You know those people who read like 10 books a month? Well, that’s me, except I read magazines instead. In fact, I devour the hell out of them. I literally just signed up to 6 new subscriptions and I’m on a high, baby! It’s the best thing to happen to A.D.D. people since coffee ;)
And just like with books, once you’re done reading them, you need another. And another, and another. And for someone who used to not enjoy reading AT ALL – like, I’d maybe go through 1 book ever 5 years – this revelation has been a God send. Especially when I found out you can actually *learn* from them instead of just looking at all the pretty pictures the whole time! (Which is still fun to do, of course) So before you go telling me I’m a fool for “wasting my money” on all of this stuff, at least consider the fact that I’m now a smarter fool, okay? :)
And actually, you’d be pretty shocked at the money I’ve already spent on some of these magazines cuz I used to buy them SEPARATELY at the airport every month last year! Instead of signing up to a subscription like normal people do cuz I enjoyed the thrill of buying them so much on the spot and reading ’em right away. It was like crack to me, and it was less fun if I brought the magazine from home (I don’t know why?). So in reality, I’m actually SAVING a butt ton here. And now that I don’t travel at all much anymore, I’m missing my fix! (And I’ve also ran through all my other four magazines already from the month, boooooo…..).
So what does my magazine collection include, you ask?
- Money ($14.95/year) — My all-time favorite magazine :) Will never get tired of it.
- Kiplinger ($12.00/year) — This one ranks up there too. Pretty much all the money ones do, haha.
Smart Money ($10.00/year) — Same here.Since shut down :(- House Beautiful ($15.00/year) — Just started checking out this one when I kept stealing them from my sister on beach week last year ;) Figured now that I’m getting into house stuff again, it’ll be a good way to keep up my inspiration. And a nice break from all the money reads too.
- Veranda ($15.00/year) — Picked this one up the other week when we had our $5.00 Groupon deal here, remember? That’s 1/3 the original price! Not too shabby… (another good house/pic. book)
- INC ($12.00/year) — **NEW** One of the magazines I kept picking up at $5.00 a pop. So def. worth $12.00 a year! Haha… though when I bought it, it was reduced to $7.00/year?? I must have snuck in before Amazon changed it. If you like businessy type stuff though, you’ll love this one :)
- Entrepreneur ($11.97/year) — **NEW** Another one I’d spend $5 bucks on every other month. Some of our favorite financial/social media guys write for it too! Including our own J.D. Roth :)
GQ ($19.99/year) — **NEW** A bit more expensive than the others, but a nice change from all that money/business/house stuff. This one’s for making me a better manly man ;)- Fortune ($19.99/year) — **NEW** I got back and forth on this one, and probably could have done without this year (I took 2011 off from it), but my fear of running out of magazines to read at night got me to get back on the train again. If I find myself overwhelmed at any point, it’ll be the first to get the chop. Though it is an interesting read.
- Tattoo ($29.99/year) — **NEW** Definitely new! My desire to get another tattoo has been rising every single year since I got my first one 10 years ago. And while I can easily research and scour the web for cool ideas and what not, I prefer it in print to give my eyes a break from the computer screen. I also love the culture behind it all, and actually do read the articles ;) Though I don’t think my wife believes that, with all the half naked girls in them and all, haha…
- Inked ($29.95/year) — **NEW** I freakin’ LOVE the layout and pics in this one – a bit more upscale looking than Tattoo and the other mags, and I can go through them pretty fast anyways. So now we get double the tattoo fun :) (Oh, and the price tags?? Man, they’re high! But considering they go for $8.00 a piece – no joke – it’s def. worth it to me, at least for the first year.)
Overall it’ll cost me $200 this year for over 140+ copies of my favorite all-time magazines. Which I’ll read mostly in-full, and then scan all the others for a nice “word break” with all the pretty images of houses/tattoos/sharply dressed models, haha… it’s a perfect concoction really ;) (Also, I like how I have INC and INKED on there – almost the same word, but with totally different meanings!)
I even have a spreadsheet I keep that tracks all the prices I paid, their renewal dates, *where* I go to pay them (online vs. mailing check, etc), and how long I’ve had them for. I HATE getting all those “You better renew now or you’ll never get these mailed again!!” trick notices they do to get you to re-sign up like 6 months earlier, it’s bonkers. I never knew how much longer I had left, so I started the spreadsheet so I’m always on top of it going forward. And then I found out you can look at the code they put on the notices too, which sneaks in the actual date it expires! Haha… did you know that? It’s always small and black and very hard to notice if you’re not looking for it. And I never even knew you could buy mags on Amazon either! That’s what really sent sent me over the edge last night ;)
So yeah. My name is J. Money, and I’m a total magazine addict. You’ll never find me saying to cut them out of your budget like coffee or TV (I hate those tips!) cuz for some of us they prove to be very very valuable – and fun – things in our lives. We all prioritize differently, right?
