At the start of December and knowing that I had my low spending year coming up I cancelled my subscription to the Radio Times.
I had taken out the subscription quite a while ago when I spotted an offer and it was a good deal for a while. Then like so many other things the half yearly subscription rate had snuck up and up. The last time the direct debit left my bank account it was for £72.80 and while not the end of the world I thought it was just something that I could happily live without this year.
My subscription had ended rather neatly with the Christmas double edition and I thought no more about it until I saw my Mum's new copy last week when we visited her, then I had the littlest pang of regret that I wouldn't be getting it.
Yesterday it was my first hairdressing appointment of the new year and I had decided that I would go into Booths on the way back to the car and pick up the latest copy and sod it before then I would go online and re-instate my subscription.
Result!!
When I went online I came upon this offer.
As a very recent former subscriber I didn't think I would qualify for the reduced rate but I did. So now I am getting the next twelve issues for just £1 each ... instead of the £4 a copy it has now gone up to ... and then the next six months for the reduced rate of £49.60.
So I will be paying for this copy and next weeks copy out of my cash stash and then the direct debit will be coming out of our joint bank account as Alan wants to continue to share the Radio Times with me, and so it will not be taken from the stash.
First money spent this year:
Hair cut and tip = £23
Radio Times = £4
Twenty seven pounds gone in less than an hour - GULP!!
Sue xx
My mum used to get the Radio Times, back in the day when it wasn't an arm and a leg to buy. I can't say I've ever bought it, but if it did it was so long ago I can't recall it. We get the next weeks' programmes in with the Saturday newspaper, which suffices. Glad you got a good deal though. Life's too short to cut out all the things you like. I can remember Rhonda on Down-to-earth not buying Country Living, though she loved it. I'm a bit more self-indulgent I fear and get Homes & Antiques magazine each month. Nothing much else to look forward to now I'm as house-bound as K is, caring for him.
ReplyDeleteI do like all the television info as well as the timings in the Radio Times and the puzzle pages too. I used to buy Homes and Antiques, right from the first issue actually, when I was in the trade and would put it through the books as a business expense along with quite a few other country Living style magazines. I'm in the wrong business to be able to do that now unfortunately!
DeleteI had a letter telling me my RT sub was going up from £49.60 for half year to £37.70 four times a year so rang up to cancel and they offered me another 6 months at the £49 price!
ReplyDeleteI must try and remember that for when it goes up next time. Good tip, thanks Sue.
DeleteThat's a very good deal!
ReplyDeleteI haven't bought the Radio Times (apart from the Christmas/New Year edition) for years now, relying on the online and on screen info but I rather miss it - it's an interesting magazine as well as giving the listings. Now I have Readly and can access the articles that way.
xx
It is a good read. I was going to rely on the on screen info but then changed my mind.
DeleteYou got a great deal there, Sue, but why do they not reward loyalty more? If you let things slide the prices just go up and up without a second thought. I've begun watching the new series of Happy Valley. I like Sarah Lancashire as an actor and she really suits the part of a hardened police officer, doesn't she. I'm also looking forward to the forthcoming new series of Vera which begins in a week or so :)
ReplyDeleteI love Happy Valley and Sarah Lancashire, we sat and watched both of the first two series again before this one started to bring ourselves up to date, it was just as good the second time around. Yes, I really enjoy Vera too, I've watched all the episodes over and over.
DeleteI always used to buy RT - mum and dad did too - but the price is steep, I was going to treat myself at Christmas until I saw how much it was! Subscription is the way to go, but for me, these days, if I do buy a TV guide it has to be a cheapie. Looking forward to Happy Valley but will probably have to watch some of it holding my breath whilst telling myself " it's only a story " I'm such a baby like that!
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
It is quite expensive, but buying it on subscription brings the price down to less than half if you can get a good deal. I love it for the articles and puzzles and as we share it, it does seem to make it feel better value for money.
DeleteThere are usually quite a few pretty violent bits in Happy Valley aren't there, but the stories are done well enough to justify it and it's actually very true to life. Some of the stories my son tells me are far more harrowing than anything on the show.
Money well spent Sue. I love the Radio Times.
ReplyDeleteYes, so do I that's why I did a U-turn on cancelling it for this year.
DeleteI wonder if I can get the new series of Happy Valley here. I liked that series when it was on Netflix. Thanks for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteWe watched both the previous series on BBC iPlayer, so if you can get there they are all on there with the new ones appearing one a week ... unfortunately, as I love a good binge watch!
DeleteOhhh, a new season of Happy Valley. Awesome. Hopefully it reaches here very soon.
ReplyDeleteIt does not take much time at all for the spending to add up.
God bless.
I was only out of the house for just over an hour and that's me £27 lighter!!
DeleteDH subscribes to Country Living for my Christmas present each year but magazines are so expensive it is more cost effective to buy a book. They have stopped the garden notes page too in Country Living and a lot of the 'home' articles seem to be just going in one direction which is a shame. I don't get any TV guide - just rely on the guide and occassionally I take note of new programs mentioned by other bloggers - but I miss a lot of things anyway as I ring my mum at 8pm each night (her choice of time) just when something is starting - so I miss the beginning of any plot! Thank goodness our new TV has catch up. You will enjoy your new copies of RT especially as you got them discounted!
ReplyDeleteI used to always get Country Living but I was finding the adverts started outweighing the articles and features and it was getting very samey after a couple of years, so I cancelled my subscription in Autumn.. I honestly think that Radio Times is better value for me.
DeleteI tend to ring my Mum a couple of times a week in the afternoon, I can never remember when her favourite programmes are starting in the evening and she struggles with catch-up and recordings so it's easier to leave her to watch live television and call her earlier in the day ... as long as I miss Loose Women time, she really enjpoys that!
Whoops....that should have said I don't buy any TV magazine guides just rely on the screen guide and spelt occasionally with only one s - it is late I'm just off to bed!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't even noticed your extra 's' ... I'm obviously not on proof-reading duties at the moment. :-)
DeleteVery often, I have canceled a subscription only to get a notice begging me to come back and offering a huge discount. Sometimes I take them up on it.
ReplyDeleteMy son has done this every single year since he took out a SKY television contract and he's still at the opening offer rate about 9 years later.
DeleteIsn't it annoying when loyalty isn't rewarded? We have the same with insurance and AA membership where its only when you threaten to cancel your subscription that they offer a discount. I didn't know the Radio Times was still going, I remember having it at Xmas, Mum had a vintage tooled leather folder to keep it in which would come out once a year! xxx
ReplyDeleteIt really is annoying when you see all the new sign ups getting ridiculously low deals. Our AA membership actually went down this year, I have no idea why unless it's to do with us not having called them out for about 4 years.
DeleteWow I wish I could get a haircut for £23! It's £40 and upwards here in Bristol.
ReplyDeleteI used to pay a LOT more when we lived down south, even for exactly the same style, and even less than this when we lived in Wales. I guess it all goes off the running costs of the salons.
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