At the end of children’s birthday parties, each guest gets a “loot bag,” a small bag of goodies (candy and cheap toys), to take home. Children devour the candy quickly, and the toys and gadgets break equally fast. As a professional organizer, I find loot bag clutter in almost every home with children. Today, we have “loot bags for grown-ups” in the form of subscription boxes. And these boxes equally contribute to household clutter.

The Subscription Box Problem

Those of us who remember the shady “get 12 CDs for a penny” deals will recognize that subscription boxes use similar marketing techniques. They try to convince you to spend money on products you will likely never use. Companies often heavily discount the first shipment or offer a fantastic deal for new subscribers. They manipulate buyers with FOMO advertising phrases such as ‘limited edition‘ and ‘get it or regret it.’ They also showcase social media accounts of joyful, ecstatic people as they open their newly delivered boxes.

Subscription box companies also make it extremely difficult to cancel your subscription. You might spend hours on the phone with customer service representatives who do everything to convince you to keep spending. It may be true that the box’s contents cost less than buying the items individually at a retail store. But if you only like one product out of the box, it is not a good deal. And what do you do with the items you don’t want? It all ends up as clutter!

Decluttering the Excess Product

Gather together all your subscription box products in one place. You can separate by category. For example, put cosmetics in one group and home décor items in another group.

Pull out all of the products you want to keep and take a good long look at them. Be realistic about what you should keep. Ask yourself:

• How long will it take me to use all of the products?
• Will I finish them before the next box arrives?
• Will I finish the products I like before they expire?
• Do the home décor items match my décor and spark joy?
• Does the clothing fit, feel comfortable, work with my lifestyle, and is it easy to care for?

Go through your products again and keep only the products you use and love.

Now that you know what you are letting go of, it’s time to get it out of your home. You may wish to ask your family and friends if they are interested in any of the products. Alternatively, you can find many places to sell or donate your goods. Check out our Resources page for businesses and charitable agencies that accept donations or act as resellers.

The Keys to Success with Subscription Boxes

Not all subscription services are clutter producers. Meal kit subscriptions are less expensive than eating in a restaurant. They take some stress out of meal planning and are useful in teaching you some new recipes. Some men swear by their shave club subscription. They set up a custom razor blade and shaving lotion delivery and never have to worry about finding a pharmacy that opens at 6:00 AM to buy razor blades to shave before they go to work. A new coffee subscription service in the U.S. uses the internet to track your coffee consumption automatically then sends you a new bag when you’re low.

If you are considering a subscription box, choose one with products you currently use and before signing up:

• Consider splitting the contents with a friend or family member.
• Research beforehand where to donate items that you won’t need or use.
• Find out if you can customize the boxes’ contents to get more of what you use and less of what you don’t.
• See if you can suspend your subscription for a while if you go on vacation or need a few more months to use up existing products.
• Can you return items (unopened cosmetics, clothes, home décor) easily and at low or no cost?
• Check the cancellation terms and make sure it is easy to end your deliveries permanently.

Finally, check your budget and examine your current spending habits. Compare what you are spending now to what you would spend on a subscription box of stuff you might not use.

When done wisely, subscription boxes can save you time and money and provide you with some unique products without the clutter – and who doesn’t love a monthly “loot bag” delivery!

Contact the Out of Chaos team if you need help decluttering your subscription box chaos.

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