I follow a lot of book reviewers and the amount of monthly book boxes going around is nuts, and half the stuff is thrown aside because who needs a new bookmark or reading journal or branded tote EVERY month

Like this is just one of the brands doing it atm, and they announce what the month's theme is (not what you'll actually get) ahead of time. Surely for €30 a month you could just bring yourself to an actual shop and pick things you actually want specifically? I don't get it

I can't throw stones about buying too many books but do you actually need home delivery of a branded mug from a series you might not even know or like? Same for the compact and the little dust gathering statue? And how many times a year do you think there will be another mug/etc

There are fitness/lifestyle boxes that are just as bad as well, like I just think if I'm the type of person who needs a protein shaker/water bottle/yoga mat then I probably have one already that I actually picked out myself to suit my needs??

Crazy I know but I just think you should need, or at LEAST actually want, a thing before buying it

@Selkies_ It is grotesque

@BeccaFIynn Are we that dopamine starved!?

@Selkies_ Didn't they die out like 5 years ago?

@hasrock36 Apparently not!

@Selkies_ the ONLY ones I consider kinda ok are the random snack and food ones cus they 1, dont clutter your house with crap and 2 might prompt you to try something new?

@Dredgyboi Yeah I could way more easily get on board with those thougv it probably is better value for money, less wasteful and require less transport/packaging to just pick up stuff when you're doing your food shopping, but sure lookit

@Selkies_ ipsy specifically drives me crazy because you also get a mini makeup bag every month. how many makeup bags does one person need. not twelve a year!!!

@dkeane16 Cosmetics is a big offender here imo, like WHAT are the chances that they'll get your needs, colouring, taste AND skin sensitivity right compared to what you would just choose for yourself

@Selkies_ They really should but the $30 towards a house, or at least some advocado toast.

@GeoGeo81730853 That's so many lattés sure

@Selkies_ I remember thinking this when, for a short while, Lootcrate was one of the sponsors of No Such Thing As A Fish podcast. It seems like such a pointless, wasteful idea.

@jamesofputney Like how many poorly designed branded t-shirts does one really need

@Selkies_ I don’t agree, it does work in some instances. Like when you get a beer selection box or a wine box, and they send you full size stuff from smaller producers… those boxes are basically the middle man for delivering the brand to a new audience

@roiontech I'm not really talking about things you eat/drink/use up easily if you look at the examples I give

@Selkies_ I did a yarn subscription for awhile. It was great because it let me try new yarns I may not have bought otherwise & challenged my knitting ability with new patterns. It was also like a lovely present to myself, it was all a surprise and something my husband wouldn’t have gifted

@Aerdrie This is different imo because you'd be buying and using up yarn for your hobby anyway