December Box Budget Breakdown

budget

Do you ever wonder what we epic box bloggers spend on boxes?

Most of us B-list bloggers don’t have an unlimited amount of disposable income. So until someone wins the lottery, we all have to balance where our box dollars go! And we don’t have a lottery in Hawaii, so you can count me out as being able to fulfill all my box subscriptions dreams anytime soon. At the end of each month, I will do a breakdown of my subscription box budget. Mostly, to force myself to look my addiction straight in the eye!

Hi, my name is Mailbox Junkie and this is what I spent on subscriptions in December………………

So what did the December Box Budget look like? Here you go……
Disclaimer: I am being totally upfront here. You are totally welcome to judge me as the number makes me gulp too….

budget final

Ok obviously December was a big month. I don’t normally buy 6 months of PSMH or Mystery Totes (I also remind myself that is for clothes) but those were phenomenal sales! I don’t do Hamptons Lane every month plus I get $5 back from Birchbox. I pre-purchased the 6 month sub of Aster Market Back in September. Lastly, Box of Style isn’t every month (thank goodness). On the bright side, I created all my Christmas presents for family and friends from subscription box items!

What do you think of my rationalizations?? Like I said, judge away! My husband does! But I always try to remind him that I spend close to nothing on beauty products from the store. Also anytime we use a sunscreen or eat something or etc that came from a subscription box, I sing in a loud voice, “subbbbbbbscccrrripppptttion boxxxxxx”!!!!!!! 

budget 2

Ok on to Onderria’s Budget:

 

budgetonderria

 

She, like me, had a big month in December! But as you can see, this amount got her a lot of future boxes! She predicts January to be a mild month with only 1-2 single sub purchases.

Sigh, the life of a junkie…………..

So lets talk about all the boxes I wanted to buy but didn’t:

Every PSMH Holiday Box!!!
December Edition of Little Lace Box
Ellada Lane (Man, I am obsessed with their boxes!!)

New years resolution: To keep my box budget around $100 a month…….

bugjet3

How do you balance your box budget? What did you spend in December? Are you willing to share what you spend? Email me: mailboxjunkie808 at gmail dot com and I will post it!

  37 comments for “December Box Budget Breakdown

  1. January 8, 2016 at 1:56 pm

    I came up with a new rule in January. Crummy customer service will get you AXED. I’ve already cancelled three boxes- 2 of which were Birchbox. Then I decided to cancel any clothing boxes, as I’m fine on clothes and so is the Mister. BYE FiveFourClub, and Relish, I’m gonna miss you. THENNN I looked at my last 3 boxes from each sub. If I gave away more than 50% of what was received, it got axed (GlobeIn, I really will miss you). Last, if they have dropped inducing a contents card or gotten shady with value, we said peace. Looking at you, BarkBox. I went from 13 boxes to 5. Kept Popsugar, Fabletics (because of the skip option, and I only buy on their big sales anyway), CauseBox (MY FAVORITE), Box of Style (But it’s on the chopping block after I get through the rest of my prepaid year) and FFF. Saved $2000 for the year!

    • January 8, 2016 at 2:12 pm

      Ooooo I like the gave away rule. I might have to start applying that. Oui Please would definitely be getting the axe if I applied that rule!! I seriously love Cause box too. Those parker clay items were amazing. $2000 is totally a trip to Maui!

      • January 8, 2016 at 2:24 pm

        EXACTLY! ORRRR an Alaskan cruise for 2 🙂 Plus, in that $2K calculation, I didn’t include the one time Relish box price, any single buy boxes (PSMH), and Target boxes, which, if I can keep myself from purchasing, will be another $1K per year. THAT IS A LOT OF WINE Y’ALL.

  2. January 8, 2016 at 3:24 pm

    *is ashamed to participate*
    The only thing my husband judged me was on the $350 Zoe Box of Style Year subscription becuase of the time (3AMish) and the high amount it couldn’t be a subscription box. Also to note, my credit card also was in judgement and refused payment becuase of the time (3AMish), amount ($350), and location (I think the charge with to Canada?).
    Ok this should count as participation and thank goodness you did not ask for November with all those Black Friday codes 😉

    • January 8, 2016 at 5:21 pm

      I was too ashamed and I don’t keep a budget for boxes. All that goes under the “I love me so that I may love others” fund…

  3. January 8, 2016 at 6:17 pm

    I must also note that in Dec I got a speeding ticket…. that is wayyyy going to affect my Jan box budget

