Dump the WSJ?

Just got back from a 4 week road trip. It confirmed that I do not need to read the WSJ. I can't afford the time in the morning with so many better creative activities planned. Then I just feel guilty for letting it sit there. So after it lapses in another month I'm going cold turkey. BTW, I like to use it for catching the little shavings from my electric shaver each morning because the print doesn't tend to rub off like the local paper. So I'm saving a stack of old ones.
 
I'm probably going to let my online sub expire in Dec. I'll give them a few weeks to trying to entice me back. Right now I know you can get it for $99 vs the $119 regular price.

I understand why companies try to maximize profits by charging more for renewals than new subscribers but it pisses me off that if I've subscribed to magazine, website etc. and I cancel I invariably get a better deal than simply resubscribing. It has to cost the company time and money to handle the administration.
 
I just had a 'come back' offer of $59 for a year (online).......no thanks.......
 
Thanks good to know that it is a $59, I'll ask for that.
 
I enjoy the WSJ a lot--The news is concise but has enough background to provide context, I enjoy the editorials, and I even the fluff "lifestyle" stuff of higher utility than the material in my local paper. When I travel I buy it from the newsstand at the cover price and consider it a fair deal for an hour of quality reading while on the plane. Still, paying the subscription price for home reading seemed steep. So, I traded some airline frequent flyer miles, and I'm waiting for my home delivery to start. I "paid" 3000 miles for 38 weeks of the paper. Given all the hassles in trying to use these miles to get airline tickets these days, I think their market value is about 1 cent each, so this cost me $30 for 9 months of the WSJ.

http://www.newspaper-miles.com/
https://delta.mpmvp.com/magazine/choose.asp
38 weeks for 3300 Delta Airline miles

https://nwa.mpmvp.com/magazine/choose.asp
38 weeks for 3300 Northwest miles

(There are other airline-specific sites out there)


You can also get 51 weeks of the Economist magazine for approx the same number of miles--another fantastic bargain.
 
Sorry I missed this thread when it began.

I've been a WSJ subscriber for years; love the paper; plan to continue my subscription indefinitely. I generally skip or skim over political articles; not because of any slant but because of disinterest.

Many articles have lead me to research companies or industries in which I later purchase shares. This past week a brief article about self-care health tools (Tech Firms See Growth in Self-Care Tools by Victoria E. Knight) prompted me to research this particular segment of the health-care industry.

Also, I don't like reading articles, especially lengthy ones, online. It gives me a headache. The paper is portable; handy while waiting for appointments and in the car while DH is driving. Plus, the paper is cuttable (is that word?). I've cut out many articles to save for future reference.

It costs more than I wish it would but then so do my haircuts.
 
Letting your subscription to WSJ expire reminds me that I recently let my subscription to Sports Illustrated expire as I was tired of reading it after about 30 years. When I started it long ago there was no ESPN. I now get ESPN about 5 different channels on the cable so by the time SI comes to me on Thursday it's old news.

After they finally cancelled my subscription in June, SI sent me a brand new year subscription (for free, I thought), then I received a letter from them with a $40 bill attached for 56 issues. The letter had a P.S. "If you have already sent in your payment, Thanks". How could I have sent in any $, I did not know that I was enrolled:confused:

I am waiting now for the threatening letter (s) to remind me what I "owe" them.
 
ladypatriot said:
It costs more than I wish it would but then so do my haircuts.
Click to expand...
I haven't missed either one for more than six years.

Spouse has a "free" subscription to the local paper, which takes her more time to page through than I need to peruse their website. If she doesn't read it then it goes straight into the recycle.
 
Latest price $39 per year

I gave up the WSJ some time ago. I don't really miss it because I can read many of the articles on the free version of the web site.

This morning I received an email "special welcome back offer" for $59 per year, including a $20 Amazon gift certificate. So, the net price would be $39. I guess this is what is called 'deflation' (or maybe 'competition' or 'desperation').

I'm tempted...maybe...

- plsprius
 
That is quite tempting. I wonder if I'll get such an offer after dumping the WSJ and having subscribed to it for over 34 years. On the other hand, I'm now able to pretty thoroughly read my Economist weekly magazine. So there is less stress on my mental "things to do list". Also there is something to be said for simplifying the information stream you take in.
 
Cripes they charged $149 on my credit card last week.

I called to cancel and he tried to switch me to a dept. but then said the dept. was closed so he said they would credit $146 and change back.

They were boosting it by high double-digit percentage each year.

What's with the sliding subscription scale BS? And to try to gouge long-time subscribers too.
 
plsprius said:
I gave up the WSJ some time ago. I don't really miss it because I can read many of the articles on the free version of the web site.

This morning I received an email "special welcome back offer" for $59 per year, including a $20 Amazon gift certificate. So, the net price would be $39. I guess this is what is called 'deflation' (or maybe 'competition' or 'desperation').

I'm tempted...maybe...

- plsprius
Click to expand...

