Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Works-For-Me Wednesday: Free Magazines


Have you ever been tempted by magazines at the check-out counter? Sometimes a picture of an enticing dish (and promised recipe) catches my eye. Or, I might find myself lingering at the magazine's article titles about organization or decorating.

A few weeks ago, I discovered that I can get these magazines without paying for them! My local library lets me check the magazines out. Not only that, they have a free magazine section where where recycled (gently used) magazines are available. I now gather recipes from Taste of Home magazine. I have also gotten some delicious dishes from Better Homes and Gardens and Family Circle. At my library, the current magazine cannot be checked out. So, I can only check out magazines one issue back. I found lots of great Valentine's day ideas in the February 2008 Better Homes and Garden magazine. When I used to get Newsweek, it was rare that I would finish it before the next copy came out. (I am doing good if I am only a week behind!) Now, I am not spending money unnecessarily on magazines. I know many magazines can be viewed online. However, I really enjoy leisurely flipping through the pages. I often keep a stash of magazines in my car so I can check out articles when I have a chance (like when I am waiting in line to pick up my son from school). Checking out magazines from the library (or picking up the freebie magazines) really works for me!





15 comments:

Jill@Barnes Yard said...

I love the freebie section at the library. That's where I hang out at story time :)
PS My mom also buys me People, US weekly & OK every week. I have to be very current on that type of information.

He & Me + 3 said...

I didn't know that...thanks so much for the info. We don't visit the library enough.

Carey-Life in the Carpool Lane said...

A freebie section? I'm going to have to see if my library has that...but in any case, borrowing magazines is a great idea.
I've been wanting to organize a magazine swap with my friends but haven't gotten around to putting it together...

Trisha said...

I also have a stack of magazines in my car for the car pool line!

Dave Roller said...

Great tip, thanks.

More Than Words said...

Oh wow..I didn't know the library did that!!

Buffie said...

You can also get subscriptions to lots of magazines for free. We're at a point where I get new magazines in the mail almost every day and I haven't paid a cent for them. I love it. Right now you can get subscriptions to Woman's Day, Elle Decor, Body & Soul and more. The available magazines are always changing so you have to watch for them, but throughout the year there is certainly something for everyone.

I have lots of posts about free magazines and how to get them, you can check them out here

Eyeglasses & Endzones said...

Ooo...that is a great idea...I am totally addicted to check out mags...I will use this tip to save $$$$ thanks so much for that one!!

Holly said...

I love to check out magazines from the library...my favorites are the ones like BH&G Special Interest. They are about $5 at the checkout...free from the library!

Beth E. said...

GREAT idea! Thanks so much for sharing it. :o)

Michelle said...

I generally have 5-10 magazine at a time from our library! I love that section. Not only for recipes, but also for cross stitch, gardening, fitness, and sewing. I don't know if it's because we're in a 'bigger' city but there is wide range to select from - 3 entire rows. Our library also lets us reserve copies of magazines, books and dvd's online and notifies us when they are available. I use that alot. They have the item pulled and tagged waiting on a shelf - makes it easy to pick up when you're in a hurry.

McCrakensx4 said...

I heart the library!

Anonymous said...

Now if I can just get my kids to be quiet enough so that I can walk through our library! Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment on my one-on-one time with kids posts. Great to meet you!

Niki Jolene said...

Our old library used to have that section, too. I miss it.

:)

Paula @ Organizing Tips For Moms said...

Great tip! Checking out magazines from the library also helps to cut down on the clutter!