How about you? Do you rake in the subscriptions too, or are you more of a book person? Or have you given up reading all together, except for this insanely awesome blog here? ;) I wanna know!
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PS: I’ve picked up the book, “The Intellectual Devotional Modern Culture,” while I await for new mags to hit the mail, and I gotta say – it’s pretty exciting stuff! If you like trivia books, or even modern history for that matter, I think you’ll really enjoy this one. Another great A.D.D. book because every page is a new “summary” of a famous person or place or thing! Haha… You’ll like it.
PPS: Most of those subscription links up there are affiliates. I gotta at least *try* and get my money back if y’all find these helpful, right? ;)
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I’m no expert but these prices look ridiculously cheap compared with magazines in the UK. I pay £30/yr for one monthly magazine (men’s health)…that’s the equivalent of $50! Still a saving off the cover price but jealous of the prices you get. Happy reading :)
That’s not a bad price to pay considering the sheer number you get. We are not big magazine readers. My wife has a couple parenting / baby subscriptions. I have had an Entertainment Weekly subscription off and on for a number of years, but I prefer books, and I rack up the rentals at our library :)
J, Might you consider a subscription to Zinio (or similar) on your Ipad or Android tablet. You can have all those magazines and back issues with you at all times as well as get new issues pushed to your device as soon as they hit newstands. I’m not a tree hugger per se, but I have started to think about reducing paper consumption as a means to be green.
At first when you said how its about $200 for all of your subscriptions my jaw dropped and I wanted to lecture you…
Then I realized I probably spend far more on books every year. Especially since I’m not always patient enough to wait for the book I want to come in paperback. Which means that I easily drop $25-$50 at the book store on hardcover books.
So…. I really can’t judge.
I LOVE to read. I’m kind of dorky/nerdy about it too, though I don’t think people would think nerd when they see me. Friends in high school used to tease me, because if we were at a house party and I saw a good magazine or book lying around, I would just grab my beer, plop on the couch and read.
I read books and magazines. I read magazines on my lunch break and in car rides and books before bed. My favorite magazines are House Beautiful, Traditional Home, Glamour, Real Simple, Taste of Home, Cosmo (though I’m starting to feel too old for that). I really love Psychology Today but don’t subscribe. I think I may pick up Money after your recommendation. Even my 5 year old son gets his Highlights magazine and National Geographic for Kids. I started a book club about a year ago and that is alot of fun. So, I read one book a month for that, mostly fiction. The one we just finished was Room by Emma Donoghue. But, I read alot of non-fiction for myself. Right now I am reading Free Range Kids by Lenore Skenazy. It’s great. It’s basically about how we need to allow our kids the freedom to play and be kids, instead of hovering around them all the time. Skenazy says that the media and pop culture thrive on fear and have blown crime rates way out of proportion so that parents don’t think the world is as safe todays as when we were kids. She says crime rates today are at levels equal to the 60s and 70s when people didnt think twice about their kids riding their bike alone around the block. It’s very interesting, and helping me realize I don’t need to be so anxious. I’m also in the middle of A Stole Life by Jaycee Duggard about her 18 years in captivity. Haunting!
On my nightstand right now are also the pregnancy books and child books. So, I’m in the middle of like 4 books right now! Once baby is born, I will re-read what was a life saver with my son….The Happiest Baby on the Block. You and the Mrs. need to get that one!
A book I think you would love, J. $ is Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. It is a GREAT read about how you can apply economics to anything. He explains real estate sales, drug deals, crime rates, etc., using economic theory. Sway by Ori and Rom Brafman is another great book. It studies why people do such illogical, irrational things when it comes to money, etc. These are my favorite types of books. Ones that take a sociological or psychological look at modern day life. But, they aren’t like text books. They are funny, witty, and clever. Take my advice on those two, you will love them. And, then when you are in Cleveland next time, we can meet up and discuss over beers at one of the local microbreweries here (provided my bambino is no longer in utero!).
I LOVE to read. Let me know of any good books you all have read! Sorry how long this was, but I am super passionate about reading. I think it’s important to continuously educate yourself, and I find myself able to engage better in conversations and know a little bit about many things based on how much I read.
That made me cringe a little, haha! But yes, I probably spend more on books. I used to love magazines, but then I started hating how many ads they were full of. The content kind of diminished while the ads kept packing in.
I pretty much only read magazines when I am flying with the old lady. She buys those gossip mags and they are good for a quick peak on the plane. Other than that, I get most of my material via the internet.
