Renewing subscription to Cooking Light?

[alli]

Just wondering....when it is time to renew your subsciption, do you pay the $22 per year or do you try to find it cheaper? I realize this may not be the most politically correct question, but I am wondering because I had a letter sent to me for $22 per year and on the CL homepage it is $16 per year?
I am interested to hear others opinions?

TIA

[funnybone]

I always renew subscriptions within two months of the expiry date. Depending on the magazine and the offer, sometimes I use the renewal forms they send, or I may use the magazine insert - depends on the better deal. Usually I will peel off my label and place it on the form so that they know it is renewal and not a new subscription.

I'd keep an eye out on offers, because I think the rate now is $22 a year. I think I have seen posts where others have mentioned they can get it for less. Perhaps someone will post more info.

[RunnerKim]

Alli - I noticed the same thing. My subscription doesn't expire until the Dec. issue but both the May & June issues came with renewal notices (for $22). That's months earlier than I wanted to be reminded and I normally just don't even bother keeping the notices. However, I did succumb and renew (on-line for $16 but without receiving the free gift Make Ahead issue which was part of the $22 deal, but I already own it). The reason I re-newed against my prinicpals (don't like supporting all that nagging/wasted paper) is because both my May and June issues came rather late, and I know that's partly due to having to wrap them special for the renewal notice. CL has given that as a reason for why some of us get our issues later than others. Such leverage they hold just by holding back my issue a week or two!

Kim

[carolyn.1]

My subscription expires Aug, and I am receiving notices already. I cannot believe
I'm saying this but I may not renew. I have been a subscriber since 1996, but I don't particularly care for most of the recipes of today. I enjoy comfort food that has been lightened. ie: meatloaf, mash potatoes, chicken & dumplings, pot roast..
I know there are hundreds of these recipes done, which I have in my REPEAT file.
I have realized that this is already June and not one recipe this whole year has grabbed my attention. This is not to say I have not tried recipes. CL has opened my eyes to dishes I enjoy very much that I was not raised on. Pasta dishes for examples. I just don't like Thai, Morrecan (sp) these types of dishes. Which seem to be in more demand now than ever.

Alli, sorry I didn't mean to drone on...I agree with funnybone's suggestion (even though I haven't tried it) peel off your label and attach it to a magazine insert $16---Oh Yeah!
Carolyn--

[funnybone]

I did some searcing and found the following link - the rate is $16 at the site:
http://newsstand.enews.com/userId:newsstand-100193199/7.0/magazine/0,3520,siteID=115272|pageType=magazine|magazineID= 454,00.html

I have never used this site before, so I do not speak from experience.

[mb]

alli, i used CL's homepage to renew for $16 (my subscription is also up in August). i also received letters to renew for $22, but i didn't get the impression that i'd get anything else besides the yearlong subscription (i.e. i didn't read anything about the make-ahead cookbook). this will be my 3rd year getting CL, and i think i've never paid more than $16 for a subscription.

[SueK]

Last time I renewed, I was able to also get a 2nd subscription for free, which I sent to a friend who deals with Pampered Chef, and I thought it would come in handy for her. I think that time it was $22.

On a side note, I just got something in the mail this week from Gourmet (never subscribed to them before) for a one year subscription for $12. I sent it in, cause I figured I can't beat that price, even if I only use a 1/2 dozen recipes the whole year!

[kentgirl]

I've been getting my subscription renewed for the past few years at the rate of $11.95 through Delta Publishing. I also subscribe to other magazine through them with no problem. You can call them directly at 1-800-728-3728.

[chefbec]

Kentgirl, thanks for that number. I renewed over the phone for $16 because I mentioned that lower price and they gave it to me.

[Leonard]

Last July I renewed my subscription for $16. I got a gift subscription for my friend for $10 and a second gift subscription for my cousin for $2.00!!! YES $2.00 I don't think I'll ever be that lucky again!!!!

[ama47369]

Leonard-

How did you pull that off? That's a real deal!

http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Amanda

[GayeC]

My June issue arrived one day and the next day I received a renewal notice that said "We'ved missed you!" How nice that they missed me so soon! It was the first renewal I had received (maybe because my sister gave me a gift subscription the past two years but didn't renew it this year).

I am thinking about buying MasterCook with the offer of a free subscription to CL. I figure that will cover about half the cost of the software.

[Leonard]

Amanda: I was really lucky. I actually recieved this incredible offer in the mail last year. I would have been a fool to pass that up. Hopefully CL will offer that to me again.

[Don]

Hi Alli,
Well, I haven't renewed my own subscription yet. Now that I have diabetes, many of the recipes are way too high in carbs for my diet. I have, however, renewed many gift subscriptions for friends and family. Unfortunately, they always seem to come in one at a time, so that there are no discounts.

[funnybone]

I remembered this discussion from a couple of months badk.

I got a card in the mail for renewal as follows:

$22 for first
$16 for second
$5 for third

However, I only want one for myself as none of my close friends read it. Anyone seen any good offers lately? (Besides the MC offer for free)? www.enews.com still has it for $16, so that is probably the best deal around. I still have until March though.

[AndreaU]

I also subscribe through enews.com at $16. They have an automatic renewal where, unless you contact them to cancel, they charge your credit card every year so you don't have to think about renewing or possibly missing an issue.

[Linda in MO]

Originally posted by kentgirl
I've been getting my subscription renewed for the past few years at the rate of $11.95 through Delta Publishing. I also subscribe to other magazine through them with no problem. You can call them directly at 1-800-728-3728.

I took ketgirl's suggestion and got my CL subscription through Delta Publishing by calling the # above--$11.95--you can't beat that! I've gotten it early or on time without fail since I started subscribing. Thanks for the heads up, ketgirl!

[Lynn B]

VERY INTERESTING THREAD!!!

I don't have anything to comment on regarding the price of subscriptions (except that kentgirl comes through again with a GREAT tip! Thanks!!!)... but I just HAD to say that if CL came out with a special "Subscription for LIFE" -- I would buy it!!! :)

Lynn

[Gail]

Originally posted by AndreaU
I also subscribe through enews.com at $16. They have an automatic renewal where, unless you contact them to cancel, they charge your credit card every year so you don't have to think about renewing or possibly missing an issue.

Interesting idea in concept, but what happens when your credit card expires? Do they contact you to advise or are you expected to contact them?

[lisas3575]

Originally posted by carolyn.1
I enjoy comfort food that has been lightened. ie: meatloaf, mash potatoes, chicken & dumplings, pot roast. I know there are hundreds of these recipes done, which I have in my REPEAT file. I just don't like Thai, Morrecan (sp) these types of dishes. Which seem to be in more demand now than ever.

:o I thought I was the only one. I enjoy the more traditional recipes... I truly *want* to get excited about all the exotic, ethic cuisine they've been promoting this year, but I just can't get there. I'm hoping once cold weather hits again that there will be more comfort food. :o

[AndreaU]

Gail- good question! I've only been subscribing through enews for about 2 years and I think my credit card is usually valid for 3, so I have yet to experience that. One would assume that they'd send out an automatic notice to update the info, but we know what happens when you assume...