Posted by Lending Club :: May 1, 2009 @ 6:12 am

Subscription prices vary, but you can usually get a year’s worth of magazine issues for the cost of between two and three issues at the newsstand. Subscribing seems like an easy choice, but there are less expensive ways to do this in terms of cost and environmental impact.

The first method is to look for promotional pricing that accompanies other purchases you are making. I’m sure you’ve been offered different subscriptions when making purchases at Best Buy. Amazon regularly offers free, or discounted, magazines with a certain type of purchase. I received a one-year subscription to Wired for spending a certain amount on electronics. Note that you should have at least a slight interest in the “free” magazines from Amazon, because you can often write to receive a credit on your purchase for the estimated value of the subscription.

Another option is to subscribe using credit card rewards or frequent flyer points. I prefer the latter. Many airlines have expiration dates on their frequent flier miles. By allowing you to use them towards a subscription, you at least get something of value before the miles become worthless. This is the main method I use to actually subscribe.

A final method is the one I tend to use the most of all: check magazines out of your library. Not only do libraries have a much wider selection of magazines than I would ever subscribe to myself, there is no cost and limited environmental impact, since every borrower reuses the same copy. The only downsides are limited availability and the fact that you can’t dog-ear or tear out pages for reference the way you might with a copy you own. To solve the availability issue, you can read the magazine at a bookstore instead. Many of the larger chains encourage patrons to browse their merchandise, preferably while sipping on a latté.

Magazines are not quite as useful as they were before the Internet. Niche markets, traditionally covered exclusively in magazines, now have wider exposure through blogs and topic-specific websites. Still, magazines add some value. Getting that value for the best price through the most appropriate method will enhance your reading experience.

What is your preferred method of acquiring magazines?