by Steven Gomez

Created on: October 29, 2008   Last Updated: August 27, 2009

Magazine subscriptions can put a drain on your budget, even when you receive a per-issue discount. But there's no need to pay for magazine subscriptions, when you can read up on your favorite magazines by doing any of the following:

- Go to the bookstore and read them there: Major book retailers pack their magazine stands with current issues of dozens of magazines and journals. Most bookstores also provide seating throughout the store or a cafe where one can buy a drink and read their materials there. Take advantage of a nearby book retailer, get your fill of the latest issue, and you can put it back when you're done without paying anything. Of course, if you find you really like the issue, you can buy it anyway. But, this way, at least buying the issue is optional, rather than required, and you know when you buy it whether you really wanted it or not.

- Go to the library and read them: Most libraries keep current copies of all popular magazines, plus some niche magazines. Check the library catalog, browse their magazine selection or ask the librarian about availability. Most libraries won't let you check out the materials but you can read them in-house during business hours. One advantage libraries have over the bookstore: libraries archive copies for up to 1-2 years. So if you missed something from a prior issue or want to look up an article from several months back, you can still access that back-dated issue.

- Read articles online: Nearly every magazine maintains a website on which they post recent and archived articles from their print magazines for your reference. These websites are typically free of charge to access, though these magazines may charge a fee to access some of these articles on the web, giving it a name such as 'premium content'. Major magazines don't freely offer all their content on the web, because they need to give readers some reason to purchase from them. Typically, you need to get the print edition to read certain feature articles, but the rest of the magazine's content is online.

However, as mentioned above, even when you need the print edition, you usually don't need to buy the magazine to read it. You can go to the bookstore or library and read it there.

Also, some magazines may post exclusive content on their website that can't be found in their print editions. The printed magazines themselves may even refer readers to their website to read this exclusive content. Also, online articles can include hyperlinks to other articles and resources that aren't included with the print edition. So there can also be a bonus to reading a magazine's articles on the web, as while a magazine may not post all their articles on the web, their websites also include bonus content.

The easiest way to save money on magazine subscriptions is not to bother with them. We have various resources around us that allow anyone to read current magazines free of charge. Take advantage of these resources and lighten the load on your budget.

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