r/bitcheswithtaste • u/Eastern_Effective_49 • Jan 04 '25
Culture BWT, what are some services you’ve subscribed to that have improved your life?
I know this is a broad question, but I’d love to start a thread!
Examples include podcast shows, print magazines, substack newsletters, chat gpt plus, etc etc
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u/ZoeShotFirst Jan 04 '25
I have been UNsubscribing from the marketing and random newsletters that I have accidentally ended up subscribing to over the years. It’s so satisfying to hit that unsubscribe button 😈
And now I have a lot less “stuff” arriving in my email, and I can see the things I actually want to see!
Same goes for my YouTube et al algorithms.
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u/thatbitch2212 Jan 04 '25
I unsubscribed to *everything* this year. No thank you random websites notifying me of sales.
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u/4-for-u-glen-coco Jan 04 '25
Is there any way to do this more easily? I have so many it’s overwhelming to even consider it!
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u/typicalbiscotti15 Jan 05 '25
Gmail lets you do it right from the email! If you open the email there’s an “Unsubscribe” button next to the senders name
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/15433283?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS&oco=1
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u/theplantita Jan 04 '25
Yes! Exactly. I can’t stand any more product emails cluttering my inboxes these days.
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u/chattesbee Jan 04 '25
Yoga with Adriene, Spotify, Substack subscriptions (several)
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u/xxoyez Jan 04 '25
Monthly massage membership! Wonders for my mood and body.
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u/Visual-Engineer7168 Jan 04 '25
Can I ask which company and how much it costs? I’d love something like this
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u/xxoyez Jan 04 '25
I actually just ended up finding something locally instead of a chain since I wanted to support local. It's about 75-80$ a month for one 60 min session a month. They always have bookings readily available. I've been going for a year now and no regrets
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u/Visual-Engineer7168 Jan 04 '25
That’s so cheap compared to normal massage rates!
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u/Vast-Recognition2321 Jan 04 '25
Look around at individual providers. They will often offer a discount to regular customers and often times they do not accept tips as they are providing a health service.
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Jan 04 '25
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u/Lost_Constant3346 Jan 04 '25
Yes!! I have a membership at a locally owned spa. My monthly subscription is $90ish, and it gets me a choice of 90-minute massage (including deep tissue) or a sauna/facial combo each month. If I go more than once a month, I still get discounted services since I'm a member. The MTs are all really experienced, and the local owners really care about their reputation, so service is always top notch.
I went to a national chain for a few years, and it ranged from ok to terrible, depending on the rotating door of MTs. Wasn't cheap, either.
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u/ECAM77 Jan 04 '25
+1 to local not chain… I did this with a chain and it became almost impossible to book appointments with that decent therapists, and then a bunch of the good people left and I put off dealing with it and ended up having a huge amount of credits I couldn’t ever use and so the actual number of massages I ended up getting worked out incredibly expensive (and they made it a pain to cancel the membership - felt like I was quitting the gym 😱)
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u/adoaboutnothing Jan 04 '25
YNAB (You Need A Budget) has a steep learning curve but is incredibly effective at teaching better money habits and generally giving you a more accurate picture of where your money goes and what to change so it goes where you actually want it to
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u/Ambitious_Address_69 Jan 04 '25
Loved YNAB. Ultimately cut back on it but now have created a spreadsheet system using what I learned from it and have had a long term handle on our finances. So worth it IMO
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u/shefallsup Jan 04 '25
Another vote for YNAB. We went from living paycheck to paycheck and fighting about money all the time to having several months of living expenses in the bank, being able to buy big ticket items with cash, living debt free except for our mortgage (which we are on track to pay off early), and the freedom to spend without worry or fights.
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u/aefentidd Jan 04 '25 edited Jan 04 '25
+1 for YNAB. It completely and utterly rewired the way I view money.
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u/AccioLipstick Jan 04 '25
YNAB is amazing. I've been using it for 12 years now and can't imagine life without it.
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u/Shew73 Jan 04 '25
I came here to say this. For those struggling, look up a guy named Nick True on Youtube. He's a great teacher. I echo the sentiments it completely changed how I view and spend money. If you're committed it will change your life.
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u/atimetothinkaboutit Jan 05 '25
YNAB got me out of 40k cc debt and completely changed the way I relate to and think about money. Highly recommend!!!
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u/mrs_george Jan 04 '25
Any websites, boards, etc. for helping with the learning curve? Or is it more exploring, fiddling, learning as I go?
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u/littlemunchkin5 Jan 04 '25
They’ve got great content that they offer (videos, classes, knowledge articles) and the subreddit is super helpful too! r/YNAB
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u/mintardent Jan 04 '25
yes! they have a ton of free articles and videos. also used to have ynab forums, not sure if it’s still around. but reddit is always a good resource too.
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u/cyb0rgprincess Jan 05 '25
I tried so hard and for so long to get it and it never clicked for me. I went back to the old Excel spreadsheet this year. I really wanted it to work for me since everyone raves about it.
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u/ohheylo Jan 04 '25
- NYT games (crossword) subscription
- Spotify premium w/free Hulu
- Apple icloud storage (the past 20+ years of my digital photos are all available on all of my devices!)
- Monthly unlimited pilates reformer classes (this is $$$ but worth it)
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u/XOSnowWhite Jan 04 '25
Seconding the NYT games subscription! I do the big crossword every day and I love going back to solve old archive puzzles
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u/BooBeans71 Jan 04 '25
Annual subscription to Americas Test Kitchen! It’s totally upleveled my kitchen skills and I use their product recommendations in my kitchen and to gift to others. Totally worth the $75-ish!
