Monday 30 May 2011

Not old enough for this

I have in front of me details of a special offer that is hard to refuse, well actually I lie, it is going to be very easy for me to toss this leaflet in the bin and say no thanks.

Apparently I should feel priviledged to receive this offer. As a past subscriber to Saga Magazine it has been noticed that I no longer receive it, as my subscription ran out at the end of last year. And now this lovely lady editor wants to welcome me back with open arms.

What they don't know is that I didn't pay for my last subscription, it was a gift from my Uncle Stan. When it first started to plop through my letter box, I thought, oh goodeee it's free, something to browse while I eat my bran flakes in the morning. There were some interesting interviews, but by about the six months mark, it started to lose it's appeal.

The blurb on this leaflet says, and I quote, 'A GREAT READ. 180 pages a month of award winning money advice, excellent health writing, beautiful gardening and interiors, feisty opinions, and fun interviews'. Let's look at these USP's one at a time.

Award winning money advice. Yes, there is lots of information, but it's for people who already have a lot of money, investments, private pensions, rental properties, savings, who shall I leave it to, etc. There is nothing for people who have to manage on a low income, with no savings, so not really relevant to me.

Excellent health writing. All well and good if you are unlucky enough to be of not very good health, you might like to read up about your particular condition. But of very little interest if you have a good all round general knowledge of what you should be doing to look after yourself. I suppose hypochondriacs might find this interesting to read though.

Beautiful gardening. The magazine caters very well for people who spend shed loads down at the garden centre on a Sunday afternoon, buying all they need to replicate a show garden they have seen at the Chelsea Flower Show. There is nothing for people who have to scrounge, beg, make, buy second hand, borrow, everything that goes into keeping their garden tidy.

Beautiful interiors. The magazine is fine for people who browse the furniture stores or diy shops, or hire a professional to redesign their lounge after watching Grand Designs. It's full of expensive furniture, accessories, and home decorating ideas. There is nothing for me, who will have to make all the second hand furniture I own, last untill I die. Not that I am complaining about that, I can't see the point of relacing something which still has a lot of life left in it, just because it is out of fashion.

Feisty interviews and fun opinions. Well, yes there are a few of those, but not enough to make me want another years subscription. I can get all that from the radio, much better when it is in the spoken word.

Mainly the magazine is full of adverts for appliances to make ones later years more tolerable. No I don't need a chair that launches me into space at the press of a button. No, I can get in and out of the bath by myself, thanks, and I can still climb the stairs. I'm not ready for a motorbility scooter yet, and I don't need any accessories to ensure the comfort of my nether regions either. And while I am at it, I don't wish to go on holiday with a lot of oldies who enjoy being ferried around in a coach visiting stately homes, and who get put up in friendly seaside boarding houses, with a good singsong around the piano for entertainment. Each to their own but it is not me.

I think you have guessed by now that I am too young to read Saga Magazine, so I will not be sending £5.99 (50p a month) for one year, or £9.99 (41p a month) for two years. I don't want my recycling cupboard cluttered up with it ;O)

16 comments:

  1. Actually, I quite fancy the idea of a chair that launches unwanted guests into space.
    "Ah, Mr Doubleglazing-Salesman. Do come in... Yes, have a seat."

    BOING !!

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  2. I know what you mean about magazines being irrelevant. My husband brought home a copy of Ideal Home a few weeks ago. He had found it in the restroom at work and has since returned it. People in there had allegedly done up their home on a budget - that meant they had paid £3000 for a sofa in the sale , instead of paying the original £5000 price tag. That's more money than we have to renovate the entire house - wiring, new doors, some windows and all radiators aswell as replacing worktops and the kitchen sink which are unsalvageable, painting and decorating( it has taken 5 coats of paint to cover the filthy kitchen ceiling, and we had to give in after 4 coats of white and paint it cream as it still looked dirty!).I wouldn't swap though - where's the fun in being able to walk into a shop and buy whatever you want? Charity shop shopping is so much better - never knowing if you might find just the thing you have been looking for.
    Still can't post through my google account - hope anaonymous works.
    Scarlet

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  3. I subscribed to it a long time ago at the discounted rate after having car insurance with them. I ditched that as it went up so much on the renewal!

