Kelly Robertson
More and more companies are turning to a subscription based model. This way they are able to provide more value while also enabling users to pay for stuff like it’s another utility bill. You are probably already paying your phone this way, so why not give these novel services a try. In most cases you will save, and in all of them — you will get a convenient way to buy products and services you would be buying anyway.
We have selected few services that are not that known and have spread them across a few categories.
Men’s Clothing
1. Trendy Butler
Trendy Butler is a service designed for men who don’t want to worry too much about their clothing. Rather, they want to outsource all the struggle of finding the right pair of jeans, shirts and so on — to professionals. Trendy Butler promises to help by giving members $150+ worth of men’s clothes for just $65 per month, with its technology catering to each user’s style preferences, sizes, and overall personality.
As a subscriber to the service, you get a new box with a few items every month. These boxes, according to Trendy Butler, are created with partnerships that include today’s “most influential and trendsetting brands” to ensure you are always with the latest and most fashionable gear.
Each month the service will go through partnered apparel network based on the criteria of what you entered into your style profile, coupled with your geo-location and feedback/returns data to give you clothes you want at a price that won’t break the bank. From time to time, should you fancy so, you can make special requests — though these must be submitted prior to your monthly billing to “allow your Butler enough time to forward it to your Stylist.”
In order to get started, simply create your style profile and let Trendy Butler do the rest in the background. Shipping is free and if you don’t love some item, you can always exchange it for something else (for free). Cool, convenient and not that expensive. With the option to cancel at any time…
Shaving
2. Dollar Shave Club
“Dealing” with shaving is easier with Dollar Shave Club, the service that will deliver the razor and the blades to your doorstep for a single dollar (hence the name) for the first month. After that, you’ll get a full cassette of cartridges every month for as little as $3.
There are three basic plans to choose from:
- The Humble Twin – includes a razor with two blades – costs $1 per month + $2 for shipping (shipping is free for the first month).
- The 4X – more advanced razor with four blades – first month is $1, after it’s $6 with free shipping (includes 4 refill cartridges per month).
- The Executive – the best razor that has a trimmer edge for hard to reach places – first month is $1, after it’s $9 with (again) free shipping.
You can build from here and include fancy Dr. Carver’s products like shave butter, shave dew, pre-shave oil, prep scrub and more. These will, naturally, make your subscription that much pricier but you’ll get a better shaving experience in return.
The great thing is that Dollar Shave Club is made for men AND women, both of whom will find something for their needs. Check it out… And did I mention that you can skip a month or cancel your subscription anytime?
3. Bevel Shave System
More premium than Dollar Shave Club, the Bevel Shave System is slightly fancier and includes everything you could possibly need to shave like a pro. The Starter Kit includes a Bevel Razor and Brush, as well as Priming Oil, Shave Cream, Restoring Balm, and 60 Blades.
The first month is free, and you only pay shipping $2.95; after that, it’s $29.95. For that money, every quarter you get a 3-month supply of Priming Oil, Shave Cream, Restoring Balm and Razor Blades. No cashiers, no lines, nada. Get products delivered right to your door every 3 months (that’s why you get a 3-month supply).
You can cancel anytime if Bevel doesn’t work for you… but you probably won’t want to. Or, if you don’t want to subscribe, you can get Bevel Razor and Blades separately, but the best deal is (obviously) with the subscription.
Food / Eating
4. Hello Fresh
Hello Fresh is a subscription service that will let you enjoy cooking more often, as it will deliver all the ingredients along with recipe cards to your doorsteps. It’s healthy, and it won’t break your bank.
In order to get started, you pick a plan based on your dietary preferences (classic, veggie and family), schedule and household size. The Hello Fresh box will get to your doorstep at a time and day of your choosing (Mon-Sat), free of charge.
Each week, the Hello Fresh staff that includes chefs and dietitians will create 10 new recipes based on your preferences, though you have the flexibility to select meals from a weekly menu. For instance, the 3-meal classic plan offers 7 different menu preferences to choose from. You set it up once you log into your account, and can leave it up to Hello Fresh to select the meals they think you will like. Or you can choose any combination of meals from the menu on a weekly basis, in case you want to change what Hello Fresh has selected for you. This can be done from the web or from a mobile app.
