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Date Box Club Subscription Box Review – August 2015

Ragan Buckley
ByRagan BuckleySep 1, 2015 | 44 comments

Date Box Club Subscription Box Review August 2015 - box

DateBox Club
2.5 overall rating
2 Ratings | 0 Reviews

Date Box Club is a monthly subscription that delivers a date night activity directly to your door. This activity will take around two hours to complete and is done in the comfort of your own home.

Date Box Club sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

The Subscription Box: Date Box Club

The Cost: $49.99 (save with longer subscriptions)

The Products: Everything you need for a creative date night activity. The activities are designed for couples in committed relationships but are not romantic or “adult” in nature.

Ships to: US. Shipping is free.

Check out lots of other great lifestyle boxes the Lifestyle Subscription Box Directory!

Date Box Club Subscription Box Review August 2015 - envelope

This envelope contained the directions for this month’s activity. Note: I am not including prices/values in this review for two reasons. (1) Some of the items are exclusive and (2) the items are really intended to be used as a group rather than individually.

Date Box Club Subscription Box Review August 2015 - cover

This booklet contains instructions for the monthly activity, including spaces to write down your answers to the questions.

This month’s activity is to plan a road trip. The scenario: you have 30 days off work and a rental RV.

Date Box Club Subscription Box Review August 2015 - rv

Here is your rental RV. =) I am sure my cats will knock it off the shelf and I will find it in the middle of the night when I step on it...

Date Box Club Subscription Box Review August 2015 - booklet

The booklet includes questions relevant to trip planning like “will you take pets?” as well as a list of potential destinations. The list of destinations seems heavy on Presidential libraries, probably because one suggestion for the road trip is to visit themed locations. This is a photo of one of the pages. I’ve actually done all the Missouri things! (Well, OK, I’ve been to the American Royal but not the American Royal Barbecue…)

Date Box Club Subscription Box Review August 2015 - pieces

Part of the activity for this month is to put together this puzzle, which is a US map. My fiance and I probably took about an hour to do this part. Puzzles are tougher when you don’t have the picture on the top of the box to guide you. Of course we know where the states are (!) but there was still a little bit of a challenge.

Date Box Club Subscription Box Review August 2015 - map

Here is the completed map. I think the little pictures on each state are fun, if not exactly geographically accurate (i.e., the St. Louis Arch is not in the southeastern corner of the state…). Oddly, all the states I have ever lived in (Missouri, Massachusetts, Georgia) are green.

Date Box Club Subscription Box Review August 2015 - pen

Also included were this pen and these stickers (blue for “his” destinations and pink for “hers,” though I didn’t notice the pink ones until long after I took these pictures). You were supposed to put the stickers on the map.

However, the stickers were kind of a fail. While they look like they are a reasonable size, the actual removable stickers were only about half the diameter of the colored circles. So these were pretty much impossible to manipulate with my fingers. (Maybe tweezers would’ve worked?) So anyway, no stickers on the map to show you.

If you have this box and haven’t gotten to the activity yet, I’d suggest finding some larger stickers so you can complete this section. (Unfortunately, all my office supplies are still packed in boxes from my recent move.)

The pen is for writing in the booklet. Also included (but not pictured) is a permanent marker for marking your route on the map. (I found the marker a few days after this activity when I was emptying styrofoam peanuts out of the packing box…)

The booklet does include spaces to write down your itinerary, though, so you can do that even without stickers. The road trip we created was completely unrealistic, starting in Boston (where I went to college), going down to Palm Beach (childhood vacation spot), and ending up in Las Vegas, along with stops in other states to visit family. If anyone actually went on our trip, they’d be spending 99% of their time on the road, just getting from place to place. But it was a good opportunity to talk about the sorts of places we might go if we had some time off.

Verdict: It didn’t make sense to me to calculate a value because this subscription is more about the experience (and because many of the items were not easy to locate online). This box is aimed at couples in committed relationships and, based on this month’s activity, I think that is about right. It would be weird to spend a couple of hours planning a road trip (even a pretend one) with someone you are only casually dating, but if your relationship is at the level of living together or at least spending some quiet evenings at home instead of going out, an activity like this could be a nice change of pace.

I think the goal of Date Box Club is to spur conversation between spouses, romantic partners, etc. And it definitely did that for us. My fiance and I don’t travel much because of my special needs pets, so we have really never talked about travel. This got us reminiscing about places we’ve lived in the past, favorite childhood vacation spots, family members we haven’t seen for a while, etc.

What do you think of the August 2015 Date Box Club box?

Starting at $31.95
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DateBox Club is an at-home date for couples. Every month we plan a super creative date night and deliver it to you. Everything you need is in the box – simply open and enjoy! Each month is different but focuses on a fun way to engage, interact and communicate with your partner.