  4. January 8, 2016 at 6:47 pm

    Ok, this is probably going to make me swallow my tongue. But I give 75% go the items away and I got into sub boxes because I quit smoking. That saved me over 2,000$ per year. Yes, I’m trying to justify before I confess to the boxes I bought in December. This is only what I actually paid for in December as the majority of my boxes are on a year subscription. Ok, (deep breath)…. I bought Ipsy, Wantable Accessories, RedLine Tees, Tackle Grab, Believer’s Box, Faith Box LE, PopSugar For Her, Glossy Box LE, Birch Box LE, Artistry Box Holiday, Mission Cute Cyber Monday box, Mission Cute Black Friday Box, PopSugar Glamour Girl Stocking Stuffer Box, 5 Wacky Women Box, Clean Bar, Fortune Cookie Soap Company Mystery Box, Freeman Mystery Box, Two Faced Mystery Box. I can’t remember if there were anymore. And I conveniently can’t remember how much most of those cost. If anybody knows and wants to add them up, go for it. But I might need a cigarette before I see the number. Which would be a problem seeing as how I don’t smoke anymore. The joy of getting and opening the boxes far outweighs the damage that I was doing to my body with those nasty cigarettes, right???? And I put most of my goodies in my ministry boxes. So, it all is good. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

    • January 8, 2016 at 6:53 pm

      I love it….and you are naming boxes I have never heard of like 5 wacky women box which I will be googling after I finish this comment. Look out Jan Budget!

      • January 8, 2016 at 6:57 pm

        5 Wacky Women is AWESOME! And their customer service is amazing. Google the December review. I found it on the 2LittleRosebuds site. One of the best boxes of 2015. My January box just shipped and I am sooo anxious for it to hurry up and get here!

        • January 8, 2016 at 7:14 pm

          The Dec box looks amazing!!! I am in love with soaps and that soap that looked like it was part tree looks so cool!! Do they do any themes?

          • January 8, 2016 at 7:20 pm

            The soap and the shower bomb are both amazing! I’m not sure on themes. I read the review, saw the cool coloring book and box of colored pencils and immediately ordered. My mom was here when it came and she immediately said “mine” to the bonus makeup purse! I’m hoping to get the January box tomorrow, so I will post on here all the goodies!

        • January 8, 2016 at 9:48 pm

          Yes post the spoils!!

    • Jerilynn
      January 8, 2016 at 7:10 pm

      Ok. I will bite. First, mailbox junkie Ellada Lane is awesome but I don’t think he’s got his act together yet. I bought a year’s subscription but have only received one box and Stavros though nice doesn’t reply to emails, doesn’t update his social media often and has some real issues with shipping. Lovely items but they still need to get their act together. Ok, December budget. What I paid for in December, not necessariy the boxes I had pre-paid that I received in December or those paid in November and received in December like Rachel zoe
      The List
      Ellada Lane – $620 (yearly sub)-$120 (I had previously paid for single package) -$500
      Oui please – $552 (year renewal)
      Serendipity -$60 (year subscription)
      Hampton lane – $47
      Bespoke Post -$45
      Little lace box- $40
      Yoga surprise detox box -$60 (ordered on the 31st so shouldn’t count)
      Pop sugar must have November box -$20
      Luxor box -$95 (charged for January in December)
      Loot crate anime -$32

      Clearly I :have a problem and have decided to stop buying food in January to support my box habit (will live off hot sauce from Hampton lane New box).

      • January 8, 2016 at 7:31 pm

        Well, the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem! hehehe
        First, I am so jealous that you must be locked into Luxor box for $95
        (I am pretty sure that was the best deal of century for sub boxes)
        Second, I forgot that Rachel Zoe got charged in Nov. Now I am feeling a little bit better about myself but I also realized I forgot to add in the Rue la la deal for PSMH Nov box.
        Three, Ellada Lane……… I still dream of you… even if you are a fickle box……
        Four, living off hot sauce could be like that master cleanse that uses lemon, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup. You could steal honey packets from McDonalds, go to restaurants and just order water with lemon (then run out when no one is looking) mix with your hot sauce and voila, master cleanse!!

  5. AngelaR
    January 8, 2016 at 6:48 pm

    In December spent $10 on Ipsy and $10 on mightynest and that is it. I would love to get more boxes but not in the budget. And canceled Ipsy.

    • January 8, 2016 at 6:55 pm

      Impressive! Sticking to a budget is something I have never done until this past year.

      • AngelaR
        January 10, 2016 at 7:24 am

        During the summer I had a hard time sticking to a budget with sub boxes. Winter time I have a strict monthly budget for sub boxes for myself and a general one for sub boxes that I give as birthday presents. I have a strict max amount on that too.

