We have recently launched a digital subscription service for £4.99 a month.

We are biased, but it is a small price to pay for trusted, local news.

But in case you're not convinced, here are five things our subscription is cheaper than ... 

Five hours parking at Festival Place

It has admittedly been a while since we could roam shops without fear. 

But if you can cast your minds back to twenty years ago, in December 2019, you might remember a fantastic shopping centre called Festival Place. 

Basingstoke Gazette: *Picture was taken pre-lockdown *Picture was taken pre-lockdown

It is very easy to rack up the hours there, thanks to the number of distractions shops and restaurants. And suddenly before you know it, you're leaving and you pay for the parking. £6 for six hours. 

You might be interested to know a month's subscription to the Gazette is less than six hours worth of parking at Festival Place. 

Morphy Richards spiraliser

Kitchen gadgets always sound great. Toastie makers, ice-cream machines, banana slicers, soda streams. They seem like a great idea when you find yourself wandering down the JML aisle but less brilliant eight months later, shoved at the back of your cutlery draw.

Rather than spending £20 on a kitchen utensil you will inevitably put in a box for a bootsale, why not support your local paper instead? 

Basingstoke Gazette:

A Starbucks coffee and a ham and cheese croissant

Starbucks has a drive thru at Houndmills for good reason. They know we're a convenience-heavy bunch who will happily queue for a takeaway to avoid getting out of the car.

Basingstoke Gazette:

And they know all about how to turn your £4 into £6.50. A Chia Latte here, a ham and cheese croissant there. A chocolate brownie. A bottle of impossibly small bottle of juice that evaporates after three swigs. 

Starbucks is clever and so is its business strategy. But as far as we are aware, its coffee doesn’t yet have the ability to ask questions of politicians. And we haven't seen a toastie at a council meeting, taking notes in shorthand to tell you about the building work happening on your street. 

Andrex

Anyone who has worked in local newspapers will have read a comment at some time or another where a budding comedian has suggested using the newspaper for toilet roll. Please, please, please don’t try this. You will hurt yourself. It isn’t worth it.

While a digital subscription to the Gazette is cheaper than nine rolls of Andrex Luxury Shea Butter, we will boldly suggest you do both. Take out a subscription and buy the loo paper. And enjoy all the news stories to your heart’s content while you’re on the thrown like a boss.

Basingstoke Gazette:

A bargain bucket at KFC

Basingstoke loves a KFC. Residents queued for two hours to get one when the drive thru reopened at the beginning of May. And we couldn’t write this without a comparison to the takeout chain that sets hearts and minds racing. 

A monthly subscription to the Gazette costs less than a bargain bucket. And you won’t have to queue, either. You can sign up easily from the comfort of your own home.

Basingstoke Gazette: Queues at KFC Queues at KFC

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