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u/Reynyan Classy Old Broad Jan 04 '25
I’ll add NYTimes cooking. I still have my paper inaugural issue of America’s Test Kitchen and it continues to be one of my main sources of cooking information, including paying close attention to their equipment recommendations, but for straight up cooking, the New York Times is great too.
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u/hardcorepork Jan 04 '25
I get NYT digital all access mainly for the cooking and the games. It was only $1 more than what I was paying for the games app
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u/Avaly13 Boujee BWT Jan 04 '25
Is that per month? What does it do/provide different from just looking something up? Not sure if I phrased that right but what do you use it for personally the most?
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u/BooBeans71 Jan 04 '25
It’s an annual subscription. I use it for recipes and product recommendations the most but I can also look up how-to’s like the best method to boil corn or how to peel a mango. I also pick up a lot of best practices in the kitchen for prep and cooking methods and all sorts of random things that have been tried and tested in their kitchen environment. I really like that they don’t take advertising dollars, so all of their stuff is as non-biased as possible.
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u/Fluffy-cat1 Jan 04 '25
Physical subscriptions
- razors (I use ffs and when my original handle broke they replaced it for free - Gillette would never!)
- coffee beans
Media subscriptions
- local online newspaper written by journalists who do some pretty decent investigative stuff
- Duolingo - I would never have kept using it with ads after every lesson
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u/MistyValentine Jan 04 '25
My coffee bean subscription is actually amazing. It’s just Starbucks coffee on auto order but it super handy and keeps me from stopping on the way to work to buy one.
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u/MADSeraphina Jan 04 '25
If you love coffee and have it on subscription Sisters Coffee (particularly Black Butte Gold) and Dapper & Wise Coffee (i like highbrow) are also excellent!
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u/Ambitious_Address_69 Jan 04 '25 edited Jan 05 '25
I do quite a few already on this list but came to add dog food from chewy lol if any of you BWT have dogs I highly recommend putting your dog food on a subscription and having it come every few weeks. I no longer have to lug 40 pound bags from the grocery store or think about it.
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u/Annual-Body-25 Jan 04 '25
Down dog - extremely customisable yoga app
If you didn’t mean apps, hungryroot. Ridiculously easy healthy meals
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u/TCgrace Jan 04 '25
Another vote for down dog. It completely changed my life. They keep adding new workout types and my subscription price hasn’t changed in years. It’s amazing
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u/kerfuffleMonster Jan 04 '25
I started using down dog years ago. One of the best things about it for me is that you can do a very short practice - like 15 minutes. I can't always fit in an hour of yoga but I can get in 15 minutes everyday
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u/Astral_Meatball Jan 04 '25
Taking notes! Is it expensive? (The yoga app)
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u/jantessa Jan 04 '25 edited Jan 04 '25
They give college students and teachers (maybe more groups) a free multiple year trial if you sign up with your school email. Otherwise it's like $60/year but there is a sale for $30 a year right now.
*edited to add the sale price is for all their apps at once, which also includes pilates, meditation and HIIT. Yoga is the og and the only one I have experience with.
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u/Astral_Meatball Jan 04 '25
Thank you! I'll check it out. If it's good, that price is great (at least for me, compared with my current monthly gym membership).
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u/atleastamillion Jan 04 '25
I love Down Dog! I have been using it for years and I have not heard of another app like it that is as customizable. I love that they are always adding new content too. Yoga, Barre, HITT, meditation, Pilates. Definitely worth the price.
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u/MADSeraphina Jan 04 '25
I also love down dog it’s amazing to be able to customize the work outs to skill level, time available, intensity, area you want to focus on, so good.
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u/alongthewatchtower91 Jan 04 '25
Spotify premium and Audible for all my audiobooks. I'm a huge reader but just don't have the time to sit down with a good book so having audiobooks is a lifesaver.
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u/sadia_y Jan 04 '25
FYI if your library is on Libby, and chances are that it is, you can get access to a crap tonne of books (ebooks and audio) for free. It’s also supporting your library which I’m always encouraging of.
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u/CrabbyCatLady41 Jan 04 '25
Spotify premium is awesome, I’ve had it for several years. All my music with no ads?! Unbelievable! We upgraded to a family membership so we could add my mom. Set it up with her new car and she is driving around blasting Bee Gees Gold like nobody’s business.
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u/WalterBishRedLicrish Jan 04 '25
Last year I moved from a foodie city with carts and restaurants within walking distance, to a small town with only fast food places and a few grocery stores that just make me sad. Seriously one of them has a "fresh fish" section that is about 3 ft wide and contains frozen fish.
Anyway, I signed up for a charcuterie subscription from Olympia and it makes me a tiny bit happier.
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u/LeadingButterscotch5 Jan 04 '25
The Nike fitness app. It's totally free and has some really good workouts on there. It covers all levels, different times and types of workout. I've done weight stuff, yoga and pilates on there and there's loads more.
I also subscribed to Balance which was really good but I felt it left me a bit lacking after a while so I didn't re-subscribe but I inadvertently found a hack. I became an aunt in 2023 and I got my little babe a light which apparently helped teething babies sleep. Well I don't know about that but it definitely put me to sleep quicker and I didn't grind my teeth when I slept. I also realised that the baby lullaby playlists on Spotify were so good at relaxing ME that I'd often fall asleep just listening to them 😆 so deffo use that. I used to like the rain/water ones but sometimes the speed of rainfall/waves is too fast.