    • January 8, 2016 at 9:07 pm

      I admire you!!!!!!!!!!

      • AngelaR
        January 10, 2016 at 7:30 am

        Thank you. And thank you for creating this blog website. I’m enjoying seeing all the different sub boxes And not to mention all the animal pictures 🙂

        • January 10, 2016 at 10:14 am

          Thank you right back for reading, and of course a huge thank you to the writers who keep this site going when because I basically am good for about a few reviews a week. Comments are like our crack, we love em!!!

  6. Heat7918
    January 8, 2016 at 9:14 pm

    First of all, “thank you” to all you brave people for sharing! Similar to Pnut, I’m glad you didn’t ask about November… b/c Black Friday wasn’t pretty for my credit card!
    In December, I received 15 Sub Boxes. 10 of them were paid for in November – and they were great deals! (3 of those 10 have already been canceled since I just wanted to try the 1st box for the 50% off price.) 1 was paid for in March 2015 (Ipsy 1yr sub that I’ve already canceled so it won’t renew). Technically, I guess that means I only actually paid for Graze ($7), Love with Food (bought the 1yr sub for about $80), Naturebox ($20) & Play! by Sephora ($10). Also, I did get charged for January LaRitzy box in December I think ($25). But I really should count what I spent in November for December boxes… maybe another time! 🙂

    • January 8, 2016 at 9:28 pm

      I am worried that if I get Grazed I would eat everything in one sitting with everything so cutely packaging screaming to be nommed immediately. Which would work out well if I did a review becuase it’s like “I ate this in 1 second … this one took 2 minutes … Gave it to my Pnut people gone in 5 seconds….”

    • January 8, 2016 at 9:47 pm

      I love getting it out in the open because then our sub box sistas can help us work on rationalizations!!!!!!

  7. Sub Bella
    January 9, 2016 at 7:26 am

    I’m pleading the fifth 🙂

  8. January 9, 2016 at 7:44 am

    I keep bare minimum subscription boxes, and almost all of them have been purchased at a discounted rate with some sort of coupon/special/groupon/etc. The only ones I have right now are a pre-paid until April via GiltCity BeautyDNA subscription, BuluBox that costs me $3.99/month, and I just got Olfactif for $14/month from an email coupon. In the past I had Mishibox (did it for 3 months, had early subscriber discount), Pet Giftbox via groupon for $30/3 months, PetTreater for two months was the full $25 (but free dog bed the first month, plus sending in a pic of my dog playing with his toys got me bonus stuff the next month, then I canceled). I like keeping an eye on Golden Tote, because I did lose 30lbs last year and (if you do your profile well) they send out some good basics for a decent price. But that is an occasional rather than monthly splurge.

    Money is a big deal for me since I have student loan debt, no real job (pet-sitting and farm hand work when I can), and a chronic illness. And my primary “expensive hobby” is horses, but at least I’m looking into career options there lol! There are a lot of subscriptions I’d love to try, but the budget says no. Also, ease of cancellation is a big one for me. I don’t want to wait on hold for 10+ minutes to cancel…because my narcolepsy might put me to sleep! Really, anything over $30/month I tend not to get, sadly.

    • mailbox junkie
      January 9, 2016 at 8:51 am

      How has your beauty DNA experience been? I agree that ease of canceling is everything!! Because we all have to adjust our box dollars and we need that flexibility! You know one thing I think all box girls have in common and that is the love of a deal! Coupons or discounts are totally the way to suck us in!
      Did you cave on any mystery totes?

      • January 9, 2016 at 10:13 am

        I really like BeautyDNA, but I’m both very into skincare ingredients and realistic about the limitations of the subscription. They promise to match your profile and be worth more than the box cost of $25, and the one product I had that didn’t match my profile (due to programming error it wasn’t imputed as having SPF when it did, and I combed through my profile to make sure that I checked NO to all types of SPF products) they were very apologetic about and sent me a replacement product immediately. I’m not sensitive to fragrances nor do I care about parabens/organic/etc, so I’m not limited in that regard with products to receive, and I’m aware of the things that I know the survey will not get right for me, so I made sure to check those “no”. Like I’m acne prone and need a low-pH cleanser, and they have no pH options so all cleansers (except oil) are a no, I am obsessive over sunscreen but prefer to pick out my own and won’t use creams and stuff with SPF in then (so checked no to all mentions of SPF). I may get some duds eventually, but whatever I can gift those to friends and family.

        I skipped the mystery totes because they don’t curate off your profile! It was too much of a risk for the money, but I’ve liked seeing the Facebook group “unboxings” of them.

