It’s time for us to let you into a secret: you can. By outsourcing as much as possible to a slew of new subscription services.
By buying household essentials from a subscription service, you save time, limit waste, never run out of boring essentials (or even have to think about them) and very often save money, too. With most, you can skip, pause or cancel any time you like.
Here, we look at the very best.
LOO ROLL
Who Gives A Crap
If you avail yourself of Who Gives a Crap’s efficient delivery service, you won’t ever run out of loo roll for the shameful reason that you simply forgot to add it to your supermarket trolley. Becoming a Who Gives a Crap subscriber is good for the environment and socially responsible, too. The company uses no plastic, sells recycled loo roll and donates 50 per cent of its profits to help build toilets around the world. Plus, the paper wrapping on each roll is a joy to behold. From £28. Subscribe here.
DOG FOOD
Tails.com
Yeah, we know you love your pooch but how many times have you opened the cupboard to find you’re out of the only kind of food he deigns to eat? Tails.com is ready to come to your rescue. All you do is enter your dog’s details on the site and they create a kibble recipe unique to your dog’s needs, which they deliver monthly to your door. Treats and wet food are also available. From £13.51. Subscribe here.
SODA STREAM BOTTLES
Soda Stream
So, you got with the programme, stopped buying plastic bottles of sparkling water and snapped up a Soda Stream. But then you watched in mounting dismay as the old cartridges piled up, you didn’t know what to do with them and you threatened to quit the whole endeavour. Sound familiar? Cheer up, because we are here to tell you about Soda Stream’s Sparkle Savers Plan in which they deliver to your home on request four full gas cylinders with a pre-paid return label for you to return your empties. From £39.96. Subscribe here.
CLEANING PRODUCTS
Tincture London
With its minimalist packaging and botanical scent, this cleaning-product brand looks and smells as good as the finest beauty label. Tincture was invented by mothers and uses plant-based ingredients to break down ordinary household grease and grime. A choice of two different subscription boxes (eco and standard) will leave you feeling ‘uplifted, restored and in love with your home’. From £26.79. Subscribe here.
GF BREAD
Gluten Free Bakery
This one is only for those who like to avoid gluten, obviously. To those fine people, starved of delicious bread as they so often are, we say: imagine if a box of the tastiest GF sourdough loaves was delivered to your door just as your stash was running low? The brilliant team at The Gluten Free Bakery can make that magic happen. From £16.99. Subscribe here.
RAZOR BLADES
Harry’s
Shaving is quite the hassle at the best of times. Let Harry’s do some of the work. This stylish company sends its premium razor blades (and gel if you want it) through your door in the quantity and with the frequency that suits you best. From £14. Subscribe here.
PRINTER INK
For many a household across the country, it’s a vanishingly rare day when a. the printer is working, b. there is enough paper and c. the ink supply is sufficient. An HP Instant Ink subscription will change all that. Glamorous, it ain’t but, man, is it handy. From 99p a month. Subscribe here.
YOUR CLOTHES
STITCH FIX
Want to dress well but haven’t got the time or confidence to trawl the high street or internet for new looks? A subscription to Stitch Fix is for you. This virtual stylist and personal shopper sources the best clothes – from a range of large and boutique brands – to fit your taste, shape and budget and sends them to you in one handy package. You keep and pay for what you like and send back what you don’t. Looking good just got a whole lot easier. Styling fee: £10 a month; clothes extra. Subscribe here.
COFFEE
GRIND
There is no worse start to the day than when you discover you’re out of coffee. Make that a thing of the past with a monthly subscription to the Shoreditch-based coffee company, Grind, which was founded in 2011. With your first delivery, you get a free, pretty, pink Grind tin. After that, you’ll receive carbon-positive refills through the letterbox as you need them. Trust us, this one is brilliant. From £9.95. Subscribe here.
By Becky Ladenburg
January 2023