As far as books, I read maybe 5 a year. I prefer non-fiction books, so finding a good read can sometime be a challenge. That being said I do enjoy a good fiction book too. My old lady just got me Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, and I polished that off in two days. It was fun to read the “real” reason behind the civil war.
On subscriptions, at least you realized it is much much cheaper to have them delivered to your door than to pick them up at the store!
I have the problem of going to the library, intending to get one book I have on hold and going home with four more on top of that. Because I am so busy, I usually end up actually reading one (usually not the one I had on hold) and scanning the rest. I even have a master list in my planner of ones I really want to read but had to return. The good thing is in three years, it’s cost me $1.50 in late fines. The bad thing is I work right across the street, so I’m there A LOT.
Can’t go wrong with Money and Kiplinger mags. I get them both. But I mostly read through RSS of about 100 sites including “Sexy Time Budgets” or something like that…
Yep, I’m right there with you! Last I counted I subscribed to something like 10 or 11 magazines. It’s a sickness, Granted, I work in magazines, but still! Worst is, I don’t even read most of them, because I don’t have the time, but it’s really great to have them available.
A recent way I’ve started saving money on magazines is by buying them on my iPad. It’s especially awesome for American magazines, because the cost to subscribe in Canada is pretty expensive, but dirt cheap on the iPad, and they look so good! I’m definitely going to start switching most, if not all, of my subscriptions over as the magazines I love become available. The New Yorker and Wired, in particular, are really awesome on the iPad. I bet GQ would be, too.
FYI, the expiration dates on all your subscriptions isn’t just on the renewal notices, it’s on the mailing label every month. Usually right above your name and address, you’ll see something that says (long series of numbers) and then APR13 or something like that, which means the April 2013 issue is the last remaining issue in your current subscription.
I am also a magazine addict! I love, love, love my magazines. They are truly my guilty pleasure. I mostly read trashy girly magazines. Magazines are for relaxing and not learning for me. Nothing like a day spent by the pool reading about girly stuff. I also am addicted to cooking magazines, oh and fitness magazines. I just spent a fair bundle on magazines through Amazon also.
I am glad to hear someone else has a renewal spreadsheet. They can’t pull the wool over my eyes!
I haven’t bought myself a magazine in probably 10-15 years – it’s safe to say, I don’t remember the last time I bought myself a magazine. Since I’m a college student, the past few years I’ve been able to just walk into the library, plop myself down on a leather couch with a cup of coffee and go to town (lol). Other than that, I usually just read my roommate’s magazines… I hit the jackpot one semester, since I got a roommate who was a Fashion major… we had Vogue, Cosmopolitan, etc. out the wazoo! I don’t think I made it through half the pile.
I LOVE to read, but never spend money on books — the library is my best friend :-) When I was younger, my mom would buy me books but I realized I usually don’t read them more than once (except for my favorites), so spending $15-$20 a pop was kind of a waste. So now, I go to the library probably 2-3x a month. It works out for me.
I guess magazines are not something that are on the top of my “priority” list… everyone’s is different. I don’t allocate money for magazines, but I do have a separate section in my budget for coffee… there is something about going to a cafe and having a good cup of joe that always gets me in the right mood, so that is my guilty pleasure!
Thanks for the article J!
Wow you read a lot of magazines! I probably have around 4 delivered to my house every month.
I’m a magazine addict too. I get a couple of fitness ones, a couple scrapbooking ones, newsweek and a couple food/recipe ones. Keep an eye out and you can get them really cheap since most have special offers on occasion. I get most of mine for around $4/yr. Even ones that are normally much more expensive.
We have our areas where we like to spend a little more on things we love. You really read every issue of all those magazines?? That is so much! I usually buy a FourFourTwo (soccer) magazine if I’m ever at the airport, and it takes me a few months to get through it!
Are you ever going to switch to all digital subscriptions?
I am a magazine addict as well. I get about 10 or m ore per month delivered to my house. I haven’t paid for a magazine in years though. Sign up with erewards.com. Just take short surveys and the money starts adding up which can be used towards subscriptions.
I am more of a book person, but I recently subscribed to an art and culture magazine called Cabinet that is rocking my world. Pricy, but so interesting! http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/
My weakness is walking into Barnes & Noble and finding the European car magazines….. Subscriptions are expensive and the mags are $10 a pop. (And I usually get two or three at a time…. Maybe every other month?)
I tend to flip through, read a little, flip through again and go back to read some more. I may need to break down and get some subscriptions though…. (The magazine Excellence comes to mind! ^_^)
Yeah readers!!
