Subscription boxes: Convenient and potentially money-saving

How to get the most bang for your buck

Who wouldn't want a box of goodies arriving at the door each month, all tailored to your specific retail preferences?

[WEB EXTRA: MySubscriptionAddition.com | BeFrugal.com | Saveful.com | Swap Unwanted Items]

Subscription boxes do just that-- by delivering everything from food, makeup, clothes, razors and anything else you may need, right to your door.

For some people, like Nick Porfilio of Saveful.com, it's not just about convenience, it's also a way to save money.

"Subscription boxes help me save a lot of money every month," said Porfilio.

Porfilio esitmated that he saves over $100 each month by getting the regular deliveries right to his door.

His trick for saving with these types of subscriptions?

"I only subscribe to the things that I know I use regularly," said Porfilio.

That's something experts said is key when it comes to using subscription boxes as moneysavers.

"It would have to be an item that you're ordinarily buying every month if you're going to get a subscription for, so pay attention to that," said Jon Lal, of BeFrugal.com. "The savings tend to be greater if it is a type of product for which you would ordinarily get a premium brand."

So how do you select a box that will help you save?

Liz Cadman, runs MySubscriptionAddiction.com, which reviews box offers.

"The best way to determine if it's a fit is look at reviews online to see what was in the past boxes," said Cadman. "Go back 3, 4, 5 months, see if you'd be happy paying that price point for those items."

Cadman said beauty boxes often provide a high value, with several boxes sending customers products that purchased individually would cost double what they pay monthly. But she said that doesn't mean every box will bring you a savings.

"Food subscription boxes are typically boxes where the value isn't very high compared to the cost, so that's something where the value to the consumer is more about trying out lots of different food samples, seeing which one's right for you," said Cadman.

Once you've settled on the subscriptions for you, some tips from the experts to save even more:

-Use coupons and look for cashback offers when you sign up.

-If you're sure you're in for the long haul, sign up for a longer subscription up front.

"You'll usually get a savings of 10-20% so you're getting like one free box a year, approximately," said Cadman.

One thing to keep in mind, though-- Lal said you want to avoid letting subscriptions become money wasters.

"The items that are less of a need, more of a want, more of an indulgence are the ones to watch out for," said Lal.

That's something Porfilio said he always considers.

"If you're going to subscribe to 10 of them but they're things that you don't use regularly and you're just going to waste them, you're really not saving money," said Porfilio.

No matter your price point, there's likely a box for you. Cadman said there are more than 1,400 kinds in the U.S.

Some boxes go for as little as $5 or $7 a month, while others can be $50 or more.

Either way, the experts recommend you re-evaluate your boxes every few months to make sure you're really using what you get and not wasting money on items you're not using.