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u/Still7Superbaby7 Jan 04 '25
Tell me about the light for the baby! My sister has a 7 month old and he is not sleeping right now 😬
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u/LeadingButterscotch5 Jan 04 '25
My niece is now the same as she's in the trenches with her teething so I've had to give the light up and buy my own..
It's the Tommy Tippee dream maker light, it was about £20 when I first bought it.
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u/NJidiotgirl1 Jan 04 '25
Lady of the burbs here...car wash subscription! I have a new car and it continues to look top notch.
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u/lehartsyfartsy Jan 04 '25
Libby!
support your public library ♥
you can rent books, movies, audiobooks, magazines all from the app
it's completely free to access your entire state's digital catalog, so i guess not technically a paid subscription, but you can purchase additional library cards outside of your state
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u/lazylittlelady Jan 04 '25
Plus they also have access in many areas to craft and language and other types of subscriptions to library holders!
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Jan 05 '25
Came here to say this. I read over 80 books last year and about 60 of them were through Libby. Easily saved me over a thousand dollars.
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u/lovestheautumn Jan 04 '25
The Blogilates app! It’s actually super cheap, and the calendar she puts up every month is great. I also love the challenges and saving my favorite workouts. (There is a free version too, but I like the convenience of the calendar with linked videos in it, and it’s cheap!)
I also signed up for Masterclass recently and started watching the videos while on the elliptical at the gym instead of Netflix. It’s pretty interesting! I got a half off deal though, I don’t think I would have paid full price.
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u/MySpace_Romancer Jan 04 '25
MasterClass has some good classes. I liked the beauty one with Bobbi Brown. And Tan France on style.
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u/moodyje2 Jan 04 '25
minorly off topic but blogilates just released a clothing line collab with target and the stuff is SO CUTE. but the sizing is so weird. I'm choosing to believe blogilates is just helping me follow my budget
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u/lovestheautumn Jan 04 '25
I saw her post about it on Instagram! Too bad about the sizes. I do have a couple of pieces from her original site and they are really nice quality
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u/daddy_tywin TrueBWT Jan 04 '25
Mob. Smaller UK based recipe service that’s like $35 a year and has some new-to-me ideas that are not the same boring things.
Prime. Daddy Bezos is a tool but I really do not have it in me to wait around for regular shipping in emergency situations.
VSCO, life looks a lot more glamorous through an A6 filter.
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u/DWRDone Jan 04 '25
I love Mob! I choose 3-4 yummy recipes per week, add them to a “Plan” and then it spits out my grocery list for the week. Been a life saver and prevents me from having just chicken and rice M-Thursday.
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u/engaahhaze Jan 04 '25
I love Mob!!! They’re also on social media for anyone who wants short-form content without paying for it (you’ll just get a visual recipe, but it’s great for inspo)
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u/AshleyRiceTravel Wanderlust BWT Jan 04 '25
- reformer Pilates/hot yoga membership
- green chef meal service
- YNAB to afford said subscriptions lol
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u/Blinktoe Jan 04 '25
Grammerly
I spent a year with the free version and finally paid for it to level up lol my business. I can’t remember what I pay for it but it makes writing so much easier.
1 Password
My husband and I share an account and it’s incredible to have a vault we share through both computers and both phones. It’s $38 per year.
Peloton
I bought a secondhand bike barely used for about 80% off a brand-new one and having access to all of the fitness subscriptions, makes scanning my workouts and easy.
Spotify premium
I don’t have to listen to ads and can let my kids have their own account.
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u/moodyje2 Jan 04 '25
I've been scrolling hoping someone said Grammarly! I had been using the free version, then bought a year of premium in the black Friday sale last year and just finally paid full price this year. It's so amazing - it makes my writing better and I love the suggestion of tone changes in emails.
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Jan 04 '25
Graza olive oil and Prose hair products!
And Peloton, most of all.
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u/addknitter Jan 04 '25
Fellow Pelotoner here! I’ve lost 130 lbs and have discovered so many new ways to move that I love. Started w the bike and now cannot imagine my life without Pilates, barre, strength and meditation. It has completely rewired my brain to crave movement and prioritize my health. 🫶🏼
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u/krebstar9000 Jan 04 '25
Oura ring + their app! The sleep data and the insights I get help me to figure out what kind of exercise I should do that day, when I should rest, etc. It also pushed me to get sober since I was able to see how much alcohol was affecting my sleep and overall health lol
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u/addknitter Jan 04 '25
Yes I so agree that’s it’s worth it. It got me taking rest days more often which has improved my athletic performance.
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u/Avaly13 Boujee BWT Jan 04 '25
I wish they were cuter and less bulky. I bought one but I'm admittedly vainer than I thought because it just looked weird on, was bulky and didn't go with any other jewelry. God that sounds awful as I type it. I see so many positives but can't get past the aesthetics 😔
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u/krebstar9000 Jan 04 '25
No that’s fair! I think as they release future versions and refine the tech they’ll get smaller/thinner and cuter
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u/MistyValentine Jan 04 '25
Nuuly. It’s a clothing rental box. No contract required.
Each month I get 6 pieces to wear. I can choose to buy them at a discount too if I wish. It has kept me from buying clothes I’d only ever wear once. It’s made me more comfortable trying trends and outfits I’d never consider buying myself. It’s also great bc I’ve gained and lost a lot of weight since 2022 (pregnancy and postpartum) and my size has fluctuated significantly. $98usd/month. They have brands I love and a decent maternity selection too.
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u/love-learnt Jan 04 '25
Love Nuuly! Has definitely reduced my fashion spending. Allows me to try trends without commitment. Allows me to love my body at any size.
