You Don’t Need a Newspaper, Part Two
September 19th 2006 05:44
Yesterday, I covered how you could replace the content of the newspaper: Local and National News, Sports, Opinion, Business News, Weather, and Lifestyle sections. But we didn’t cover ads.
Some of you may be wondering why we’d need to replace ads. Most of us are up to our gills in ads of all sorts. Well, certainly we don’t need to replace Get Rich Quick/Work from Home Scam newspaper ads, but for many the classifieds are an essential part of life: It’s where you find a car, buy a house, or get a job.
As for the cheap catalogues liberally inserted in the newspaper, who needs them? Why should I care if I don’t get the hundreds of ad papers that come bundled with the newspaper?
Good question. A lot of people use these ads to find bargains. They may ask, “How do you know if your local store is having a sale?” Some people take the newspaper for these reasons alone.
Classified Ads:
Depending on your area, your newspaper’s classified section may be almost completely available online and just as easily searchable as if you had it in your hand. Of all sections of the paper, classifieds are the one that makes the most sense to post online, as the way newspapers make money off of their classified ads is by being able to get them before as many eyeballs as possible.
In addition, Craig’s List is a free online classified site that’s customized to your area. It has become common for people to post cars they’re selling on Craig’s List. I’ll discuss Craig’s list more in a future post.
If you’re looking for a job, Monster.com and Hotjobs.com are great free sources. If you’re looking for a house, Realtor.com allows you to do a MLS search right on their website.
There is one exception to my general rule about not taking the newspaper. If you’re looking for a job, getting at least the Sunday paper is essential. While the world is becoming more wired, not all potential employers have caught up. It’d be boneheaded to save $15 (or $5 or $6 for Sundays only) a month on a Newspaper subscription while missing out on a job that could pay more than what you end up getting. Sunday’s paper is important because it usually contains the largest number of jobs and sets the agenda for Monday job seekers.
Advertisements:
Now, for reasons that I’ll go into in my next post, I don’t think the “sale mentality” is particularly wise or frugal, but there’s a very simple way to find out if your favorite grocery store is having a sale--go to their website! At Albertsons.com and Biglots.com, I can read the local fliers for these stores. Why pay money for someone to market to you when they’re giving the material away free on their website? Most have their ad leaflets available at the store as well.
Not taking the newspaper can be a tough transition, but I’d urge you to give it a try. Put your toe in by going to Sunday only and use the online resources I’ve talked about and you’ll find you’re getting the same (or even better) information and you’ve got a little more money in your pocket at the end of the month.
Some of you may be wondering why we’d need to replace ads. Most of us are up to our gills in ads of all sorts. Well, certainly we don’t need to replace Get Rich Quick/Work from Home Scam newspaper ads, but for many the classifieds are an essential part of life: It’s where you find a car, buy a house, or get a job.
As for the cheap catalogues liberally inserted in the newspaper, who needs them? Why should I care if I don’t get the hundreds of ad papers that come bundled with the newspaper?
Good question. A lot of people use these ads to find bargains. They may ask, “How do you know if your local store is having a sale?” Some people take the newspaper for these reasons alone.
Classified Ads:
Depending on your area, your newspaper’s classified section may be almost completely available online and just as easily searchable as if you had it in your hand. Of all sections of the paper, classifieds are the one that makes the most sense to post online, as the way newspapers make money off of their classified ads is by being able to get them before as many eyeballs as possible.
In addition, Craig’s List is a free online classified site that’s customized to your area. It has become common for people to post cars they’re selling on Craig’s List. I’ll discuss Craig’s list more in a future post.
If you’re looking for a job, Monster.com and Hotjobs.com are great free sources. If you’re looking for a house, Realtor.com allows you to do a MLS search right on their website.
There is one exception to my general rule about not taking the newspaper. If you’re looking for a job, getting at least the Sunday paper is essential. While the world is becoming more wired, not all potential employers have caught up. It’d be boneheaded to save $15 (or $5 or $6 for Sundays only) a month on a Newspaper subscription while missing out on a job that could pay more than what you end up getting. Sunday’s paper is important because it usually contains the largest number of jobs and sets the agenda for Monday job seekers.
Advertisements:
Now, for reasons that I’ll go into in my next post, I don’t think the “sale mentality” is particularly wise or frugal, but there’s a very simple way to find out if your favorite grocery store is having a sale--go to their website! At Albertsons.com and Biglots.com, I can read the local fliers for these stores. Why pay money for someone to market to you when they’re giving the material away free on their website? Most have their ad leaflets available at the store as well.
Not taking the newspaper can be a tough transition, but I’d urge you to give it a try. Put your toe in by going to Sunday only and use the online resources I’ve talked about and you’ll find you’re getting the same (or even better) information and you’ve got a little more money in your pocket at the end of the month.
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