Ragan Buckley
Ragan Buckley
Ragan stumbled across My Subscription Addiction in late 2013 and immediately subscribed to way too many beauty boxes. She's now focused on boxes for her cats and dog, vegan/vegetarian food boxes, and craft subscriptions (and she didn't give up beauty boxes entirely).

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44 comments

nana

The couple who runs this box lives in a city close to mine, right in the next county. It’s a very wealthy city, with a median family income of around $165K a year (that 100K more than the American median). So I daresay that a lot of the people they know have money to throw.

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Heather

Can you please post photos of the rest of the road trip destinations? I’m so curious to see what weird things I might be missing out on in my state! (CT)

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Ragan

I am at work right now. If I can find the booklet when I get home, I will see what I can do. (There are massive piles of papers all over my kitchen and living room so it may be a lost cause.)

I seem to remember something relating to Yale although I might have blocked it out because I am a Harvard grad…

If you live in a state with a presidential library, you should be almost certain that will be on the list. Although I don’t think there is one in Connecticut.

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Randi

I’d be interested in seeing what the other states have listed too if you get a chance… but if not, I totally understand 🙂

Melissa

This review and the comments have provided a fair amount of entertainment on the other hand. So, there is that…

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Christina

I agree. I found additional laughs seeing a previous box they sent out…black marker, mason jar, some rocks and dirt….lol!! I wouldn’t be laughing if I had paid for that though…..

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Emily

Maybe they were rocks and dirt from the moon. That might make sense for $50.

Melissa

NO!! Rocks and dirt?!? OMG. I wouldn’t be laughing either, that’s for sure!

sarah

The fact that any one would market this box at that price point is unbelievable. For no money at all could my husband and I plan a fake road trip, but that’s not something we would ever do. For one I think it’s kinda depressing- planning a trip we are not going on ! For two I see it as pointless to exert time and energy on something like this. All this is just mine and my husband’s personal opinions, I mean no offense to anyone who thinks this box is great. I would rather take that $50 and have a real date night like a nice dinner or see a show. Or better yet save the money to put towards a real road trip !

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Emily

I think it is depressing, too! This looks like something you’d see on a dating blog as a ‘date night for a dollar.’ (They have USA puzzles at the dollar store.) I almost died when I saw that it costs $50! For that price I would expect a real RV for a month and a tank of gas!

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Joy

I feel the same. If I ever feel my $50 is better spent on this box than a real date then I think it might be time to throw in the towel at it all.

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L

I just went and looked at their site out of curiosity. They seem to be an older couple with adult kids who may not understand the sub box market (or maybe they’re wealthy and $49 seems cheap to them).

I really would like this kind of box for me and my husband, or my family for a rainy day. It’s like someone doing Pinterest for you, which I appreciate. But no way at that price!

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Khaleesi142

Maybe throw in a bottle of wine, some chocolates and candles. That would definitely make it a better date night and more worth the price. Otherwise it’s $50 for an ugly puzzle.

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JackieNiko

Wow. I think this is the worse box I’ve ever seen. I feel bad for anyone that paid for it. I wouldn’t want it even if it was free.

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Ragan

Thanks for your comments, everyone. I just covered what they sent me and figured I would let the items speak for themselves.

The main reason I didn’t calculate values is because when you see values (and links) for a different type of box, theoretically you could go buy the item for yourself. That maybe something about the review would make you want, say, a Malin + Goetz shampoo or a plush dog toy or a bag of G.H. Cretor’s popcorn. I didn’t think anyone would go out and buy, for example, some tiny circle stickers based on this, you know?

I think a subscription like this *could* work at a different price point and if the creator(s) of the box studied the market a little bit more, first. I kind of feel that’s what was lacking here — a thorough understanding of what the typical subscription box customer is looking for and/or expects to receive for $50.

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Judi

Ragan, you showed much more restraint and tact than I ever could! I didn’t even buy this box and I am annoyingly outraged by it. It’s not that it’s something not to my taste, my perceived notion of quality or value, or even just “not what I expected,” it’s literally not anything. It’s supposed to be an experiential box, but if the contents are not in plain sight (some of the stickers and the pen), don’t work as intended (the stickers), and were not originally intended for the subscriber and don’t enhance the experience (toy truck and a cheap puzzle for an adult couple), that’s a huge fail.

I’m thinking that the latest Mindfulness Box is a good example of what a motivation/activity/springboard box should be: applying tight and thoughtful curation down to the tiniest items so that even those not in the target audience (like me) find themselves wanting it.

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chillybeans

This seems more like a family themed box with the puzzle and the hot wheels, than a couples box. And I agree that the price point is way too high.
And for $50, I would expect some proofreading….It’s testicle not “testical festival” And EEEEEEWWWWWWWWW spelled either way lol, “honey I have a great idea for a road trip!”

