This pooch is too cute to pass up! Via Shutterstock
Who doesn’t love getting a present in the mail? Writer Linda Tsai weighs the pros and cons of the many snail mail subscription boxes you can order, from beauty products to kid’s clothes. Linda is auditioning for a staff writer position on BargainBabe.com! Missed the audition announcement? Here it is. Each day last week we ran one audition post. Tomorrow we will publish the final audition post!
Did this post help you save money? While I will make the final decision on who to hire, your input is extremely valuable. Here is Linda’s post:
Subscription boxes seem to be all the rage right now. Have you heard of them? The premise is simple: you pay a (usually) monthly subscription fee, and a box of goodies shows up at your doorstep once a month (or however frequent your subscription).
Depending on the genre of your box, you may or may not have to fill out a survey at the time of subscription to help customize your size, tastes, preferences, habits, skin type, etc. Boxes can range from crafts (ie Whimseybox, Kiwi Crate) to makeup/skincare/nail polish (ie Glossybox, Birchbox, Julep) to children’s clothing (ie Whittlebox, Sweet Pea Box) to shoes (ie ShoeDazzle, ShoeMint) to food items (ie NatureBox, Turntable Kitchen) and much much more. Obviously the boxes differ in their price range and content. But overall, are they a good idea?
PROS
- For a flat fee, you can (usually) get a variety of products worth more than the cost of the subscription.
- You get exposure to different brands and products, most of which may be new to you.
- You get products that you may not actually buy yourself but that you end up liking.
- Convenience – the payment and shipments are automatic after the initial setup.
- Who doesn’t like getting packages in the mail? And the anticipation of opening a package filled with unknown?
CONS
- You may not like everything that was sent to you.
- Because you may not like or use everything that was sent to you, the value may not seem as high as what you paid.
- The things you do not like or use can end up being a waste.
- It is difficult to get a box with everything you like month after month.
- Some subscriptions are not cancelable if you signed up for a few months at a time.
Clearly, if your financial situation allows, subscription boxes can be fun to try out. If it is something you would like and use anyways, then they might seem more worth the cost. But beware of cancellation policies, and if applicable, return policies. Even though payments will be automatic, always reevaluate if the boxes are indeed worth your money, because they can get quite addictive, and month after month, the cost does add up.
About the writer
Linda is a Registered Dietitian who likes to clip coupons and find deals in her spare time. She also enjoys yoga/pilates, hiking, and traveling.
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price.
I don’t think in the long run it saves money. What DOES save money is buying products you love and use, and waiting for sales or using coupons. Too much waste with the subscription stuff.
i agree! thanks for the comment michelle!
I agree with Michelle, I don’t think it saves money. But I do think it’s exciting and convenient
thanks for the comment thomas! i agree with you in that in doesn’t save money but it is exciting/fun and convenient.
I don’t think it saves money but I agree with the pros/cons. It is very fun to get packages in the mail!
yep! thanks for the comment beth!
This is a great article. I’ve always been curious about subscription boxes and didn’t know how many were really out there and the variety of products that were offered. I’m curious to try one now since I love to find out about new products that I might like but never really know where to start looking.
amy, thanks for the comment! there are actually TONS of subscription boxes out there – you wouldn’t believe. do you have any “type” of products you are interested for? you can always google for it or let me know what you are looking for. i am always interested in them as well 😉
i’d love to receive a mystery box every month/week. i think it would be a great idea if you are seeking out new products.
yep i think so too! thanks for the comment jenny!
I think one of the most recent subscription based products I thought was fun and good would be for organic fruits. They are fresh and you can even pick whatever you dislike so they don’t send this to you. It is great if you can’t decide on what fruits and veggies you want to eat that week and really nice if you like to put everything in the juicer/blender. To attract customers, they should have tiered subscription where the really cheap ones might be the ones people don’t like and for a little bit more money you can choose from a pool of things you do? Overall I think this concept is worth a try and I do love opening things in the mail and plus, not knowing what’s inside does add a sense of excitement!
that is very interesting. i do like the idea of tiered subscriptions because sometimes you just don’t want that much! (or you want more) and the tiered subscriptions work better for people of different budgets as well. thanks for the comment cay!
I agree with Linda, the costs add up month after month…I don’t think it’ll be a long term thing.
thanks for the comment ka-ying!
I think if the goal is to try a variety of products on a budget, then a subscription box would be a great idea, not to mention, surprises every month!
thanks for the comment jenny!
I do agree that subscription boxes can be fun if your financial situation allows it. But if you are on a limited budget, subscription boxes may not be worth the money since you probably will end up wasting a bunch of items in the box due to your personal preference. It’s fun to get packages in the mail though!
i agree. unless you are able to give away or re-sell the items you don’t use, it may be more wasteful than it is useful. thanks for the comment panda!
I don’t think that it saves money in the long run. I do agree that subscription boxes can be fun if your financial situation allows it. But if you are on a limited budget, subscription boxes may not be worth the money since you probably will end up wasting a bunch of items in the box due to your personal preference. It’s fun to get packages in the mail though!
I do get a Goodie box each month and the cost is only $7/month, can cancel at any time or suspend it for a certain period if you would like. To me it is well worth it because like the article says, it is nice to see what surprises are in the box and typically there is something that either I or my daughter like in the box. Plus, the packaging give me some great craft ideas. I don’t think that this is a money saving issue rather a low cost sample box to see if you want to buy the full size, which I have done on numerous occasions.
i agree, kristen. it really depends on the box and the individual. $7/month is still relatively affordable and if you are able to share the box and get inspiration from it, i think that is worth more than the price. thanks for the comment!
I think it is a fun idea because who doesn’t love a surprise, but I do agree that it can be quite wasteful. I try to only buy things that I truly need or desperately want, because otherwise my place would be even more cluttered than it already is. Just because you like something, doesn’t mean that you need to have it.
I heard of but never knew too much about subscription boxes until this post. Thanks for sharing! Not sure if I would want to subscribe to anything myself because I like to pay for what I want exactly. However, the idea seems fun and exciting for those that like to try new things!