This has been a week full of reviews for me, so let’s keep that momentum going with another look at what I’m currently subscribed to this year. I did the same thing last year and learned a lot about the apps and services for which I’m regularly paying. I’ve continued using a Numbers spreadsheet for tracking these things, but have updated it for 2023’s various finances.

This year, most of my subscriptions have remained the same, but I’ve dropped a few media services. Naturally, I’m paying far less than I was last year. The majority of my subscriptions now appear to be computer utilities and productivity services. Looking at the list below, it’s beginning to feel like I’ve whittled things closer to only the essentials; I wouldn’t expect the list to change all that much from now on (but we’ll see what the future brings).

Categories of need:

  • Essential: It’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
  • Nice to have: The world won’t end if I get rid of it, but I’d miss it a whole lot.
  • Needs to go: Working on the courage to get it out of my life.

Subscriptions I’m keeping

  • Apple One: This has once again proven to be the most needed subscription. There’s too much good stuff here to ever drop it. Essential. $32.95 a month.
  • Backblaze: I’ve not yet had to use it for data recovery, but I’m happy to keep giving them money. Essential. $70 a year.
  • Carrot Weather: This amazing weather app got even better last year. It brings me joy. Nice to have. $14.99 a year.
  • Drafts: The more I feed text into this app, the more important and useful it becomes. Essential. $19.99 a year.
  • Fantastical: Still the best calendar app out there. So good that I got my Mom to use it, too. Essential. $89.99 a year for a family plan.
  • Google One: I thought I could get away with not paying for this, but I’ve got too much stuff to back up. Essential. $19.99 a year.
  • Hover: My domain is utterly important, but the email tier I’m on isn’t. This price will be going down this year. Essential. $50.17 a year.
  • Infuse: I use this to stream all of my Plex media. I could use the Plex app, but it’s given me audio issues. Nice to have. $.99 a month.
  • Letterboxd: Considering how much pleasure I get from this service and how much I enjoy tracking data, this has become important. I want to help them stay alive. Essential. $49 a year.
  • Micro.blog: It’s still the best place I’ve found for hosting this site. Essential. $5 a month.
  • 1Password: I’d really like to switch over to Apple’s password manager, but family members depend on it. Essential. $59 a year.
  • Overcast: Considering how many podcasts I listen to each week and how terrible Apple’s app still is, this app is important. Essential. $9.99 a year.
  • Parcel: The world wouldn’t end if this had to go, but until it does, I can easily track my packages. Nice to have. $2.99 a year.
  • Patreon - Do By Friday: Merlin Mann and Alex Cox are delightful and bring me joy. Nice to have. $5 a month.
  • Relay FM - four supported shows: These shows are also delightful and bring me joy. Nice to have. $20 a month (four shows for $5 apiece).
  • Trakt.tv: The interface could be a bit nicer, but for tracking my tv shows this has proven to be the best option. Nice to have. $30 a year.

Amount spent on monthly subscriptions: $63.94

Amount spent on annual subscriptions: $326.12

Annual total for all subscriptions: $1,158.39

Subscriptions I’m letting lapse

  • Castro: I’ve written a lot about what’s happened to this once amazing app. It’s a damn shame how the developers have let this app wither and it’s inexcusable that they keep taking people’s money. Was $8.99 a year.
  • Mimo: This is a decent app (and reminiscent of Duolingo), but my Python future is up in the air. Was $39.99 a year.
  • Bearable: I thought tracking everything about how I’m feeling would be a worthwhile endeavor. Turns out that it was a fiddly distraction from life. Was $18.99 a year.
  • Widgetsmith: I was mostly using this for the extra themes on my countdown widgets. I’ve since found a lovely new countdown app to replace the widgets. I still have Widgetsmith, but it’ll be less artsy now. Was $1.99 a month.