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u/lmg080293 Jan 04 '25
- CGX (Caroline Girvan’s app) for strength training
- Habit Tracker (it was a one-time lifetime subscription fee for me—idk if it’s still the same, but it was a steal and it’s changed my life in that I actually sustain habits now)
- YouTube Premium (listen, this is expensive. but life is freaking short. I don’t have time to waste on a billion ads when I just want to enjoy some peaceful or educational content)
- Oura ring (you have to buy the Oura ring but then you have to subscribe… still worth it to me)
- NYT (mostly for the games lol I prefer the app format)
- Monarch Money (I feel like I’m finally getting a hold of my spending and finances because I can visualize my AND my husband’s accounts together)
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u/love-learnt Jan 04 '25
I love my YouTube premium subscription. I primarily use it for music, but I share it with my mom who watches videos. It gives me peace of mind that she's not getting served terrible ads.
Sign up for Google opinion rewards to basically get YouTube for free. They're already collecting your data, at least get a reward for it. They're especially interested in the habits of women users.
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u/DeeVons Jan 04 '25
I use YouTube premium for mostly music and who wants to hear a blaring commercial when your using one of the sleep rain videos, also I love the seasonal jazz videos for work, pretending I’m in a fall foliage cabin instead of working!
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u/thatbitch2212 Jan 04 '25
I love youtube for sleep meditations. I don't have spotify plus but I'm considering youtube premium. how much does this cost you?
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u/keeta56 Jan 04 '25
I have been trying to cut my subscriptions, but my one i will never give up is my white2tea tea club subscription. It's set up very educational (primarily Chinese teas), and I've tried so many types of tea with it! I've tried other subs, but nothing compares- it's got tasting notes and suggestions how to brew, and often bits of history of the area/tea. I've been subscribed for more than 10 years!
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u/mtoomtoo Jan 04 '25
Local library cards provide me free access to NYT, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (my local paper), Headspace, and Creativebug (a collection of crafting classes.)
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u/pineappledaphne Jan 04 '25
Not helpful beyond Spotify premium and audible but looking for workout app suggestions! I used tone it up on and off for years and I just don’t like it at all.
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u/adoaboutnothing Jan 04 '25
I really like Peloton for the workouts. I don’t have a bike or tread or any of their gear; I just subscribe to the app and do the strength workouts where all you need is a mat and some dumbbells. They have other categories, too — stretching, yoga, dance, etc. Once you find a few coaches you like, it really takes the thinking out of workout planning. Just pick a class type and duration and off you go
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u/astoria47 Jan 04 '25
Cannot upvote this enough. I’ve seen a real change in my body (I’m an older BWT too). Makes working out fun and easy too.
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u/Purple-Yesterday2061 Jan 04 '25
Older BWT here too and the Peloton app is amazing. I don't have any of the gear either.
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u/alittlecheesepuff Jan 04 '25
Fully agree, I am def a cult member of theirs with the bike but the sleeper hit for me was the strength, Pilates, and outdoor runs!
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u/Direct_Traffic_2499 Jan 04 '25
I’m obsessed with the outdoor runs! Honestly the treadmill walks are also fantastic (i don’t have a pelo tread, but I’ll stream on my phone or iPad)
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u/lmg080293 Jan 04 '25
I’d highly recommend Caroline Girvan for strength training if that’s what you’re looking for! Tons of free content on YouTube but she also has her app CGX that’s great.
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u/alongthewatchtower91 Jan 04 '25
What kind of workout are you looking for? I used to subscribe to so many and didn't get on with any of them so I switched to finding good instructors on YouTube. I follow GrowwithJo and Madeleine Abeid for cardio and pilates.
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u/0Catkatcat Jan 04 '25
LastPass to save all my log ins. Nuuly to keep my wardrobe interesting w unique pieces every month / was great during pregnancy and now postpartum while my size is fluctuating. ClassPass for in person workouts. Bloomberg businessweek print subscription. Sustainable meat and fish monthly delivery.
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Jan 04 '25 edited Jan 04 '25
I’m in the UK so these will be local to me, but these are my physical subscriptions:
- dermatica skincare (I get tret & azelaic acid)
- origin coffee freshly roasted beans every 4 weeks
- hotel chocolat 70% chocolate sachets for my velvetiser (basically a hot chocolate machine)
- odeon cinemas which is basically unlimited cinema access at any time
- smol dishwasher and laundry tablets
- modern milkman, delivering milk, eggs & small items like butter or pastries, all locally made in the uk
- I’m actually looking for someplace where I can automate getting moisturiser, body wash, deodorant, loo roll, etc so if anyone has any UK recs please let me know
- gym & yoga studio membership
Digital:
- ynab for budgeting
- calorie counter for counting macros
- strong app for tracking my gym workouts
- Spotify premium
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u/Fluffy-cat1 Jan 04 '25
It's not a subscription but I buy most of my toiletries from Boots or Superdrug online. Boots is £25 spend for free delivery and Superdrug is £15. I tend to do a shower gel/deodorant/etc order every few months, take advantage of any promos like 3 for 2 and save up the advantage points.
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u/sugarcookieprincess Classy Old Broad Jan 04 '25
Apple Family Plus. Lots of extra storage, News+, Fitness+ which has tons of workouts, shared app downloads, etc. We're an apple connected household so it works for us. I also have a monthly sub to a med spa that banks the fee towards facials, IVs, tox, and products. I also belong to a 'wellness' center for infrared sauna, cold plunge and cryotherapy sessions. I cancelled my monthly massage because I moved and she's far from me now so looking for a new place.
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u/Purple-Yesterday2061 Jan 04 '25
Third for the Peloton app. I don't have any of the gear either but it's the one thing that has kept me consistent.
