A pennysaver (or free ads paper, Friday Ad or shopper) is a free community periodical available in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

(typically weekly or monthly publications) that advertises items for sale. Frequently pennysavers are actually called ''The Pennysaver'' (variants include ''Penny Saver'', ''Penny-saver'', ''PennySaver''). It usually contains classified ads grouped into categories. Many pennysavers also offer local news and entertainment, as well as generic advice information, various syndicated or locally written columns on various topics of interest, limited comics and primetime TV listings. The term is widely used in eastern North America from Ontario through

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, though there are pennysavers elsewhere. Pennysavers are sometimes published by a locally dominant daily newspaper as a

brand extension Brand extension or brand stretching is a marketing strategy in which a firm marketing a product with a well-developed image uses the same brand name in a different product category. The new product is called a spin-off. Organizations use this ...

of their publication and featuring advertisements published in the same style as the parent newspaper. ''The PennySaver'' was a publication distributed in California. Formerly owned by Harte-Hanks, it and its website
PennySaverUSA.com
were sold to OpenGate Capital in 2013. The publication went out of business in May 2015. OpenGate was subsequently sued for not providing proper notice before firing hundreds of employees. In May 2016, a group of former ''PennySaver'' employees resurrected the publication in southern California's Inland Empire and northern Orange County.

In popular culture

The ''Pennysaver'' plays a significant role in the 2007 film '' Juno'', in which the main character, Juno, searches for adoptive parents for her unborn child in the publication. In a Season 6 episode of ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White ...

'', Episode 18: "Older and Wiser," both Rose and Blanche are hired to model for a local pennysaver. The two begin to bicker over who has the prettier face and hands, but the joke is on them: When the pennysaver is delivered, they find out that they appear in an ad for beauty cream—as "before" models. In a Season 3 episode of the CBS comedy '' Two and a Half Men'', Episode 10: "Something Salty and Twisted", Alan Harper, played by Jon Cryer, has a feature article written of him titled "ALAN HARPER: Good Doctor, Good Neighbor, Good Guy." in the Tarzana PennySaver. It is revealed that to be featured in the article he had to buy advertisements in the paper. In a Season 1 episode of the NBC comedy ''

Save Me Save Me may refer to: Film and television * ''Save Me'', a 1994 film starring Lysette Anthony * ''Sauve-moi'' (''Save Me''), a 2000 French film directed by Christian Vincent * ''Save Me'' (film), a 2007 American film directed by Robert Cary * ' ...

'', Episode 6: "Heavenly Hostess", Beth Harper, played by Anne Heche, is told by God that she needs to have a garage sale. After multiple people start showing up to her address for a yard sale that was advertised in the PennySaver, she comes to the realization that God placed the ad in the PennySaver to make sure that she has her garage sale on that specific day. In a Season 6 episode of the NBC comedy ''

Parks and Recreation ''Parks and Recreation'' (also known as ''Parks and Rec'') is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 ...

'', Episode 3: "The Pawnee-Eagleton Tip Off Classic", Ron Swanson, played by Nick Offerman, receives the Pawnee PennySaver in the mail at his girlfriend's residence, which sends him on an overzealous quest to get off the grid. When Ron asks, “Who or what is PennySaver?”, Tom Haverford, played by Aziz Ansari, responds, “It’s a free circular with a bunch of coupons in it”. In a Season 5 episode of the CBS drama '' NCIS: Los Angeles'', Episode 13: "Allegiance", when Special Agent G. Callen and Special Agent Sam Hanna (played by Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J) interview a suspect, they are surprised to find that he isn't a threat, but instead an ambitious entrepreneur wanting to get his brand out there with his chosen method, the PennySaver.NCIS: Los Angeles Knows About the Benefits of Advertising in the PennySaver
In a Season 1 episode of '' Young Sheldon'', Episode 4: Sheldon is taken to a psychiatrist to overcome his fear of eating solid food. While he and his folks sit on the couch Sheldon's father ask him if he has got a coupon from the pennysaver, to save same money. In the 2011 non-fiction book ''It Chooses You'', author Miranda July interviewed thirteen ''PennySaver'' sellers in Los Angeles to create portraits of their surprisingly moving, profoundly specific realities.

References

{{Authority control Newspapers published in Canada Newspapers published in the United States Advertising