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Laurie

I don’t know, the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Conference might be kind of fun…lol…seriously?

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chris

Unlike essentially every other shareholders’ conference known to man, the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Conference is actually a Thing:

http://www.omaha.com/money/full-schedule-berkshire-hathaway-shareholder-meeting-events/article_1d2e46e2-882c-5b28-84bd-1973483fe4f2.html

Melissa

You made me snort water up my nose. Because, please, the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Conference would surely be a rockin’ good time. In my experience as a corporate attorney, however, I have to likely put a kibosh on everyone’s good time. Usually corporations don’t let just anyone show up to their shareholder meetings, you know? SO BE SURE TO BUY SOME STOCK BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT!!! (ok, just snorted more water up my nose… when will I learn????)

Bekki

OMW I didn’t even notice that. What is this I can’t even.

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chillybeans

It’s a festival where they eat animal testicles…yes, really. this exists……

Bekki

(My comment is in regard to the festival, not the box.) Personally, the box doesn’t have $50 worth of value to me, but it could be valuable to someone; maybe I’m just not the target customer for this box.

Alicia

If I am being honest here I would not pay anything for this! Was the puzzle even new? I feel sorry if anyone actually paid for this, I could plan a much better date night for less! There are so many subscription boxes out there around the same price that are so much better! Really though, who came up with this price?

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Wendy

I love the idea of a date box, but this price point in insane. My other subscription boxes are at least double the value I pay for it, not less value. Not a box I would sign up for until improvements on the value are made.

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subbox

Agreed. $50 is ridiculous. Too bad, I like the idea.

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Terri

I would be upset if I paid $50 for this box. That being said, my husband and I each have a bucket list of places we want to go in the US. We are about to take a trip to Maine to eat lobster!

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laura

I skipped right over the price somehow! Hot diggity. You can find all of this stuff, including Hot Wheels brand toy cars, at the dollar store. Yikes.

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Sara

Maine is so pretty, we went when I was little and went to the Desert of Maine, who knew there was a desert in Maine!

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...

Puzzle, $12.01:
http://www.amazon.com/White-Mountain-Puzzles-USA-Map/dp/B00GONNF40

Hot wheels motorhome, $2.48:
http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Wheels-2006-208-MOTORHOME/dp/B000U2N8ZW/

Map dots, $4.25 for 600, so $1.06 for the 100 you get:
http://www.amazon.com/Map-Dot-Stickers-Blue-Diameter/dp/B003M6WSSG/

I don’t think a promo pen has any value, but let’s call it $1. That’s $16.55 total, and I bet they got the stuff wholesale.

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LM

Yeah I can’t believe the price. We have two small kids and would think of doing something like this because we don’t get out much, but no way! $15 max, and only bc our three year old can keep the car and puzzle when we are done. yikes. Maybe I’ll just read reviews and steal the ideas.

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hallie

i am also a fellow nevada resident who is appalled that they think the grand canyon is in nevada. and before a do gooder always has to correct everyone comes in and says technically part of it is in nevada let me stop you there and say no it is not.

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Wendy

Interesting idea (love that Hot Wheels bus- ouch don’t step on it!) but I’d be SO mad if I gave up like say… Popsugar for this box! Let me curate a box for free. A Daycation- 1) find a place at least an hour drive away. 2) plan an activity you haven’t done in at least 5 years (kayak, bowling, ballroom dance class, cooking class, mud bath, high tea, tour or whatever floats your boat) 3) if applicable, stay overnight in an Airbnb or campground or B&B 4) do a puzzle that evening 🙂 5) make sure you take lots of photos so we can see what you did.

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Andrea

Wendy, you just planned my next date day =) We’re driving this Saturday to see the art museum in Seattle, eat at a new restaurant, take some pictures, and you know a mud bath would be great too!

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kerri

Woah wait a minute! ! I live in Nevada and I can assure you that the Grand Canyon is in Arizona. I am appalled!

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Julie

Not to split hairs but the helicopter ride from vegas into the canyon was super fun, so it’s totes still something you can do while visiting nevada

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nana

here is a little secret. You didn’t go the Grand Canyon. I know, i know, they told you you did. And technically it’s part of the same geological location. But the Grand Canyon is magical and should not be confused with others.

BTW, helpful hint: if you do go to the Grand Canyon, beware of the squirrels. They bite.

Sara

Wow I’m sorry I’d be furious if I paid $50 for a puzzle, some stickers and a pen. Holy cow I could plan a fake trip for free.

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Lin

My thoughts exactly!

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Beth

Agreed. That price is seriously excessive, what a horrible value. It’s a $10 box at best and even that seems generous. I can’t believe they sent that box for review and thought people would be eager to spend $50 for that.

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