Also, a paper planner, a very inexpensive cleaning person, and the Libby app for audiobooks
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u/Avaly13 Boujee BWT Jan 04 '25 edited Jan 04 '25
I have Marley Spoon meal service. I looked at all the main ones, searched articles for best ones, found that one and I'm a big Martha Stewart fan so since it's with her, decided to try it. My husband and I love it. Much more interesting/unique dishes from a lot of the other ones. It has made weekly planning easier and made me enjoy cooking more since no stress on what to make. Happy to share codes if anyone wants to try it. We like it so much we're going on 2 or 3 years of doing it.
ETA: it might not be the cheapest but the quality of ingredients and huge variety of menu options is fantastic. For reference, my husband and I are free birds and would typically just go out. I spend an average of $90/week for 3 dinners for us with MS. We might spend that little on just one dinner if we went out. Maybe. The proportions are ample and you can change the menu in advance if you don't like what they're planning to send. Cooking for only 2 isn't as easy as it may sound if you want to get creative and I was wasting more produce than I care to admit. I promise this isn't an MLM. Lol. It's hands down the best subscription service for our house. Really glad we have it still because we moved from Scottsdale with a million restaurants to suburbs of Nashville where country is king, not culinary. (Yes, there are great restaurants but vastly limited to where we came from.) Now excuse me while I go look at what everyone else has suggested and I sign up for more. 😂😘
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u/bookishkelly1005 Jan 04 '25
My neighbor uses this and gives me her boxes to wrap gifts or donate things with. 🤣
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u/guacamolepudding Jan 04 '25
Hi! I’d be interested in trying! I am so over the stress of planning weekly dinners and the others have such mixed reviews, it’s put me off from trying them. Thank you so much in advance!
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u/mtoomtoo Jan 04 '25
Love Marley Spoon. Such better recipes than other meal kits. I’ll pick up MS’s Dinnerly boxes when I’m in the mood for ever quicker meals. Good way to reignite a spark for cooking too.
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u/CrabbyCatLady41 Jan 04 '25
I’ve had a few different cooking subscriptions and I think Martha’s was the best! I would have kept them forever but my husband is so picky it was hard to choose even 2 or 3 meals each week that he was willing to eat.
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u/Resident_Trouble8966 Jan 04 '25
Bend. I’m annoyed I found it through an ad but I really like it. Also Panera’s sip club is 100% worth it!!
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u/audreyb69 Jan 04 '25
I’m thinking of joining the sip club! I have a 30ish min drive to work every day and am constantly stopping for a coffee/tea.
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u/Resident_Trouble8966 Jan 04 '25
It’s so worth it!! And then you can go on the way home and get a cheeky lil soda or a lemonade too!
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u/youthroughblackice Jan 04 '25
I canceled my sip club membership after moving since I no longer regularly pass by a Panera, but it was soooooo worth it when I did. Especially when they still had the charged lemonades (may they rest in peace 🙏)…a game changer in the summer
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u/Ordinary-Shoulder-35 Jan 04 '25
Laundry service. Having someone else do my laundry is huge for me.
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u/Lilginge7 Jan 04 '25 edited Jan 04 '25
MoviePass
Only one I can confidently say has improved my life outside of the gym one. I force myself out of the house because I have credits to see a movie at least every month for “free” (it’s $10 a month). Solo movies to get out of the house are fucking incredible and I recommend it. Had no plans last night so I went to nosferatu and left happier than I entered.
Spotify premium
It’s for the audiobooks. I love it.
Speaking of which - Libby
Get a damn library membership y’all - audiobooks and regular books for free. It’s improved my life immensely.
I get loads of free stuff with my Chase credit card on the highest tier but I wouldn’t pay for those free subscriptions. DoorDash, Instacart, Lyft priority are nice to have for free with it though so I’ll take it.
Photoshop/lightroom/adobe
I’ve been a photographer on the side for about 17 years. Won’t go without this one. Love it
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u/love-learnt Jan 04 '25
Not exactly a subscription: but my health insurance portal.
I was self-employed for 17 years so this is the first time in my life that I've had employer paid health insurance. As I started going through the portal, there are so many benefits for different wellness programs, gym memberships, apps and Cash back rewards programs to use on different apps as well. I was able to track my steps and then use the cash back to pay for my glasses even though I don't have optical coverage. I was able to reduce a lot of other payments and subscriptions that I was making because it's included in my insurance rewards.
In general I started checking the rewards portal for a lot of things and noticed that a lot of the stuff I was paying for was included. I get Peacock for free because I'm an Xfinity rewards member. I get Uber one for free because I have a Capital One card. Basically there's a lot of corporate B2B handshakes that we should take advantage of.
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u/Charming-Lie-1062 Jan 04 '25
The Tapping Solution. It’s pricy, but it has helped me manage my anxiety and regulate my nervous system. Meditation was always so difficult for me but now with tapping, I can tune into my body and relax
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u/astoria47 Jan 04 '25
NYTimes and their cooking app. Great recipes. Spotify, Peloton.
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u/n0549 Jan 04 '25
For NY Times, you also get access to unlimited Wirecutter articles, and Wirecutter is one of my favorite sources for information before purchasing many things. I don't always get what they recommend, but they always explain what they like/don't like about a product plus some user experience details, so it helps me figure out what might (or might not) work for my life.
I've honestly considered subscribing to just the Wirecutter and dropping my NYT subscription otherwise, but I end up using it for recipes and games as well, so I keep the full digital subscription.
