15 Places to Get Free Newspapers (For Reading, Packing, & More)

It’s nice to know of the best places to get free newspapers for several reasons, which I’ll discuss below. Luckily, there are several places you can check that may be able to provide you with free newspapers.

In this article, I’ll share some popular places you can check to get free newspapers for whatever your needs are.

How to Get Free Newspapers

Print newspapers aren’t as abundantly available as they once were. Back in the day, pretty much everyone had a newspaper delivered to their home daily.

The internet changed everything, and now it’s a bit harder to find print newspapers. While many people simply browse online to get their daily news, newspapers are still needed for various uses.

Of course, you can get free newspapers to read. In addition, free newspapers are a wonderful tool if you’re packing away valuables in preparation for a move or storage.

I like to get free newspapers so I can clip the coupons they have in them (which reminds me: check out our Complete Beginner’s Guide to Couponing) and save money on rising grocery costs.

Newspapers are also a great gardening tool for making compost or mulch for your garden.

As you can see, there are a few reasons why it might be important for you to know how to get free newspapers. Check out our list of where to get free newspapers for whatever you need.

1. Hotels

Hotels often provide newspapers as a courtesy to their guests. When guests check out, newspapers are left behind in rooms, lounges, waiting areas, and more.

Check with hotels near you to see if you can have leftover newspapers to take home. That leaves the cleaning and management staff with less to clean and gets you your free newspapers.

If you need newspapers regularly, you may even be able to work out a deal with management where they set old newspapers aside, and you can come to pick them up daily or weekly.

Certain times of the day might be better when picking up free newspapers from hotels. For instance, staff may encourage you to come to get your newspapers when the cleaning staff is out and about.

Check with management staff for more information on when to get your free newspapers.

Note: Higher-end hotels are more likely to provide free newspapers to their guests. Go to mid-range and up hotels before checking out the cheaper motel-type businesses if you want free newspapers.

2. Grocery Stores

Grocery stores don’t often provide newspapers just to give away. However, if they have newspapers to sell, they may give them away once they’re a day old.

Hint: Finding newspapers at big box grocery stores such as Walmart and Target may be more difficult.

However, stores that specialize in and focus on groceries may offer more opportunities for free newspapers.

Think Giant Eagle, Kroger, Publix, Food Lion, Safeway, Save a Lot, and similar store chains. And don’t forget to check out your local grocery store retailers.

Grocery stores like these tend to add a more personal touch to their business, and as such, they offer newspapers for sale more often. That means more access to outdated or no longer needed free newspapers.

3. Colleges and Universities

Colleges and universities near you are other options for potentially getting free newspapers.

As education centers, colleges and universities often provide print newspapers for students and faculty, whether intended for class use or simply as a benefit that helps people keep up with current events.

Given that larger universities often have a student base of tens of thousands, the need for print newspapers is quite large.

That means a local university could be a one-stop shop for your newspaper needs.

Start by checking at your local college library. Then, have them direct you to other places on campus where you can find free newspapers.

Note: Remember to also check out your local high schools. Teachers often use print newspapers for classroom assignments.

4. Nursing Homes

While it may seem odd to think of going to a nursing home to ask for free papers, you may find an abundance of them available at nursing homes.

When my grandmother was in the nursing home, I often walked through common areas to find residents reading print newspapers.

Many nursing homes and assisted living facilities provide print newspapers as a service to their residents. Providing newspapers helps residents keep up with daily news, enhance brain activity, keep busy, and more.

Check with local nursing homes and assisted living facilities to see if they would be willing to share outdated print newspapers with you, whether on a one-time or a regular basis.

5. Coffee Shops

Coffee shops are another great place to get free newspapers. We all know coffee shops are some of the best places for relaxing and reading.

As such, coffee shops such as Caribou, Starbucks, and Tim Hortons often provide newspapers for patrons, whether to sell or give away.

And patrons often leave the newspapers behind when they’re finished with them. Coffee shops that sell newspapers might have some leftovers each day.

Check both chain establishments and local small business coffee shops to ask about getting free newspapers. For the best results, stop in near the end of the business day (but not too close to the end).

6. Drug Stores

Drug stores are another avenue for getting free newspapers. Both local drug stores and chain pharmacies, such as Walmart, CVS, and Thrifty White, often sell newspapers.

They may also have newspapers in the waiting area by the pharmacy counter. That way, customers have something to do while waiting for a prescription to be filled.

Check out a drug store’s waiting area and the area by the pharmacy counter and ask about getting free newspapers that they no longer need.

Or ask if they have a recycle bin in their back room where they might store newspapers while they wait for recycling day.

7. Convenience Stores

Convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and Macs typically offer daily papers for sale. When the day is over, the day’s newspapers are no longer needed.

Check with convenience stores near you to ask if they wouldn’t mind giving you leftover newspapers for packing, gardening, couponing, and more.

