At first, I was totally against it because I thought it was WAY too expensive.  I’m more of a Target and second hand store kind of shopper, so StitchFix seemed like way overpriced clothes.  I figured I could probably find a cheaper knockoff somewhere else.

But, our family is on T-Mobile and they had a T-Mobile Tuesdays special for a $20 voucher towards StitchFix.  So even if you hate everything in the box and send it back, you aren’t out any money.  So, I decided to try it out.

How does StitchFix work?

If you aren’t familiar with StitchFix, it is basically a personal shopper that sends you 5 pieces of clothes every month.  You can either choose to buy some or all of the pieces or send everything back.  If you send everything back, there is still a $20 styling fee that you have to pay.  If you buy all 5 pieces, there is a 20% discount on all the pieces.  I’ve found that if you like 4 out of the 5 pieces, you’ll probably want to get all 5 pieces since you essentially get the 5th piece for free with the discount.

My Experience

When I first got the box, I literally said to my husband, “Look, my overpriced clothes came today!”  But when I opened the box and tried on the pair of black work pants I requested, I immediately fell in love with the whole company.  It fit perfectly and most importantly, I didn’t have to go to the tailor to get it hemmed like I usually do. The stylist literally nailed every piece in the box.  She also picked out clothes that I would have never tried on if I had seen them in the store.  Now, those pieces are some of my favorites!

The time savings alone from not having to go shopping AND not having to go to the tailor is the best part of StitchFix.  Even now, shopping is more just a relaxing experience because I’m not stressed about needing to find more business clothes.  And did I mention not having to go to the tailor?!!  AMAZING!

How to Make StitchFix Successful for You

There’s a couple key things to know before ordering your first box.

• Be brutally honest about what style you like and what you don’t.  For me, I like the classics and I’m not that fashionable.  When you sign up, they’ll give you several different styles that you can select how much you love or hate them.  Be honest about what you like AND about what looks good on you.
• Maximize your StitchFix wardrobe by telling the stylist that you want a capsule-style wardrobe.  I told my stylist not to send me anything unless I can create 2 or 3 outfits with it.  She gave me some really great pieces that I could dress up for work or dress down when I’m hanging out with friends.  When I got my second StitchFix box, she also picked items that could be worn with clothes from the first box.  It was amazing!
• Putting my financial freedom hat on, buying everything in the box is around $250-300/box.  It’s not cheap, but it is worth it.  They have a monthly subscription, but I only get the box when I feel like I need an update to my wardrobe.  My recommendation is to order it for different seasons, so you have a collection year round.  I’ve ordered 2 boxes so far, and I’m kinda waiting to see if I need more clothes in the summer to determine whether I’ll order another box.

So I would try StitchFix out and see if it works for you!  Let me know how it goes and if you like what they send you!

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.

Last year, my sister bought me an Instant Pot for Christmas.  I read a few blogs and articles online about how great it was at saving time while cooking, so I wanted to give it a try.  It was definitely the best gift I have ever gotten!  Thanks, sis!

Reason #1: Set It and Forget It

One of my favorite things about the Instant Pot is that I can set it and forget it.  Usually that means that I’m throwing all of the ingredients in the Instant Pot, turning it on, and then leaving to pick up the kids from daycare.  When we get home, it smells delicious and dinner is ready!  Or, I can put all of the ingredients in and then give the kids a bath while it is cooking without having to stand in front of the stove or worry about turning off the oven.  I LOVE IT!

Reason #2: Assembling Ingredients vs Cooking

I would consider myself a “cook by necessity” not by preference.  I mainly cook dinner during the weekday because I’m usually working from home in the afternoon, while my husband is working at his office.  However, if guests are coming over, my husband is the one that cooks EVERYTIME.  I would not subject any of my friends or family to my cooking!

The Instant Pot allows me to pretty much throw in all the ingredients.  Sometimes I don’t even stir the ingredient together and it still comes out amazing!  Now, there are definitely some amazing Instant Pot cooks out there making cheesecakes and other amazing dishes, but as a busy mom, that’s just not me (right now, atleast).  I try to find recipes that have 5 ingredients or less and just throw it all in there.

Reason #3: It Cooks Faster (Most of the Time)

One of the main reasons I got the Instant Pot was because our family has a traditional rice cooker that just took FOREVER to make rice.  When I first got the Instant Pot, we were eating rice almost everyday and I could never get my act together to remember to make rice in the morning.  (Who has time to make rice when you are trying to get the kids out the door?!) So I originally found out about the Instant Pot in order to make rice faster.  It does and it is husband approved, so I’m happy!

The main thing to remember though is that most Instant Pot recipes don’t take into account the time it takes to make it come to pressure, so remember to add about 10-15 minutes on to the cooking time for any recipe.  Again, in most cases, it is still faster and less hassle than any other way of cooking, but sometimes it can take longer.

Reason #4: Virtually Unlimited Instant Pot Recipes

The Instant Pot community is alive and well with so many recipes to try.  Usually, if I’m interested in making a dish in the Instant Pot, someone has most likely already developed an InstantPot version of it already.  So, I just Google the dish I want to make and add “Instant Pot” to it (e.g., “Mac and Cheese Insant Pot”) and get the Instant Pot version!

So if you are a busy mom and/or a horrible cook, I’d definitely recommend trying out the Instant Pot!  I have a 5 Quart, which is fine for my family of 4, but there are various sizes that you can get. Do you have an InstantPot?  What are your favorite recipes to make for your family?

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.