@Adam – Maybe cuz we ship it here from the US? Or is there a UK version? ;)
@Money Beagle – There you go! That’s a damn good idea actually, though I get so impressed with myself when I read a book that I like to keep it and place it into my personal library forever and ever, haha… Plus I always forget what I read and then I can go back and re-pick it up anytime :)
@BE @ BusyExecutiveMoneyBlog – Oh man, no way – I get so tired of staring at a screen all day w/ blogging and everything that the real life paper is SUCH a nice change for me. And plus I like writing in them and ripping out cool stuff, etc. The only problem here is what you mention about lots of paper… I haven’t gotten rid of any magazines in the past 3 years, but I imagine that once I do I’ll either recycle them, or donate to the Salvation Army for others to enjoy. Not as good as never printing them off in the beginning, but I think it’s a happy medium :)
@Emmy – HAH! See that. Plus, how could you get mad at me when I’m learning so freakin’ much over here? ;) Is 100+ magazines of knowledge not worth $200?
@Nicole – “The Happiest Baby on the Block” – got it! I soooooo remember Highlights too! Haha… man those were fun back in the day. And yes!!! Freakonomics! That was the book that got me back INTO reading again – cuz I found something that interested me enough to WANT to read!! Haha… good call for sure, I totally need to re-read it though as I’m pretty sure I never read the ending ;) You better believe I’ll reach out whenever I’m in Cleveland next too, beer & reading sounds heavenly.
@Daisy – The ads are def. a bit too much these days, but I’m pretty good at just ignoring and moving right along to the content. Plus, every now and then I’ll actually ENJOY an ad too, even if I never buy it ;) Some of them are clever!
@Brian – If I were a book man I’d totally pick up that Abraham Lincoln Vampire one too – I heard it was good!
@daydream kate – HAH! That would be awesome to be able to walk to the library though. I’d totally go there every other day just to work from a new place :) My basement is starting to get boring again.
@Nick – Haha, I like it. I used to read a ton via RSS but man my eyes hurt after being on the computer all day long. I would like to catch up more w/ other bloggers again though, I miss reading everyone’s stuff.
@Melissa – HAH! At least I read mine ;) I def. hear the pros on the iPad and what not, but I’m still a huge fan of good ol’ paper. Such a nice break from reading on screens for me… glad you enjoy it though!
@Katie – COOL!! I did not know that, thank you!
@Sandy Webb – Awesome! We’re Mag twins! And you also got me excited for the Summer again, I loooooooove reading them next to the pool…. oh man it’s gonna be nice again.
@Tiffany – Agreed! Coffee and reading are an incredible pair of awesomeness. I will forever have enough money for coffee no matter what ;)
@Michelle – That’s why I’m officially an addict ;)
@Bonnie – Nice! I def. need to be more patient, that’s for sure… usually when I’m in “the mood” though I just go all out and buy them up. Spacing ’em out would probably be better financially at least ;)
@Tyler S. – Soccer magazine? That’s pretty cool – I’d probably enjoy that too, so don’t try and tempt me! ;) Nah, no digital at all for me – I need to escape computer screens as much as I can to give myself a break from it. And you can’t doodle on screens either.
@Virginia Smith – Good idea! I like it!!
@SmartAssetTeam – Ooooh cool! That def. looks interesting!
@Foxie – Haha, that doesn’t surprise me ;) I knew you’d be into them too.
I’m a book person. The few times I’ve gotten a magazine subscription, I’ll read the first couple issues and the rest will wind up sitting on the coffee table till the next one comes in, then go right into the recycling bin without being opened.
Like Tiffany, most of my books come the library. Actually, I’ve switched mostly over to ebooks at this point, so I don’t even have to go to the library to get my reading material.
I subscribe to a few magazines and my favorite one is GOLF. I just cant find the time or want to spend money on a magazine when there is soooooo much free content online. I could spend hours reading your site J or any of the links attached to it. It is more about seeing life through others peoples point of view that I find blogging so interesting. Sure, I gain some useful information I may not have known, but I see it through your eyes.
I grew up in a magazine household – between the four of us the mailman must have been dropping one off every few days. My father had his Army stuff, finance stuff, news stuff and professional stuff. My mother had women’s magazines, Architectural Digest, Home, House Beautiful, other design mags, National Geographic and more. I had some teenage girly mags, lots of books and Rolling Stone, my brother had sports stuff. And, of course, TV Guide.
I always have hoped that my parents tipped the mailman well at Xmas time.
Now I pick up design mags, some cooking ones, Oprah, all occasionally though. I have “paper issues” so, much as I love them, I have to keep it in check. I do periodically go through my design mags, cut out stuff I like, and add them to my design notebook, and recycle the remainder. That sort of feels okay. OK, I love magazines, it must be an ADD quality – “ooh, look, shiny” always gets me!