    I found I read a couple and then never bothered with the rest. I concur with ALL the comments you have made about the articles in them - but you have forgotten the fashion Ilona. Wouldn't you love to buy some of those beautiful middle aged dresses and tops so you would be immediately identified with the Sage age group? Hahahahaha! Funnily enough it doesn't mention any good charity shops, does it?

    I once filled in an application form for a Saga courier job on boats on the Rhein and then never bothered sending it when I realised what a winging lot I might have to contend with. And, who can afford holidays at that price anyway. I get B&B as cheaply as possible if I go travelling.

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  4. My Mom had a subscription gifted to her so I read them when she'd finished with them and then passed them on to a friend - at least the gift maker got his worth from them! (Though I did enjoy some of the articles...)

    I've had terrible trouble posting too, but read on someone's blog comment somewhere to 'uncheck' the 'stay signed in' on your google account - it WORKED! Maybe it'll work for some of your comment friends too.

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  5. I have also unchecked the 'stay signed in', as Kath suggested, glad it works for you Rose, as it does for me. Good idea to pass the magazines on.

    Thanks for reminding me Campfire, oh, those awfull fashions, not ready for granny dresses yet, ha ha. And the holidays, great if you want to spend five grand on a cruise, no mentioning of hostels though.

    Boingggg, boinggg, goodbye salesman, ha ha.

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  6. Most of these magazines are not worth the paper they are written on. I have given up on magazines years ago. DB gets his TV mag every week for £0.49 and that`s it. I never even look at it myself.

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  7. Why does a rough/tough grumpy old man like me read a blog that tells you how to make shopping bags out of cat food packaging ?
    Because of posts like this, thats why.Great stuff for those of us who inhabit the real world.

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  8. It might be an idea to send them a (slightly revised!) letter to the Editor!!

    Re posting- we're on Firefox- no trouble posting here, on xp or linux.
    IE seems to be the worst browser offender

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  9. I find that most magazines cease to have much relevance to you when you don't spend loads of money. They just seem to be full of articles and adverts encouraging you to buy the latest 'this and that' and copy what 'everyone' else has. Boring.

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  10. Saga is just a commercial company whose raison d'etre is selling - and that's exactly the (sole) aim of their magazine - so you've made the right decision to dump it and not renew.
    Btw, exactly how do you uncheck 'stay signed in' as I never see such a check box?

    Jane
    Rattlebox

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  11. Great post..however...................... imagine my surprise when a SAGA holiday turned up at ANGKOR WAT IN CAMBODIA! There was certainly life left in those senior tourists!

    Sft

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  12. Jane, If you sign out, top righthand side of page, then click sign in, which takes you to Blogger homepage, then sign back in on the righthand side. Do not tick the box which says keep me signed in.

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  13. Well, its been a long time since I caught up with everyones blogs, but I'm slowly getting there. I have just spent the past hour catching up with your holiday adventures Ilona. I've really enjoyed reading them and looking at your pictures. It was particularly good to see Tobermory, as you may remember we went past it on the ferry to Barra last year, but never visited it.It looks really pretty. What a curse though about all the rain!! When we went to Barra we had the most beautiful hot weather everyday. The locals there told us though that it is normally pouring with rain and we were very, very lucky with the weather.

    Ohhh kittens on the way...wish I lived closer to you.

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  14. I am in the US and am not familiar with SAGA, but we have similar mags here is the US. I do not read them! As for senior activities, I refuse to participate. Oh, sure, I take advantage of the free attorney offered, free income tax service, free bread given out on Wednesday, free admission to the county fair on senior day, free help with filling out Medicare, free access to a shredding machine and exercise room. But, I do not care for and am not ready for the bridge sessions, sing-alongs, bus tours, prayer sessions, gospel singing....nope. I don't really think I will ever be willing to pay nearly a dollar for a meal at noon on a styrofoam plate that is worse than school lunches--potato flaks reconstituted, bit of soy meat, soggy vegetagles and white rolls. I am sure that there are folk who need that--not me. A person must be 60 for the senior center. And, I am not one of the seniors who is well-off.

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  15. Same for me. I had a Prima subscription for Christmas.

    Every article is about something you could buy.

    Eg. face creams, clothes, furniture, paint, garden stuff etc.

    Only the recipes are vaguely of interest to me.

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  16. Welcome PP, I like your style, you say it like it is. Hello to crl2amb, thanks for your comment.

    Oldmortality, you made me laugh. Hi Sharon. I must go back to your posts from your holiday and take another look.

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