Treat yo'self (Canadian edition)
June 1, 2015 3:49 PM Subscribe
I have allotted myself a small discretionary amount of money each week. What are some neat online subscription services that would be worth it?
So $20 bucks every week for me to do with as l please. I have a terrible cookbook addiction and rapidly full shelves, so I am forgoing that for something more interesting. I am happy to save up my $20 until I accumulate enough for something really cool that I would like.
Catch: it has be to a Canadian service because US stuff is always is too high (especially with CAD in the crapper).
I like: tea, weird socks, vegan food (especially chocolate), whimsical objects, funky jewelry, anything cat-related, literature, music.
I just like the idea of something indulgent and fun that will arrive in the post. Hope me!
So $20 bucks every week for me to do with as l please. I have a terrible cookbook addiction and rapidly full shelves, so I am forgoing that for something more interesting. I am happy to save up my $20 until I accumulate enough for something really cool that I would like.
Catch: it has be to a Canadian service because US stuff is always is too high (especially with CAD in the crapper).
I like: tea, weird socks, vegan food (especially chocolate), whimsical objects, funky jewelry, anything cat-related, literature, music.
I just like the idea of something indulgent and fun that will arrive in the post. Hope me!
Best answer: I believe TeaSparrow is Canadian, and the teas I've gotten have been a-ma-zing.
posted by Lyn Never at 4:09 PM on June 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Lyn Never at 4:09 PM on June 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I got a sock subscription here and a spice one here. This won't come near your budget but they make me so happy. (I know the spices are USD but it's 6/month.)
posted by jeather at 4:33 PM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jeather at 4:33 PM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Tea!
I only found this site because I was trying to see if David's Tea has subscriptions (they don't), but this popped up and seems like they send you David's sometimes.
Looks neat, I might actually try this myself.
posted by erratic meatsack at 4:38 PM on June 1, 2015
I only found this site because I was trying to see if David's Tea has subscriptions (they don't), but this popped up and seems like they send you David's sometimes.
Looks neat, I might actually try this myself.
posted by erratic meatsack at 4:38 PM on June 1, 2015
Best answer: The Microcosm Publishing BFF program looks like it is in your price range even though it's in USD. It's like a CSA box but books!
Full disclosure: I have a contract to write a book for them, but that's because I already thought they were interesting enough that I was poking around on their website.
posted by aniola at 5:59 PM on June 1, 2015
Full disclosure: I have a contract to write a book for them, but that's because I already thought they were interesting enough that I was poking around on their website.
posted by aniola at 5:59 PM on June 1, 2015
Ad-free Spotify. (I think they target their ads to push you to their paid service via maximal annoyingness - e.g. ads for contemporary country when you're listening to ska - and if so, they are winning, imo.)
posted by cotton dress sock at 6:21 PM on June 1, 2015
posted by cotton dress sock at 6:21 PM on June 1, 2015
A subscription to Beta 5's Chocolate Union. They're a fantastic Vancouver chocolate shop - every month they come up with about 5 new recipes (usually based around a theme) and sell a package with all of them under the Chocolate Union name.
It's pricey but they make some of the best and most interesting chocolates I've ever had. With shipping it would meet your $20/week budget almost exactly.
edit: ah crap, just saw the vegan restriction. This might not do after all.
posted by ripley_ at 6:32 PM on June 1, 2015
It's pricey but they make some of the best and most interesting chocolates I've ever had. With shipping it would meet your $20/week budget almost exactly.
edit: ah crap, just saw the vegan restriction. This might not do after all.
posted by ripley_ at 6:32 PM on June 1, 2015
This is not really a physical subscription and thus not exactly what you're looking for, but since you mentioned a large cookbook collection you may be interested in the online service Eat Your Books. It costs $25 a year for a full membership and allows you to search recipes in your books based on ingredients. It's so great to input three seemingly random ingredients and come up with the perfect recipe from a cookbook you've been meaning to use for weeks!
posted by peacheater at 8:13 PM on June 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by peacheater at 8:13 PM on June 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
All the fun stuff I can think of are American, darn it. I was thinking Lootcrate (geeky stuff) and such.
posted by kschang at 10:20 PM on June 1, 2015
posted by kschang at 10:20 PM on June 1, 2015
Best answer: Maybe a subscription book service, such as Scribd? It's $9 USD per month for unlimited access to their catalog. You'd have to check to see if the service offers books or genres that interest you, but if so, then you could subscribe and still have nearly all of your month's fun money to spend on everybody else's suggestions (those tea services sound awesome).
posted by LiliaNic at 12:50 AM on June 2, 2015
posted by LiliaNic at 12:50 AM on June 2, 2015
Best answer: Petit Vour! 100% vegan and cruelty-free bath/beauty products, good-smelling stuff, sparklies, and supreme luxury delivered to your doorstep once a month for 23CAD. PV boxes improve my quality of life a lot for a relatively low cost (it's 15USD here) -- fun and indulgent, for sure.
Along the same lines, Little Life Box is a Canada-only service that ships monthly boxes of all kinds of stuff: vegan snacks, tea, chocolate, home and bath supplies.
posted by divined by radio at 7:51 AM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Along the same lines, Little Life Box is a Canada-only service that ships monthly boxes of all kinds of stuff: vegan snacks, tea, chocolate, home and bath supplies.
posted by divined by radio at 7:51 AM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Papirmasse does art as a subscription service. I've picked it up for a few gifts here in Ontario, no problem with it at all. You won't like them all, of course, but even a few nice pieces is worth the cost.
posted by Lemurrhea at 4:55 PM on June 2, 2015
posted by Lemurrhea at 4:55 PM on June 2, 2015
Seconding Tea Sparrow. I love it!
posted by bluebelle at 9:38 PM on June 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by bluebelle at 9:38 PM on June 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Guys, guys, this great thread has inspired me to try something new each month until I find what I like best. I don't want to be locked into a year commitment, but I will totally do a trial run of a month or two.
I did some digging of my own and also found these Canadian-friendly subscription services:
The Period Store
So Soxy
Fun stuff in the post for all!
posted by Kitteh at 7:11 AM on June 4, 2015
I did some digging of my own and also found these Canadian-friendly subscription services:
The Period Store
So Soxy
Fun stuff in the post for all!
posted by Kitteh at 7:11 AM on June 4, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by phunniemee at 3:59 PM on June 1, 2015 [2 favorites]