If you’re new to scrapbooking, you might be slightly overwhelmed by the intense number of options available as far as magazines and idea books go. There is honestly something available for everyone!
Putting idea books aside for a moment, I wanted to talk about scrapbook magazines and subscriptions. You can learn more about scrapbook magazines by visiting Lisa’s articles on Favorite Scrapbook Magazines – Part One and Part Two.
I’m sure you’ve seen the little scrapbook magazine subscription cards that are in every magazine. Have you ever been tempted to mail the little card back and order a subscription to that particular magazine? If you have, how did you know that scrapbook magazine was the one for you?
I can admit that I have had subscriptions to every scrapbook magazine on the market at this point. Yes, I am addicted and I know it. However, after awhile I realized that financially that was just not an option. And I cannot tell you how many times I got an issue that just didn’t quite inspire me at all.
Everyone’s reasons for reading a scrapbook magazine are different. Some just want to peer at all the layouts and see what others are doing. Some just enjoy getting inspired by the different layouts or scraplifting them for their own albums. And still some just want to read the articles and how to’s so they can learn to scrapbook better.
Whatever your reason is for reading the magazines, before you get a subscription to a magazine or several, there are a few things to consider:
How much do you like the magazine?
Is it one that you have to go get as soon as it comes out on newsstands?
Do you read the magazine more than once?
Does it have layouts presented that are similar to your own style?
These are important questions to ask yourself first. Before you subscribe to a magazine it’s important to know that the magazine is something that you will read and enjoy every month, rather than on occasion.
I had subscribed to so many scrapbook magazines to gain inspiration and knowledge in the scrapbook world, that quite often when an issue arrived, I just didn’t enjoy it. The layouts were too advanced, or too simple for my taste. They had themes that weren’t working for my scrapbook albums, etc. I had to take some serious consideration and decide which magazines I truly enjoyed and sparked my creativity the most. Which issues was I stalking the mail man for every month? These were the subscriptions I kept, and the rest I canceled.
Subscribing to a magazine is much cheaper than buying it on the shelf each month. You save sometimes 20% – 50% off the cover price by getting it delivered to your door. But if you are paying for something that you are not using or not getting any inspiration from, it’s high time you cancel the subscription or stop buying it every month. It’s wasting money if you don’t.
Keep in mind that you typically can browse through monthly issues of your favorite magazines at the library. If there is a magazine that they don’t carry, you can request it at the desk. I’ve done this three times and only once did they decline to offer the magazine because of the cost and target audience.
You can also save money by sharing the cost with a friend. Have her subscribe to one magazines while you subscribe to another. Each month, after you are finished reading the magazine, trade.
Do you know of any other ways you can save money on scrapbooking magazines?