Why Is It Time to Cancel This Fucking Subscription
Most consumers subscribe to subscription boxes for convenience, economy, or the thrill of discovery , but they also underestimate the cost of their subscriptions in general and may overpay for things long after the novelty is gone. After all, do you really need to spend $ 100 on three pairs of black socks every month? With that in mind, here are some guidelines on when to unsubscribe.
Subscribe only to what you have already bought
The subscription box industry has gone far beyond food, booze, and cosmetic boxes. Almost anything can be mailed every month: marshmallows, rubber stamps, pickled foods, vegan jerky, books, puzzles, stickers, figurines, slime, or even animal skulls – you name it.
But the more cryptic these subscriptions are, the less likely you are to actually need a monthly supply of everything they might contain. Sure, getting a box in the mail can be fun, but you’ll want to appreciate it too. To do this, ask yourself if you would have bought what was in the box if it had not already been mailed to you. For example, if you don’t normally spend $ 240 on rubber stamps or hot sauce over the course of a year, the $ 20 a month subscription is probably not worth the commitment.
Dispose of unused “aspirational” boxes.
Beware of any subscription boxes that smack of self-improvement, be they fitness gadgets, art supplies, or books you don’t normally read. Why? For the same reason that 63% of people never go to the gym but continue to pay: Best intent buying decisions at the moment can be undermined by a lack of commitment later . As The Hustle points out , this buying behavior is known as a “ pre-commitment, ” and it can easily turn into an endless cycle of promising yourself to use a product or service because it’s good for you, even if there’s no indication that it will ever happen. …
Follow the “cancel after two orders pending” rule.
After putting off days when you’re traveling or not planning to be home, consider canceling your subscription if you’ve delayed or delayed two orders in a row, as you’re probably getting more product than you really need. The alternative, if possible, is “right size” or reducing your order, such as reducing the order of a meal kit from three meals a day to two per week (subscription companies are increasingly offering tiered options to avoid losing subscribers).
Audit the subscription annually
Since the average American spends roughly $ 250 on a subscription, it’s easy to lose sight of what you don’t really need. Read this post on Lifehacker on how to conduct a subscription audit, which should be done at least once a year.