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AIBU?

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Original poster

Paper round pay?

86 replies

Paperound · 03/01/2025 19:03

My DC has just got a paper round job.

It's £13

But we don't know if that's per day (about 45mins to 1 hour delivery round) or per week!! (DC seems to think it's per week from what was said at 'interview' last week, and I also think, sadly, it's per week!)

Anyone have recent experience and knowledge of what the going rate is?

Thanks!!

(AIBU to think, if it's £13 a week, that's a bit exploitative!!? My DC is very keen and thinks this is a lot of money! And if that's the rate, is very fine with it!! But as an adult I realise that for an hour a day, it's peanuts!!)

(DC will be getting up early every day before school in all weathers! Getting to the shop to collect the papers is quite time consuming, and then getting home after the round will take longer (as they end up further away at end of round!). There aren't many houses to deliver to, but they r quite spread out!! So it will take about 2 hours all-in probably, from leaving home to getting home again!)

OP posts:
oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 20:26

Paperound · 03/01/2025 20:23

👍👍👍

(I'm holding out hope that it's £13 a day! But i do think that it is just a week! Not a lot round here to choose from! It's this or nothing at the moment I think! But DC is brimming with optimism so we'll see how it goes! ;) )

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£13 a day sounds quite generous, as way above minimum wage, but it's a really good start, and good that he/she has been so keen on earning own money.

Maybe the next Sir Alan Sugar?!

Original poster
Paperound · 03/01/2025 20:26

oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 19:52

That's a terrible rate of pay- My brother had one in 1986, it took under an hour, and he got £4 for one day a week! {a weekly paper} - London though.

Edited
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Maybe same place DC will be working for!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Paperound · 03/01/2025 20:24

2025willbemytime · 03/01/2025 19:47

In 1986 I got 20p a day!

Ahhhhh!! 😃

OP posts:
oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 20:24

ScottBonnet · 03/01/2025 20:15

Yup, definitely. GS said that some houses have pots or boxes for the weekend papers as impossible to get them through letterbox.

One house gets him to take their small rubbish bag to the bin each week. Gave him a miserable fiver Christmas box! Not happy!

He used to deliver to a care home and sometimes given sweets or chocolate from a couple of the residents. He doesn’t mind the early mornings and says he’s happy to deliver papers so customers can read with their breakfast. Bless him 😊

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He sounds lovely!
I really do think Mr P is correct.. Kids who do paper rounds tend to be ''Good eggs''.

Original poster
Paperound · 03/01/2025 20:23

oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 19:44

Well, my son had a paper round- and Mr P. the newsagent had a theory that his past papergirls and boys all were successful, they had drive and nous, rather than just wanting to be handed money by their parents.

I think he may be right- My son isn't a millionaire {yet!} but he has his own house {mortgage} and works diligently.

Good luck to your son, and hopefully the pay will be better than £13 a week. {Can he find another newsagents in that case?}

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👍👍👍

(I'm holding out hope that it's £13 a day! But i do think that it is just a week! Not a lot round here to choose from! It's this or nothing at the moment I think! But DC is brimming with optimism so we'll see how it goes! ;) )

OP posts:
oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 20:22

2025willbemytime · 03/01/2025 20:13

I only delivered in streets near where I lived and it wasn't that hilly. The worst was Sunday when I had twenty or more steps up to each house and I had to go up and down as didn't dare cut across. I used to go to sleep in my clothes as it was so cold and hard getting up in the dark.

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Oh yes! I remember the houses that had long garden paths that one had to tediously go up and down the paths- where one could cheekily climb over the low fences if one dared...I got told off once for doing this, so never dared.
Wintertime was horrible, the alarm ripping one from sleep when one had just closed one's eyes.

Mornings were much colder back then- and heating les efficient. Climate change.

I think the newsagent was exploiting his Papergirls and boys if he was paying you all so little.

Redwinedaze · 03/01/2025 20:16

Well done for your child getting a job, it’s teach so much in terms of timings, resilience, dealing with public face to face, organisation and budgeting, sounds like a great start.

