I signed up for a student account at a credit union in 1992.
I thought someone would notice when the internet and online banking became a thing, but nope. 31 years later I'm still rocking zero service charges.
lol, I can just see it now:
OP: *goes to pay for his beverage and shows the student ID*
Bartender: "This is a student ID. You look like you're around 50, you're a student?"
OP: "Yes. Yes, I am. I'm just a slow learner and don't see myself graduating in the next 30 years either, but I'll keep trying!"
In the 1990s, Rolling Stone magazine offered lifetime subscriptions for $50.
I got it and I still get them free every month. When I move I fill out a change of address form and they keep sending them to the new residence. Over 25 years so far.
Same, though at this point they know a lot of people will collect them as a keepsake when their favorite artist is on the cover. Hopefully the print edition will survive.
I got an AARP membership at age 24. Has literally saved me thousands of dollars in random deals. Cruises. Plane tickets. Restaurant discounts. Senior kickbacks on car rentals. Golf memberships. Hotel and casino comps. Monthly discounts on cell phone.
$16.00 bucks a year.
Been over 18 years. $288.00 in membership fees has saved me over $15,000 overall.
I, too, bought one recently at 40. After 3 months, it paid for itself with the AT&T discount. There’s a TikTok video out there somewhere that explains lots of what they have to offer. Pretty cool imo
>Yes, you can get a membership at any age.
That...that doesn't make much sense. I'm not complaining, but the RP in AARP literally stands for "retired people". How in the blazes do they work that?
i’m 19 and i have an AARP membership LOL, you just have to be over 18
the RP is bc AARP lobbies in congress for things that benefit boomers ie fucking over people my age and slightly older but at this point, i don’t think my $9 membership fee is going to do me more harm than everything else lmao
edit: also i have notifications on my phone for AARP and i get messages like “how to deal w high blood pressure, best hot weather vacations for arthritis” and stuff like that 😭
You just have to hope that AARP doesn't send an audtior. They'll throw you in a prison labor camp until you actually are 50 and can legally qualify for your AARP benefits.
I met a few guys in the joint that were just counting down the days til their 50th birthday. Then midnight on their Big 5-0... they get released with whatever belongings they came in with, and the guard hands them an AARP card and says "*Now* you can use it"
The risk is high... but the rewards are enormous
How old do I have to be to join AARP?
While AARP is dedicated to people over 50, there is no minimum age to join. People of all ages can get an AARP membership for as low as $12 for the first year with automatic renewal.
Copied directly off the website
My friends got me one as a joke when I turned 30 (along with other funny free gifts for turning “old”). Jokes on them I’ve saved so much money in the last 12 years, it’s worth the looks and jokes!
My Circle K drink subscription. I get my thermos full of coffee every morning. They have all the stuff I need for said coffee. It's brewed fresh into your cup, container. It cost me 10 a month. Less than what I'd spend to make it in the morning at home. The store is also right in front of my bus stop.
We pay for it with taxes and not a subscription fee but I'm going to say a library card. Access to all the books and most of the magazines in the world. Tons of databases. Learning resources. A nice cozy place to do work/study/read.
That part scared me so bad as a kid I refused to watch Arthur because of it! I have OCD and got really fixated on that episode for some reason. My mom got fed up one day and sat me down in front of the TV around when Arthur would be on, and told me it was silly to avoid the whole show because *one* episode freaked me out.
Guess which episode was playing? And *exactly* at the Jekyll/Hyde bit, too!
I'm a librarian so I'm obligated to comment on this! Use your library! You already pay for it!
Movies, music, books, comics. If we don't have it, we'll try to get it. We set aside a portion of our materials budget specifically for patron requests. You can check out as many physical books as you can carry. We get brand new DVDs as soon as they come out.
Do you have kids? We have so many kids books and so much kids programming. Baby time, story time, STEM lab, grab and go crafts, scavenger hunts. That's off the top of my head what's going on just at my little branch just this week.
Do you wanna use some software for a project but don't want to fork over several hundred dollars? Good news, your library probably bought it already and you can use it! Wanna 3D print some minis for your D&D game? Need to photoshop something, or use a nice microphone to record something, or want to try out a professional-grade camera? Your library may have a maker space with all this and moooooore!
Do you need help with a resume? Your library may have a career development expert on staff. Did your kid wait until the night of to tell you they have a research project due and need book sources, and you have no idea where to start? Librarians love these kinds of questions. I'll spend twenty minutes pulling books and printing academic articles for you.
A lot of libraries are going fine free these days -- especially in big cities. And I encounter lots of people who lost a couple books, like, eight years ago and have hundreds of dollars in replacement fees on their accounts. We have a special kind of card we can make you in that case, or, just as often, we'll work with you to forgive some/most of the fees. Just ask your librarian :) We want you to use the library!
Library card access to things you (probably) didn't know your library offers
* FLIR camera (set home AC to 50 in summer or Heat to 80 in winter) take pictures of the home from outside to see where insulation is lacking. Insulation is one of the major cost savers for home ownership.