Be sure to pick up the Sunday edition if you want newspapers for the coupons. Sunday editions of newspapers tend to offer the most coupons for readers.

Then go to your local grocery store and save, save, save on your next grocery purchase. Or to make saving money even easier, check out these popular coupon apps for Android and iOS.

8. Recycling Centers

You might not think of going to a recycling center for free newspapers, but think of how many newspapers a recycling center could have!

Since many trash hauling companies and citizens use recycling centers to dispose of newspapers, this could be a gold mine for free newspapers!

Go to Recycle.org to find recycling centers near you. Before you go, I suggest calling local centers and asking if you can pick up some free newspapers.

Many recycling centers are very customer-centric and will gladly help you out by giving you free newspapers on occasion.

9. Local Libraries

It’s not uncommon to have libraries subscribing to a variety of daily print newspapers to provide extra reading material for their patrons.

However, all of those newspaper deliveries stack up. While I’m fairly certain that libraries make an effort to recycle the newspapers patrons no longer read, I’m betting many branch locations wouldn’t hesitate to hand you a stack of them for free if you asked.

Libraries, like other venues, probably aren’t being paid to recycle their newspapers. So what’s the harm in giving a pile of them to inquiring citizens?

Feel free to ask your library’s clerk if the local branch subscribes to newspaper delivery. If they do, ask if they wouldn’t mind setting aside the number of newspapers you need for gardening, packing, and more.

RELATED: 10 Ways to Get Free Newspaper Coupons

10. Family, Friends, and Neighbors

When I was a kid, my parents always stored all of the daily newspapers in a box in our basement. I’m not sure why they did that, but they did!

And I have to imagine they’re not the only ones. You may be able to find a family member, friend, or neighbor with a hoard of old newspapers in their basement.

Or you may be able to find someone you know who will simply give you their daily newspapers when they’re finished with them.

Don’t hesitate to ask the people you know if they have old newspapers you can use for packing or for whatever purpose you have.

11. Post Your Request on Marketplace Sites

You can also use marketplace sites such as Facebook to spread your request. Craigslist is another option, as are sites such as OfferUp.

Just post your offer to pick up old newspapers for free from others in your area. This actually might be considered a service for some people who have been storing newspapers.

You might be helping them by reminding them they don’t need all the newspapers they’ve been saving.

It can be a win-win situation. You can help them declutter by taking their old newspapers, and you’ll get the newspapers you need for free.

12. Local Newspaper Printers/Distributors

Another potential option for getting free newspapers is to contact newspaper printers or distribution centers.

These kinds of companies throw newspapers into their recycle bins for many reasons.

Newspaper distributors and printers might throw away newspapers for various reasons, including printing overages and printing errors that render them unsaleable or damage them.

Call your local newspaper printers or distribution centers to see if they have any newspapers they’d be willing to let you have.

You might be surprised at the answer and at how many free newspapers you can score this way!

13. Hair and Nail Salons

This may seem odd, but my salon always has newspapers and many People magazines. If you go to a salon, you probably know how long it takes to get your hair and nails done.

Salons are known for having a waiting room with reading materials. This is a great way to find a paper and get caught up on the local news.

14. Car Dealership and Auto Mechanics

Does your car need some work done? Most car dealership service departments and auto mechanics have a waiting room. The waiting rooms have newspapers and magazines to help you kill time while you wait.

Over the week, these newspapers may pile up and perhaps be used for other needs, such as oil drip pan liners, to help with cleanup.

Feel free to stop in and ask. I am sure they have a few extra papers to share.

15. Airports

Where else do people hurry up and wait? Airports. Between travelers and workers, airports certainly have newspapers left over.

Airports have newsstands. Many travelers pick up their daily news and read it while they wait. Considering many people’s travel plans cover half a day, most people will toss their paper into the trash or recycling bins.

A huge airport most certainly has newspapers ready for you to pick up.

Where to Read Newspapers Online for Free

What if you don’t want physical newspapers for free? What if your goal is to find free newspapers so you can read the news?

You’re in luck because several websites will allow you to read some or all news articles for free. Here are some suggestions.

The New York Times

The New York Times will allow you to view a certain number of articles for free when you subscribe to a free account.

Note that a regular subscription, which allows you to read all of the Times’ articles at any time, is only $1 per week, but that price must be paid annually.

Also, if you access an article through a NYT news feed, such as on Twitter or Facebook, you can read the full article without a subscription.

The Washington Examiner

The Washington Examiner will allow you to read any online news articles for free. You don’t need to subscribe or provide them with your email address.

Local Newspapers

Many local newspapers around the U.S. offer free viewing access. This list of free newspapers from Wikipedia can help you find some free newspapers.

However, we also recommend looking for free online newspapers in your area with a simple internet search. You might be surprised at how many options you have.

Summary

There are several places you can go to get free newspapers. Although it may take some hunting, print newspapers still exist and must be disposed of when readers are finished.

Use the resources above to get free newspapers for packing, gardening, and couponing.