The Subscriptions That Make Urban Life So Much Easier

Subscription services have burst onto the retail and etail scene of late. Not content with just buying things once and then forgetting to replace them, we at The Spoils are taking advantage of these regular subscription services. Having all these great foods and services delivered regularly means more time to use our thinking space for other, more meaningful, matters.

Assuming you’re already subscribed to all the tech and TV solutions like Bulb green energy, Amazon Prime and Netflix, go ahead and make your life easier with subscriptions serving up physical deliveries from cheese to flowers and gifts. Here are a handful of brilliant subscriptions that we’ve tried and loved.

For fresh fruit and vegetables

There are plenty of veg box services out there, but one that’s piqued our interest this year is Oddbox. The company picks up the veg that would otherwise go to waste. You know, the stuff that’s not perfect for supermarket shelves, aka ugly veg. Their selection remains delicious and their choices are simple – no decision paralysis here! From £8.99 per week for a small veg box.

For guilt-free ready meals

Miles, Giles and Rob, three school friends from Devon, have devised a healthy recipe box that also sources from UK farms. A total win-win-win for health, convenience and local sourcing. Mindful Chef offers balanced, vegan, protein-packed meals and more from their huge selection of healthy options. Protein-packed meals in a weekly recipe delivery box from £9.75 per person.

For nutritional support

When you need a health boost, Rosemary Ferguson’s 5 Day Plan is a cracker. Fresh, delicious meals delivered to your door with her tips for feeling better by Friday. That means at the weekend you can splurge guilt-free. £265 for a whole week’s food for one.

For coffee

We have tried many, many, coffee subscriptions and have settled on Pact for the variety of impressive and flavoursome single-origin coffee. Because if it’s not single-origin, artisan-made, small-batch/handmade we don’t want to know. From £6.95 for a 250g bag once a month.

For beauty

Cutting out mega marketing bucks can often mean you get a whole lot of quality product at a great price - and to be honest you can never have enough lotions and potions. So to beauty and Beauty Pie, the straight-to-source beauty supplier that links you up directly with the labs that produce some really big name stuff. Just a little tip from us to you. From £10 per month for 3 months.

For blooms

Fresh flowers are an instant mood lifter, and a subscription to Freddie’s Flowers brings them to your door each week for £24. Each week they choose a glorious fresh selection, with tips on how best to arrange them. If you owe someone flowers regularly get in their good books every seven days with this service. From £24 per week

For tipple

There’s something so reassuringly adult about always having a few good bottles of wine in the house. It says “I have the willpower to not drink every drop as soon as it arrives”.

Sipp wine club and Beer52 are the two subscriptions we’re currently on, having tried plenty of others. Apart from being ready to entertain at a moment’s notice, the Sipp app lets you scan your bottle and brush up on your wine chat, with useful facts and tips about tasting notes and serving ideas. Beer52 also comes with snacks and a magazine. Sipp wine from £29 per month for 3 wines. Beer52 from £24 per month for 8 beers and snack and a magazine.

For new mums

With a newborn baby in tow, a new mother may well be too tired and too focused on the new arrival to find time to unwrap gifts or find vases for fresh flowers. So give her what she really needs: nourishing, delicious food. Sign her up to a Nourished Mama Meal Delivery service across most North London postcodes, from £100 per week for 5 evening meals for two people. Outside of London, Chef On Board also offer a great new parents meal delivery from £44.

Main image credit: Yusril Permana Ali on Unsplash