I bought a glossy magazine on Monday – and promptly felt guilty. I know I can confess it here amongst friends, but I'm a magazineaholic. Must be the smell of the paper and the perfume samples that niff like loo cleaner and the moment when you rip the usually tacky free gift from the front cover . . . Ooh, lovely, another umbrella that'll turn inside out in a faint breeze, and look, more mascara that I'll never wear, and oh goodie, another chicklit book that I'll hide in a pile somewhere round the house and never read.
In the past I've spent the gross national debt of Columbia on magazines. Yes, I do need them for work, no, I can't claim them back on expenses, so yes, they are rather an indulgence. Music, sport, women's, cult TV, current affairs … I can't resist the blighters.
I'd decided, though, that they were an indulgence too far when money was tight in a credit crunch. And I was very proud of myself last time I went into Border's in Bristol, which is the magazine emporium of the western world, as I walked out without a single one.
I might not be the only one as well. Recent circulation figures for UK magazines show a mixed story, both with advertising and sales of the magazines, particularly in the house porn market. Presumably people don't want to dribble over homes and posh furnishings that they don't have a cat in hell's chance of affording at the moment. Interestingly, though, Conde Nast are planning to launch two titles over the next couple of months, so they obviously have faith in people wanting their glossy monthly treat.
It's not only my magazine addiction that's had to be cut back. I'm lucky enough to get review copies, but I still buy a lot of non-crime fiction books. Increasingly, I'm costing out whether it's cheaper to buy them from AmazonMarketplace than through the main site. And yes, I know any authors reading this will be on my back for this. Sorry guys, I've got a bank manager on my tail. But those 'three for the price of two' deals in High Street bookshops or heavily-discounted titles in supermarkets look increasingly attractive. When I do buy, though, it's not hardbacks.
I'm buying far fewer CDs as well – and when I do it's usually by an old favourite, or where I'm confident of liking the album. There's no more 'take a chance' buying just in case I might like it. And yay for iTunes, where it makes economic sense to download a track and try before you buy . . .
People still want treats in a recession. They might be cutting back on overseas holidays, or deciding that the aging sofa is going to have to last another year. But paperback books, chocolate and takeaways (a couple of the takeaway chains announced this week their figures were up) are feel-good extras when everything around you is hideously gloomy.