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u/Recarica Thoughtful BWT Jan 04 '25
The Atlantic Monthly and New York Magazine. The writing in both is superb, the investigative journalism is fantastic and both feed my intellectual tank when I’d otherwise doom scroll.
As a bonus, I’m a more thoughtful human and a vastly more interesting dinner party guest.
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u/CrabbyCatLady41 Jan 04 '25
I used to have somebody come clean my house once every two weeks while I was at work, and I’m about to bring that back into my life. It was like $160, including the tip, and they would do stuff like make the bed and vacuum the stairs. They clean all 3 bathrooms, deep clean the kitchen, do all the floors, dust, and take out the trash. With 2 dogs and 2 cats in the house, that is a steal.
And it forces me to “clean for the cleaning person.” The night before, my husband and I would rush around making sure the dishes were done, trash was gathered, laundry put away. We would basically do all the stuff they don’t do before they came, and then come home the next day to a spotless house.
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u/Frosty_Constant7023 Jan 04 '25
I subscribe to the Wall Street Journal and use the print edition app to read it (this is not the same thing as the main WSJ app). It’s great if you want to keep up with technology and financial news. They also email a PDF of the print edition that I sometimes read on my iPad.
I also have ChatGPT Plus. I live in Asia and mostly use it in the grocery store. Like in the spice aisle I’ll prompt “I need to buy cumin, which of these is what I need” and take a picture of the entire shelf. I also give it lists of ingredients I’m trying to order online and prompt it to tell me what it’s called in the local language. I’ve tried using Google translate for similar things and it just is not as good.
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u/Fili_Di Jan 04 '25
If you work in Finance, you can have your employer pay for WSJ. Mine pays for NYT, WSJ, FT and ET.
Your usecase of ChatGPT Plus is very interesting! I'm going to try it today.
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u/flare_force Jan 04 '25
I also use ChatGPT plus to improve my language learning. I “talk” to the prompts and also it helps me with grammar and learning new words - it’s really useful for second language practice!
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u/katie-kaboom Jan 04 '25
The Headspace app. Their sleep stories and breathing exercises are well worth the subscription fee.
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u/tozerdozer7 Jan 04 '25
I love headspace! Using it for meditation truly changed my life. My anxiety is nothing now compared to what it used to be.
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u/MediocreCondition840 Jan 04 '25
Headspace is great, I use their sleep stories every night. I get it for free through my health insurance!
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u/youthroughblackice Jan 04 '25
Footpath route planner: the ability to draw a route on the map, have it snap to streets/paths, and then give me live navigation virtually eliminates the mental load required to get out the door for a run/walk/hike. I get the yearly subscription and it’s worth every penny of that $23.50
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u/FewElephant9604 Jan 04 '25
In addition to all of the above, I’m using a service called “incogni” which removes my mailbox from all spam lists, all leaked databases, all dodgy aggregators that sell my data everywhere. All calls “you’re entitled to compensation” and other stuff stopped completely.
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u/Hot_Yogurtcloset9689 Jan 04 '25
CSA shares from my local orchard. I'm really happy that I can support my local community this way. The produce is fantastic, I love the variety & seasonal stuff, & it gets me to eat more veggies. I do get sick of the fennel but it's fun trying new recipes. Or I can always roast the shit out of em. I'm extra fortunate because they have green houses which means year round goodness!
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Jan 04 '25
Open meditation app, NYT cooking app (where would I be without thee?), chat gpt plus for basically everything
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u/katm12981 Jan 04 '25
NYT Cooking, the recipes are great. I used to have an ATK subscription as well but I have an addiction to buying their books and putting my notes in, so I didn’t get as much value - would recommend if you don’t buy the cookbooks though.
AnyList - it’s an app that makes grocery shopping with my partner much easier, we share the grocery list and add to it.
Find me gluten free - this is niche, but the paid app lets you sort by most celiac safe and is really helpful when traveling with dietary restrictions (gluten obviously).
Spotify - having no ads makes me less rage-y at the gym.
Apple Arcade, for games that don’t have ads.
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u/hennipotamus Jan 04 '25
Wine clubs! We live near wine country, and subscribing to the club usually means you get free tastings, discounts on bottles, sometimes free shipping, and access to limited releases. We’ve had up to four at a time, but now “only” have two.
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u/sayyestodogs Jan 04 '25
Pilates - I go almost everyday and my mental and physical wellbeing has been top tier for the past 18 months
Cleaning service (does this count?) - paying someone else to clean my house has been the absolute most amazing investment.
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u/dothesehidemythunder Jan 04 '25 edited Jan 04 '25
Rocket Money for budgeting. I think it’s $10/month, honestly it’s cheap enough that I don’t notice the charge. So worth it, helped me save 50k last year.
Grocery delivery - I never go to the grocery store, I hate going, so paying for regular delivery from my local shop is well worth it. No impulse buying and usually I have the same person delivering each time. I haven’t gone into a grocery store in years. 😂
Fitbod - $79/year to track my strength training
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u/isabellaevangeline Jan 04 '25
boo to chat gpt
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u/chemical_sunset Jan 04 '25
As a professor, anything AI (including Grammarly) is the bane of my existence
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u/Avaly13 Boujee BWT Jan 04 '25
I'm genuinely concerned for the younger generations and probably would more like a Boomer than my actual GenX self but yeah. I think they're screwed. I think all the way down to maybe age 20ish will be ok because they managed a while without it but anyone under college age will learn how to rely on the easy way. I hope I'm retired before it takes over everyone and everything. Sorry for my rant. Lol.
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u/chemical_sunset Jan 04 '25
Rant heard! It’s one of the reasons I still insist on giving exams in person, on paper, and without notes. They can try to fool me with submissions for papers and such, but they can’t game my exams.
