Reduce Your Magazine Clutter

Photo: Magazine Binder

If you subscribe to several magazines like I do, you know that those magazines can easily pile up.  Perhaps this would not be such a bad thing if you actually read those magazines again, but let's be honest --- we rarely do.  So let's tackle that clutter in a smart way.

How to Create a Magazine Binder

Materials:

• large 3-ring binder (Note: You could always upgrade to a larger binder later, but I like starting big)
• dividers with tabs/labels
• ordinary binder paper (college-ruled or wide ruled)
• scissors
• Elmer's school glue or glue stick (Note: I prefer using Elmer's school glue)
• Stapler (for keeping multi-issue articles together)
• High-quality 3-hole punch (optional)

Directions:

1. I use a binder for each major subject that interest me.  For example, I have a binder just for "Home & Garden" related issues.  Then I use dividers to divide the binder into subjects.  For example, I have a section on each room in a house, and the front and backyard.  
2. As I read magazines, I tear out images or articles of interest and just glue them (or staple them if it is a multi-page article) to a piece of lined binder paper.  You can also use a three hole punch on full page articles.  Sometimes I jot quick notes next to the item or article.  Then I file the paper under the appropriate section.  
3. After I am done reading the magazine, I am left with a magazine full of advertisements or articles that did not interest me so I just put it in the recycling bin.