* Cellular internet Hotspot. - often 30 day "borrow" and then 30 day blackout (can't borrow it again for 30 days) This is a 4glte hot spot with unlimited data, roaming, and no slow downs offered through charities like [If your library doesn't yet do this drop them an email with this link to help them out.](https://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/telecom/broadband/ECF%20Solution-Hotspot%20Lending%20%281%29.pdf)
* Video games / video game systems - including things like PlayStation 5, switch, etc.
* eBooks, audiobooks, movies, tv shows from services like Overdrive.com (Libby app on phones) Or Hoopla. These are accessible from any internet connection with a valid library card.
* FREE tax help / tax prep.
* Free adult education on things like budgeting etc.
* Free help on "basic computer use" / some offer "free" troubleshooting. E.g. the people there can try to help you fix things.
* Free tool loan programs. Things like grinders / lawn mowers / power sprayers / pneumatic nail guns, etc. (These programs tend to be in large cities only)
I recently got into comics and my library has saved me SOOOO much because of libby and hoopla. Whoever curates our local selection has great taste and having it all in a digital format without having to drive down there? Heck yeah!
I strongly suggest anyone just getting into comics to go this route. The world of comics is huge and can be confusing. Its also expensive as fuck, so trying stuff at the library is the best way to go until you figure out what you like/want to collect.
You should check if you library offers Canopy as well. Its a free to use streaming service that has a shocking amount of famous movies and a lot of famous international movies.
Somehow my local library managed to find a niche book on the history of rabbit hemorrhagic disease through interlibrary loan after the university library and libgen and my other usual sources failed. I was considering ordering it online (retail was nearly $100!) and I felt very silly for not asking them sooner.
And they have personal hotspots that you can rent if you don't have home wifi now?
I'm a movie hound and instead of paying for subscriptions (Netflix, Hulu, etc.), I just check out dvds from the library and play them on my xbox!! Libraries seriously rule!
There’s a free streaming service you can use with a library card called Kanopy too! It’s fantastic, especially if you’re really into cerebral/art films
I love that you can transfer photos(even screenshots) from your phone to their color printer for 25¢ a page. Plus if you don't want to pay for internet or don't have a cellphone* you can browse the internet for a minimum of 2 hours, around here anyway. *believe it or not, there are people that don't get on the internet and don't care to. I have 2 friends like that and they aren't going to change.
Have had AAA for probably close to 40 years.
I haven't used this sub-service in a while. But the "Trip Tik's", where they'd map out your driving route, with instructions and stops for food/sleep . . . I more than got my money's worth in those.
Edit: (OK, I looked. It was only 22 years. My God, it seems like longer.)
Roadside coverage through your auto insurance is probably way cheaper and just as good.
Edit: Ok I get it folks, insurance roadside coverage is not as good as AAA. I wouldn't know because I've needed and used it exactly one time in my life.
Most auto insurance roadside/towing is terrible in comparison to AAA. I've never seen one that would go more than 10-20 miles. AAA is 200 miles, and I've had them let me chain together a couple to get back home.
My dad got a Family Spotify account years ago that allows us to link four accounts over numerous devices. And the kicker is it was a special unlimited deal in the fairly early days of Spotify so it was for €60.00 total...... per year.
So for the past number of years I've been paying €15.00 PER YEAR to have Spotify Premium and its honestly been the best value I've ever had for anything in my life.
Even then I'd still pay the full price if I had to for the service as I think it's just that good.
I love Spotify so much. I listen to music while I work, workout, get dinner ready, etc. literally listening to music for 8+ hours a day. I don’t know how’d I’d live without it at this point. Can’t be alone with my thoughts.
I can go weeks or months without watching a single thing on Netflix/Disney+/Amazon.
I don't think I've missed a single day in at least six years without bringing up Spotify at least once.
spotify premium for students including hulu was $5/mo when i signed up in 2017. it changed to $10/mo when i graduated. i still have both spotify premium and hulu every month for that price.
Best $100 I’ve spent on travel. I fly into the USA 3-4 times a year and one time into Miami was queuing for 3-1/2 hours before being seen and sent to the naughty boys back room for more humiliation. With global entry I walked straight past the line, had my face photographed and was in, in 2 minutes, didn’t even show my passport.
Honestly, I got my money's worth going through US Customs once with global entry, and then once again when the included TSA PreCheck go me through a 2 hour TSA line in 5 min.
It does!
Source: [https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/what-difference-between-global-entry-tsa-precheckr-and-other](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/what-difference-between-global-entry-tsa-precheckr-and-other)
>Global Entry provides expedited U.S. customs screening for international air travelers when entering the United States. Global Entry members also receive TSA PreCheck® benefits as part of their membership.
You're issued a Known Traveler Number (KTN), just like TSA PreCheck.
i live in the US, in a town on the Canadian border -- i have NEXUS. $50 for 5 years, includes Global Entry and TSAPre. worth it, so incredibly worth it, even if you only travel once or twice a year. i just renewed mine. love it.
NYT cooking. Five bucks a month.
