For us…ahem…older generations, when we hear the word subscription we immediately think of a magazine. Magazines began circulation as early as 1741 and back in the day magazines like Readers Digest, TV Guide, Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping were the go-to publications of middle class America.
Boy has subscriptions really changed just by adding the little word “services” to it! Around the year Y2K we started seeing subscription services in the form of monthly themed boxes that landed on your doorstep to deliver a I-can’t-wait-to-get-it-in-the-house so I can see what’s inside excitement! And since then this phenomenon has EXPLODED!
Subscription services allow us to spread out how we pay for those surprises over months instead of up front. Oftentimes, what we are paying over the course of the time we are subscribing to these boxes-o-surprises, we are spending way more than we are actually using the products inside. Using these services as gifts for others can be tricky too, especially children! When you aren’t seeing if they are even opening the boxes each month, how can we know if we’ve gotten a good value?
Sure – we can cancel anytime right? Have YOU tried to cancel a subscription service? It’s almost impossible….they practically BEG you not to break up with them, offer a lower price or send you 152 emails saying you are missing the BEST BOX EVER – you CAN’T leave now!
Before you know it, between all the streaming services, subscription boxes and online goodies, you’re in well over $100 a month. Upgrade to bigger, better, more channels and extras and you could be in for well over $200 a month. That my friends, can be a budget buster!
Don’t get me wrong here – cutting the cord from cable (especially when the average cable bill is close to $125 a month these days) and using a low cost streaming service can really save you money! What I’m saying is, be aware! Really consider the costs of those subscription services, no monthly amount is a bargain if you’re spending it on things you wouldn’t buy on a normal basis, or you can get cheaper in the store when it’s on sale.