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Best magazines for your money

Posted: Thursday, August 07, 2008 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
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I used to be embarrassed by the sheer number of magazines I subscribed to. I imagined the mailman trudging up to my door weighed down with a giant bundle, swearing under his breath about the lunatic who lived there. He probably envisioned me as an unemployed, immobile hermit, because who else would have all that time to read? (At least I wasn't a RICH, unemployed, immobile hermit, because I bought most of my subscriptions on eBay, where a smart bargain-hunter can get multi-year subscriptions on the cheap. Now if only they'd offer deals on The Economist.)

Since we've added baby Kelly to our household last October, I've let a lot of my subscriptions lapse. Now that she's sleeping longer, I'm starting to pick up some of my old favorites again. But my reading time is at a premium, and I'm not about to waste it on magazines that say the same thing every month, or that are just jam-packed full of ads (yes, I know some magazines are all about the ads, i.e. Vogue and Bride's).

Here are just a few of the magazines I get now (for more, check out the Chicago Tribune's list of its 50 favorite mags):

Sports Illustrated
Honestly, you don't have to be an enormous sports fan to love this weekly magazine. Their recent article about the Fugees Family, a soccer team consisting of refugee boys who'd known horrible war and deprivation and found love and comfort on the field, may be the most inspiring piece of literature I've read all year.


Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly
A must-read for my job. No one covers TV and movies better, but I also appreciate that I can regularly turn to the DVD and Books sections for faithful coverage of two areas that are often lacking in other publications. I love Diablo Cody's column, and EW just stole TV Scoopmeister Michael Ausiello from TV Guide.

Real Simple
I admire Martha Stewart's eight-page wedding cake recipes as much as the next person, but Real Simple feels like it's aimed at women I know. And it doesn't revolve around celebrities or children, and even though I'm a mom now, I appreciate that.

Cooks Illustrated
These cooks are hard-core: They'll make a recipe dozens of times just to see what happens if you leave one ingredient out, or bake it at a higher temperature. And Christopher Kimball's editor's letter never fails to transport me to his cozy life in Vermont. No matter what month it is, I always picture it looking like a Currier and Ives painting.

Texas Monthly
I am not from Texas. I have never lived in Texas. Yet I love the state's swaggering pop culture, from cowboys to barbecue joints to honkytonks. This magazine gets it, playing up the charm without relying on the old cliches. Every issue makes me want to plan my next trip to the Lone Star state.

Discuss your own magazine habits in the comments.

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Comments

I like US Weekly and Good Housekeeping. I also subscribe to Ladies Home Journal. I used to subscribe to a ton of magazines, especially news magazines, but with the Internet, I can read everything I want to without having to wait for the magazines to arrive.

Robin, Las Vegas NV (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 10:02 AM)

I am from Texas and just finished my college education at UT-Austin.  I had a wake-up call in my last year:  I was a loyal subscriber to Cosmo for some years when I realized that I should be reading something with more substance.  Enter Texas Monthly.  It is by far my favorite magazine, its very Austin, Texas (which for those of you who don't know if completely different from the rest of Texas).  Now that I have moved to (ugh!) Dallas, the magazine keeps my Austin spirit alive.

Liz, Dallas, Texas (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 10:13 AM)

I love Real Simple.  For the longest time, I just bought issues at my local bookstore, but 2 years ago I decided to subscribe.  It's been great!

Tai, Birmingham, AL (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 10:13 AM)

ESPN mag is right up there, if not ahead of, SI.  The photography is better and I feel like the athletes are a little more open and truthful in the ESPN interviews. (Kind of like the difference between Playboy interviews and the People fluff put out by publicists.)

Rolling Stone has also been a mainstay in my household for over 15 years (and I am in my early 30's).  It followed me to the dorm and 6 different college apartments and everywhere in between. I tend to agree with Peter Travers and love the P.J. O'Rourke features. Also, the covers are always great, and let's face it, we are all suckers for a great cover.

Scout in Nebraska (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 10:14 AM)

EW is a must for me.

KendallJaye (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 11:11 AM)

My favorite magazine is Smithsonian. My subscription is only $12 a year- hard to beat that. I love the variety of articles from art to history to geography to science and more. The photography is beautiful and the articles are so interesting. By far the best magazine for the dollar.

My mother recently started me on Better Homes and Gardens. I think the magazine does a great job of creating easy home decorating, gardening, and cooking projects. My husband always flips to the recipes before I even turn page to page one.

I also love Cooks Illustrated. I don't have a subscription to it since I have a venue to read it for free at a local store. The art work is great. Don't forget that they don't just make a recipe 30 different ways, but they also travel all over the place to find out how the locals do it. I love the American favorites collections!

