A Newbie's Guide To Magazine Subscriptions

Subscribing to your favorite magazine instead of beating the clock to the newsstand for a best-selling copy can surely add convenience and order to your already-busy schedule. However, if you want to be on top of all things, consider how you can subscribe to magazines and how you can further manage them so that you won't have to miss a single issue. Check out the list to find out how you can do this.

1. Select only magazines that you are genuinely interested in reading. Succumbing to the sales pitch of a charming lady will lead only to a waste of money. What use will your magazine subscription serve if you or everyone in the household is disinterested in the contents? Although a number of people do attest that the pages of magazines make good bird cage liners and scratch-free wipes for glass, remember that these uses are not the primary function of reading materials. If you really have a need for liners or wipes, then pay for real ones, not for the makeshift alternative offered by magazine pages.

2. Fill out the subscription form. Traditionally, this is found in a boxed space of an existing issue which you must cut out and mail. Today, this may just be a soft form which you can fill out online or send through e-mail. Do not let your excitement get the best of you, however. If your need is not urgent, wait for the perfect timing to file your subscription. Most magazines give subscription rates on anniversary months. Others do not give discounted rates, but do offer freebies and a month or two worth of free subscription.

3. Include your payment with your subscription. Cash on delivery arrangements have become rare. In most cases, you will have to pay the total amount due for a year's subscription and you can do this via credit cards, bank checks or drafts or wire transfers depending on your preference. Credit cards appear to be the most popular mode, as it is easy to keep track and convenient for the magazine company as well. All you need to do is jot down your credit card number in your subscription application.

Once the magazine company debits the subscription fee from your card, you will see the transaction documented in your monthly statement. For anomalies, simply call your bank. This convenient tracking measure is often absent in mailed checks and wired transfers. There's no way you can get your money back if you feel you've been overcharged or incorrectly billed in your subscription.

4. Keep track of your subscription. Unless you have no plans of renewing your subscription, you'll need a record of your payment as well as the effectivity of your application. Most magazine companies include generic renewal forms in their issue. Ignore these forms and fill out yours only when you know your subscription is due. A number of companies usually offer you discounted rates if you renew your subscription close to the expiration date already. A bit of patient and vigilant waiting actually helps.