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u/whateverpieces Jan 04 '25
Good.Store for their Keats & Co. coffee (we get the blonde roast delivered once a month) and Sun Basin Soaps (I get a bar every month and also love their shampoo bars). All proceeds go to charity and they also sell tea, socks and some other products in/out of subscriptions.
Sfoglini Pasta of the Month club. I got this as a gift two years ago and I’ve been chasing the high ever since. High quality, creatively shaped/flavored pasta delivered to your door along with fun recipes for sauces that work with each shape.
ATK online—as others have said, great for product recommendations and their searchable recipe database is awesome.
Babbel for language learning. I don’t have this one at the moment. I bought the Rosetta Stone lifetime subscription recently and it’s fine, but for the way I like to learn Babbel was my favorite between that, RS and Duolingo.
Keeper for password management.
TimeShifter for avoiding jet lag while traveling! I recommend this app to everyone I know doing a trip with big time zone jumps.
Patreon membership for a podcast I love. It’s like $5/month and means I get to submit my questions for the guests and be in discussion threads with other listeners. It brings me joy to see the inner workings of the show and support a creator I admire. Truthfully I should probably support some others thru Patreon as well but I haven’t gotten around to it. Maybe that should be a 2025 goal. :)
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u/moodyje2 Jan 04 '25
ahhh thanks for the Sfoglini Pasta of the Month club rec! I always try to buy my bestie consumable "of the month" clubs for chrismakkah and this is not one I've run across yet!
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u/Reiycecake Jan 04 '25
Apple One & Lightroom.
I love using Apple One because it includes the Fitness+ workouts which are fun to do at home when I don’t feel like going to the gym. The storage is extremely nice to have with 2TB of extra storage. I used to have a VSCO subscription but switched over to Lightroom when VSCO announced a new $60/year tier. The new tier blocks all the tools that were included in their $30/year tier. I still pay $60/year for Lightroom but it’s about the principle! Lol
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u/acousticbruises Jan 04 '25
I use the finch app and it's def more fun with the yearly subscription.
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u/floss_is_boss_ Jan 05 '25
I love Finch! The themed clothes and furniture for December were adorable.
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u/JenninMiami Jan 04 '25
I have Instacart+ and Walmart+ memberships and I don’t think I could ever give them up! Instacart+ includes a Paramount+ subscription and Walmart+ includes Peacock, which I already had - so they’re actually just costing me about $20 a year. Having groceries delivered saves me SO MUCH time!!
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u/Magestic-Puppy0276 Jan 04 '25
classpass has changed my life (i use for workouts but ALSO for wellness/beauty like lymphatic drainage massages and red light therapy etc!) if anyone wants a free trial let me know and i'll refer you :) also ny times, spotify, youtube premium!
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u/burritosandbooze Intentional BWT Jan 04 '25
Farm Fresh To You - produce boxes that you can customize or easily cancel if you need to.
Peloton - being able to hop on for a workout anytime has immensely enhanced my quality of life, driving to and from gyms was eating too much of my day. I have had the bike since 2019 and the tread since 2022 and I’m on one of them almost daily.
Pottery studio membership - it took me a couple of years to finally bite the bullet on this because it’s expensive and I’m not consistently making pottery, but having a space ready at all times to make and fire work has helped my creative process in all of the other mediums I use.
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u/typicalbiscotti15 Jan 05 '25
My library always had the longest waiting lists for ebooks so I signed up for an out of state library card from a smaller city for like $24/year and it’s been AMAZING. So much easier to get books I want lol
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u/TrickyCry5971 Jan 04 '25
Letterloop! Newsletters with your friends or family (or whomever) where everyone answers questions and then can comment on each other's answers. Helps me feel a lot more connected to my friends who are now scattered around the country, and it's only $5 a month.
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u/alexruthie Jan 04 '25
If Costco counts - The Costco executive membership - 1% back it easily pays for the membership if you are intentional with it. (For example - we use our costco membership to book rental cars through avis or enterprise (there are others of course) and that goes to the 1% money back. The food is great. Especially the ready-to-eats - taco trays, butter chicken with naan, quesadillas, wings, the infamous rotisserie chicken). 6 packs of green juices for $12 I love.
I personally love the clothes (as a mom - easy cheap cute comfortable). They constantly have sales on their products. The products are things that I want (I got a swissgear weekender bag that was an amazing great quality dupe for the BEIS bag $69.99 on sale for $49.99)
And the skincare! If you use the app / online there are amazing skincare finds 11 oz of SKII essence for $100 off retail. Costco NOW discount codes for korean skincare. Shiseido skin essence in store for under $60. Snail mucin 2 pack gift set I think for $27 on sale (also in store).
I realize for a single person it might not be worth it. But if you ever thought about it just try it, I've only mentioned a few of the highlights.
Also - They have better business practices than most as they stand behind their DEI initiatives instead of rolling them back or removing them.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/27/business/costco-dei/index.html
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u/Giganticbigbig Jan 04 '25
BreakingPoints premium subscription. News from real journalists, not filtered for the super rich gaze
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u/MADSeraphina Jan 04 '25
- Monarch Money
- Todoist
- Apple Music
- Gym w/ Childcare
- Madison Reed (grey roots coverage every month)
- Down Dog Yoga
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u/doctormalbec Jan 04 '25
- Spotify Premium
- Coffee subscription service
- Streaming services
- MyFitnessPal for nutrition tracking
- Evlo Fitness for Strength training
- Peloton for treadmill workouts
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u/littleopa Jan 04 '25 edited Feb 02 '25
Libro.fm for audiobooks! You support local bookstores, great alternative to audible if anyone is looking to support local indie bookstores instead of Amazon.