Heather BR, Cville, VA (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 11:22 AM)

I live for my Coastal Living magazine every month.  Every issue gives me decorating ideas, or just a reason to dream.

Aleksa, Tacoma, Wash (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 11:56 AM)

I subscribe to Entertainment Weekly (I got 57 issues for $10!), Ladies Home Journal (love Can This Marriage be Saved, even tho I've never been married), Reader's Digest, More, O... and Vanity Fair arrives at my door even though I never ordered it.  I also read People every week and usually buy Good Housekeeping and Glamour off the rack.  I love magazines!  I always say I am a magazine 'ho'.

Laurah in NY (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:52 PM)

Southern Living and Better Homes and Gardens are my top choices.  I have had the subscriptions for both for several years.  Both provide inspiration for cooking, gardening and decorating....and you don't even have to live in the South!!

Teresa in TN (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 2:33 PM)

I haven't seen Cooks Illustrated yet.  We get Cuisine magazine which has some great recipes in it.  I'm always up for cooking new things and so far I haven't had a bad recipe from this magazine.
My kids also get one that I think is put out by Kraft that's sort of a kid/family friendly cooking magazine.  One of their recipes cracked me up though...it was called "Pizza Night!" and the ingredients consisted of "Take a Tony's Pizza and put it on a cookie sheet....etc."  Now that's a heck of a recipe!  Sounds like the one I came up with in college. ;-)

Leslie, Albuquerque (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 2:36 PM)

Sports Illustrated almost lost me as a subscriber when Rick Reilly left (have you read his book "Who's your Caddy"?  Hilarious!) - but I told my husband I'd keep getting it for him. And I still read it more than he does.  Another mag I will always subscribe to is Sunset, which is dedicated to the western U.S. and full of great recipes and gardening stuff.

P.F. , Everett, Wa (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 3:08 PM)

I love People, US Weekly and In Touch.  I try to balance it out with Newsweek, etc.  I actually live for these magazines to arrive in my mailbox and yes, I do have a life.

Cheryl, Ann Arbor, MI (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 3:48 PM)

The New Yorker.  Every issue has something provocative and unexpected to read.

Danny, NYC (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 4:13 PM)

National Geographic and the Ligorian (a Catholic mag) -- the physical world and the spiritual, delivered to my doorstep each month.

Ohio Betty, Wadsworth, OH (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 4:21 PM)

I LOVE Real Simple, Texas Monthly, and National Geographic. I've from Houston, so it's fantastic to see people all over the country reading Texas Monthly and seeing the state shown in a positive light for once. I've come a long way from the Cosmo-subscribing freshman in college I was a few years ago.

Carolina, Houston (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 4:26 PM)

Oddly enough, my favorite magazines are some of the free ones put out by my local grocery chains(Raley's Something Extra) and the kraft foods recipe magazines.  They always have one or two recipes worth keeping, annd it makes those mags worth keeping.   And I  like Better Homes and Gardens too.  I'd much rather have a magazine with something in it that has a much more practical use than, say my old favorite-- Cosmo...  

lyndsay, fairfield, ca (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 4:31 PM)

I can't get through a week without my New Yorker -- even though I live a continent away.  I travel a lot and it's the perfect read for a cross-country flight.

Martha Wharton, Seattle, WA (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 4:33 PM)

I have subscribed to People magazine for more than 20 years, but now with hard times and a yearly subscription cost of about $125, I won't be renewing.

I also subscribe to Texas Monthly and LOVE it.

Vanessa, San Antonio, TX (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 4:34 PM)

Vanity Fair and Food & Wine are my two favorites. I've been subscribing to People since it's debut.  And, I'm crazy about Cooks Illustrated!

Phyliss - Oklahoma City (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 4:36 PM)

TV Guide is the absolute must-have for anybody, and the only one I subscribe too.  I also enjoy reading People, which focuses just as much on real people as celebrities, and Parents (even though I'm not a parent yet, it gives such great stories and tips).  Reader's Digest is also a terrific read.  I also like to read Us Weekly and Sports Illustrated.

BV, Joliet IL (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 4:41 PM)

I subscribe only to BUST, HEEB, Radar  & Entertainement weely. This appeals to me jewish feminist beliefs and my love of pop culture

Rachel Cleveland, OH (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 5:07 PM)

Esquire is the best magazine hands-down.  I read the entire magazine every month.  It has great fiction, honest celebrity interviews (they aren't afraid to call the subject on his/her craziness), entertaining columns, and Women We Love.  Plus, they provide coverage on Iraq from soldiers' points of view, which is honest, smart, scary, and relevent.

