i'm definitely not a pack rat. however, we have had a LOT of magazine subscriptions over the past 6 years of marriage. in fact, at one point, we were receiving 7 different magazines a month (car and driver, motortrend, men's health, women's health, shape, real simple, and explore). to spend $20 - $35/year on a year's subscription is SO cheap in comparison to buying a few mags at the grocery store each year. BUT these pile up pretty quick if you're not just tossing them after you've read them. but who tosses magazines after you've read them? no one. we had PILES of magazines everywhere after years of subscriptions (and now our list is made up of real simple, beautiful british columbia, and today's parent - but for awhile there was fit pregnancy and canadian family also). at one point, i implemented at magazine box for each magazine and said that once the box was full, we couldn't add to it until we recycled some. That was all the magazines we were allowed of each. but this seemed unfair because real simple is so fat and explore is too good to get rid of ANY.
where am i going with this? well, eventually, we got rid of all the car mags, most of the health mags, and i gave away my fit pregnancy to someone else who was pregnant. i plan on keeping all explore and today's parent but the real simple? i can't keep them all! i've totally pared down - don't worry - i don't have years of my subscription but i have the last half a year or so. (and every december issue since 2004 - i love re-reading those at christmas) i think i should just be passing these on instead of getting rid of them. do you want them? i would love to share them with you. they're too pretty to recycle. let me know and i'll save them for you!
btw, if you ever go outside or aspire to go outside more, this is the greatest magazine. it's canadian which i absolutely love and every article is SO well written. i read it cover to cover every month when we subscribed to it and we're waiting for tim's b-day so that we can be subscribed again as a bday gift! i highly recommend it for you or for giving as a gift. and no, i have not been compensated by explore magazine to say this! haha.