        • January 9, 2016 at 3:33 pm

          I think I am going to have to try beautydna at some point. (must watch for the deals of course!) I love skincare so I have been watching what people get in their boxes. I am a little picky when it comes to ingredients so that is why I havn’t pulled the trigger yet.
          I know the mystery totes have been all over the board!! It has been an amazing way though I must say for me to scoop up summer stuff for cheap that people got in their totes and don’t want.

  9. January 9, 2016 at 11:16 am

    This is kinda dangerous ground, this post. I’m finding new boxes that I’ve never heard of. And after three years of being a sub box addict, this is surprising.

    Anyway, after numerous back and forths over the years (primarily with my husband), I have a $300 a month budget for boxes. Monthly boxes, one time boxes, however I want. Well, it’s really more of an allowance. I have an account just for me and my boxes, and the moolah gets transfered each month from our main joint account. Keeps me honest. I get $300 cash-o in and what comes out must be equal or less than than. Any carry over or extra I’ll save for an omg out of the blue one timer or splurge for a longer sub for a good deal. I have my regular favs, and I also switch them up every few months. Keeps things from getting stale. All within my $300.

    But wait! There’s moar!

    If I don’t do it often, I’ll go over for a one timer (here’s looking at you, PopSugar wink wink – oh please slow it with the LE boxes-I really can’t pout my way into them all. Trust me, I’ve tried) and not get a too terribly hugely cringeworthy response from my better And More Reasonable When It Comes To Boxes half.

    Hubsters (I’ve never called him that before, wtf brain?) also finds subs for me as gifts, and those don’t count towards my monthly total. Woo. Hoo. Plus (haters gonna hate), if there’s a sub that is more or less for both of us, they don’t count towards my monthly budget.

    So, I’ve recently created a spreadsheet to track billing, shipping, arrivals and any misc notes. Deep down, it was a need to know exactly when my boxes tend to arrive each month clap clap, that has morphed into….something else entirely. But, I am very good at knowing that I rationalize. You know, those rational lies we tell ourselves to keep the boxes coming…

    I’m just gonna list the boxes. You do the math. I’m really just gonna dum de dum covering my ears at the grand total.

    Linen Crate – gone the way of Burke box recently, another box I liked. boo. I mean, Yay! says the wallet. Need to notify Spreadsheet of the change
    30 Days of Candy
    Glowing Beets
    Kloverbox
    LitCube
    Petit Vour
    Prospurly
    Wantables Intimates
    Walmart box (quarterly)
    GlobeIn Artisan box
    Little Lace Box
    LLB Serendipity
    Mishibox
    Olfactif
    PopSugar
    Quarterly Wil Wheaton box
    Flourish Box from Thread & Flourish
    Plus, in the last few weeks, several one timers, and of those, more than one of them (Target, Freeman, PopSugar, Memebox, and a few several more than one others)
    Um, and I’m thinking about adding BeautyFix and GoodBeing, too. Haven’t quite decided (says Spreadsheet)
    And I’m pretty sure there’s one or two I’m forgetting about because they’re new and I haven’t added them to Spreadsheet yet. Holidays. Shush it.
    I’ll shut up now.

    Cheers!

    • January 9, 2016 at 12:26 pm

      Thank you for your box breakdown and I think you have a smart thing going with the different account for boxes. I should really think about that!!!

    • January 9, 2016 at 3:27 pm

      It is like we are the same person!! I wish you lived next door. I usually try to convince my husband that food boxes are a household expense!
      you understand my rationalization for rationalizations!!!! Thanks for sharing!!

      • January 9, 2016 at 4:01 pm

        I would think living in Hawaii that the value of food boxes actually works in your favor because the products would sell for more if sold in the islands (if they are sold at all) plus shipping (which may be more than what you pay for a sub box) if that product is not sold and you wanted to order.
        I was going to say have your husband read this thread but it would tip him off to November’s expenses, arguably the highest month of our sub box purchases!

  10. Laura
    January 9, 2016 at 2:04 pm

    Im heading the opposite direction and not ordering any more mystery sub boxes unless they reveal one of the items i love-Im wanting Rachel Zoe baaad! But ever since I found the “swap site” I want to reduce my somewhat large pile of items up for swap and so when I see items I want Im going to swap for them.

    • January 9, 2016 at 2:20 pm

      I am with you Laura with at leasr one spoiler item on an pricey box. The exception is the Zoe box to which I keep it on an annual sub since I find for $350 upfront I get my moneys worth with all four boxes combined.

    • January 9, 2016 at 3:28 pm

      Good strategy because people are always open to swapping!

Leave a Reply