Bulu Box - March 2015 - Full size paradise!

BuluBox is a health and fitness related box that usually sends out 5 samples per month.  They have 2 varieties of box - "weight loss" and "regular".  Weight loss seems to be mostly focused on metabolism boosting items and vitamins, and the regular box seems to be a little more workout and general health related.  I receive the regular box monthly.

Opening:

 I love the outside of this box - it is just full of motivational phrases.  I love the "Go the extra mile, it's never crowded" one - gets me every month!  On top of the samples were a bundle of cards... (More after the Jump)

 The first card is a 3 month subscription to Salted - an online cooking school.  I actually received one of these in my winter FabFitFun box, and logged in... and I have never used it!  So great idea, but unless I can add it on to that account I think I will continue to forget to use that website.   The next was an advert (not photographed) for the Shapeology BOGO sale the full price store was having this month.  Next is the card explaining all the items in the box (pictured), and the last was a product info card for the NeoCell drink mix.

Product #1: AllergEase: Natural allergy relief

 Full size!  Awesome!  This is 21 lozenges, that as far as I can tell are souped up cough drops.  However, I get TERRIBLE seasonal allergies in the late spring/early summer, so I will be holding on to these in the hopes they provide any kind of relief.  I mean seriously, allergy sufferers of the world - anything that helps is an automatic miracle, right?

Value:  $6.99 (BuluBox full price store for 42 - $13.99)

Product #2:  Beanfields chips in Ranch 

Yum yum, love these chips.  I've had other Beanfields flavors before, but the ranch flavor is indeed tasty.  My only complaint is that whenever Bulubox samples chips they always get smushed.  But free snack, right?  Usually every Bulubox has one food sample that can get thrown in my purse or bag for an afternoon treat.  (Treating this bag as a "full size" since it's hard to only sample 1-2 chips, so a full serving bag it was)

Value: $2?  (I mean, that's the most I'd ever pay in store for a little bag like this)

Product #3:  COMPLETE Energy Bites

So these are also very full size-like.  6 energy bites in a very nice container.  The back says they have the caffeine equivalent of a 12 oz cup of coffee.  I could see these being nice in a pinch where I forgot my coffee in the morning and can feel the caffeine withdrawal headache coming on.  I tend to be wary of energy products (which was a bummer last month since I got 2 energy products I probably will never use), but these are actually a little intriguing, since it is usually the flavor of these products that puts me off, and I could always chop up these gummy cubes and take them like little caffeinated pills...

Value:  $3.75 (Price for 6 packs of 6 on the Bulubox website $27.99)

Items # 4 & 5: BioCoffee (Nutrient packed coffee mix) & NeoCell Beauty infusion in Appletini

Two drink mix packets this month, which is pretty ok.  On the one hand we have BioCoffee - a "nutrient packed coffee", which is also caffeine free?  Guess I'll try this one morning and take an energy bite with me!  I like the idea of coffee mixed with wheatgrass from a health perspective, but why did they take my caffeine away!  Also, this claims to be the "only alkaline coffee on the market" - just in case you're worried about these things.

The neocell was the one thing I immediately gulped down!  I LOVE biotin/collagen infused drinks, particularly because my nails can get SO brittle.  This one was super tasty and I'm considering saving up some points to buy the mix next month.   I've gotten a few biotin/collagen items from Bulubox in past months, enough to keep me supplemented fairly well, and I have really noticed a difference in my nails and hair since having these products 2-3 times a month.

Value (BioCoffee):  $1.38 (16 packets for $22 on Bulubox website)
Value (NeoCell):  $1.10 (30 servings for $ 32.99 on Bulubox website)

Final Verdict (and how to make Bulubox your best value box)

Total Value: $15.22

Ok, so normally I would be saying "woah woah woah"  This box is $10!  What a low return value!  Especially if even 1 product isn't something I'd like!

First off, Bulubox is more about exploring health options you might not have normally known about (like my new-found love of Biotin).  Secondly you can make the actual cost of your boxes much, much lower with just a little bit of work.

How to get BuluBox for $3.75 (on average) per box
(and get full size products for free!)

My referral link can be used to get your second box free after your first $10 box.  When you've used that promotion I recommend this trick:   Regularly check the BuluBox blog for coupons.  They frequently  run a "3 months for the price of 1" promotion (1 month is usually $10).  The best part about the 3-for-1 promotion is that a regular subscriber can use it!  Make sure to "pause" your regular box from your dashboard.  Use the 3-for-1 coupon to get a 3 month subscription, cancel the subscription after your 3rd box ships, and resume your regular box (or use another coupon from the blog, rinse and repeat!)  March 2015 is my 7th box and I've only paid for 3 boxes so far (with 1 more free month still to come!)  So for those keeping track at home I have spent $30 on BuluBoxes, and for that price will have received 8 boxes!

Bulu box also offers a very generous rewards system.  For every product in your box for which you answer a short survey, you will receive 10 rewards points, for a total of 50 rewards points per box.  Rewards points can be spent in their store at a rate of 10 points per $1.  So each box is worth a $5 credit in the full price store.  I have gotten a bonus "Christmas stocking" sample box (20 samples for a $10 value), a bottle of D3 tablets ($12 value), and just ordered a BOGO deal on Shapeology burn blend ($40 value!), all for free with my rewards points.  Any item that you buy that is featured in a box that month receives free shipping, so the only item I paid for was the "stocking" box, which was $2.99 shipping and handling.

I have spent $32.99 on BuluBox, and value for the money it is by far the best box I get each month as a result of the generous rewards program.  With $62 in product for near-free from the store, and 8 boxes for $30 ($3.75 per box!) I don't see why you wouldn't want the BuluBox!