Terms of use – This article may be used freely in online and print, newsletters and websites that do not charge a fee to readers. The resource box at
end must be included. The article may not be substantially edited but grammatical or typos can certainly be corrected. Thank you.TEN WAYS TO GET CHEAP (OR FREE) MAGAZINE SAMPLES by Pam White
1 - Join a reading or writing group. Ask members to bring in their already-read magazines and have an exchange. Do same with interest groups you belong to or know about - playgroups (parenting, home, cooking, family mags), business networking groups (entrepreneurs, home business, finances magazines), church (religious, devotional periodicals).
2 - Offer to take a friend to doctor’s office. Okay, that sounds goofy but I love taking my children to orthodontist, pediatrician, and dentist offices so I can scan table of contents and skim articles in parenting, children’s, family, travel and money magazines. I bring a notepad and take plenty of notes. Find an article in an old magazine that would help your research? Ask office to make a copy of it; offer to pay.
3 - Subscribe. Remember if you subscribe to a magazine that is for business purposes, you can deduct cost of subscriptions if you itemize your taxes. I am a food writer so I keep all receipts for food and writing magazines, and food and writing books to deduct as business expenses.
4 - Take up publishers on their free copy offers. It used to be that all magazines would let your send in a postcard and check "bill me" square and you will end up with two or three issues before they cut you off for not paying. These days, we cannot even be inadvertently dishonest. I get mailings from magazines offering me one free issue. I will send in postcard and usually have a bill to pay before I have read free issue. I then can decide to subscribe or put bill in postage paid envelope and decline to pay.
