h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Most newsagents when I did a paper round (the news was still carved on stone tablets in them days btw - very heavy, and very difficult to fold and push through letterboxes ) expected you to work 7 mornings each week, although the one I worked for had an interesting system. He had about 12 paperboys and papergirls from Monday to Saturday doing rounds which lasted 30 - 40 minutes, but on Sunday he amalgamated the rounds, and had three kids come in and work for two to three hours doing four rounds each. You could make more on Sunday morning (21/-) than you could all week (15/-), and if you worked both, you were living it large

Even though it was 30 years ago, I could still take you around my route, although I doubt that I could remember *all* of the drops.

Yeah my rounds were always divided into weekdays and Sundays - and Sundays were always the best earners. I did a free weekly paper round as well - but didn't get anything like the £5 - £15 the article mentions. More like £4 if you were lucky.

I grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA where we called them "paper routes". I started around age 12 or 13 and worked up to assistant manager by the time I left for college at age 18. This was about the only way to earn a regular income at that age. It was a twice daily route for the "Daily Oklahoman" (morning) and the "Oklahoma City Times" (evening) with a single large paper on Sunday morning (all the same company). So seven days a week with maybe 70 houses on the route. It was a grind most of the time, especially having to collect from most subscribers every month, whihc took several evenings - but if I had it to do over again, I'd do it the same way. Besides the money, it was a way of getting out of the house and having adventures with some "interesting" people in and around the "paper station", a metal building where the truck brought the bundles of papers. Quite an experience.

My dad did a rural paper round, and he used to go in early to mark up all the papers for all the rounds when I was a kid. Because of this I used to do holiday cover, so I could earn money in the summer. I missed all the rain and cold.

But we had to do 7 days a week, although there were often less papers on a Sunday, they were heavier.

My brother used to earn 75p a day helping my dad, and he got to go round in a car.
I am talking about the early 80s though.

I also did holiday cover for my big brother but the round is mine but as soon as i trun 16 my little brother will take over