It’s fun to get a sneak peek into your magazine list. :) We cut out all magazines (I used to subscribe to Shape Magazine and the little one was getting the ChickaDEE magazine for a year), but guess what…? You can get FREE magazines from the library!! In fact, I just brought a giant box of old magazines over there to donate (you can probably do this with yours as well). They have a table with tons of magazines that you can just grab and you never even have to return them! You might want to check out this magical place in your own town to see if it exists. :)
I’m a book person, but will read those magazines in the library. Too bad they don’t people check them out anymore. I like Money, Smart Money, Entrepreneur. :)
I would hope someone wouldn’t deem you as “wasting” your money. If it’s something you enjoy, you’ve obviously consciously thought it through, and have decided this is where you want to spend your money – how could that be a waste?
I only have one paid magazine subscription – I am sheepishly admitting it’s Whole Living. But I will stand behind it since it’s the only magazine I’ve seen to do several-page spreads of what to do with various vegetables, CSAs, green options and they label all of their recipes vegan, vegetarian, etc. ($20/year)
I also have a free subscription to Time Out NY but I’m not sure I’ll renew if I have to pay very much for it (assuming no freebie subscription is around). It’s a nice “add” for events and gallery listings but I’m trying to figure out the max I’d pay for it.
I love magazines, but I’m too cheap to buy them. And books. Too cheap to buy those too. Sort of wish I had hopped on the Groupon train last time there was a big discount sale!
I did buy my son a Thomas the Train magazine for his stocking stuffer, and when my husband saw the price for it he looked at me in horror. Things for kids are such a huge ripoff!
I…… am a magazine whore. No joke. I’m actually in the middle of a decluttering challenge right now, and I have a stack of magazines that I’m putting in the recycling today. Actually, I’m going to add up the cover prices first, because I want to sticker shock myself. I currently have my favourite one on subscription right now (Money Sense – $12/year), and I’ve been telling myself no to everything else. It’s a lot of money, and for some reason I don’t send in the subscription cards. I’m in a similar boat as Adam, except I take offence to the automatic $10-20 they add to the subscription price in Canada. Some of them are even printed here!
You almost had me clicking subscribe on Money magazine! I may well still do it, but “consideration before impulse” as I like to tell myself these days. I’m sure I’ll do it tomorrow though. ;)
I used to get a lot of magazines as a kid, but since I’ve moved at some point every year since graduating high school (I count at least 10 places I’ve stayed at least a month at a time over 6.5 years), it just seemed like a pain to keep track of all of the subscriptions and make sure they were getting to the right place. My RSS feeds are my subscriptions :). Though I do get one free SKI magazine subscription for every year I go to a Warren Miller Ski Movie.
From one magazine junkie to another, there are more tricks to the trade.
001-I goto ALL of the local libraries. Every week, they have very recent and slighty old magazines for sale for .25 each. I buy Money, SmartMoney, INC, Fast Company, The New Yorker, Texas Monthly, Rolling Stone, etc for a fraction of the retail cost.
002-At some libraries, you can check out 50 magazines for 3 weeks.
003-Half Price Books [HPB] and other used book stores are good places to find very recent and slighty old mags for 1/2 price or less.
When I finish reading them, I pay it forward or sell’em back to HPB.
I’m a library ho. To be fair, this means I don’t get to read brand new books right away, nor magazines, but that’s never bothered me. I work in publishing, so I also get to read a lot of mags and books for free :D
But once I’ve gone through em, they’re just clutter, so I don’t care to buy them.
Total magazine addict and seriously cheap, so I use up Delta, Continental and American frequent flyer miles to fund my habit.
Pretty sure between those three you can get Fortune, GQ, INC, Entrepenuer and Money at about 800-1500 miles each. Technically, you can only subscribe once with these deals, but I’ve been using pseudymns to re-subscribe for the past two or three years.
I am with you on the magazine thing! I also use frequent flier miles to get free subscriptions (though I do pay for some I can’t get that way) and mainly get cooking mag such as Martha Stewart Living, Bon Apetit, Cooking Light, Food and Wine, etc. I wish I could get as good deals on kindle subscriptions as I can on print. I love the whole magazine experience on the kindle fire – little videos pop up, you can click on links and it will open a browser, you click on a headline and it takes you right to that story – it’s pretty sweet.
I am pretty intense on recycling magazines as soon as I have read them because I can’t stand the clutter of them piling up.
