{{Short description|Free community newspaper in North America}} {{Multiple issues| {{more citations needed|date=September 2010}} {{primary sources|date=September 2010}} }}
A '''pennysaver''' (or '''free ads paper''', '''Friday ad''' or '''shopper''') is a free community periodical available in North America (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, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, though there are pennysavers elsewhere. Pennysavers are sometimes published by a locally dominant daily newspaper as a brand extension 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 were sold to OpenGate Capital in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=OPENGATE CAPITAL SIGNS AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE PENNYSAVER FROM HARTE-HANKS, INC.|publisher=opengatecapital.com|date=September 19, 2013|accessdate=October 28, 2013|url=http://www.opengatecapital.com/2013/09/19/opengate-capital-signs-agreement-to-acquire-pennysaver-from-harte-hanks-inc/|archive-date=October 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029204022/http://www.opengatecapital.com/2013/09/19/opengate-capital-signs-agreement-to-acquire-pennysaver-from-harte-hanks-inc/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The publication went out of business in May 2015. OpenGate was subsequently sued for not providing proper notice before firing hundreds of employees.<ref>{{cite web|title=PennySaver Goes Out Of Business After 50 Years Without Notice, Shocking Workers|url=http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/05/23/pennysaver-newspaper-goes-out-of-business-after-50-years-shocking-workers-given-no-notice/|website=CBS Los Angeles|publisher=CBS|accessdate=24 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mccunewright.com/assets/news/FILED-Complaint-Benton-v-PennySaver.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2016-02-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807052608/http://www.mccunewright.com/assets/news/FILED-Complaint-Benton-v-PennySaver.pdf |archivedate=2015-08-07 }}</ref>
In May 2016, a group of former ''PennySaver'' employees resurrected the publication in southern California's Inland Empire and northern Orange County.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2016/04/12/the-pennysaver-is-coming-back-nearly-a-year-to-the-day-it-was-shuttered/|title=The PennySaver is coming back nearly a year to the day it was shuttered|date=2016-04-12|work=Orange County Register|access-date=2018-04-25|language=en-US}}</ref>
==In popular culture==
In Donna Tartt's 1992 novel ''The Secret History'', the ''Pennysaver'' is mentioned in Chapter 7.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tartt |first=Donna |title=The Secret History |date=1992 |publisher=Vintage Books |isbn=9781400031702 |pages=402}}</ref>
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 ''The Golden Girls'' episode "Older and Wiser," 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.<ref>[http://goldengirls.zxq.net/epiguide.htm The Golden Girls Forever Episode Guide]</ref>
In the ''Two and a Half Men'' episode "Something Salty and Twisted", Alan Harper (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 the ''Save Me'' episode "Heavenly Hostess", Beth Harper (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, Beth realizes that God placed the ad in the PennySaver to make sure that she has her garage sale on that specific day.<ref>[http://corporate.blog.pennysaverusa.com/2013/06/14/even-god-places-ads-in-the-pennysaver/ Even God Places Ads in the PennySaver] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026032325/http://corporate.blog.pennysaverusa.com/2013/06/14/even-god-places-ads-in-the-pennysaver/ |date=2014-10-26 }}</ref>
In the ''Parks and Recreation'' episode "The Pawnee-Eagleton Tip Off Classic", Ron Swanson (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 (Aziz Ansari) responds, "It's a free circular with a bunch of coupons in it".<ref>[http://corporate.blog.pennysaverusa.com/2013/10/08/the-pawnee-pennysaver/ The Pawnee PennySaver] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026032331/http://corporate.blog.pennysaverusa.com/2013/10/08/the-pawnee-pennysaver/ |date=2014-10-26 }}</ref>
In the ''NCIS: Los Angeles'' episode "Allegiance", when Special Agent G. Callen and Special Agent Sam Hanna (Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J) interview a suspect, they are surprised to find that he is not a threat, but instead an ambitious entrepreneur wanting to get his brand out there with his chosen method, the PennySaver.<ref>[http://corporate.blog.pennysaverusa.com/2014/01/21/ncis-los-angeles-knows-about-the-benefits-of-advertising-in-the-pennysaver/ NCIS: Los Angeles Knows About the Benefits of Advertising in the PennySaver] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028010155/http://corporate.blog.pennysaverusa.com/2014/01/21/ncis-los-angeles-knows-about-the-benefits-of-advertising-in-the-pennysaver/ |date=2014-10-28 }}</ref>
In the ''Young Sheldon'' episode "A Therapist, a Comic Book, and a Breakfast Sausage", Sheldon is taken to a psychiatrist to overcome his fear of eating solid foods. Sheldon's father asks him if he has a coupon from the pennysaver, to save some money.
In the 2011 non-fiction book ''It Chooses You'', author Miranda July interviewed thirteen ''PennySaver'' sellers in Los Angeles.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.pennysaverusa.com PennySaverUSA official website]
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Category:Newspapers published in Canada Category:Newspapers published in the United States Category:Advertising