Well the cheapest magazines you can find are the ones you can check out from your local library and read for free.
But there are some magazines that are worth keeping around…magazines where you’ll be cutting out recipes or saving articles…or that will be read and re-read.
For instance, I enjoy reading “Family Fun” magazines. Four years ago I bought a four year subscription on eBay. I do not remember the cost but it was less than $20 – I’m thinking it was $10. Right - $10 for a 4 yr subscription on a monthly magazine. This magazine has craft and game and family ideas – so my 8 yr old has always enjoyed looking at it too. And she re-reads the copies until they are dog-eared. So for us this is a magazine worth buying a subscription to – as long as we can continue to get it for just about free. $10.00 divided by 44 magazines (I think they combine the Dec/Jan issue) works out to about 23 cents per issue. I just saw a 4 yr subscription to this magazine on eBay for $3.78 - less than a dollar per year.
Now now all magazines are this cheap - others might be $10.00 for a year, which also isn't bad if you generally are spending $4.00 per issue retail.
How can magazines sell subscriptions so cheaply? It’s the advertising in the magazines that pays for the publishing of the magazine. Sure they’d love to make a lot of extra money by selling you a year subscription for a lot more money - but if they can't sell it to you for retail, they'll sell it to you for something.
I have bought numerous subscriptions on eBay for myself and for gifts. Take heed though. Out of all the subscriptions I’ve bought – about 2 “went bad”. The seller looked legit but then before I even rec’d one magazine – the eBay seller closed up shop. No refund from the seller. No help from the magazine. In spite of this – I think it’s worth the “risk”.
I try to only buy from eBay sellers with not only high feedback rating – but lots of feedback over a long period of time. If I have success with one seller – then I try to order my next subscription from him too.
For more Frugal Friday tips - go visit Crystal at Biblical Womanhood.
But there are some magazines that are worth keeping around…magazines where you’ll be cutting out recipes or saving articles…or that will be read and re-read.
For instance, I enjoy reading “Family Fun” magazines. Four years ago I bought a four year subscription on eBay. I do not remember the cost but it was less than $20 – I’m thinking it was $10. Right - $10 for a 4 yr subscription on a monthly magazine. This magazine has craft and game and family ideas – so my 8 yr old has always enjoyed looking at it too. And she re-reads the copies until they are dog-eared. So for us this is a magazine worth buying a subscription to – as long as we can continue to get it for just about free. $10.00 divided by 44 magazines (I think they combine the Dec/Jan issue) works out to about 23 cents per issue. I just saw a 4 yr subscription to this magazine on eBay for $3.78 - less than a dollar per year.
Now now all magazines are this cheap - others might be $10.00 for a year, which also isn't bad if you generally are spending $4.00 per issue retail.
How can magazines sell subscriptions so cheaply? It’s the advertising in the magazines that pays for the publishing of the magazine. Sure they’d love to make a lot of extra money by selling you a year subscription for a lot more money - but if they can't sell it to you for retail, they'll sell it to you for something.
I have bought numerous subscriptions on eBay for myself and for gifts. Take heed though. Out of all the subscriptions I’ve bought – about 2 “went bad”. The seller looked legit but then before I even rec’d one magazine – the eBay seller closed up shop. No refund from the seller. No help from the magazine. In spite of this – I think it’s worth the “risk”.
I try to only buy from eBay sellers with not only high feedback rating – but lots of feedback over a long period of time. If I have success with one seller – then I try to order my next subscription from him too.
For more Frugal Friday tips - go visit Crystal at Biblical Womanhood.
2 comments:
I love magazines, and used to read quite a few each month. I gave up on some because it just got to be too expensive. But checking eBay is a great idea--I never thought to try that.
I love Family Fun magazine and bought it for years even after the kiddos left home.
I don't know too much about buying from ebay - well, really nothing! But I'll go have a look. Can't beat that price. :-)
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