What to do with magazines

I used to have stacks and stacks of home decor, cooking, and various magazines lying around. When I started the purging process I knew they had to go!
Here are some suggestions for what to do with all those articles you fear you will need in 5 years!

1. Use manila file folders. Tear out all articles from each magazine that you think you may want for reference. Organize them in a manila folder by type. (ie: parenting articles, decorating, etc.)
Store the folders in a file cabinet or buy a Sterilite Show off file folder tote ($8.00 or so at Wal-Mart) and store them in a closet. Then purge the rest of the magazine. I did one magazine every day, and spent 5-15 minutes going through page-by-page to be sure I saved whatever I thought I might use.
At some point (1 year, 2 years, whatever works for you) if you haven't touched the files...throw them away!

2. I save many home decorating pictures from my magazines. Photos of ideas or color schemes I thought I'd like to work with one day. I placed them into a 3 ring binder with page protectors, and I can add to it as I want to, and remove things once I look back and say "What was I thinking?" LOL!

3. If you collect recipes from magazines you can put them in a 1" 3 ring binder, in sheet protectors, and organize them by type (Main dish, sides, desserts baked goods, etc.) Once a year review them all, purge what you never made, or never think you'll make) and you have an easy to use recipe book from all the magazine pages you cut out!

If you are ready to part with the entire magaziine:

Don't forget that you may be able to recycle those magazines. Check your local recycle bin for what types of paper they will take. Load the mags into paper sacks and drop them off the next time you visit the library, the kids school, or wherever your paper recycle drop-off bin is located!

You can sell the magazines to half price books

You can offer them for free on FreeCycle and pass them onto someone else who would enjoy them!
Check with your childs preschool or elementary school. Often times they use magazine cut outs for various projects, and they may be happy to receive them!

In a nut shell my point is...please, please, PLEASE do what you can to avoid sending magazines and newspapers to the landfill. I know that the suggestions mentioned above may be inconvienient, but it really is the least we can do for mother earth!