One of the best money-saving tips I live by, and suggest to others, is to subscribe only to the magazines that we actually read. I’m guilty of continuing to pay for magazines that do nothing but collect dust or act as a drink coaster until I finally get sick of the clutter and cancel it. Then, out of guilt for being so wasteful, I go through them all and pull out the few pages I really want to keep.

Then I ask myself why I have all of these magazines in the first place. I mean, why do I continue to get them when I don’t read them anymore? Well, it’s because I haven’t paid attention to the renewal notices.

Then again, I don’t remember getting any. I don’t remember being annoyed by all of the letters or emails reminding me that my subscription is due or that I’ll be charged on a certain date so that I can get ‘uninterrupted service’.

Then, one day, hubby comes in with the mail and shows me an over-sized postcard (that looks a LOT like junk mail) informing us that our magazine will be renewed automatically unless we call by a certain date. But what really caught my eye was the fact that it stated, “For your convenience, we will continue to ensure that you don’t receive extra unwanted mail – the multiple renewal notices and bills that normally come with a subscription.” It goes on to describe its “hassle-free subscription” guarantee . . . “no bills, publisher renewal notices and no telemarketer calls”. In other words, you get ONE notice per year and that’s it. And because it’s printed on a big, rather nondescript, postcard that does NOT have your name, nor that of the magazine, on the front, it’s easy to pass it off as junk mail and toss it into the recycling bin. And there goes your notice. And you probably won’t think about it until you see the charge on your credit card statement a couple of months later. (And some of you might be thinking, “Maybe I’d better actually look at my statement!”)

The other thing that I noticed was the renewal price. We originally ordered the magazine because there was a special offer: $12 per year for six issues. Ok. That’s $2 an issue. Not bad considering what we would pay at the checkout counter. Now, this postcard boasts “huge savings off the newsstand price” at $29 per year. Well now, let me get my calculator . . . that’s $4.83 per issue. The magazine itself shows a price of $4.99. That’s a difference of 16¢ an issue. I’m no math genius, but that’s not huge savings. And this postcard says they guarantee “substantial” savings.

I think not.

So, hubby and I decided not to renew. Besides, we weren’t really reading it anymore. It was time. When I called to cancel, and selected that option from the menu, I fully expected to speak to a person who would do everything they could to get us to stay.

Nope.

It was all automated. And oh! what a surprise . . . I was randomly selected to receive the magazine for just $12 per year. Would I like to continue my subscription? No. Would I like a complimentary issue to peruse before I make my final decision? No. Would I like one of the other wonderful magazines that are offered at an unbelievably low rate? No. Sigh. I didn’t know if it was better or worse than talking to an actual human, but in any case, my subscription was finally canceled and I was free to go about my day.

So, here are a few things to consider if you receive magazines:

1. Check the front of the magazine for a date or code that will let you know when your subscription will end. Usually it’s somewhere near, or above, your name and address.
2. Make sure you know how much you paid for the initial subscription and compare it to what is being offered in order to continue.
3. If you decide you want to continue, but don’t want to pay the full price, contact the magazine and see if they’ll offer the same rate as before or at least something better than newsstand price. If they want your business, they’ll usually make some kind of deal with you.

Magazines are a great way to stay current with whatever interests you, and there are so many titles to choose from, which gives the consumer the upper hand when it comes to finding a good deal on a subscription. (In other words, if one won’t give you a good deal, you can go somewhere else . . .) But if you’re on the fence about continuing, just ask yourself how long you’ve had the subscription, how often you actually pick it up and read it, if it’s worth the price you’re paying, and if you’re getting the same enjoyment and information out of it as you did in the beginning. Just make sure that, if you decide to keep it, you watch the mail for that junk-mail-looking postcard and then do the math to make sure you get a good deal.