ScottBonnet · 03/01/2025 20:15

oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 20:00

Sunday papers weight a ton!
Plus mean little letterboxes - the ones with 'bristles' to keep out draughts we called ''Fanny letterboxes'' and they were a total pain..

Lovely when one found houses with large letterboxes.

A little dog waiting to savage the papers sometimes happened.. One thing..we delivered in a wealthy area - yet the large 19th Century houses gave less of a Christmas Box than people in the more modest homes.

Some people were incredibly generous.

Show quote history

Yup, definitely. GS said that some houses have pots or boxes for the weekend papers as impossible to get them through letterbox.

One house gets him to take their small rubbish bag to the bin each week. Gave him a miserable fiver Christmas box! Not happy!

He used to deliver to a care home and sometimes given sweets or chocolate from a couple of the residents. He doesn’t mind the early mornings and says he’s happy to deliver papers so customers can read with their breakfast. Bless him 😊

2025willbemytime · 03/01/2025 20:13

oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 20:06

It still seems to be a bad rate of pay...and probably very hilly as well?

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I only delivered in streets near where I lived and it wasn't that hilly. The worst was Sunday when I had twenty or more steps up to each house and I had to go up and down as didn't dare cut across. I used to go to sleep in my clothes as it was so cold and hard getting up in the dark.

Radiatorvalves · 03/01/2025 20:13

That’s about what I was paid…. In the 80s.

Comportment · 03/01/2025 20:12

It was that price 30 years ago. Is the newsagent about 80 years old?!

oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 20:10

Paperound · 03/01/2025 19:10

It's 5 days!

They r 13!

They would die of embarrassment if I went anywhere near the shop, let alone talk to the staff on their behalf!! They wants to handle it all themself!! (and they seem happy with £13 a week!)

(Just using 'they' to triple check anonymity and not reveal gender! because 'they' really wouldn't want me posting on here if there was anyway they would be identified! They r way too cool for their mum to be involved in helping them in anyway!!)

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Your son or daughter sound really driven and independent..Well done to them!

PaperRing · 03/01/2025 20:10

I did a paper round in South London from about 2007-2011; originally £15 per week but went up to £25 per week (when some more houses were added!). This probably took 45 mins - 1 hour each morning (on a bike). I did Monday - Saturday.

£13 really doesn't seem like very much!

oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 20:06

2025willbemytime · 03/01/2025 20:02

Mine was Yorkshire.

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It still seems to be a bad rate of pay...and probably very hilly as well?

oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 20:04

GinandTonic24 · 03/01/2025 19:54

I was paid £30 a week in 2007-2009. 5 days a week, after school. That was directly from a distribution company though, rather than a local newsagent. Round took roughly 1.5 hours (but that was walking as couldn't ride a bike and balance the bag!)

Agree, Christmas tips were the best!

One Sunday, windy and wet, my Sunday load - Observer and Sunday Times, mainly {needing two trips back to newsagent} slipped off my bike rack and into a gutter.

I delivered them anyway, and the newsagent was cross, as so many customers complained that their papers were wet and gritty.

People who took the Daily Mail and 'Sun' tipped the most.

2025willbemytime · 03/01/2025 20:02

oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 19:52

That's a terrible rate of pay- My brother had one in 1986, it took under an hour, and he got £4 for one day a week! {a weekly paper} - London though.

Edited
Show quote history

Mine was Yorkshire.

oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 20:00

ScottBonnet · 03/01/2025 19:44

Pretty sure it’ll be a daily rate if the round will take that long. My godchild does a paper round each morning - approx 22 papers, which takes 20-25 minutes home-to-home. Plenty of time for shower and breakfast before leaving for school. Papers are heavier on weekends and a few more houses. Earns total of £52 per week.
Mon-Fri - £6 per day
Saturday - £12
Sunday - £10

Weight of weekend papers would mean delivering 1/2 and returning to the shop to collect and deliver the rest. Parent drives them on a weekend to save time.

