Freebie Alert!

Hey everyone, don't forget to add the promo code SURPRISE to your auto delivery to get a free cutting board from Nutrisystem! It is valid as long as you have any item added in your a la carte section of your auto delivery- even a free bonus item from Numi! You do not need to add the cutting board to your order, just type in the promo code and it will automatically be added free!

If you are new and trying to decide which plan to purchase and from where, it can be confusing. Nutrisystem has many different plans offering different meals, more or fewer days, with and without shakes. They also offer Advantage, a plan for buying a la carte. You can also buy plans from QVC or Groupon. So how do you know which is the best choice for you?

First of all, I don't recommend the Nutrisystem Advantage plan in most circumstances. First of all, you spend $49.99 up front for six months, and all you get in return is free shipping on anything as well as a minimum 25% discount (unless the promotion they are currently offering is better). While that works if you're planning to have no plan at all and simply order a la carte, you'd have to be spending at least $49.99 on shipping to make it worthwhile, and you always get free shipping on frozen anyway if you order $75 or more. To me, it doesn't seem like a good value. Remember that you can add a la carte items to your auto delivery and always receive free shipping on both shelf stable and frozen foods, as well as a 20% discount off the items. This is the reason why I think the Advantage plan isn't the best purchase.Remember, you don't even need a plan to order a la carte if you don't want to, and you will still be able to use Numi, take advantage of any sales, and get free shipping on $75 or more of frozen food.

I think the best of both worlds is to have an auto delivery order and mostly put your shelf stable items and the items that tend not to be discounted (like the buttermilk waffles, ice cream sandwich, hamburger, and chicken sandwich), and then stock up on frozen when the a la carte sale gets to 50% off. And then of course, use your gift certificates from Costco and save even more! Remember you can delay your auto delivery up to three months every single order, so just because you're flexing and don't need a monthly delivery doesn't mean you necessarily should cancel; you'll have to break down the numbers on what you want to buy and see what works best.

Don't forget that if you are currently paying more than these prices for your program, that you can absolutely cancel with Nutrisystem and sign up again with a different email address as a new customer, and get all the new customer discounts and freebies! Don't pay more than you have to! This program looks expensive up front, but with all the tips and tricks available, you can really get your costs down so that you can put your health first.

The best price currently is:

Basic Women's $199 (shelf stable only, Chef's Choice- they choose your meals)
Basic Men's $239

Core Women's $239 (shelf stable only, you choose your own meals)
Core Men's $269

Uniquely Yours Women's $239 (access to the full menu, both frozen and shelf stable, you choose your own meals)
Uniquely Yours Men's $279

Uniquely Yours Plus Women's $299 (same as the Uniquely Yours program plus 28 servings of shakes, which are regular price $79.99 a la carte)
Uniquely Yours Plus Men's $329

If you are paying more than this price, call Nutrisystem and cancel! Don't let them fob you off with a one time $50 credit because you can save a lot more than that. Why pay more than you have to? Then sign up again using the hidden sales link here to save $60 off the lowest price your first month plus another $54 in free items plus the free 7 days of shakes, then save $50 off your second month, and continue on locked into the lowest price as long as you stay on program.

The only difference in what you are shipped from Nutrisystem between the Men's and the Women's plans, is that men get one additional Nutrisystem snack daily. Women can choose to order this plan if they want the extra NS snacks because it's cost effective, just remember to follow your correct plan on Numi! Men can also choose to order the women's program if they prefer to flex that extra snack daily instead of eating two NS snacks- it's entirely your choice as long as you follow the plan that is correct for you on Numi, since the written materials they send will be for the plan you order. All Nutrisystem snacks count as 1 Powerfuel + 1 SmartCarb (except the sweet and tangy meat stick which is only a Powerfuel), so it's okay to use extra Nutrisystem snacks any time you have to flex those portions, or conversely to flex 1 Powerfuel + 1 SmartCarb when you are told to eat a NS snack.

If you change your plan at any point, then you are no longer price protected. So if you start with Plus and decide you hate the shakes, you may not be eligible for the discounted price for the standard Uniquely Yours Program. I would always recommend starting with the regular plan since they offer you a month of shakes for half price, $39.99 on your first order anyway. Try them and see if you like them- there are often sales where you can purchase them for less a la carte anyway.

So if you stock up on Costco gift cards when they are on sale for $55.99, your first month of Uniquely Yours directly from Nutrisystem will only cost you $103.40! Even when they're not on sale you can still save 20% off. Either way, it's less than ordering through either QVC or Groupon, and you get to choose your food as well as have frozen food, which you can't do unless you order from Nutrisystem.

Feel free to share your money saving tips in the comments!