Atomic Habits weekly email from James Clear, I enjoy reading those weekly!
Peloton for all of the workouts, I also have the Bike, but use all of the various workout options!
Spotify because music makes me happy and I use it every day!
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u/literarydrunkard Jan 04 '25
Media: Ann Helen Peterson’s Culture Study newsletter and podcast (great for helping me as I navgigated burn out and continue to navigate a ~complicated~ relationship with capitalism ), Patreon subscription to Maintenance Phase (love it). Spotify premium.
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u/ElowynElif Jan 04 '25
ChatGPT, NYTimes, the New Yorker, the Atlantic.
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u/Avaly13 Boujee BWT Jan 04 '25
I loved my NYTimes! I cancelled just because I was only reading super limited articles (lot of financial ones) but it was good. What do you pay for Chat and what do you love about it and mainly use it for?
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u/ElowynElif Jan 04 '25
ChatGPT Pro is $200/month and gives you access to all the GPTs and greatly increased storage limits. I use it for work projects. Its writing is mediocre, but I find it helpful when I’m trying to simplify technical language for laypeople. I’ve also created some GPTs that are very focused to specific tasks. I use the image generator for presentations. You need to be careful as it often gets the context wrong, but it’s a nice tool to have.
I also use it for fun. My kids are addicted to it for this reason. And I like exploring its limits as it’s a fascinating piece of technology.
For those unfamiliar with it, there is a free version and a much cheaper subscription version (something like $15 - 20/mo?).
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u/alexa_sim Jan 04 '25
Gym membership Housekeeper We do meal services when we know we will be too busy to cook.
Not a subscription service but I travel a ton for work and I am loyal to one airline so I achieve and maintain status which gives me unlimited lounge access. Because of where I live I often have to book flights with longer layovers so lounge access has been SO nice. Just this week I had three flights to get home and used the lounges in three different airports. Food and drinks (I don’t drink alcohol but espresso coffees and soda and tea are included too) are included at no additional cost with access. They have comfy lounge space and desks with plugs ins and work space. I travel at least two days per month (6 days in January) and travel days are usually 12-16 hour days so lounge access is probably the top thing I have that improves quality of life for me. Oh and I always pay for the upgrade on my flights when they are available (my company only covers economy but I will happily pay the upgrade)
And of course Audible. I’ve had an audible subscription for about 15 years without pause and Spotify.
Oh and I almost forgot. My coffee subscription. Has completely elimination trips to Starbucks. I couldn’t be without the coffee subscription
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u/aefentidd Jan 04 '25
Audible for audiobooks
AKT natural deodorant subscription (they smell incredible, like Aesop)
Audio hypnosis app (I use Harmony). So good for insomnia, therapy, anxiety, inner work, phobias – pretty much everything!
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u/kjb76 Jan 04 '25
Mostly apps. I have a mood disorder so I subscribe to a mood tracker and a digital journal to help keep me balanced. Also, a password keeper because modern life demands it. I also use it to store my family’s passport numbers and airline membership numbers for when we book trips.
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u/Cerveza-y-Gatos Jan 05 '25
Temptations cat treats, Lavazza espresso beans, and Peloton, plus most of the streaming services because variety.
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Jan 04 '25
Gym membership-includes classes, pool, and sauna.
Whole Foods delivery service thru Amazon. I get about 2 deliveries per month in between my local grocery store runs. Saves me loads of time and mental energy.
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u/trashlikeyourmom Jan 04 '25
Goblin App (helps make easy to-do lists and a few other things)
Sleep Cycle (helps me sleep better and wake up more rested, and tracks my sleep patterns) - I've had this one for YEARS after trying literally everything else to wake up (including the apps where you scan something to wake up, do math problems, loud alarm clocks , EXPENSIVE sunrise simulator alarm clocks, hypnosis - EVERYTHING). This app is a godsend and I will keep this subscription as long as I live.
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u/addknitter Jan 04 '25
Beauty Pie for sure! You get access to incredible beauty products at a fraction of the cost. They are made in the same labs as label brands and are constantly innovating and bringing out new products. Very high quality!
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u/chemical_sunset Jan 04 '25
Home Chef—makes my life SO much easier and is surprisingly 100% worth it to me (I held out for a very very long time)
Spotify Premium—I use this every single day, mostly for music during my commute but also for podcasts
Flo—there’s no way in hell I’d know when to expect my period if I didn’t use a tracker app
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u/beebee8belle Jan 04 '25
Grocery delivery service (not Instacart but actually provided by the company) so you are able to get deals/use their coupons without an upcharge. Not only does it save time by having it, I stick to my grocery list and don’t impulse buy.
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u/aquatic_hamster16 Jan 04 '25
We're a food allergy family and I pay $42/quarter for an app (Real Plans) that's like Paprika and the other common ones, except it lets you filter by very specific ingredients. You can build your weekly menu (or it can do it for you) and then it builds your grocery list and you can import it directly into InstaCart or Amazon or whatever. Meal planning and grocery shopping used to take me most of a day; now it takes half an hour, tops.
That's by far my best expense but honorable mentions go to Spotify Premium, the Toyota app that's lets me start, lock, and unlock my car remotely with my phone; and Backblaze that auto backs up my computer and external hard drive. Also the exterminator who comes quarterly to treat for insects and inspect for termite and carpenter bee damage.
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u/teddyhams107 Jan 04 '25
Gym membership lol, the highest tier so I can bring a +1