Escape Monthly combines two things I love which are traveling and getting treasures in the mail. Escape Monthly ships every month and includes full size products, travel guides, secret tips and special offers. Each box has a destination theme and every month one lucky member will win a vacation to the destination. The price of this box is $49.95 a month with shipping included. Right now they are running a deal on their website where you can get 20% off the price of the box for life. This means the monthly box will cost $39.95 a month instead of $49.95.
This box is available in the US only and ships from Lake Oswego, Oregon.
The good:
Products: You get full size products from the region of that month.
Referrals: They have an ambassador program that pays you via paypal for members you refer.
Travel: They give away a trip every month to the destination. There is a card in one box each month telling you if you've won.
Info cards: These are so important and theirs is fantastic. It includes product info and price as well as info about the destination. I have noticed that the prices they list is not always accurate.
The not so good:
Skip: So far I can't find anything on skipping.
Price: The price is quite high for a monthly box.
Contents of box with retail value:
New York City Travel book by Moon Books. Value = $14.99
Brooklyn Studio Travel Tin Candle in Green Tea and Lemongrass, Brooklyn, NY. Value = $6.00
Flint Creek Good Skin Blend Soap, Rochester, NY. Value = $3.00
Kanpekies Peckigram Orange Cranberry Almond Shortbread Cookies, Manhattan, NY. Value = $8.00
The Peanut Principle Gourmet Maple Peanut Butter, Albany, NY. Value = $4.37
Sundaes Best Hot Fudge Sauce, Saratoga Springs, NY. Value = $6.50
Better Brittle West African Style Peanut Brittle, Syracuse, NY. Value = $5.00
New York Taxi Treats Cookies. Value = $2.99
Bonus
I Love New York Sticker. Value = $1.49
The total value of this box is $52.34 or $37.35 if you don't include the book. I've been to New York once about 15 years ago or so. Funny story, my friend and I were going someplace and volunteered to be bumped from our flight. We had to wait for 7 hours in a Utah airport for our next flight but in exchange we each got round trip tickets to anywhere the airline flew. We thought that was a great deal and wanted to maximize our free ticket so we thought New York (from California) would be the best value. It probably was in terms of flight cost but we, as fresh out of college young adults were totally unprepared for the cost of everything. We made the best of it and saw a couple of shows on an off Broadway, went to the Statue Liberty, rode the subway, went to Tiffany's (where I made my first ever Tiffany's purchase), etc. I would love to go back now that I'm a little older, a little wiser and have a little more spending money. My point is I may or may not use the book anytime soon. The travel candle smells nice and I for one am a big fan of travel candles. The shortbread cookies are good, not the best ever but a solid good. I haven't tried the other treats yet I figured I had better limit myself.
Verdict: I'm glad I didn't cancel last month because I liked this box AND next month is Ireland! Crossing my fingers that I win THAT trip!