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I sometimes wonder if other people feel overwhelmed by the number of products and services available only as subscriptions. I didn’t notice the trend until Adobe came out with a monthly subscription to Photoshop. For years it had been my dream to purchase a legitimate copy of Adobe’s software bundle. When they announced the a-la-carte subscription option, I jumped on it.
I’m hesitant to take on too many subscriptions. Despite the overwhelming number of practical subscription boxes like Dollar Shave Club, I’ve paid for several subscriptions in the last few years that have added authentic value to my life.
1. eHarmony
I’m not one to spend much time on dating sites because I prefer to meet people in natural situations, but I’ve tried a few, and I discovered something unique about eHarmony. All the other dating sites let you browse profiles and choose matches based on photos and details they write on their profile. eHarmony doesn’t do that. You don’t get to look for potential matches. You complete a very lengthy questionnaire at signup, and the system delivers matches to you based on a compatibility algorithm. If you’re not compatible, you don’t get to see someone’s profile.
In the context of judgment, sometimes you don’t know what’s good for you. It’s too easy to flip through profile photos and zero in on potentials based on looks, income, and other superficial factors.
eHarmony’s time-consuming process encourages you to become accustomed to dating people based on compatibility signals that matter for long-term relationships. That’s why the signup process is lengthy, you can’t browse profiles, and it costs money to use the service. If you’re serious about finding a long-term relationship, you have to put some skin in the game.
At just over $50/month, eHarmony a dating service for people who are serious about finding a match. However, when you first join, they’ll give you a generous discount for the first three months. If you don’t want to commit to three months, use one of these eHarmony promo codes to get deals like your first month for $29.95. Other promo codes offer discounts on 6-month and 12-month memberships.
Even if you don’t find your match on eHarmony, you’ll walk away with the experience of finding potential matches in a more effective way.
2. Vinyl Me, Please
If you grew up in the 1990’s, you probably remember a mail-order CD subscription service that gave you twelve free CDs for joining. It was an unbeatable deal. Vinyl Me, Please is a similar monthly service that sends members a vinyl record from one of three categories: classics, must-haves across genres and eras, or rap and hip-hop.
For $29/month, you can get the best albums in genres like rock, metal, rap, folk, country, jazz, blues, soul, and hip-hop. You can save a significant amount by paying for three months or a year at a time. There’s no contract, and you can cancel your membership at any time. You’ll always receive an email letting you know what next month’s album will be. If you don’t like it, you can swap it out.
The best part is, your monthly record will come with cool extras including collectible artwork, cocktail recipes, and street art stencils.
Music buffs who understand the depth of sound produced by vinyl will appreciate this service. Vinyl’s sound quality is superior to digital. Playing a vinyl record creates a direct reproduction of the sound, not a degraded copy like digital.
If you’ve never seen a magnification of a needle traveling the grooves of a vinyl record, watch this video and be amazed. Vinyl will never die!
3. Bark Box
If your dog isn’t happy, the world isn’t okay. Bark Box makes the world okay.
Like most subscription boxes, Bark Box has three packages to choose from, based on the size of your dog. The options are small and cute (0-20lbs), just right (20-50lbs), and big and bold (50lbs+). All boxes cost the same and start at $20/month if you pay for a full year up front. Boxes cost $23/month when you pay for six months up front, or you can choose to be billed $29/month.
Toys and goodies are size-appropriate and give your dog the opportunity to try new textures and concepts. You might luck out and discover your dog finally wants to play tug-o-war with a rubber toy instead of a traditional rope. You might discover a toy your dog can’t chew through so easily, too.
Bark Box will include an additional premium toy in your box for an extra $9/month. This is called the “Extra Toy Club,” and it’s worth it.
There are plenty of subscription services that provide value. These are the top three that make my world (and my dog’s) brighter.
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This content is sponsored by Larry Alton.
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Photo credit: Pexels