Free ways to get your magazine fix
A reader, Shannon, left a comment on this entry where she said she cancelled her magazine subscriptions because she can get a lot of the same information online. While this is true, let’s say the most exciting articles in your favourite magazine aren’t posted online. How can you get your hands on them?
Check your local (or not so local library)
I hope you’re lucky enough to live in a city with a good library because it is one resource that I don’t think I could live without: not only do libraries carry the latest books and cds, but it is also a great place to go to get away from it all. My local library has slackened its rules but one thing that hasn’t changed is the fact that it’s still a quiet place to go to (just stay away from the children’s floor if you’re seeking tranquility!).
Most libraries have a lounging area, and near this area is the latest issue of most magazines. If you have a couple of hours to spare, get thee to the library and flip through some helpful magazines, pen and notepad in hand if needed. If you’re not interested in the very latest issues of magazines, older issues can be signed out.
Ask someone
Just because you’ve cancelled your subscription doesn’t mean your friend or coworker has! Tell them what magazines you’re interested in and ask if they would mind passing the magazine on to you when they are finished (either permanently or as a loan). Even if they don’t subscribe to the magazines you desiret, maybe they know somebody who does.
“Borrow” from the doctor’s office
Depending on the hipness of your doctor, he or she may subscribe to a variety of magazines, and not just a magazine depicting interesting new ailments. You are almost guaranteed a wait in the doctor’s office: take that time to check out what magazines are available, and catch up on your favourite magazine this way. If the receptionist doesn’t seem particularly busy, you might even be able to get him or her to make a photocopy of a particularly memorable article for you. If all else fails, you can always take the magazine home and bring it back the next day.
With these methods of getting your hands on your favourite magazines, you’re not only saving money, you’re carving out some dedicated time to relax with a magazine. If you do this at the library, you can make it a weekly or monthly thing. If you get the magazine from somebody who wants it back, you will again have to set aside time to look it over. And what better way to forget a potentially distressing doctor’s appointment, or calm your aggravtion over long wait periods than by reading a magazine?
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