I love magazines and cookbooks. I like nothing better on a rainy Sunday afternoon than to pour myself a glass of wine and get out a stack of magazines/cookbooks and peruse them for hours. I only purchase a magazine if there are more than two items in it that interest me. I usually find that as time goes by I find more items of interest. So for me they are never a waste of time or money. They are enjoyed and used frequently.
P.S. I frequently purchase used magazines at thrift stores.