to fill up your car at a gas station or your local convenience store, you may well have noted that there are news racks with old papers that were not sold. In most cases, these papers will simply be recycled (at times, they are collected by newspaper carriers), so you are well within your right to ask the station manager if you couldn’t perhaps retrieve the coupons in the unsold papers.

In some cases, they might not be willing. Still, there are certainly some gas stations where they value you as a customer and want you to leave happy, so they will allow you to take the coupons. This leaves them with a customer who is likely to return and with you being able to save on your future purchases at stores.

Always ask the store manager first. Once you find a few stores that let you do this, you can return each week for the inserts.

Ask At Your Local Library

If you frequent the library or not, it is worth noting that many libraries subscribe to either a local or national paper, and this will often include the Sunday paper, which has those delightful coupons in it. The likelihood of them allowing you to take the coupons is generally relatively high, and some libraries even have a donation box specifically designated for coupon donations.

These can be from good Samaritans who are trying to help out people who need coupons, or what you will also find is that people will leave the coupons which they are not going to use in exchange for the types they desire. If such a system is not in place at your local library, consider suggesting it and see if they wouldn’t mind facilitating it.

Get Involved In A Coupon Trade/Exchange Group

A coupon trade/exchange group, whether via physically meeting, mailing, or sending electronic coupons among one another, is an excellent opportunity. Not only to meet new people but a means to obtain the coupons you are interested in while helping others out with coupons you know that you will not be using.

So, for instance, if you have coupons for bread but are gluten intolerant but have a dog and need coupons for dog food, you can swap with members of the group searching for bread coupons. This is an all-around win-win situation where everyone gets something out of the deal.

Visit Your Local Church To Find Coupons

Go to your church or a church in the area and see if they do not have a basket set aside to offer people coupons. Churches are usually caring and generous in this way and are likely willing to help you out. You may also be able to grab a free bible as well.

If, like your local library, they do not offer this, then consider asking them if they could start such an initiative to help you and the other congregation members. Not everyone is flush when it comes to their bank balance, and many people need the help of coupons or otherwise to help them get by.

If You Have Children, Consider Visiting Their School

Many schools nowadays have recycling programs, and if you have children who are attending such a school, or live near one, then, by all means, contact them. See if you can get involved in the recycling process by eliminating the coupons from the papers they may use or receive.

If you have children, this is an excellent opportunity to encourage them about the importance of recycling and how one can utilize that which is at their disposal to their advantage. You will need to get in touch with the school administration, but they will likely be more than willing to offer you the chance to collect the coupons.

Visit Your Local Starbucks Or Coffee Shop

People will often frequent a Starbucks or coffee shop on a Sunday or Monday, and with them, they might have the Sunday paper. They are likely only interested in the article in the paper and not the coupons, often leaving them behind when they leave.

If you show up late Saturday (after the early delivery of Sunday papers) or early on Sunday morning, the shops usually have a bunch of inserts lying around. Ask the store manager if it’s okay to take them, even if you see others walking out with inserts or ask someone you know who works at Starbucks or a similar shop; to be on the lookout for these coupons left on the tables when people leave. Additionally, if you enjoy popping into coffee shops, they might offer the paper for you to read. Speak to the manager and ask them if it would be acceptable to take out the coupons. Maintaining a good relationship with store managers, store owners, and neighbors is wise. You can create a list of regular weekly locations for finding Sunday newspaper coupon inserts. 

We have tried to cover any questions and queries you may have, but just in case, we have included frequently asked questions you may still be pondering.

Is It A Crime To Take Newspaper Inserts From A Neighbor’s Trash?

In most jurisdictions, you can legally take anything from a trash container. We have more information about dumpster diving and more here. However, if you want to maintain a good relationship with your neighbors, don’t pick through their trash without asking them.

How Much Can Consumers Usually Save By Using Sunday Newspaper Coupons?

The amount varies widely, based on several circumstances. However, if you are an avid coupon user, most big-city Sunday papers can cut your weekly grocery bill between $10 and $30. The amount you save depends upon the brands you use and how often you shop for groceries and other items at the stores’ coupons.

Is There A Downside To Using Coupons?

Yes, there is a downside for people who tend to do “impulse” shopping. With coupons, the whole idea is to get you to buy a particular brand instead of a competitor’s brand. So, if you usually buy generic corn but decide to use a coupon for 50 cents off a name-brand product priced much higher, you’re losing money by using a coupon. But, once you learn the art of using coupons strategically, it’s simple to avoid this pitfall and save money on every trip to the grocery store or any other store.

Who Creates The Coupon Inserts?

If your eyes are strong enough to read the fine print, you will see the names of the companies that place those inserts in your Sunday paper. They include Unilever Super Saver, Smart Source, Proctor & Gamble, and Save. Your local paper might include all four, fewer than four, or extras depending on where you live. 

Why Would Someone Want Multiple Copies Of Coupons?

Having one set is good, but having three or four sets is even better. Consider that some of the coupons are BOGOs (buy-one-get-one) or flat-out freebies, like “This coupon is good for one can of XYZ Brand French-cut Green Beans.” Freebies and BOGOs are like cash in your hand, so it’s nice to have multiple copies of the coupons. Also, some retailers, particularly grocery stores, let customers “combine” coupons on certain items, up to a limit of about four. So, if you have four coupons for $1 off a family-size box of cinnamon rolls, you’ll save $4 on a single purchase.

Do All Sunday Newspapers Come With Coupons?

Some Sunday newspapers do not include coupons; however, they generally do for the most part. Additionally, depending on where you live, there might be various Sunday papers with different coupons, so take a look through as many as possible.

Can You Be Jailed For Couponing?

Using legitimate coupons is absolutely fine and highly encouraged, but if you decide to engage in coupon fraud, you may find yourself in some serious trouble. This is a punishable offense, and although the penalties vary between cases, you could be looking at years of imprisonment.

What Is Coupon Glittering?

This is when users of coupons exploit an error wherein the coupon was not coded correctly, so ultimately, they use them on products for which the coupon was not intended. This is a rare occurrence, and if you happen to be aware that you are using a coupon as it ought not to be, we highly advise against this.

Why Bother With Sunday Newspaper Coupons?

You can save a bundle when you carefully use Sunday coupons. Plus, you can leverage the power of multiple sets of newspaper inserts. Try to find a grocery store that lets customers use multiple coupons on a few items, and you save even more. Be careful not to do impulse buying and try to make a weekly grocery list before heading to the store. You can note the coupon items and keep track of exactly how much money you save. 

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