Do you have too many magazines?

by Megan Spears

I was looking back at some of my older blog posts I had to got a good laugh at one that talked about my addiction to magazines. There is just something about them that appeals to me, the smell of the pages and all those pretty pictures just excites me.

A few years back I could say without hesitation that I personally was subscribing to over 20 magazines each month… Crazy, I know! It didn’t help that my mom and mother-in-law contributed to my passion for colorful pages.  When I am reading a freshly cracked magazine I can get lost in the pages for hours. It’s my time, do you know what I mean?

When I tell people that I have this “relationship” with glossy pages, they always ask… “How do you read them all?”

Here’s how…

*I take one with me when I head out for the day.
*During sport seasons it’s especially nice to them on hand while my DH watches the game,  I too can be entertained.
*I especially like to have one on hand when the kids are in school and I am in the pick up line
*If I have an appointment I take one with just in case I have an extra couple of minutes to flip the pages.

…you get the idea.

Now, two years later I have paired down that 20+ magazines a month to just 11. I mostly use them for research and keeping up to date on the latest and greatest tools and products.

The key with magazines is to know your limits. Here are my top five tips to manage your magazines.

1. Keep what you love! Usually with all but maybe 5-6 magazines I tear out the pages/articles or research items and toss the magazine when I am done. If it’s something I am keeping for reference I will file it away.

2. Takem’ with you! I usually take at least one magazine as I am walking out the door. Most of the time I am waiting for the kids… at an appointment a few minutes early and it’s great to have one with me to kill that extra time.

3. Have one spot for magazines. Have a small spot (file slot, mail bin) where magazines go so that it gives you a space to manage. It will keep you on task…

4. If you like keeping magazines.. set a limit! We don’t need to keep them forever… set some boundaries for yourself.

5. If your not reading them, it’s simple. Stop subscribing. The only way to make the piles stop growing is to stop them from coming.

You might be amazed at how much you can enjoy the summer issue of your favorite magazine when it’s actually summer. There is nothing worse than reading about something six months after the fact. Like anything, it just takes time to get your arms around it… the key is to just start!