Over the summer, the folks at The Palm Beach Post in Florida realized they had "a very large stock" of aging spadea paper that had to be used fairly quickly. Spadea paper, used for premium advertising that folds or wraps around the front section of the newspaper, eventually ages to the point that it's no good. The unused stock of paper became one half of a special package that also featured premium positioning on the paper's website.

Cost cutting at media companies doesn't have to involve the news product. Several participants in an SNPA video conference in April presented ideas that saved money on everyday business operations.

Keeping the lights on costs a lot less than it used to cost at The Jonesboro Sun in Arkansas. Publisher David Mosesso said the switch from fluorescent light bulbs to LED lights has cut the utility bill by 28 percent, or $1,000 month, and the lighting part of the bill by 68 percent. "It's strictly math," he said.

Mosesso credits his production manager, Roger Brumley, with taking the initiative and being skillful enough to do much of the work in-house.

Lance Moler has taken bargain hunting to a new level at The Edmond Sun in Oklahoma. As general manager, before he replaces a part on the press or the CTP processors he checks eBay.

In the last few months alone, Moler has saved nearly $1,000. He said he's amazed by the markups on manufacturer replacement parts and that while he doesn't find every part he needs on eBay or the local hardware store, occasional dramatic savings are well worth taking the time to search.