Every Hello Fresh box has sorted quality ingredients sourced directly from independent producers. The boxes are layered with an isolating wool and ice packs to keep ingredients farm fresh and cool until you get home. Also, you will get simple recipe cards for each meal, featuring step-by-step instructions, an ingredient list and nutritional information to guide you.
Hello Fresh offers three different plans – Classic, Veggie and Family – the first two of which cost $9.99 per meal and the last – $8.74 per meal. You keep the control with the option to pause, modify or cancel your subscription anytime.
5. Plated
Like Hello Fresh, Plated also promises to deliver everything you need to cook great dinners to your doorstep.
Once you subscribe to the service, you’ll benefit from stress-free dinner planning with all the ingredients and recipes coming to you — rather than you researching and running around to get all the stuff needed for the dinner.
Plated promises a balanced range of new choices each week with 11 “thoughtfully crafted recipes” designed to save you time and “fit your unique tastes.” Also, as part of the deal, you’ll get peak-season produce, meats raised without antibiotics, and artisanal specialty items.
Do not fear, however, that such recipes will require some special-skilled cook; quite the contrary, Plated wows to deliver meals that can be prepared at every skill level.
All Plated dinners are $12 per serving, and when you subscribe you get the first dinner for free. Choose between 2, 3 or 4 servings per night, and select the number of nights per week — which again is 2, 3 or 4 — and you’re good to go. From there, Plated will make sure to serve you properly. Bon appétit.
6. Marley Spoon
Another service that will deliver fresh ingredients and delicious recipes to your doorstep every week. This one, for what it matters, comes from Martha Stewart.
Just like Hello Fresh and Plated, Marley Spoon will also let you skip the grocery store, and pick seasoned and organic produce from sustainable farms and fisheries for your meals. You can choose the recipes you like, and get fresh ingredients and instructions delivered right to your door. Shipping is free, and you get to pick your preferred delivery day in a week. Even if you’re not at home, the chilled boxes Marley Spoon uses will keep the food fresh. Also, you can skip a week if you need to.
In addition to fresh, pre-portioned ingredients sorted by the recipe, each box also has recipe cards with step-by-step instructions that “take the guesswork out of cooking.”
Cooking with Marley Spoon starts at just $8.90 per portion. You select whether you want a Two-Person Box (for 2 adults) or Family Box (for 2 adults and 2 children), how many meals you want per week (2-4) and — optionally — whether you want a vegetarian box.
Also, 10 days before your delivery day, you will receive an email with meal choices. If you’d like to swap recipes, you can do so under “My Account.” Pretty cool.
7. Munchery
Building on top of other services mentioned in this section, Munchery will also deliver all the ingredients along with recipe cards to your doorstep… AND if you live in the area they serve — also cook the meal for you!
Like competing services, Munchery also promises to use fresh, wholesome ingredients to create ready-to-heat meals and cooking kits. They are also different as they require a fixed membership fee of $8.95/month or $85/year, after which you’ll get your meals for as little as $7.95 per meal. The money you pay for the service is used to get the high-quality ingredients at lower costs, and you also get to buy beverages for up to 50% off.
As for the Cooking Kits, they are made to get you “all the satisfaction of cooking a homemade dinner with none of the hassle.”
Finally, by signing-up with Munchery, you will also be helping other people — every time you order, the company will automatically donate to a local food bank. So far, they have helped feed over 2.5 million people in need.
8. Platejoy
Ending the list of our meal subscription services is Platejoy, which DOES NOT deliver the food or ingredients. Rather, it prepares custom, on-demand meal plans and grocery lists for your unique lifestyle. As such, it can help you make delicious dinners, as well as breakfasts, lunches and even snacks.
