"You've won a $1,00 online shopping spree!" That's part of the bait that Midwest Home Office telemarketing firm is casting to reel customers for its magazine renewals. According to the Better Business Bureau of MN and ND, the company then alleges that the prize will only be awarded if the person agrees to buy magazines.

Note: Any time you have to pay any amount to collect a prize, hang up or walk away.

Other Midwest Home Office customers have complained about overbilling, and not receiving magazines or the shopping spree, said the BBB.

Think about how much you're spending per month on magazines now. Some Midwest Home Office customers are paying $30 a month. If I were paying $360 a year for magazines, I'd need another family to help me read them.

Here are some much better tips to save on magazine subscriptions. Tanga is a really cheap source. Get on their e-mail list for alerts about great deals. They only offer a few at a time.

What about renewals? Good sources for renewals include Magazine City (1-800-787-1414 ) or NEA
Magazine Service (1-800-968-7624).

Your best bet might be to use a comparison site such as Magazine Price Search. Prices found at their sites are often 20 to 70 percent cheaper than with other magazine services.

Once you find the best rate, call the 800 number listed on the publisher's page, tell them your best rate, and ask them to beat it. Most will at least match it, and some reps will shoot you a lower price. If comparison shopping isn't for you, call the 800 number and ask for the best rate. If it's no better than the standard rate on the insert cards, use one of the comparison sites.