Note: This is a guest post I wrote for Frugal Hacks.  Frugal Hacks is a great network of frugal living blogs.  They have lots of great reading material for all levels of frugalites, so check it out. 

A couple of years ago I ordered some curtains from from JCPenney for my house.  When I placed my order, they offered me a subscription to three different magazines for the low cost of $5.

I took them up on the offer because I liked the price and I enjoyed the magazines.  The hitch is that the offer is connected to an automatic renewal system.  Each year, my credit card gets charged $20 per subscription.

Being the Northern Cheapskate… I realize that there must be a better way. So I’ve cancelled the automatic renewal and come up with some ways to save money on magazine subscriptions.

Look online.  Many magazines will highlight key articles and features on their websites.  Be sure to check them out.

Borrow magazines from the library.  Libraries carry both mainstream and unique magazines that you can borrow for free.  I love to check out cooking magazines and find new recipes.

Trade magazines with friends. My husband and I are news junkies and we subscribe to Newsweek. Our friends subscribe to Time.  Each week, we swap our magazines after we’re done reading them.  It’s like getting two magazines for the price of one!

Extend  your subscription.  As mentioned before, we enjoy Newsweek.  We recently opted to purchase a four-year subscription because the price worked out to just 45 cents an issue!  Sometimes it pays to call the magazine and ask if they can cut you a deal.

Check for member discounts. Are you a teacher or student or a member of a union? Sometimes you can get discounts on magazines through your membership in various organizations.

Shop online.  Visit websites like Magazines.com, MagazineLine.com, and ValueMags to get great prices on magazines. Some of these places are 80 percent or more off the cover price!

Ask for magazines as gifts.  People like giving gifts they know you’ll enjoy all year. And many magazines offer a deal where if you renew your subscription you can give someone a free subscription.

Check out AdPerk.  For watching a few videos (advertising) you can earn FREE magazine subscriptions. This is a great option if you’re super cash-strapped because all you need is a computer and some time. 

It is possible to enjoy reading magazines on a frugal budget. It just takes a little research.