I’m a magazine junkie too but less specific than your taste. As long as I have a good mix of fashion, health, money or decor, I’m pretty content. I basically do surveys or redeem expiring airline miles to get magazine subscriptions. I’ve gotten Real Simple, Self, Health, Men’s Health, Smartmoney, Allure, Martha Stewart just to name a few, over the years. I’ve even gotten free subscriptions to Dwell and Whole Living for purchasing from certain retailers (these were not highly advertised; there was a small ad on their website page and you had to email them with your completed shipment invoice).
And I always “recycle” by sharing with other magazine junkies at my work!
I’m obsessed with magazines too! I think I have 10 or so subscriptions, mostly to women’s, fitness, and home decor magazines. It is just a way to relax for me, and I make sure to leave some at my gym for others to enjoy or recycle them instead of just throwing them away.
I am a total book nerd! I try to go to the library every week to get new ones because if I don’t I just keep rereading whatever books I have over and over.
J, I have you beat! At any one time, I am subscribed to at least 25 magazines. Cassie, I am like you, I am a Magazine Whore and have been since I was a little girl. However, I am a Frugal Magazine Whore since I get at least 75% of them for FREE. This is an excellent video that I saw 2 years about getting FREE magazines http://www.dailyfinance.com/blog/2010/07/23/watch-me-score-free-magazines/.
I get the following paper mags: Inc, Cigar Aficionada, Entrepreneur, Tennis, Brooklyn, Ski, Smart Money, Robb Report, WSJ, Horse Illustated, Working Mother, Maxium, Women’s Day, Entertainment Weekly, Car & Driver, Natural Health, BusinessWeek, Bridal Guide, Martha Living, Kiplinger’s, and Technology Review. Then, I get at least 6 digital mags such as Spa, Organic Spa, etc. It’s too many to keep up!
It looks like I’m not alone in this magazine hoarding!! Keep your comments flowing! :)
@Edward Antrobus – I have 5 ebooks sitting on my desktop computer just waiting for the magical day I check them out… I don’t think it’s ever gonna happen – I hate staring at screen so much :(
@Christopher – Ooooh, are you trying to turn me on, sir? Haha… but yeah, I totally get ya. That’s why I love blogs too – just wish I could read them on paper as well, esp when I read before bed.
@Carol in Mpls – Haha yes!! I have a “design notebook” too, though currently it’s a book w/ like 100 ripped out pages waiting to be added to it ;) I’m thinking a binder might be a better route – just stick ’em in there and move on… Also, you reminded me that my grandparents ALWAYS sent us National Geographic subscritions growing up – I never read them!! But now, looking back, I totally wish I did :( They just wanted us to learn about our world and all we cared about then was video games and baseball cards… harumph.
@Mrs. Money Mustache – WHA?? You can take them and not return? Haha… are you sure you’re not stealing? ;) If so, that may most def. be a good idea… take some home, and return others I don’t like? Though I really do read every single one I get, so that would be hard. I could surely donate them there though – I like that idea a lot, thx!
@retirebyforty – You have good taste, sir ;)
@jesse.anne.o – Whole Living? Never heard of actually, but sounds useful! And you’d be amazed of the people who hate when someone doesn’t spend their money the same way they would – some people are quick to judge ;)
@Kris @ SimpleIslandLiving – Oh great, is this something for me to look forward to w/ our wee one? You’ll have to teach me your tips! :)
@Cassie – I wish you lived closer so I could take some of those mags! Haha.. I love reading other people’s ;) Also, Money Sense?? How could I miss a money mag?? Is it Canadian based?
@Ten Bob Millionaire – HAH! You’ll make much more than the $10 or $15 or whatever on it, believe me. And if not, you’ll learn a crap ton that you can use for intelligent party conversations ;)
@Kristin – Moving would def. make that hard, haha… Were you in a military household growing up? I moved 28 times before I WAS 28 but finally settling down a bit. Though, not by my own choice (stupid housing market).
@blackwax – Really?? That is incredible! I seriously need to re-check my library then, I would have never guessed that… there’s no half priced books around here I don’t think though :( I love used book stores!!
@eemusings – Haha… can I call you that from now on? Library Ho?
@Jeff – REALLY??? Hahhaa.. omg that’s good. And you know what? I think with Amex I could use my points towards Amazon which I could then use to get these mags too! $hit. Where were you a cple days ago? ;)
@Anna @ Good Cents Savings – You too? Two commenters in a row w/ mileage use for getting mags – you two are geniuses! (And magazine pile-ups are the only ones I kinda like, which is bad!)
