One of the surest ways to avoid the temptation to spend is to avoid advertising. That’s not easy to do in our consumer-oriented culture. That’s why many simple living gurus shut off the television altogether. I’d bet they also limit their magazine consumption. With pages full of glossy ads and editorials that highlight new and better products, magazines are really nothing more than catalogues with added content.
Even though I take cheap shots at them, I love glossy magazines. Through survey sites and expiring airline miles, I’m now the lucky subscriber of at least a dozen magazines ranging from Money to Body+Soul to Self. The only magazine I pay for is Real Simple ($5 through an Amazon.com deal). I thought magazines would be a good way to find special offers and another way to get coupons.
For months now, I’ve been bombarded with ads and articles about fashion, make-up, organizing, cooking, decorating, losing weight and self-improvement. At first, I held up pretty well against the constant stream of advertising. Then I started wanting and needing sweaters and other pretty things I wouldn’t have known about if not for a magazine. On a side note: Would men be more uptight about organizing and cleanliness if their magazines bombarded them with housekeeping and organization tips on a monthly basis?
So what’s a simple living, magazine-loving gal to do? Here are some of my “survival” tips for those who can’t give up pretty magazines:
Give It Away, Give It Away Now
Luckily I think I’ve found a way to manage the effects of advertising. Soon after reading each magazine, I give most away to co-workers, friends or family. I’ve noticed that if I hold onto an issue, say a Fall Fashion one, I am more likely to want something. If I pass it along, the pretty item soon fades from my mind.
Someone sent me a mystery subscription to Lucky and I hated it precisely because it excited the Gimmes in me. So I’d go through, tag all the pretties that I liked with their handy dandy stickers, and then mail the mag to my BFF so she could enjoy the glossy for free and I’d enjoy having it out of my house.
Like you, I do better when I’m not staring at pretty pictures of things to want. 🙂
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I love Real Simple (which I also got for $5!), but I definitely feel the “gimmes.” I stopped reading Cosmo and Lucky and Marie Claire and that whole genre of magazines for that reason.
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