During school holidays they sometimes do double round and earn £105 per week (other round has more papers on a Saturday so is a bit more money).

Definitely check if it’s a daily rate. If not, you could ask at the Post Office if they need any paper boys/girls, or to go on their waiting list. Lots of my GS friends do rounds and is how he got the job. Christmas is his favourite time as always gets approx £200 total Christmas Box from customers.

Sunday papers weight a ton!
Plus mean little letterboxes - the ones with 'bristles' to keep out draughts we called ''Fanny letterboxes'' and they were a total pain..

Lovely when one found houses with large letterboxes.

A little dog waiting to savage the papers sometimes happened.. One thing..we delivered in a wealthy area - yet the large 19th Century houses gave less of a Christmas Box than people in the more modest homes.

Some people were incredibly generous.

GinandTonic24 · 03/01/2025 19:54

I was paid £30 a week in 2007-2009. 5 days a week, after school. That was directly from a distribution company though, rather than a local newsagent. Round took roughly 1.5 hours (but that was walking as couldn't ride a bike and balance the bag!)

Agree, Christmas tips were the best!

oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 19:52

2025willbemytime · 03/01/2025 19:47

In 1986 I got 20p a day!

That's a terrible rate of pay- My brother had one in 1986, it took under an hour, and he got £4 for one day a week! {a weekly paper} - London though.

oakleaffy · 03/01/2025 19:50

Edit: Definitely the Christmas Box is lovely! {If your son posts papers completely through the letterbox and is on time every day, this pays off at Christmas! }

I remember my paper round with nostalgia- in the lashing rain they weren't fun, but on a summer's morning they were lovely.
Dogs...He meeds to be careful to NEVER put his fingers through the letterbox to push papers through.

A postwoman had her hand badly savaged by pushing letters through a letterbox {the ones with bristles to keep draughts out, but make it hard to push papers and letters through.}- a Golden Retriever dragged her hand in- I heard it happen, the screams, and she needed surgery on the deep tears in her hand.

Dogs are more of a concern nowadays, I think.

I liked my paper round, and loved the money!

ilovesooty · 03/01/2025 19:49

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 03/01/2025 19:25

Mine started testing video games for money at 13….there is a hub for it now called playtester.

No cycling in the dark on icy roads for pennies.

Well at least the OP's child is getting fresh air and exercise. They seem to be independent and have a great work ethic too.

Justwingingit2005 · 03/01/2025 19:49

Paperound · 03/01/2025 19:03

My DC has just got a paper round job.

It's £13

But we don't know if that's per day (about 45mins to 1 hour delivery round) or per week!! (DC seems to think it's per week from what was said at 'interview' last week, and I also think, sadly, it's per week!)

Anyone have recent experience and knowledge of what the going rate is?

Thanks!!

(AIBU to think, if it's £13 a week, that's a bit exploitative!!? My DC is very keen and thinks this is a lot of money! And if that's the rate, is very fine with it!! But as an adult I realise that for an hour a day, it's peanuts!!)

(DC will be getting up early every day before school in all weathers! Getting to the shop to collect the papers is quite time consuming, and then getting home after the round will take longer (as they end up further away at end of round!). There aren't many houses to deliver to, but they r quite spread out!! So it will take about 2 hours all-in probably, from leaving home to getting home again!)

My DS had a round 4 yrs ago. Took him 20 mins, roughly 30 papers, he got £5.50 per round. £13 for 5 days seems very low.

LucyG43 · 03/01/2025 19:47

£15 a week for Monday-sun mornings and quick round after school Mon-sat 30 years ago so would expect it to be a lot more these days

2025willbemytime · 03/01/2025 19:47

In 1986 I got 20p a day!

iamwhoeverisayiam · 03/01/2025 19:45

unlikelychump · 03/01/2025 19:43

Surely he misheard and if us £30 a week?

It's not going to be £30