@oilandgarlic – Dwell! Yes, I like that one too. Forgot about it :)
@Kelsey – Awwww, that’s a good idea – so nice of you :)
@Katie – Man, yeah you are! Every week?? That’s hardcore. I like it :)
@Mistress Susan – Holy crap!! Haha… you totally beat me!!! Cigar Aficionada?? Oh, you are good my friend. Why doesn’t that surprise me either ;)
@J.Money Yes, Money Sense is Canadian based. It was actually rated Canada’s #1 magazine for 2011. In terms of retirement they do talk RRSP&TFSA rather than 401K and the like, and the tax advice is based on our system, but they also do a great job of analysing stocks and mutual funds in both Canadian and American markets. They have a website where you can read the bulk of their articles (http://www.moneysense.ca/), but if you want their charts and analysis I believe you either have to buy the magazine or pay to download it.
I have about 4 magazine subscriptions that include Veranda, Architectural Digest (it’s ‘spensive too!), Fortune and Essence…3 I got for free.99 (the best kind) and 1 as a gift (glad to say that was the ‘spensive one!)…how? every year I use my credit card points to give gifts cards or mag subscriptions, and sometimes I gift myself :-) I know, credit cards…hiss, but used responsibly I get to use points for great freebies :-)
But more than 4 mags and my organization OCD kicks in and I hyperventilate! Remedy: I have a 3-ring binder (an organizer’s best friend) that I use to rip and 3-hole punch my fave pages from mags to flip through at my leisure stashed in one nice, neat place. Pages are saved and grouped by categories like “tips” “great articles” “recipes” “decorating ideas” etc.
Fellow Mag Addict here:) But nowadays, I never pay full price for any subscription or do auto-renewal. Too many bloggers and reliable online sites, give you deeply discounted subscription rates. Same thing with the newspaper.
My nose has been in a book since I learned to read. I am never not in the middle of a book…if I find myself without a new one, I re-read an old favorite. So I read every single day. And I go to the library often and come home with about 30 lbs of books. :) At least, it feels that way as I am walking home!! My mind boggles when people that say they don’t like to read. I mean, I get not having time to read, but not liking it? I can’t even imagine what my life would be like! So I am happy you are reading more. Well worth $200. :)
Magazines are great, too. They are expensive in NZ, though–$10 to $15 an issue, or more? I ONLY allow myself buy them in the US, and ONLY in the airport or before traveling long distances–so, about twice a year or so.
Also? I read magazines backwards. Every. Dang. Time. I don’t know why I do that but for some reason it takes me a while to get into them, and the stuff in the back helps to ‘hook’ me as it is usually more entertaining, quick and visual than the meaty stories in the rest of the ‘zine. Crazy.
@Nicole, I find it hilarious and awesome that one book you’re reading is about how we need to let our kids run free and the other is about someone who had something horrible happen to them as a kid, each book seemingly contradicting the other! I totally agree that it would be awesome to have more trust in the world for kids–they are way too sheltered and are missing out on a lot of good experiences and non-damaging bad experiences that they could learn from earlier on.
I only get BusinessWeek and am about 2 months behind on my reading because I have been too busy reading blogs. Because I don’t subscribe to that many magazines, I never really thought about getting them on Amazon. It might be worth a look.
J. Computer screen? I won’t read anything over 5 pages on the computer. e-ink readers like (non-tablet) Kindle, Nook. Sony Reader, and Kobo use a technology that simulates a book page. Take ’em out in broad daylight and they’re clear as day. And basic versions are only $100 these days.
@Cassie – Oh okay, cool. Maybe I’ll try and order a few copies and add it to my addiction list? Hehe… I’ll keep ya posted if I do ;)
@E-MoneyHoney – Haha, I love it. And also credit cards! There’s no shame in using them wisely and to your advantage like that, I totally budget using my two ;) Keep workin’ it girl!
@Tameeka M. – Yeah, that’s the one thing I need to work on more actually – signing up once I come across these huge deals rather than all at once like that… only problem is then you have to wait for them to come up (and notice them) to take advantage, but I can certainly start trying more. Great idea :)
@Sense – I DO THAT TOO!!! I start every single magazine from the back, and move inward! Haha… we are awesome ;) I just do it cuz I find the stuff in the back always more interesting, and I like reading shorter/picturey columns first before the more meatier ones. Go us!
@cashflowmantra – I’d like to try out BusinessWeek again actually, it’s been a while and I think I’d enjoy it.
@Edward Antrobus – I still prefer paper ;) I just love the aura of it all. Kinda like coffee shops – I’d always rather buy coffee there and hang out than at home.
Dude! I can hardly get through two magazines and the Wall Street Jounal each month. I guess I’m just a slow reader.
To add on to the frequent flyer mag idea, I use Coke points. A lot of people throw the bottle caps and box lids away, but I collect them and save up to get some neat gifts and magazines from their site.
