On Subscriptions

I’ve been reading others’ subscription posts and I am taken aback by the considerable amount many people shell out for monthly or annual app subscriptions. So here’s mine:

Cloud storage:

• Google Drive (200 GB) (₱1,659.50/year) - I keep my images and files here, allowing me to access them from multiple devices. This includes important documents such as my vaccine records, passport, and birth certificate. Google Drive is also useful for freelance work and general file sharing, as it is a widely used platform in the Philippines.

• iCloud (50 GB) (₱54.84/month) - My partner and I are contemplating the use of iCloud storage to cut down our cloud storage costs. We both currently pay separately for Google One, so an iCloud Family Sharing plan with 50GB appears to be a more reasonable option at the moment.

Entertainment

• Spotify Family (₱239/month) - Spotify is very convenient as it provides seamless accessibility across multiple devices. Whether it’s an Android smartphone, an Alexa-enabled device, the now discontinued Sonos, or Google Home, I can easily access my Spotify music on any of these platforms.

• HBO Go (₱399 / 3-months) - I’m currently subscribed to the “3-Month Plan.” I’m just waiting for my mom to finish watching Game of Thrones, so I can unsubscribe from this crappy streaming platform.

Tech

• Namecheap Domain (₱817.68/year) - My annual domain subscription is the only cost for running my website. Every time I read Manuel Moreale’s People and Blogs Newsletter, I find myself wondering, “Am I missing anything? Should I be investing more in my website?”

I have paused my Adobe subscriptions for now because my employer provides them for us. My mom takes care of the Netflix (Family) payment (since she offered lol). My Notion Plus Plan was from a Notion for Education promo code so I kind of got it for free.

If I’ve done the math right, that comes to ₱7,598.26 ($137.27) per year or ₱633.27 ($11.44) per month. To be honest, it’s not a hefty sum — it’s fairly modest.

2024 Subscriptions Plans

• Craig Mod’s monthly membership
• Might subscribe to Obsidian Sync (before January 1, 2024*)
• Consider subscribing to Krisp, as the 60-minute per day limit seems insufficient due to the length of calls I’m on.
• Personal Adobe Creative Cloud subscription since I’ll be switching back to Lightroom because Capture One is deprecating Capture One Express.
• iA Writer???

One-Time Payments

I have a strong preference for one-time payment options and would definitely opt for it if such an option were available. It’s an approach that I find to be fair and straightforward, eliminating the need for continuous payments over a certain period.

I really appreciate when developers offer licenses based on a one-time especially if they include a trial period or a “try before you buy” option that doesn’t require payment details for downloading the app. I still don’t quite understand the per-machine method of payment.

I generally don’t subscribe to a significant number of apps or memberships despite the not-so extensive list of subscriptions I’ve shared. And I only paid for Mona (for Mastodon) and 1Blocker this year. Compared to many, my subscription list might seem relatively modest. It is a conscious choice I’ve made to limit my digital subscriptions, balancing between necessity and cost-effectiveness.

Other posts on subscriptions

• On subscriptions - Manuel Moreale
• Subscriptions - Robb Knight
• My subscriptions and how I track them with Notion - Jose Munoz
• 💰 On Subscriptions - maymeow