Congratulations! In March my re-subscribe rate was over $400. They offered me "a deal" of around $350. Just too expensive, so have been without even though I do enjoy reading the WSJ.

Got a Kindle and subscribed to the Kindle version for $9.99 a month. Was ok with this even though the Kindle version is much abridged from the paper version. Shortly after getting this subscription the price went up to $15 per month! Have canceled but just this week started paper delivery back. Dow Jones called with an offer at $99 a month. Not as good as yours but I'm happy.
 
I just started mine back up using airline miles like someone else mentioned. Last time I had it was from miles too, and I went about six months without until the latest miles for magazines offer.
 
explanade said:
Cripes they charged $149 on my credit card last week.

I called to cancel and he tried to switch me to a dept. but then said the dept. was closed so he said they would credit $146 and change back.

They were boosting it by high double-digit percentage each year.

What's with the sliding subscription scale BS? And to try to gouge long-time subscribers too.
Click to expand...
Many of us are just too nice. I'll include myself in that group :). Then you have the hard headed business types who gauge just how much they can push each deal -- it has nothing to do with loyalty or creating a nice relationship with the customer. The best businesses figure how to make these facts of life a win-win proposition for customer, staff and money hungry management. I don't think the Wall Street Journal is exactly prospering and this is part of their problem.

It only took me 30 years of customer loyalty to figure that out and I'm offering it to everyone here for free :LOL:. I really have not missed my WSJ subscription. More time to read the Economist now.
 
Well IAD, but I cancled mine Yrs ago after getting more than enough Information and Propaganda to support Wall stret..with WSJ.. And Being Retired? I don't need that kind of information anymore..
I also Go once a Week to my Library and read it there on a rainy day or in Winter..or over to Our Caribou Cafe that has it there for Free..

Just like the NYTimes and their $5-6 for a Sunday paper that is 90% Adds and 10% fodder..Who R they kidding.. Most Newspapers have been con games for yrs.. Collecting so much in advertising they could give it away for free.. 90% of their Columnist and People have been over paid for yrs anyway..

As for College calling for Donations? I told them, sure, just as long as you agree to Invest the Endowment $ sensibly and FIRE those that have been running it..
( it lost over 30% last yr)..I heard Harvard's lost even More..
 
Up here in socialist eastern Canada, the WSJ has been a dear friend over many decades, and I am sad to hear that it is struggling.

Of course, I am not much help, as I don't pay for it very often.

I found out our office library throws out the archived papers after 2 months. Now, they keep them for me and I pick them up once a month. I have a stack of them at the house, and I pick one out of the pile whenever heading to a cafe or heading to the mall with the wife.

The timeless content stands out clearer when you are reading it a couple of months after the publication date. It is also very interesting to read certain articles with the knowledge of what actually took place in the two months following.
 
WSJ is expensive so I read a lot of stuff online. As for timeless, I agree with Kroeran - they do in-depth reporting (although that has gotten shorter shrift lately) - great book reviews and some interesting travel sites. They just had a great article on Roth conversions. My favorite part a few years ago was the in-depth reporting on what the dot-com millionaires did with their millions - many of them partied and spent all of the IPO money. Very interesting insight into human behavior/character and how it doesn't change much.

As for the Economist, I've seen they've gone very left - to be honest, it's hard to find any publication that attests to neutrality and truly delivers it. One of the things I like about the WSJ is they profess a pro-business stance and stick to it. So, I know their bias going in and don't have to waste time trying to figure it out.
 
deserat said:
As for the Economist, I've seen they've gone very left - to be honest, it's hard to find any publication that attests to neutrality and truly delivers it. One of the things I like about the WSJ is they profess a pro-business stance and stick to it. So, I know their bias going in and don't have to waste time trying to figure it out.
Click to expand...

Very much agree with you deserat. I don't mind publications being politically slanted as long as they are relatively consistent and their slant is stated up front with no hidden agendas that I need to figure out.
 
Because they endorsed Obama?

Conservatives in Europe are more to the center than conservatives in America.

Economist was never the IBD.
 
Kroeran said:
wow. I just news googled a locked WSJ article, and it linked me back to an unlocked version on the WSJ site itself.
Click to expand...

shhhhhhh...don't say that too loud or everyone will hear. I canceled my WSJ a year ago but haven;t stopped reading...:)
You can do that with Barron's as well - but recently just page one of a multipage article.
 
(barely related to thread)

I canceled cnnfn's web site awhile back because of the videos.

It used to be a quick link on my browser tool bar, but sadly some fool decided that going to the page needs to automatically play a video about stuff I couldn't care less about.

Why on earth anyone would assume everyone going to that web page wants to have sound come over their speakers without making the choice to click on something is beyond me.
 
got one of them new iPhones

WSJ app rocks, and it's free
 
True but at some point, they will cut off access to content. That's what the disclaimer says when you launch the app.

But it is surprising that since I ended my subscription, I'm able to view most of the content anyways.
 
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