Trendy Subscription Boxes Can Be Money Savers

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - No doubt you've heard about subscription boxes. They show up at your door loaded with anything from beauty products to clothing.

The most surprising thing about this new shopping trend is that it could end up saving you money.

Nick Porfilio loves the convenience of the boxes for food, clothing and razors. But what he likes most is the savings.

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

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

So what's his trick for saving money?

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

Experts say that's key when it comes to using subscription boxes as money savers.

"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. The savings tend to be greater if it is a type of product for which you would ordinarily get a premium brand," said Jon Lal with BeFrugal.com.

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

Liz Cadman, runs MySubscriptionAddiction.com, which reviews box offers. She says there are more than a thousand options in the U.S. currently, with prices ranging from as little as $5 monthly to $50 or more.

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

Cadman says beauty boxes often provide a high value with several boxes sending customers products that, purchased individually, would cost double what they pay monthly.

Once you've settled on the subscriptions for you, experts say you can save even more by using coupons an 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 percent. So you're getting like one free box a year, approximately," said Cadman.

Another way to save is going in on a box with a friend and splitting the items that arrive each month.