Is Your Monthly Subscription Box Worth The Money? 3 Easy Ways To Decide!
Are subscription boxes still popular? Subscription boxes are very much alive and well.
There are “sub boxes” for almost anything you can think of including beauty, comics, wine, clothing and so much more.
You may be one of millions of people who subscribe to a monthly (or quarterly) box, but is your subscription box really worth it? or is your subscription box a waste of money?
Should you cancel your Subscription box?
Many of us have subscribed to boxes on and off for years.
Each time weighing the pros and cons of keeping the subscription at the end of the year.
Typical reasons to cancel a subscription box:
- Bad Customer Service
- Price Increases
- Repeat Products
But if none of these things have happened to you (or if the subscription box service is otherwise going well) how do you know if the box is really worth continuing year after year?
When a subscription box isn’t worth it
In general, A “sub box” (subscription box) is not worth the money if:
- You cant use or dont want the items.
- The subscription box starts to give repeat products.
- You are overstocked on previous box products.
- The “retail” prices are consistently misrepresented (i.e. the box value isn’t as high as advertised).
- Customer Service is bad (i.e jumping through hoops to cancel, etc.)
Should I try a Subscription Box?
Subscription boxes are essentially a taste of what you may like (depending on the type of subscription).
Often they provide you with sample or full sized versions of items you haven’t tried before within a certain niche like makeup or fitness.
Ideally a sub box will send you a value of products much higher than what you paid for that month.
For example, if you have a snack subscription box for $15/month, the company would send you at least $30 worth of product.
The benefits of a subscription boxes are:
- New items you dont have or haven’t tried before.
- A deal on the overall value of the products.
- Products you can use based on your interests.
Do you save money with a Subscription Box?
In most cases, subscription boxes do save you money.
If you purchased each individual item, you are likely to pay more than the subscription box’s monthly (or quarterly/yearly) price.
Usually, you can save even more money by paying for your sub box every 3, 6, or 12 months.
Each subscription box is different in what is provided, the quality and frequency, and many other factors.
However, there are a few ways to decide if a subscription box is worth it for you no matter what type of box it is.
How to tell if a Subscription Box is worth the money!
Method #1: If item/product value is important to you, then your Subscription box is worth it.
This method works by calculating the price of each item you will actually use, and assessing if that amount is equal or less than the amount that you paid for the box.
Lets break that down:
- For example, You paid $49.99 for a quarterly lifestyle subscription box.
- The box included 12 items for an estimated value of $500.
- You love and will use 8 of 12 items that are valued at $350.
This quarterly subscription box is worth it!
Although you may not use 4 of the items, the 8 that you will use are still valued at more than you paid for the sub box.
Method #2: If number of items is important to you, then your Subscription Box is worth it.
This method works by assessing the number of items you will actually use versus the number of items you received.
You could consider number of items when deciding if your subscription box is “worth it”.Lets break that down:
- For example, You paid $49.99 for a quarterly lifestyle subscription box.
- The box included 12 items.
- You love and will use 8 of 12 items.
This Subscription Box is also worth it for the same reason as before.
You may not get use out of every single item, but if you can get use of most items then its worth the money.
Method #3: If neither cost or number of items in the Subscription Box is important to you.
If the price of the subscription box and number of items is not important, then consider a combination of both techniques.
Separate the items that you love and use.
Place your personal value of each item (ie. how much you would pay for that item in-store/online), then calculate if that value is worth it.
Lets break that down:
- For example, You paid $49.99 for a quarterly lifestyle subscription box.
- The box included 12 items for an estimated value of $500.
- You love and will use 8 of 12 items that are valued at $350.
- After thinking about how much you would be willing to pay for each item (in store for example), the personal value comes out to $200.
This subscription box is worth it, you are getting approximately 4xs the value of what you are willing to pay.
*Note: Some subscription boxes are curated items that you try and then keep if you like them. In these instances you are essentially already using this technique. Be sure that the items you have decided to keep (and have purchased) are worth the monthly fee to you.
Are Mystery Boxes and Mystery Bags Worth the money?
Some brands release limited edition mystery deals and these can be a little tricky to assess.
The brand may offer a number of items (sometimes revealing the category of each item) for a set price.
There are a few things to look out for when considering Mystery Bags and Mystery Boxes.
Why Mystery Boxes and Mystery Bags are not worth it (sometimes):
- If you’re a fan of the brand(s), you may already have some (or all) of the mystery items.
- Often brands will include items that are being discontinued in mystery boxes.
- Brands may include less popular products (i.e. crazy colors or designs) in mystery bags.
- Sometimes there are “fluff” products like canvas bags, stickers, and other low value items added to increase the overall number of products in the mystery box.
How to tell if a Mystery Box is worth it?
There’s one simple question to ask yourself when it comes to mystery boxes.
Do you enjoy more than 50% of the brand (or brands) included in the mystery box?
- If yes, then grab the mystery deal
- If no, then save the money.
It may seem obvious, but mystery deals are exciting and you can be blinded by the awesome deal in front of you.
Of course, if the brand (or brands) are overwhelmingly favorites then go for it!
*Note: General mystery boxes from places like Etsy, Mercari, Poshmark are a complete gamble. Its best to contact the seller to get specifics on what is included. Also, trust your judgement. If it looks like a scam, then it probably is a scam.
What are the best Monthly Beauty & Lifestyle Subscription Boxes?
There are thousands of monthly (and quarterly) mystery boxes on the market.
Here are some of my favorite boxes from the beauty and lifestyle category.
FabFitFun Quarterly Beauty and Lifestyle Box ($49.99 quarterly)
Rachel Zoe Box of Style (Fashion and Beauty Quarterly $99.99)
Macy’s Beauty Box ($15/month)
Lip Monthly Box (Lip and Beauty Products $10/month)
Facetory Skincare Box ($9-20/month)
Try It Love It Beauty Box from QVC ($25-$50)
Revolve Beauty Boxes (One time Curated Boxes – varies)
Allure Beauty Box ($15/month)
Save money on Subscription Boxes!
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