Condemned to pay at least $20/mo. for a digital WSJ subscription?

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ChrisKochmanski
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Condemned to pay at least $20/mo. for a digital WSJ subscription?

#1

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

We're gradually going on a semi-retirement budget, aiming to trim costs where we can. With the WSJ, we're currently on a digital subscription that costs about $27 or $28 per month. We know we can cancel that subscription, and re-sign up under one of our other email addresses; the best current new-subscriber deal now is $20 per month for a year. I'd find that worth it, for the weekend puzzles, and my occasional reading of the articles. (I've been finding the content related to preparing for and managing retirement fairly useful, in fact. Now, as for the op-eds, well ...)

But ...

Is there a way to get the WSJ puzzles -- mainly Friday's WSJCC -- for significantly less?

I suppose I can just buy the Friday paper at our corner store. Though I'd also want the Saturday paper, since I like the variety puzzles. Now we're getting into a similar dollar amount over the course of a month. Plus the hassle of going out to get the papers.

In short, for the fun and convenience of it all, am I condemned to paying at least $20 per month to get the paper and the puzzles online?

Please advise.

Thanks!
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Hector
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#2

Post by Hector »

Aren't the puzzles free? I'm not a subscriber...
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BarbaraK
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#3

Post by BarbaraK »

So far at least, you don't have to have a subscription to get the puzzles. A while back Mike said they were considering moving them behind the paywall, but then that ended up being delayed.
ALS
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#4

Post by ALS »

If you have surplus airline miles, there may be opportunities to get a print subscription for miles at https://www.magsformiles.com/ . That's how I got my subscription. Not sure if every mileage program participates or gets the same deals. I used Delta miles. Didn't cost a crazy # either.

ALS
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Meg
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#5

Post by Meg »

On the WSJ homepage at the very bottom, click on "Register For Free". You get the puzzles for free this way. I don’t know if there’s anything else, like a limited number of articles. I’d recommend using an e-mail they haven’t heard of.
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ChrisKochmanski
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#6

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Hey, these are great tips!

Tonight we'll test the "Register for Free" thing from one of Lynne's email accounts.

We'll probably let our current digital all access subscription run until early October when it expires -- since we're already paid up until then.

Thanks greatly!
Laura M
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#7

Post by Laura M »

I don't think that you even need to be registered to get the puzzles. I did them for a year before I finally registered just so I could comment. And now I haven't logged into the WSJ site since they changed the comments to subscription-only (I don't have my browser set to keep me logged in), but I can still do the crosswords.

I bet they'll change the puzzles to subscription-only at some point, but if you let your subscription lapse for a while they might offer you a better deal to come back!
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Randy
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#8

Post by Randy »

I'm pretty sure John Q Public can download the crossword puzzle without registering any email with WSJ. I don't know about the online thing, though.
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FrankH
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#9

Post by FrankH »

You don't have to register. You can access all the puzzles at https://blogs.wsj.com/puzzle/. I am not a subscriber and I get these puzzles online through that link.
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ChrisKochmanski
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#10

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Well, yes, indeed, I've cancelled my digital all-access subscription (though it will run until its renewal date in early October), and I've registered for free under a second email address, even if I didn't have to -- so I'm now set for free access to the WSJ puzzles, which I seemingly already was, anyway.

So why did I ever think I needed a paid subscription?

Oh, no matter.

Thanks to all for your guidance here!
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ChrisKochmanski
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#11

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Hmm ... Do other major media also have "register for free" options?

With the NYT, we're now on a $1 per week promotional rate, for one year, giving the puzzles as well as the news.

And we're paid up with the Washington Post for a while more.

So there's no urgency yet.
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Meg
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#12

Post by Meg »

I pay $19.97 to the NYT for a year of puzzles. Seems like a pretty good deal to me.
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ChrisKochmanski
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#13

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Meg wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:39 pm I pay $19.97 to the NYT for a year of puzzles. Seems like a pretty good deal to me.
Is that only for puzzles? Or do you get all digital access to the whole NYT.com?

If the latter, hey, I'll let a little time pass with out $1 a week arrangement, then call and try to get your $19.97 deal.

Thanks for the tip, Meg!
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Meg
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#14

Post by Meg »

ChrisKochmanski wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 4:31 pm
Meg wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:39 pm I pay $19.97 to the NYT for a year of puzzles. Seems like a pretty good deal to me.
Is that only for puzzles? Or do you get all digital access to the whole NYT.com?

If the latter, hey, I'll let a little time pass with out $1 a week arrangement, then call and try to get your $19.97 deal.

Thanks for the tip, Meg!
Chris, it’s puzzles only, but it’s ALL the puzzles.
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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FrankH
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#15

Post by FrankH »

ChrisKochmanski wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:29 pm Hmm ... Do other major media also have "register for free" options?

With the NYT, we're now on a $1 per week promotional rate, for one year, giving the puzzles as well as the news.

And we're paid up with the Washington Post for a while more.

So there's no urgency yet.
I am not a Washington Post subscriber but I have been accessing their Sunday crossword for free through this link https://www.washingtonpost.com/crosswor ... -birnholz/. On that webpage you can click on other puzzles like daily crossword; I haven't tried them but I assume they are also free. On the other hand, if you want to read Evan Birnholz's blog on his Sunday crossword, after reaching a limit Washington Post will ask you to subscribe.
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