When I first received a sampler graze snack box in the mail, I was immediately wowed by its super cute personalized aesthetic — my name was even printed on the outside cardboard and an excited quote read, “Welcome to the graze family.” I didn’t know the four snacks I would receive because I had only chosen my preferences when I signed up on the website, so I was eager to see what I’d received.
Graze promotes “wholesome, one-of-a-kind” snacks delivered weekly to your door. Other food subscriptions have similar tag lines (think Healthy Surprise, Munchpak, or Nature Box). As a college student, I thought this was definitely great. I can be healthy and not even have to leave my dorm. Later, I realized that this timely delivery of foods has caveats that negate how great I initially thought it was.
1. You forget how much you’re spending
Since food is delivered basically at the same time every month/week/day (if you’re an ambitious snacker), you easily forget how many boxes you go through before you realize there’s a huge wad of cash missing in your bank account.
The packages can get expensive. Graze offers $11.99/8 snack boxes while Munchpak gives you 5 “full size snacks” for $9.95. It looks cheap when it stands on its own, but after only a month-long subscription, that’s nearly $50 spent on food.
2. Sometimes, you don’t know what you’re getting
Many times, subscribers just put down their taste bud preferences, and then, they’re surprised with a new, cool snack that “matches” up with their preferences. I got dried fruits in my package, and honestly, it was pretty cool to get to try dried pineapples for the first time.
On the other hand, one of the snacks ended up being a kernel corn thing that made my teeth hurt every time I ate them, so that left me puzzled and disappointed. I wish I could have opted for something else. You could end up disliking all of the food the company sends you, which would be an extremely sad and a wasteful week of snacks.
3. You can probably find the same things in stores for much cheaper
I know I can find the same kind of cashews or trail mix at my local grocery store, so why would I pay an extra $5 to forgo walking? The convenience is surely there, but the value is not. Also, some food companies are beginning to sell their products in stores, so are they also debating the value of ultra convenience?
Personally, I enjoy wandering grocery aisles. All of the pretty, colorful boxes of crackers, fruit snacks, and cereal make me feel like a child again (I get especially giddy about those Trader Joe’s snacks). To me, it seems that food subscriptions might be better suited for the busy working class, and I may be a busy college student, but I think I can handle walking to the local market two streets down to buy food.