Love reading magazines but hate paying full price? Well, never fear, we’ll tell you how to get magazines for free, without signing up for a bunch of spam online. Don’t miss these six smart but simple ways to get plenty of magazines to read without spending a dime!
I have a confession to make…..I am a hopeless magazine junkie!
The vibrant covers, glossy pages, and multiple tips and tricks buried inside each page hold a magnetic attraction that is oh-so-hard to resist. Even though Pinterest has replaced magazines in a way, I’m still a paper gal who loves to browse from cover-to-cover, and rip out pages of ideas to save for later.
But magazines aren’t cheap, and if you’ve looked at the cover prices lately, they range from $4.99 all the way up to $9.99. I don’t know about you, but I hate paying that kind of money for something I am only going to read once! However, I literally have a stack of 50+ magazines at home waiting for me to open their crisp covers and read their glorious contents.
So how did I get so many? I certainly didn’t pay for them…..in fact, I didn’t pay for any of them! Here’s how I get most, if not all of my favorite magazines for absolutely free.
About once or twice a week, various deal and coupon websites will share super affordable magazine subscription deals, but every once in a while, a free subscription will come along with absolutely no strings attached except a request for a name and address.
I’ve received Martha Stewart Living, Country Living, Entrepreneur, Kiplinger, and Better Homes & Gardens for nothing out of pocket. I have no idea how long the subscriptions will last, but I certainly take advantage of them while I can!
The best way to stay informed of these freebies is to bookmark each site to check throughout the day, or sign up for alerts through their email list. I’ve found most of my free magazines throughMoneySavingMom.com.
My grandmother has the same love for magazines that I do, and when she’s finished with her copies, she will gladly pass them along to me. I’ve also had friends who graciously gave me a stack of home decorating magazines right after we bought our new home.
If you have family and friends who buy magazines, ask if they would be willing to save them for you to read before throwing them away. Chances are they would love to re-purpose their magazines and have someone else get use of them before they’re tossed.
However, do make sure you check to see if they want their magazines returned or not after you’re done reading. Some like to keep their magazines as reference, and you don’t want to lose magazine borrowing privileges!
I used to work in a doctor’s office, and we always had multiple copies of magazines for our waiting room and to hand out to patients. The majority of them were parenting magazines, but we would also get additional genres, such as People or Women’s Health.
Because these magazines are intended for patients to pass the time, don’t ever take a copy without asking, but it never hurts to check with the receptionist to see if you can have back issues. Most just throw them away when new ones arrive in the mail, and who cares if you’re reading them just a few months behind? Not me!
One of the best ways to find free magazines is to take an evening walk around the neighborhood before garbage day, and take a peek inside people’s recycle bins. I know this may sound a bit presumptuous, but as long as you ask the owner of the home {and there’s nothing gross in the bin!} you can find some great magazines that are usually in perfect condition.
I once stumbled upon a gold mine of someone who use to work in the magazine selling industry, and picked up about 30 new magazines ranging all the way from home decor issues to recipes. In fact, I still haven’t finished reading through that stack, and it was over a year ago!
Although I prefer paper magazines or digital ones, you can still grab multiple free issues just by using the Newstand app on your iPad or iPhone.
I’ve found that almost every magazine will let you download the most recent issue for free, but the catch is you only have access to that one issue and nothing more. If you want to read additional issues, you have to subscribe to the magazine, but if you stick with the freebies, this is a great way to get some new reading material and see which magazines you like without spending a thing!
Many programs like Swagbucks, MyPoints, and Kellogg’s Family Rewards let you rack up reward points and use them to purchase 1-year magazine subscriptions in addition to coupons, gift cards and more. All you have to do is fill out surveys, enter codes from specially marked packages, or use a specific link when making an online purchase.
This is a guilt-free way to get magazines and depending on how much you earn through each program, and can be a great gifting option around the Holidays!
Next time you’re at Barnes and Noble salivating over the glossies just begging for your attention, feel free to browse, but resist the temptation to buy. Remember, you can get those same magazines for absolutely free, especially now that you know the secrets of where to find them!
1. Borrow from Family and Friends
2. Request a Copy from the Doctor’s Office
3. Pick Through Recycle Bins
4. Browse the Apple Newsstand App
5. Use Reward Points
Have you ever scored a magazine for free? Which of these methods do you use?
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View Comments
valuemags.com is a place to get free magazines
I get mine from recycle bank and rewardsurvey.com. I am getting about 14 free magazines.which I than donate to my library book store so. They resale them for a ¢25
Most libraries will allow you to check out magazines, less the current issue.
If you purchase Coke products, it pays to enter the code on the bottle or box at MyCokeRewards.com. There are many thing things you can purchase with those points. I get 6 magazines every month just for cashing in on those codes. And it doesn't take very many points to get a free magazine subscription.
WOW just what I was searching for. Came here by searching for how to magazines for free
Our library has magazine give always every year. They put out their magazines from two years prior and you get whatever you can take home. It is awesome!
That IS awesome! I actually don't mind if the magazine is a couple years old...most just repurpose the content throughout the years and it's never too much different than the current issue!
I'm disappointed this article didn't mention the local library. Not only do many libraries subscribe to magazines that you can check out; there are often book sale rooms that sell magazines for as little as 10 cents for a recent issue. Also, many libraries are subscribing to Zinio a digital magazine service where you can check out the digital version for your tablet without even having to go to the library!
Also I'd suggest going to your library! Ours has lots of subscriptions.
Recyclebank is another good site. You earn points learning about recycling, and then you can cash them in for magazines or other items.
Our local library has a table at their entrance. People drop off their used magazines and others pick them up to take home. All free. I have not picked up any, but I often drop mine off there.
That's awesome that your library does that!