Jackie, Washington, DC (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 5:10 PM)

InStyle has been my go to magazine since the first edition.  I've subscribed since day one and have never been disappointed.

Nichole, durham, NC (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 6:24 PM)

Even with all the news available on the web, the print edition of Newsweek still remains my favorite source, as it has done so for the better part of 40 years. Since my college days, I've look forward to seeing it in my mailbox every week. I also like EW and The Atlantic, though I liked the latter better when it was published in Boston.

Robert, Mansfield, Mass. (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 6:41 PM)

I suffer from magazine subscription overload and am letting several lapse due to rising renewal costs and the lousy economy.  Seems like most of the bargains are aimed at new subscribers, and I despise the automatic renewal that I keep getting roped into.  But I'm keeping Vogue, EW, More,Vanity Fair,Bon Appetit,and the free New York Mag subscription that comes with my mediabistro.com membership.

Kristine Iwersen, Auburn, CA (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 6:54 PM)

I subscribe to "Good," a magazine with articles about serving your community, working to end world hunger, promoting human rights, helping save the environment and other worthy causes.

Tina Avery, Rockville, MDE (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 7:35 PM)

I loved Entertainment Weekly, unfortunately so did the people who work at my local post office. If Angelina Jolie or another sexy woman was on the cover, the issue arrived dog-eared and with fingerprints all over it - if it got to me at all. I hated to let it go, but the post office brushed me off and EW refused to help investigate. Of course my aunt's Reader's Digest came on time every month.

Elizabeth, Reno NV (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 9:40 PM)

I have subscribed to Vanity Fair for years--great in depth articles and I love Dominick Dunne's column. Smithsonian is great and I've been receiving Rolling Stone forever. When I got divorced years ago, I got custody of the subscription!

MS, Birmingham, AL (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 11:04 PM)

I have subscribed to Vanity Fair for years--great in depth articles and I love Dominick Dunne's column. Smithsonian is great and I've been receiving Rolling Stone forever. When I got divorced years ago, I got custody of the subscription!

MS, Birmingham, AL (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 11:06 PM)

....sports, entertainment, eating and pop culture.  That's what this country considers priorities, all right. Feed your senses but not your brain. Love it. Keep 'em comin'...

Mike H, Cupertino, CA (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 12:03 AM)

We have been subscribers to Texas Monthly for many years, and as we have allowed other subscriptions to lapse (EW sadly included), we have not only kept our Texas Monthly subscription but have sent it to other people as a gift. Even the ads are entertaining, and I love Kinky Friedman and Sarah Bird's contributions.

Kelly G, Indiana (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 12:33 AM)

Renaissance Magazine, Victoria, Hallmark, Smithsonian, Archaeology, KMT (The magazine of Ancient Egypt). I like them because they do not revolve around celebrities, fashion, and sex.

angelosdaughter (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 1:08 AM)

As a big crafter, my hands down favorite magazine is Craft.  It's expensive, and only gets published 4 times a year, but each issue is filled with things that inspire and challenge me.  I love it.

rebecca, austin, tx (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 6:50 AM)

My son turned me on to The Sun, which is a wonderful literary magazine - and I love Yoga journal and Eat Well..I should order Cooks - everyone time I buy it I enjoy the wonderful recipes.  If I had a lot of money and time I would get The Utne and Chicago and Midwest Living and Simthsonian and...

Eileen Olson, Monee, IL (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 7:07 AM)

I'm with you on Cook's Illustrated. I've had pretty good luck with their recipes, and very good luck with product recommendations.

They are a bit expensive because they don't accept advertising, but I'd rather pay up front than have to wade through a ton of ads for processed food. And the back cover art is always beautiful.

VEH, Metro Detroit, Michigan (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 7:15 AM)

Eating Well is our favorite in the food magazine category. They have health recipes that are ingredient focused.  Not just fat reducers but foods with antioxidants that reduce the risk of cancer or Alzheimer's.

Steven, Lancaster, PA (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 7:27 AM)

Vanity Fair and The New Yorker always have thought provoking articles.  Real Simple is a great magazine with good ideas and recipes for real people not the rich and famous. Saveur is a good magazine for those interested in food.  Time and Newseek also provide news if one is not computer savvy though I do not think that either the writing or the commentary are as sharp as they once were.  While not technically a magazine, THe New York Review of Books contains incisive commentary on a variety of issues as well as book reviews par excellence.

