Paid Subscriptions Worth Your Money: Boosting Productivity

Over time, I've experimented with numerous subscriptions, and I'm excited to share the ones that I believe are truly worth your money. When considering any subscription, I always weigh the cost against the time and money I save. If it at least breaks even, I consider it a worthwhile investment. I've found myself relying on a handful of paid subscriptions that genuinely enhance my productivity and professional growth.

Productivity apps have never been a good fit for the packaged software model

1. OpenAI API Keys

OpenAI API keys have become an indispensable part of my toolkit. They provide access to powerful AI models like GPT-4, which I integrate into various applications and development tools:

  • Cursor.ai for AI-assisted coding and code explanation
  • Cline to generate and refine code snippets directly in the terminal
  • Google AI Studio (Gemini) to compare and combine outputs from different AI models
  • BabyAGI for task planning and management with AI assistance
  • GitHub Copilot to supercharge code completion and suggestions

Personal Projects: In my #10ProjectSprint challenge, I've used my API for every project.

2. YouTube Premium

I use YouTube Premium because it allows me to watch downloaded videos of great creators when I'm on the subway with no network connection. Plus, YouTube Music is included as an add-on, providing ad-free music streaming.

Using YouTube Premium saves me a significant amount of time. Let's consider this: if I watch just one 2-minute ad per day, that's 730 minutes or about half a day of ads per year. Over ten years, I'd save around 5 days of ad time. This might not seem like much, but it adds up, especially when you consider the mental fatigue from watching ads and the increased focus you gain from uninterrupted content.

At $13.99 per month in the US, it might seem pricey, but here's a hack: use your student ID to get a discounted rate. Even better, I bought my subscription in India, so it's much cheaper – only ₹79 per month after the trial period.

3. ChatGPT Plus

At $20 per month, ChatGPT Plus has proven to be an invaluable asset. The premium version offers faster response times, priority access during peak hours, and early access to new features (GPT-4 is impressive). I use it daily for research, outlining, homework, interview preparation, projects and refining my work. Tell me a day when you haven't used GPT? See, how valuable it is.

Pro tip: I share the subscription with my roommate whom I trust won't read my chat history (I assume!)

4. LinkedIn Premium

LinkedIn Premium offers features that have proven valuable for my professional growth, such as InMail messaging, detailed profile insights, AI message, and unlimited profile search. While it can be pricey, you can often get it at a much cheaper rate, look for promotional offers.

5. Some Worthy Subscriptions

  • Medium: It has become my go-to platform for staying up-to-date with the latest trends in technology and beyond. It has a free version too, but with the paid version, you get access to many full articles.
  • Perplexity Pro: Perfect for research and web searches. Use your student email ID to get 1 month free Perplexity Pro subscription.
  • Good Notes: $11/year for digital note-taking on your iPad.

Conclusion

I know that in today's world, there's often a workaround for everything. However, if you can afford it, investing in subscriptions can be beneficial, especially within our software community. The value you contribute today can come back around in unexpected ways.

Remember, these subscriptions have significantly boosted my productivity. A study on GitHub Copilot showed that developers using it were 55% faster on average in completing tasks. While your mileage may vary, the right subscriptions can be a game-changer for your workflow and professional growth.