Over at Amazon, they’re offering discounted 1-year subscriptions to a bunch of magazines, including Family Handyman, Popular Science, and Popular Mechanics, for $5 each.
The subscriptions are of the auto-renew variety, but if you’re not interested in that, simply toggle the auto renewal setting off after you place your order.
Advertisement
I enjoy most of my magazine content online these days, but there’s still something I like about flipping through a physical magazine.
Personally, I’m going to be subscribing to Family Handyman, and am considering adding on Popular Science. Both of my subscriptions to these magazines recently ended, but for $5 each, it’s almost silly not to renew if I enjoy the content (and I do).
Buy Now:
Family Handyman: 12 months, 11 issues
Popular Science: 12 months, 6 issues
Popular Mechanics: 12 months, 10 issues
Update: I ordered Family Handyman and PopSci. I was able to turn off auto renew for Family Handyman immediately, and after 5 minutes I was able to do the same for PopSci once it showed up in my Amazon magazine subscription manager.
Hilton says
Mar 25, 2016 at 8:43 amI love reading these type of magazines whilst spending quality time in the room of no regrets.
Bob says
Mar 25, 2016 at 8:55 amWhere is the toggle for the auto renew? I can’t seem to find it.
Stuart says
Mar 25, 2016 at 9:16 amThis is how I got to it:
From the Amazon Account Menu, go to your Digital Subscriptions. At the bottom it says “Don’t see your subscription? Take me to my…” and click on the magazine subscription manager.
It takes you to this link:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/magazines-subscription-manager/
On the lower right side of the box for the new subscriptions, there should be a button for auto renewal settings.
Bob says
Mar 25, 2016 at 10:06 amperfect. Thanks
Chris says
Mar 25, 2016 at 10:33 amAhh, Family Handyman. Finally I can enjoy all of my erectile disfunction advertisements in a single publication!
Benjamen says
Mar 25, 2016 at 11:14 amMy father-in-law will save Family Handyman magazines for me. I’m always amazed at how little content and an how much advertising there is. What content you can find is usually aimed at the total novice, but occasionally there’ll be gems.
I follow them on Twitter and they post a lot of good ideas and projects, but when you go to the website, it’s one of the worst I’ve ever seen for navigating. There’s no consistency. Some times you can actually find the text of an article by scrolling down, sometimes you have to choose between several arrows, and if you pick the wrong arrow — surprise it’s an ad!
I also used to subscribe to Pop Sci and Pop Mech. I dumped Pop Sci when they started promoting pseudoscience right along side real science. The problem with Pop Mech is that by the time I got the magazine, I’d already seen most of the news someplace else.
Stuart says
Mar 25, 2016 at 11:51 amThe last time I was faced with renewing Popular Mechanics, I counted the number of ad pages compared to pages of content.
Print magazines have face a lot of trouble, which is probably why many have reduced the number of issues.
Jon says
Mar 25, 2016 at 11:20 amMy wife got me Family Handyman when we moved into our house. She then tried to unsubscribe and instead they started sending us TWO subscriptions. It was a real pain trying to cancel. Hopefully Amazon subscriptions are better about that.
As for the magazine itself, I found the content to be ok but not great. It would probably appeal to someone with better woodworking knowledge.
Stuart says
Mar 25, 2016 at 11:46 amI’ve never had a problem with magazine subscriptions thru Amazon. When non-aut-renewal subscriptions expire, they simply expire. No phone calls, nothing. Maybe mailers, but they go straight into the recycling bin.
Amazon usually has special pricing on the auto renewal versions, but there’s nothing I have ever seen to keep you committed to auto renewing.
Steve says
Mar 25, 2016 at 11:30 amGreat price. I think I bought one issue of Family Handyman for $5 at Home Depot. Thanks.
Robert Tripp says
Mar 25, 2016 at 5:09 pmPopular Science is a great read. Family handyman, o.k.
fred says
Mar 27, 2016 at 4:17 pmI subscribe to (or to be correct my wife renews at Christmas) many woodworking magazines (Fine Woodworking, Popular Woodworking, Shopnotes, Wood, Woodcraft, Woodsmith and Woodworker’s Journal). Wood and Woodcraft are aimed a bit more at the novice woodworker. I have the impression that they have more advertising than the others. After many years – there is certain sameness about the articles – but they are a quick read – good for the airplane – and sometimes I save an issue for project ideas. Shopnotes and Woodsmith have little or no advertising and are often devoted to projects, and shop-made tools – and I usually save these – but I’m reconsidering – as I probably have more issues than I can possibly refer back to. Now that I’m retired – I thought that I would have more time in the shop to undertake some of the magazine-generated ideas – but between travelling, volunteer work and being enlisted to undertake home remodeling or building built-ins, casework and the odd piece of furniture for the kids – I seldom have time. Maybe next year since I’ve now built all the kitchen cabinets, pantries, staircases, bookcases, inglenooks, vanities, blanket chests, toy boxes and cherry desks that I plan on for the family – but who knows – a bathroom or two may need to be updated.
Steve Zissou says
Mar 28, 2016 at 11:04 amI just renewed for $12. The $5 deal was for an “auto renewing” subscription. Call me paranoid but I have a funny feeling the renewal rate will be higher than $10, and I am 103% certain I will not catch it when the rate goes up.
I have always enjoyed the magazine, lots of good info. WOOD is another nice one. My all time fave is Fine Homebuilding, but I’m a special case. SZ
Stuart says
Mar 28, 2016 at 11:08 amAs mentioned in the post, “The subscriptions are of the auto-renew variety, but if you’re not interested in that, simply toggle the auto renewal setting off after you place your order.”
I have always done this, never with any I’ll effects.
fred says
Mar 28, 2016 at 10:40 pmSteve Zissou
I also like the other Taunton magazine: Fine Woodworking – even though the Taunton editorial staff or contributors sometimes do get a bit “preachy”. We had some clients who after reading Fine Home Building , Architectural Digest or like publications would decide that they wanted things – that without benefit of an Architect were problematical at best for their style of house.
Joren says
Apr 1, 2016 at 10:13 pmLooks like Popular Science is no longer set at the $5 price, and they want to push the “All Access” model