Why not ask the paper concerned how much they pay? A paper in West Wales may pay very different rates to one in Surrey

They want me to fill in the form and choose a round before they will tell me as the amount of papers differ.

It varies each week to according to how many leaflets you need to sort and deliver at the same time and the size of the round. It's not a lot though.

I really don't think it'll be worth it.

Do that then. Decide how much time you want to give it on a weekly basis. Choose your area, houses close together means you can whiz round them and do the job quicker. Big houses with long driveways mean you won't be able to deliver as many in the same time. Will the days you are available fit in with their publication dates? You can always say no thanks if they don't offer you anything suitable.

Don't forget, if it is a regular round you will have to do it in all weathers, have you got waterproofs and decent boots?

If you live in the countryside with villages close by contact the Parish Councils and ask if they have any newsletters they want delivering. I deliver in one village, 400 a time, twice a year, paid £30 each time. I can do it all in a day, but usually split it into two shorter days. I don't do it for the money, the bonus is that I get the exercise. Walking is one of my hobbies.

ilona

The round I want to do is a small newish housing estate of 239 houses spread over 13 cul-de-sacs, all open plan with short driveways. I should be able to do it in a couple of hours. It's published midweek and I usually have an afternoon off from work Wed and Thurs so plenty of time to fit it in.

I was planning on driving to the estate then delivering them on foot but it isn't actually far, prob third of a mile away.

Now you have identified the area you want, the next step is to contact the newspaper and ask if it is available, if it is, ask how much it pays. They won't come knocking on your door, you have to approach them.

ilona

It is available as they were advertising, I enquired and they emailed me a list of the current available rounds.

It's not just the delivery time you need to consider, it's making sure that each paper has the relevant leaflets with it.
I did ask someone round my way what they were paid and I *think* it was about £20 on a good week.

Think in terms of anywhere between 4p and 10p per delivery, if it is any more than 10p/unit I would be pleasantly surprised.

Ask them when you can start. As said, it depends on how many leaflets you need to put in each one, which decides how much you are paid. If you get them delivered to your house a family member could help you with inserting the leaflets inside the papers.

The way I look at it is if you are keen to earn extra money, no matter how small the amount, you will do it. If you don't think it's enough you can walk away. Have you asked them how much you will get?

ilona

Make sure you factor in the cost of travel to collect the newspapers and leaflets if the agent doesn't drop them off at your home.


I applied in my local-ish area but it's rural with strung out villages so wouldn't have been cost-effective for me. The start of the nearest round to me is about 4.5 miles away. As I was on their database though I was asked to stand in for a couple of issues when the regular deliverer was on holiday. I enjoyed doing it but distances involved between groups of houses and the loooong driveways at each house meant it was really hard work and I reckon I barely covered my petrol costs. If I lived somewhere like you obviously do and with a round like you mention I definitely would do it though. Don't hang about too long deciding if you want to do it, these sort of jobs get snapped up pretty quickly.


Local free newspapers aren't delivered in my immediate villages, too far out, and the agent dropped them off at my home as a favour when I stood in. He wanted to talk to me anyway to make sure I was fully au fait with what to do with the leaflets etc. Plus, being paid in cash he had to come round and pay me. Definitely not cost-effective for him as it was several miles out of his way. He said he would definitely employ me again if the rounds I was doing came up permanently but I'd have to make arrangements to go somewhere to pick up the papers each week. He wasn't too keen though especially with the payment situation as it was cash-only and he needed to hand it over personally.

I've applied so I should hear back next week. If it's not cost effective then I'll just drop it but if it's £20 a week I'll be happy with that. It all adds up and it's about making extra money long term that I wouldn't have had otherwise, it's not all about having a minimum per hour rate before you get out of bed so to speak.

If the houses were strung out with long driveways etc like what you had then I probably wouldn't do it but the round I've identified on their available list sound ideal. Some of the other rounds have some streets next to each other then a huge distance than another few streets together which means more walking.

When I did them as a kid (age 13-16) they used to drop the papers off each week and post my wages through the letterbox, but that paper is no longer in existence now and this is a difference company so no idea if you pick them up yourself or if they drop them off. I hope they drop them off.