Saving Magazines - Yes or No?

[Caraway]

I am conflicted on how to handle magazines like Smithsonian.

 

Do you save them? If so, do you ever go back to them again? Do you save the entire magazine or just articles?

 

Do you toss them? Do you ever regret it?

 

Do you cut out (and file?) certain articles for later use? Do you end up using them? Or was it a giant waste of time?

 

Normally I am a huge declutterer, but I keep looking at these magazines and hesitating...

 

:bigear:

[Dmmetler]

I save magazines I can reasonably see using for homeschooling in the immediate future, so that includes my DD's ASK magazines and National Geographic. I don't save magazines that I have subscribed to just to read (mostly due to DD's school fundraiser this past year).

[Tap]

We save about a years worth of some magazines that we like to reread. DS saves his science mags, DD11 saves her Cicada mags. Otherwise, we only keep a handful of others like The Economist. If I really want to reread something, I can get them at the library or read old articles online. I do have a stash of National Geographic that have animal pictures in it. We do use those for early ed sometimes. But, I could just as easily snip the pictures and just save those too.

 

The mags we do save are in magazine holders in the bookcases. I don't like the clutter of a magazine stash laying about.

[Aubrey]

Can you keep them on the bookshelf in magazine racks & rotate the collection in some high-traffic area (bathroom)? So you're not trying to over-organize, but they're getting read & rotate enough that they stay fresh.

 

I don't like to reread stuff much, but there are some magazines that I keep like this.

 

Please, though. Don't clip articles & file them. It hurts me to think about it. Because someday you'll mail them to your children, & they'll have to figure out what to do w/ it. They'll be unlikely to getting around to read it but feel bad to just throw it away when you went to the trouble to clip it & send it, & then it will be a magnet for other random things.

 

Or someone will find the magazine & be reading the most amazing story...

 

only to find that the end was the wrong side of a recipe or another cool story & now will never know about the baby that was born twice. For example. (My mom clips articles. It's becoming a sickness.)

[Jenny in Atl]

We try to save them for both school and crafts.

[NorthwestMom]

I save for a few months, then toss. DH, on the other hand, would like to save them forever. He's got a little Hoarder in him, LOL.

[MamaAkins]

We save certain "reference" type magazines. The kids tend to refer back to them when working on certain projects/research, etc. I punch holes in them and store them in a 3-ring binder.

[JoyfulMama]

We save Mother Earth News for reference. Others, the current one has a home. The past ones go in a small box for crafts. The box is not allowed to overflow. Extras get recycled.

I don't save articles. I used to. I realized I filed them to never see them again. However, I will save ideas for holidays in the file folder assigned for that holiday. (Only things I realistically WILL do or have done.) I keep these folders thin and realistic, after years of experience of high unrealistic hopes and dreams.

[Daisy]

I do one of three things...

 

1. Save them for crafts (especially ones with great pictures).

2. Save them for the kids to re-read (this has been a real blessing since we were unable to renew several of our subscriptions due to $$).

3. Donate them to my husband's first grade classroom. Many of the reluctant readers will pick up a Ladybug or My Big Backyard magazine instead of a book. They have loved those magazines.

[Georgia On My Mind]

I save some that I know I will use in the future, Southern Living and Cook's Illustrated. We don't do many projects with magazine in HS so I donate to the local hospital for their waiting rooms. Makes me feels good and keeps the clutter down.

[homeschoolally]

I try to save National Geo and Smithsonian--I think they're worth the trouble. I've actually made a shelf in the garage for them, and love pulling out an 'old' issue that meant little to one of the kids the first time around and now has more meaning as they've matured. I agree that the clutter can be an issue, but I think their value in our homeschool is more important than the space.

 

Anything else goes to the library to share with others.

[Caraway]

 

Please, though. Don't clip articles & file them. It hurts me to think about it. Because someday you'll mail them to your children, & they'll have to figure out what to do w/ it. They'll be unlikely to getting around to read it but feel bad to just throw it away when you went to the trouble to clip it & send it, & then it will be a magnet for other random things.

 

Or someone will find the magazine & be reading the most amazing story...

 

only to find that the end was the wrong side of a recipe or another cool story & now will never know about the baby that was born twice. For example. (My mom clips articles. It's becoming a sickness.)

 

I wasn't planing to save them forever. ;) My kiddos are little, so sometimes I see an article about something like Rome, and it is interesting, but my kids won't "get" it until a much later date. So I was thinking about clipping them and filing them under topic. I feel like if I just stack them all in the garage I will never open them again. I will just know that somewhere out there there is an article about Rome. :lol:

 

It is interesting to see your reaction to your mom's articles. My MIL sends me clippings, which I enjoy receiving. I also have NO trouble throwing them out. :lol: