Don’t panic or anything, but you’re almost out of time to buy a Valentine’s Day gift. For those whose standards are higher than hastily-purchased flowers or chocolates, there is still time to find a more meaningful gift. This year consider giving your loved one a subscription box.
You can get them for pretty much anything - from cheese (yum!) to gorgeous stationery to freshly ground coffee. Even better, you can organise it right now, without any frantic panic-buying, and then tell your valentine about the highly personal present you’ve got them. (And will keep on getting them for the next few months – most subscriptions run for between three and 12 months, meaning you can tailor them to your budget.) We tracked down some affordable and unique boxes that your other half will love. Thank us later.
Cheese (from £17.99 per month)
The Cheese Shed offers various cheese subscriptions to suit all needs. Pregnant? No problem. Vegetarian? All good! Their cheapest box contains two types of cheese (roughly 400g) which is delivered monthly for £17.99. Customise your box and add more types of cheese here.
Socks (from £20 for three months)
Sock Geeks offers a three-month sock subscription for £20 or six months for £35. You have to fill in a pretty comprehensive personality quiz about your other half and then the website does the hard work for you and chooses socks based on the answers you gave. And yes, you have to liken your partner to six types of cat.
Tea (from £7 per month)
Bluebird’s tea subscription sees recipients receive three new tea blends in the post each month. Subscription boxes can be tailored to specific needs, so you could order a decaf subscription, an allergy subscription, or a vegan subscription. Prices start from £7 per month.
Self-care (from £21.50 per month)
The Blurt Foundation’s monthly BuddyBox is designed to give people a pick-me-up during hard times. The contents vary from month to month and remain a secret as “the surprise is very much part of the experience”. Each box contains roughly five items intended to make recipients feel good. Sounds lovely.
Vegan chocolate (£15 for three months)
Brontie & Co’s service delivers two bars of organic vegan chocolate to doors across the UK each month. The chocolate is made with organic cacao from Peru and contains no additives, preservatives or colourings. They will absolutely love you for this. Costs £15 for a three month subscription.
Plant seeds (£39 for three months)
Seed Pantry sends a box of bulbs and seeds in the post each month at the perfect time for planting and growing. It works in two ways, you can either choose six items for the box and they’ll send the best seasonal food and flowers to grow at the right time of the year. Or, you can let them surprise your partner. Either way you’re winning. Costs £39 for a three month subscription.
Coffee (from £6.50 per month)
Perky Blenders (great name) delivers a bag of freshly ground coffee each month for £6.50. You can either select from regular blend, a monthly seasonal variation or opt for a surprise. They then grind the coffee to your lover’s preference and pop it in the post.
Stationery (£13.50 for three months)
Honey Tree Post sends stationery-lovers seven items each month with a retail value of £30 or more. Each box contains four greetings cards plus a mixture of writing paper, postcards, notecards, gift tags, prints and stickers. Your valentine will also receive a free Welcome Post Box when you sign them up worth £12. And presumably you’ll also likely receive a lovely thankyou card.