As part of the membership, you get:
- Unlimited personalized meal plans with whichever courses you’d like (breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack)
- Custom recipes tailored to your preferences
- Time-saving grocery lists optimized to reduce waste (buy only the stuff you will actually need)
- Option to change dietary preferences any time for free
- On-demand advice from your personal nutrition coach
- Full nutritional information for every meal
- Easy nutritional syncing with your Jawbone or FitBit
You start by taking Platejoy’s lifestyle quiz so that they can get to know your tastes, health goals, and time constraints. Then you’ll get a custom-designed meal plan that will “simplify your life and delight your taste buds.” Now, it’s up to you to cook healthy meals effortlessly, with custom recipes and shopping lists sent straight to your smartphone.
Platejoy’s uses 50 different data points to tailor each meal plan to your needs, goals, and lifestyle, and we are sure it can work for you… Check it out.
Geek Stuff
9. Loot Crate
Loot Crate is a monthly subscription box for geeks and gamers. Each month they include themed collectibles and shirts which you can’t get anywhere else, and send them boxed to your address.
The service offers collectible items such as exclusively licensed figures, t-shirts, home goods, and more. Some boxes are available every month — the standard subscription options — and there are also those that are delivered to your doorstep every second month. You can cancel your subscription anytime.
Loot Crate works with top brands to deliver the exclusive experience every month. Its partner list includes the likes of Cartoon Network, Fallout, HALO, Harry Potter, Minecraft, Marvel, Nickelodeon, WWF and others.
Loot Crates offers a number of different packages that start at $15.99 per month (plus shipping) and for that money – you’ll get more than $45 worth of goods. The next subscription level costs $44.99 plus shipping and gets you $100+ value in the crate. There are also Loot Wear and Monthly Gaming Gear monthly crates, as well as many other bi-monthly crates such as Marvel Gear + Goods. We are sure you will find the crate you like. Or which your child likes.
Dog Stuff
10. BarkBox
It is time that your dog gets a subscription service of its own. That’s where BarkBox kicks in, promising a “totally new experience for you and your pup” that will deliver a “whole new world of joy with your dog.”
The service gets you a themed collection every month, with every BarkBox including at least 2 innovative toys, 2 all-natural bags of treats, and a chew. That toy is also special, described as a “crazy dog person designed and dog-approved.” Like that’s not enough, if you or your pup doesn’t totally love an item in their BarkBox, you’ll get a replacement for free.
You start by selecting the dog size, with the option to choose between “Small & Cute,” “Just Right,” and “Big & Bold” – so that BarkBox folks know what kind of stuff they should send your way.
Then you select the duration of subscription — from month to month, 6 months or for a year — based on which you will pay $29, $25 or $21 per month (or per BarkBox), respectively. Free shipping is included with all variants. Also, if you want something extra, there’s an option to include a premium toy in each month’s BarkBox for $9 per BarkBox.
Television
11. SlingTV
Sling TV is a television service that offers access to live TV stations. In the United States, Sling users can stream ESPN, ESPN2, HGTV, AMC, and more than a dozen other stations for only $20 per month, with no annual contract and no hidden fees. Sling International carries more than 180 channels in 15 different languages.
There are three basic packages:
- Sling Orange that includes more than 30 channels for $20 per month
- Sling Blue with 40+ channels for $25 per month
- Sling Orange + Blue for $40 per month
On top of this basic offering, you can add themed bundles to your subscription, such as Sports Extras (for $10 per month), Kids Extras ($5/month), Comedy Plus Extra ($5/month), HBO® ( $15/month), Cinemax ($10/month), Best of Spanish TV Extra ($5/month), and more.
The coolest part is that you can watch Sling TV both at home and while on the go, on your TV, computer, tablet or smartphone. According to Sling — and we agree with them — this is TV the way it should be. You also get video replay, along with the much-needed freedom to cancel your subscription easily online.
Sling TV is free to try for the first week, after which you get to decide whether it works for you or not.
Anything else
Do you think we have missed some other important service? Don’t hesitate to contact us if you think so. We’re open for your suggestions.