Catherein Schildknecht, Cincinnati, Ohio (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 7:47 AM)

I've switched to reading most magazines online, but one that really has to be print is Games Magazine (alternating with World of Puzzles bimonthly).  True, there are good online crosswords -- I subscribe to that, too -- but for other types of puzzles, you really need it in print.

Shelley, NJ (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 8:00 AM)

I never thought I'd say it, but I'm a big fan of Reader's Digest.  Aside from the hokey jokes and comics, the articles are thought-provoking and uplifting.  I used to be a fan of Maxim, but once you leave the single partying lifestyle the magazine has nothing to offer.

Jason, Oklahoma City, OK (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 8:08 AM)

I got the Economist with my (practically useless) frequent flyer points...from Continental, I think.  Check that out!

Alice Walker, Baltimore, MD (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 8:52 AM)

National Geographic, Golf Digest (for the summer) and Powder Magazine (a ski magazine - for the winter).  You can't beat the high production value and quality of NG and Powder and Gold Digest is the best Gold magazine out there.  

Chris, Orchard Park, NY (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 8:54 AM)

I know it has no substance, and a ridiculous amount of ads, but I am loyal to InStyle because I feel that I need something to help keep me in touch with fashion.
Cooks Illustrated is an absolute must have - I would give up all others before it.  I also subscribe to their website, which gives me access to all their reviews and recipes from issues past - kind of redundant but it saves me from having to remember what issue I read that had the recipe I want.

Susan, West Chester, PA (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 9:00 AM)

We also get lots of magazines - People, Entertainment Weekly, The Smithsonian, Fortune 500, Time, Business Week but my NEW favorite is a magazine called THE WEEK.  It succintly summarizes everything that's happened in the past week for world events, politics, sports, entertainment, etc.  I love it and highly recommend it.

Amy, Voorhees, NJ (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 9:30 AM)

I grew up reading GQ & Esquire in my Dad's clothing store. I still love them both. Currently subscribed to Domino, Blueprint & Better Homes. Think I'm a bigger fan of Domino, than Blueprint. While Blueprint is a Martha Stewart publication, Domino seems to be younger & hipper. Plus, each issue comes w/ a sheet of catagorized stickers, to help you mark your pages for future use. I love that idea! And now I'm thinking I'm going to have to check out Texas Monthly b/c you all love it so much. My brother lives in Austin & I absolutely love that city. If it's a mag w/ Austin's style, I'm sold.

H - Bowling Green KY (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 9:34 AM)

Mentalfloss is the best mag around.  It isn't overloaded with ads, and I can read every word cover to cover without getting bored.

Emily, Siren, WI (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 10:01 AM)

The only magazines I subscribe to are Time, which has gotten much thinner since the last time (pun not intended) I subscribed several years ago, and Bon Appetit. BA is more for the pictures, usually, although the latest issue had a great recipe for brownie chunk cookies.

I used to get Better Homes & Gardens as a gift from my former MIL.  All that time I thought she was being nice, but in retrospect it was probably her trying to turn me into the housekeeper & wife that she thought I should be - i.e. HER.

I read my mother's People, Soap Opera Digest, and Guideposts, and Good Housekeeping. Occasionally I'll buy a Cooking Light.

Melanie L, New Jersey (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 11:18 AM)

O, Budget Travel, Wired, Conde Naste Traveler, and American Legacy. I like mags that will give me something of a different spin or view of people, places, or things I've never seen. I think the writers that are in Oprah are very interesting even when they have those from other fields do an op ed sort of piece. American Legacy's latest feature is on female Big band leaders. I now read the digital versions of Business Week, Time, Black Enterprise, Fast Company and Essence. I'm lucky that my mom is retired and reads all the time. She sends me really useful or wacky stuff from Readers Digest, Star Magazine, First for Women and Prevention by snail mail. When subscribing I try to do it when it benefits an organization like a school, church, or group so that the cost is lower and they get a little something in return. Newstand buys are only for a special treat.

R Sweeper, Chicago, IL (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 11:51 AM)

Absolutely!  Real Simple is not only a great magazine but it's a great resource, too.  Must also admit to being entirely addicted to The Economist.

M Richardson, Raleigh, NC 27613 (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 12:44 PM)

Call me old-fashioned, but I love Reader's Digest (although it has gotten more pharmaceutical ad-heavy in recent years, perhaps a reflection of its aging readership). Still makes me chuckle with the jokes and funny one-liners and has articles with practical information and good excerpts from books.

brianna, indianapolis in (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 1:28 PM)

Magazines and Newspapers are a total waste of money.  Everything you need is on the internet.  Besides, most of the info in them is useless anyway so what's the point.

Kevin, Allentown, PA (Sent Friday, August 08, 2008 1:34 PM)



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