Subscription Gift Boxes: Surprising Value or Money Trap?
Subscription gift boxes can be a good buy—if you use the stuff that’s inside.


Nothing beats the thrill of presents delivered to your door. Sign up for a subscription box and you won’t have to wait until the next holiday for goodies. Subscription-box services typically charge $10 to $40 a month to send you assorted items in broad categories, such as cosmetics (Birchbox), kids’ merchandise (Citrus Lane), or niche products such as craft beer, local artisan wares or the latest in fishing tackle.
See Our Slide Show: Ways Retailers Get Us to Spend More
Paying $10 for a few makeup samples may sound like a gimmick. But with many boxes, the value of the items is worth twice or three times the dollar amount you pay each month, says Liz Cadman, founder of MySubscriptionAddiction.com, a box review site. Sampling a specialized product without having to pay for a full-size item is valuable, too. The best services include extras, such as how-to videos on the company’s Web site.
But watch out: The surprise and delight that come with a new box every month can be addictive. Companies sometimes sweeten the deal to include exclusive products to keep your interest piqued. Add to that the common practice of automatic subscription renewals and pitches to sign you up for long-term payment plans—which are usually impossible to cancel before the term is up—and you may wind up shelling out more money than you should.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Before you take the plunge, look up previous monthly selections on the company’s Web site and read reviews on sites such as Cadman’s (which can also alert you to poor customer service and rigid cancellation policies, as well as coupon codes and free offers). And track how many of the products you actually use. Even if the retail value is high, “if you’re not using the items, it’s zero value,” says Cadman.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

-
Aging: The Overlooked Risk Factor
Sponsored Elder care is a personal and financial vulnerability many people fail to plan for.
-
AI vs the Stock Market: How Did Alphabet, Nike and Industrial Stocks Perform in June?
AI is a new tool to help investors analyze data, but can it beat the stock market? Here's how a chatbot's stock picks fared in June.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2025
Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnb
real estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute Vacation
Travel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
-
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
insurance When assessing how much life insurance you need, take a systematic approach instead of relying on rules of thumb.
-
When Is Amazon Prime Day? Everything We Know So Far, Plus Early Deals
Amazon Prime Here are the key Amazon Prime Day dates and details you need to know, plus some of our favorite early deals to shop ahead of the sale.
-
How to Shop for Life Insurance in 3 Easy Steps
insurance Shopping for life insurance? You may be able to estimate how much you need online, but that's just the start of your search.
-
Five Ways to Shop for a Low Mortgage Rate
Becoming a Homeowner Mortgage rates are high this year, but you can still find an affordable loan with these tips.
-
Retirees, It's Not Too Late to Buy Life Insurance
life insurance Improvements in underwriting have made it easier to qualify for life insurance, which can be a useful estate-planning tool.