Hey J,
Army brat here, re-moving: 1st grade, 3 schools in 2 different countries.
Design Notebook Idea: put in those pages for photographs, create collages, and you’ll definitely see your style(s) emerge. I was really sick with the whooping cough one year, and passed my time by cutting out pics from all the accumulated design mags and putting them in the big red notebook. And now I can leisurely browse through it whenever I want to go to design fantasyland. You can always add pages for more fun!
Buddy: Tell me that you bought these subscriptions through a cash-back shopping site…? I just checked Mr. Rebates and it’s giving 25% cash-back on titles ordered through Magazines.com.
If not, then remind me to sit you down at the Financial Blogger Conference, sign you up for Mr. Rebates (through my referral link, naturally) and run a few sample deals for you.
With the $50 you’d save per year you could buy even MORE magazines….like Parents, American Baby, etc.
Your favorite nagging auntie,
Donna
What a list to make me feel like an uptight, pretentious douche! I subscribe to the Economist, Atlantic Monthly, Harpers, N+1, Newsweek, Time, Entertainment Weekly, Wine Spectator, WSJ, Baltimore Sun, Entrepreneur (I actually don’t like this magazine) and I still read 2-3 books a week, most of which are classics.
J. Find somebody with a reader. Spend 5 minutes with it outside. It looks like paper.
@Long – Oh cool, I didn’t know you could do that? And honestly – I’m a slow reader too. But mags make it much easier for me somehow :)
@Carol in Mpls – Haha, nice. I went to 3 different high schools, and states/countries, during high school – it was wild :) Def. harder to stay still now that I’m older though!
@Donna Freedman – Haha, no – I did not use a coupon place though I did get some deals on Amazon ;) I give you permission to school me next time we re-unite.
@too funny – HAH! At least you’re honest w/ yourself ;) Crazy about that number of books though – jeez. That is awesome man.
@Edward Antrobus – Okay, I will. But you still can’t rip out pages and or doodle on them ;)
I of back & forth. It’s a sine wave of many/few over a course of months or years.
And don’t even get me started on “The Economist”. It comes every week. The first few weeks of the subscription I’m all happy, like a kid with unlimited candy. Then it starts to backlog, and – well, I can’t recycle it because there’s all that international news I should be reading. And it’s well-written and all. And important. And not cheap. So I collect it and power through it on long business trips (reading a month at a time, like I did this past week flying X-country). Eventually that doesn’t even work. And as it piles up I start to feel resentful. Then I feel terrorized. Eventually I cancel my subscription. Relief! Blessed relief! Then six months or a year goes by and I am really missing it, so I sign up again. I am at mid-point of that cycle now.
I’m a medium-heavy magazine subscriber. I get The New Yorker, The Economist, Dwell, Indian Currents, Sunset, and one trade journal. And I think I’m about to sign up for Vanity Fair again. At one point I had another 4 magazines on top of this, but I’ve cut them out. And yeah, The Economist’s days are numbered…
Haha, at least you know yourself well! That’s hilarious though – I used to get that way too, but it helps working from home when you can sneak them in anytime you wish ;)
I’m an addict too!! I have about 7-8 subscriptions I got all FREE when my US Airways miles were about to expire. I read INC, Fast Company, Harpers, Lucky, Outside, Economist, and New York magazine, which I LOVE even though I live in California. I really love Coastal Living for home inspiration, but it wasn’t on the free list. I used to get Bon Appetit and I would make about one recipe every 3 months…I just like to see the food pictures, but now we have blogs for that!
@BudgetsAreSexy No, I stayed in one house until I was 18. Then my parents moved right after I graduated HS and we were in a long-term stay hotel for a month before moving into the home they are in now. I was in 4 different dorm rooms over undergrad, 4 internship summer stays at various places (usually about 10 weeks each), a year with roommates after undergrad, and now a new place for grad school. Now granted I didn’t change all my addresses for an internship program, but it didn’t make sense to have a subscription forwarded to either my parents or a temporary address over the summers.
@American Debt Project – Haha, there you go! Definitely smart way to “spend” your miles in my book ;) Haven’t read much of New York magazine, but I’d imagine I could get pretty addicted to that one too. So I’m not going to, haha…
@Kristin – Ahhh, yeah that makes sense. I miss internships too, actually. I think I’m gonna find a field I really want to learn about, and then just see if I can make my own internship, haha… it’s the best way to learn, right? :)
OMG Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake on the same Magazine Cover?!?!? All it needs is Jay-Z and my imaginary perfect threesome comes to life!
HAH! I’ll do my best to make that happen for you one day ;) Maybe for your 50th party. (Would you still like them when everyone’s older and wrinkler?)