In December, I filmed What I Spend in A Week. It’s no surprise, at least I don’t think it is, that NYC is one of the most expensive cities in the world. While it’s a magnificent place to call home, it’s also one of the hardest cities to live in. While I was filming that video, I decided to list out my weekly expenses that just zap out of my checking account. Between meal kit subscription, streaming services, and clothing rentals, I was spending a lot of money on these services from month to month.
I realized that I spend a lot of money on convenience. Food delivery, car service, lattes I don’t have to make, and Amazon packages are just a few. The new year always brings the mood to cut excess and start fresh with only the things you need. So, I decided that today I would talk about all my subscription services and why I decided to keep them, or not, into the new year.
Entertainment Subscriptions
Spotify Premium – $9.99
Honestly, I can’t remember a time without Spotify Premium. I’ve had it since college (the student discount brings the cost down to $4.99) and I don’t think I’ll switch over to any of the other music streaming services any time soon. I love that I can listen to podcasts, create playlists, and save music into a library. I think Spotify Premium is worth it due to skipping ads alone. While we’re here, I’ll go ahead and plug my Spotify profile. It’s filled with all the good tunes you actually want to listen to. I would definitely say that Spotify is worth the cost and I would subscribe again for sure.
Netflix – $12.99
I’ve also had Netflix for years and years, back when it only cost $7.99 *cue the eye roll*. Netflix has been killing the game with original content which is the only reason I think I’ve realistically held on to it for so long. It also has started bringing some of my favorite shows that I never get to see on TV. All seasons of Riverdale, Good Girls, Jane The Virgin, The 100, and The Magicians are all available for your bingeing pleasure. Again, I think Netflix is definitely worth it if you don’t have time to watch things live and especially with TATBILB 2 coming in just over a month.
Hulu + HBO + Starz – $35.97
Hulu is one of my newer add-ons and I used up several free trials before deciding I needed it. I *originally* purchased it to catch up on Game of Thrones before season 6 ruined it (don’t @ me). It rounds out my Netflix subscription with Freeform content, original Hulu content [Handmaid’s Tale, Light As A Feather, Dollface], and old reality TV like Love Island and The Hills. I’m actually thinking of dropping Starz and adding Live TV so that I can watch The Bachelor. And, I’ve already finished all of The White Queen series and spin-offs that I originally got Starz for. I don’t have cable, but I’d like a way to watch the news in the morning as well. I might try it out in January and see if it’s worth the cost for the future.
CBS All Access – $9.99
This was easily one of my easiest subscription services to part ways with. One of the most annoying things about the race of the streaming services is the completely unnecessary amount of them that are beginning to crop up. Every network DOES NOT need its own streaming service. CBS is just one of them that I was dumb enough to try out. I originally did the free trial to watch the US version of Love Island. It was a disappointment for sure. I quickly canceled this because there was no way you could get me to pay $9.99 for it.
Disney + – $7.99
I’ve been slightly disappointed with the Disney+ offerings. I probably just overhyped it in my head. I have been keeping up with The High School Musical The Musical: The Series each week like it’s 2005 all over again. The Mandalorian blew up on social media with Baby Yoda so I may even take that for a spin. After a week of watching old Disney Channel shows and The Parent Trap, I was kind of over the whole nostalgia bit. I think if Disney+ didn’t come with my Verizon plan for a year. I’d probably unsubscribe after the end of HSMTMTS.
AMC A-List – $23.95
The A-List is one of my favorite new things that I picked up in 2019. I love watching movies in the theater. I don’t know why because I also love a good movie watching from home situation. But, going to the movies in NYC at a practical time is really pricey. Cue my pitch for you to consider getting an A-List membership. Basically, I can see up to 3 movies a week for $23.95 with no restrictions. I’ve seen so many good movies that I otherwise probably wouldn’t have seen had it not been for this subscription. I am now well-prepped for award season and dinner parties.
Food & Lifestyle Subscriptions
Crunch Fitness – $80
I love workout classes! I thought a long time about doing ClassPass because of the huge amount of options that come built-in. However, I have noticed that I pretty much stick to a consistent schedule of classes and instructors. Variety isn’t high up on my workout list. I just like finding things that I know will give a good work out and will be enjoyable at the same time. Crunch gives me all of that with the ability to still schedule my workout classes with their free app. It’s a pretty relaxed gym environment and there are so many locations throughout the city. I like to explore on the weekend and try out new locations.
Amazon Prime – $12.99
I technically get all the benefits of Amazon Prime without the price tag because I just use my mom’s account. I’d definitely choose to pay for this though. I love Amazon Prime Video offerings. Fleabag was consumed in almost one sitting and The Man in the High Castle was also one of my faves. I purchase a lot of practical options that are more affordable than Target or HomeGoods in the city. I also stock up on K cups and my gummy vitamins.
HelloFresh – $40-$50
HelloFresh was a catalyst for my obsession with wanting to learn how to cook more than just pasta, salmon, and broccoli. When you can take such command in the kitchen and make flavorful, delicious, and easy meals each week, there’s really no going back. I have my subscription paused because it’s just a bit pricey for my budget. If I ever have a super busy week, then I’ll have a box delivered so that I don’t have to make the sometimes unbearable sometimes pleasant journey to Trader Joe’s.
Postmates Unlimited – $10
I just, like quite literally, canceled my Postmates Unlimited membership. This one had such a toxic presence in my What I Spend In A Week video. It was a convenience charge. But like I said, I want to start cooking more and spending less money on unnecessary food ordering. I honestly believe that if I stay prepared it’ll be easy to thwart those bursts of laziness that would have cued a Postmates order. I’ve stocked my kitchen with easy to prep meals that I actually want to eat. It’s better this way.
Fashion & Beauty Subscriptions
Nuuly – $88
I’ve gone through 3 cycles of Nuuly and I’m a big fan. It’s a bit pricey to do each and every month and I do have the urge to do my own shopping sometimes. I like that it infuses some color and interest in my wardrobe. I also got to see what all the hype surrounding brands like Free People and Anthropologie was all about. Both of those brands were way out of my price range and not quite my style, or so I thought. I wore every piece at least once and most of them way more than that. This is a growing brand so I’m curious to see how they evolve to rival other rental services like Rent the Runway and Loft. You can use my referral code for $20 off!
Creative Tools Subscriptions
Adobe Creative Cloud – $29.99
Adobe Creative Cloud is one of my only monthly purchases for my creative side hustles. I use Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Lightroom at least once a day to create something. It’s nice because I get the student discount on the combo. There are a lot of other editing software companies out there, but I’m a big fan of the flow of the Adobe suite. I like that I can easily move from Illustrator to Photoshop to After Effects without blinking. Can’t say I’ll be letting this one go anytime soon!
Buffer – $10.00
Buffer is super worth it when I’m on my scheduling game. Sharing tweets is so easy this way. I have my moments in time where I feel extra funny and like to write several tweets ahead of time. I also like to share archived content from years ago and schedule it in advance through Buffer. I’ve thought about switching over to Later, but I don’t have any real qualms with Buffer so haven’t made the leap yet. It’s definitely one of the only subscriptions that can sometimes get the best of me. I’m really working to build scheduling content into my daily schedule so that I’m getting my money’s worth.
Do you have any subscription services that you can’t live without? Try any that I didn’t mention? Sound off in the comments about those dollars that sadly escaped you because you forgot that the end of your 30-day free trial was approaching.
Keep on keepin’ on,
