Can Meal Subscription Boxes Save You on Groceries?

Meal subscription services have been around for a few years now. For between $9 to $15 a meal, companies like Hello Fresh, Plated and Blue Apron will deliver easy, ready-to-cook dishes complete with portioned ingredients right to your door.

But the real question is: Can they save you money?

That all depends on your dining habits. If you're someone who does a lot of cooking at home, you're not likely to save any money with a subscription service. In fact, you might end up spending more.

However, what you will save is time.

You're not going to be bogged down by things like last-minute grocery shopping and hunting for recipes - so for some of you, that might be worth the extra cost!

So who will save money with a subscription service? It's the people and families who dine out often and spend much more than they have to.

Sound familiar? If you love to cook new things but just can't find the time to shop for groceries, these services can be a great way to cut costs by up to 50 percent a meal, depending on where you eat. So while a meal subscription service might not be for everyone, they could be a great option for adventurous foodies looking to expand their tastes and save a few dollars.

Each company has its own menus and pricing, so shop around!