2025 Subscriptions Review

I’ve been doing a lot of financial re-analysis since having a second child. And that sent me down the question of which subscription has the most measurable positive impact on my QoL. To answer that one question, there were several other questions came up: what subscriptions I have, and more specifically, which credit cards I want to continue, which subscriptions I might want to reconsider, are there recurring expenses that I should reconsider, and here’s what I found about subscriptions and services.

My highest-value subscription: Tesla FSD

FSD has become an integral part of my life to the extent that operating without it feels like a significant downgrade. In terms of performance, it is excellent 95% of the time; the remaining 5%, it might kill you. While the experience fluctuates with software updates—I’m currently frustrated with v14.1.7—I still consider it one of my highest-value subscriptions. The reduction in driving fatigue and the boost to my mental health alone make it worth the price.

Rest of my subscriptions:

Streaming Services (mostly subsidized through credit cards perks):

1. Hulu (+ Disney): Heavy user
2. HBO: Moderate user
3. Apple TV+ (via T-Mobile): Moderate user
4. Apple Music: Very heavy user (EDIT: did not realize I could’ve gotten it offset via CSR, now I do courtesy @Synapse, one blog reader confirmed!)
5. Peacock+ (via AMEX Plat): Light user, I am going to switch to Peacock via Instacart+, and then use the AMEX Plat streaming credit for Hulu
6. Paramount+: Moderate user
7. Ad free Prime Video: Heavy user (paying the ad-free fee on top of what I pay for regular Prime)
8. Netflix (via T-Mobile): Moderate user

Back in 2017 I wrote about how cord cutting is a scam. And the list above proves it. Amazon Prime Video is the most Value for Money streaming service out there.

Cloud Services (I’m pretty much locked into all these):

1. Google Workspaces (for personal and one for this domain): Heavy user of my personal Google account with Gemini and extra storage; I realize I’m paying for my domain workspace primarily just for email—so a good candidate to save that $10/mo.
2. iCloud+
3. Ring security
4. Namecheap, Cloudflare, and some GoDaddy for several domains; I will transition GoDaddy to Cloudflare as the remaining ones come up for renewal
5. WordPress Jetpack for FussyVegetarian.com
6. M365 Basic (for personal OneDrive)

Physical Services (this is purely all about convenience):

1. Uber Eats (via AMEX Plat): Heavy user
2. Dash Pass (via CSR): One-off use case
3. Instacart+ (via Marriott Chase): Very heavy use; through this exercise I realized I was missing out on my Instacart+ benefits from Chase. I was paying full price and not getting monthly credit. Ridiculous, Chase switched cards that offer this benefit, and I didn’t change the card on file
4. Walmart+ (via AMEX Plat): I have not used this ever
5. Amazon Prime: Very heavy user
6. One Medical: This has been a great addition to my life as a parent. Need pink eye drops? Just a call. Need nausea meds? Just a call. We made so many of those 2 AM calls when we were first-time parents!

Mobile Apps (the justification I give myself is productivity and utility):

1. Monarch app: Regular user
2. Max Rewards: Light user, I am gradually finding this more useful than Monarch, but I’m trying to get my wife to use Monarch too
3. Tessie for Tesla Home Assistant integration: Heavy user
4. 1Password: Very heavy user
5. Oura: New addition courtesy AMEX Plat discount, hoping to pay for the subscription using the AMEX Plat credit starting next year

Subscriptions I paid for in 2025, but have cancelled:

1. Cursor AI: Very heavy user, taking a break; here are all the apps I have created using Cursor
2. Copilot money: replaced it with Monarch
3. Sling: terrible video quality for Sony LIV channels
4. Cal AI: replaced with Oura
5. LinkedIn Premium: I don’t get why they don’t have a cheaper tier

Generally, reviewing my spend, I am landing on canceling my Chase Sapphire Card next year (Chase renewed it for another year at the same price). I will continue to keep the AMEX Plat since I use a lot of its benefits. One of the highest benefits of $300 hotel credits, I have not been using for the last few years. The other big category that I need to relook at is what I pay for the various insurance plans I have.

Subscriptions that I would pay for if it existed:

1. A $14.99 /yr PlayStation Plus subscription just for cloud backups of game saves
2. A $24.99 / yr LinkedIn Career subscription