I have not renewed any magazine subscriptions or sent in my newspaper payments for next year. My DH sent in a few before I suggested he might be wasting his money. I have had urgent mailings from most of the magazines stating that I must renew now in order to save! save! save! They sure want the money before January.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), November 30, 1999

Answers

Get this! Not only did I renew a subscription into 2001, but GUESS ... just GUESS which one it was! Yes! Gary North's monthly newsletter, the REMNANT REVIEW! Yup. Even I can't believe it. But he had a good promo-offer for early renewals that under the circumstances at that time, I found irresistable: those were the days before I found the internet and access to sites like this.

Rip into me all you Pollies !!!! I deserve it.

I will say this: that for the last few months I have had to call North's offices every month to request copies of the newsletter -- not, I am sure becuase they are not getting mailed, but almost certainly because they end up in the "personal collection" of some intrigued postal worker. Perhaps anyway. I still have not received November's newletter, and will have to call again and ask them to send a third copy in an UNMARKED envelope.

Squirrel Hunter >"<

-- SH (squirrel@huntr.com), November 30, 1999.

Carol, I have NOT renewed any magazine subscriptions at all. I received my yearly internet bill (cheaper if you pay yearly) but phoned them this morning and requested monthly rate. Any extra money I have goes to PREPS. I won't even buy any new computer games (hey, I'm a gamaholic) or anything electronic. The hubby wanted one last electronic toy (inexpensive digital computer camera) and I said "No WAY, sport." (I wear the money pants in this family since I'm a bit higher in number GI than the hubby LOL). Today I bought a bicycle for X-mas for the daughter and more preps. I'd also rather spend a bit of extra money for preps for hungry friends/neighbors than anything extra like magazine subscriptions that most likely (in my GI 8+ opinion) will never arrive. So I'm with you on this!

-- Debi (LongTimeLurker@shy.com), November 30, 1999.

--I'm doing the same thing with my server/host. Gonna pay two months in advance, then let it slide, see what happens. Only magazines I get I buy on the stand, so nothing there. Very lucky, local library sells used paperbacks for ten cents, magazines off date for ten cents, and hardcovers for a quarter. so I've been "stocking up"!

-- zog (zzoggy"@yahoo.com), November 30, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr (pic), near Monterey, California

Debi: Maybe you should get your husband that digital camera as a gift, afterall.

I'll address the original question of the thread, even though it smells kind of trollish.

I have tended to renew subscriptions for the minimal time period, and let some of them slide until next year, especially the expensive ones such as the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine. On the other hand, I've made a point to be sure to renew some that I would very much like to continue to see in case of a bad Y2K; Mother Earth News, Mothering Magazine, and Home Education Magazine.

My practice in the past has been to pay publishers before year end in order to count some of them as tax write offs, and to subscribe for multiple years in order to not have to mess with it as often. In a couple of weeks I plan to put my health club on "inactive" status, and get their acknowledgement of that in writing. In case I wouldn't be able to get to the club, I wouldn't want to be charged for month after month of unused membership. Then, I might fire it right back up next month.

In general, though, I've tended to pay things more ahead, than to withhold money that I would have normally sent. For example, I've already made the January house payment.

I've also paid board for my son's new pony out to March or so, while encouraging them to use that early payment to stockpile several months of hay for all the horses in their care (They usually get it delivered every month). If things go seriously south, I'll probably also take steps to help them get many of those animals onto some nearby safer pastures, so that that purchased hay will last longer. It can't hurt to have occasional access to the horses of appreciative owners.

I would hate to contribute to a self-fulfilling prophecy by behaving too much differently than I do today. So, I balance our need for liquid cash to spend today on much needed tools, against the needs of faceless employees at the companies which publish the periodicals I enjoy.

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), November 30, 1999.

I will not renew my magazine subscriptions nor Sams Club membership.The store is a long drive from where I live,concerned about gasoline shortages and supply problems.I plan to stay close to home.

-- Maggie (song bird@iwon.com), November 30, 1999.

Let me sugggest that if you have a favorite magazine or newsletter that you want to stay in business, send in your subscription renewal now even if you aren't certain they can fulfill your order in a timely manner.

Your favorite publications can't stay in business without a guarantee of a subscription base.

You may be risking $25 or more by renewing now. But those renewals may be able to keep your favorite publication going through tough times.

If you don't think you can risk the subscription renewal price, diregard my comments.

-- walt (longyear@shentel.net), November 30, 1999.

Funny you should ask... I've been letting everything expire. Easy enough to re-subscribe after January.

-- holding on (to@the.money), November 30, 1999.

We have been letting everything expire, too. Got rid of digital cable, as well (there's an extra $55 a month). Our daughter takes gymnastics through her school ($30 a month) and they wanted tuition for Jan Feb and March and we said nope. We'll re-register her if everthing is ok and be happy to pay the $15 re-registration fee. We have no magazine subscriptions, I am too cheap for that.

We have purchased nothing for Christmas that requires electronics or batteries to use.

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), November 30, 1999.

I'm letting everything expire except my Wanderer, Magnificat, a daily prayer book, to which I have a double subscription (a copy each for DH and myself), and New Oxford Review. The rest of them can all just go whistle.

-- Liz Pavek (lizpavek@hotmail.com), November 30, 1999.