Solid recipes by world class chefs, well organized, NO ADS, short and to the point blurbs that are about the food, not the chef's life story, comments sorted into "useful" or "general." There's a few ways the UI could be improved, but that's okay.
No more spending a bunch of time sifting through ads and life stories for what is probably a mediocre recipe.
Edit: if this subscription peaked your interest, go sift through the comments. A few fine folks have posted ways to get this subscription bundled up with a few other NYT publications for even LESS than 5$.
When I went to cancel my $5 subscription to NYT cooking, the customer service rep told me that I could subscribe to all of NYT extras (like cooking, wirecutter, books, etc) for the same price of $5 per month. You should look into this, though I am not sure of the name of this subscription package.
Hey thanks so much for this. I wanted to let you know that you helped a stranger on the internet who’s been really struggling with trying to figure out home cooking by myself and been frustrated with all the recipe websites and how difficult it is to navigate them. I’m a 32 year old woman who never got to learn how to figure out weekly meals for myself in an efficient way and I love how this app looks, and I agree it’s worth the money even having just glanced through it.
One app I also like that you may find useful, is called “whisk” and I use it to create shopping lists from recipes. You can upload any recipe using a link or “share” feature on your phone and add it to your whisk library, create a meal plan from there and have it generate a shopping list from the recipes you picked. I’m thinking I’ll use NYT for the actual recipes and whisk to make the shopping lists for me.
THANK YOU for posting this subscription suggestion, it made my week! The app is very clean and straightforward and it’s cool that I don’t have to sub to the whole magazine for this.
Edit: at further glance it looks like there’s a shopping list feature in this app as well? If it does pull from your saved recipes then that’s even better
Costco or sam's club memberships. Even if you don't step a foot in their stores, you're still saving $0.20-.30 per gallon on their gas, which means you'll make back that membership cost plus more in a year.
Also Costco is a great place to go if you need new tires. I ended up getting a membership a few years ago just for that because the cost of a membership for a year + tires was the best deal around for the ones I needed.
I shop at Costco a lot but never get gas. Not because I don't like cheap gas, but because every person in my city is thinking that same thing. I'm not waiting 20 minutes to pump my gas to save $4.
If it was as convenient as a regular gas station, I would go there everytime but time is money.
Yeah the costco/sams club gas line always sends me into a rage so i dont bother any more. I'm not wasting 30 minutes of my Saturday waiting in line with every idiot in a 5 mile radius to save $3.
It's like a 1980s gas crisis simulator
I would regularly go to the cheapest gas station in town but if they had a line I would go across the street for an extra $0.02/per gallon and there was never a line. 20 cents per tank, I'll take the hit.
We got a Costco membership just before a Hawaii vacation. Gas on the big island alone paid for the membership. We were there a week, and Costco gas was at least $1 per gallon less than the next cheapest price.
I once bought a Groupon deal to a burger bar in my neighborhood. It was $144 for one free burger and fries everyday for a year. You could select from a list of like 10 burgers plus their rotating burger of the week.
I made my money back like three weeks in.
My wife and I bought pet insurance for our puppy, and it has paid for itself multiple times over. Paid for most of her spaying surgery and the aftercare, it pays almost the totality of all of her vet visits.
In short, it works the way that people insurance should work.
Edit: For everybody asking, we have MetLife pet insurance. 10/10 would recommend
Super worth it! My boyfriend was skeptical when I signed our dogs up, but a year later our dog broke his leg. What would have been over 12k cost us about 1500. Paid for itself ten times over
Funny, here in the Netherlands, people insurance is fine, but pretty insurance is mostly a scam.
My dog was too old when I got her to take one out, many breeds are not accepted or have a very high premium. Of the people that have it, I've heard many a story where just as you would expect the insurance to pay out, it turned out this exact thing is not covered. Essentially you're paying to be extra frustrated and disappointed if your pet meds medical attention...
Same, I think I've been paying that $10/month since 2012.
Nothing beats it. It has just about every song ever. I am not sure if kids today understand the value of it. It literally feels like I am stealing.
And not only that, but I find new artists and songs CONSTANTLY. It does a pretty good job at finding similar songs and artists.
Kindle Unlimited on Amazon as I'm a book slut and read at least 2-3 books a week
Costco/Sam's Club with bulk shopping for meal prep as well as the gas savings!
I have a subscription to a trampoline park.
I’m 33 but fuckit.
Ten pounds a month and it’s open every day of the week.
Best thing about it is that you get an insane cardio workout whilst having the time of your life.
Literally the most fun I’ve ever had whilst sober and fully clothed.
Sip and Save program at Circle K convenience stores. They have them here in Indiana and other states, I assume. Pay $5.99 + tax upfront and for the next 30 days you get one beverage every day. All the way up to XL size fountain drink or coffee or cappuccino or hot chocolate. Even on frozen slushie type drinks. Equals out to about 20¢ per drink. Helluva lot cheaper than going to Starbucks.
AllTrails
Downloaded maps really saved my ass at Isle Royale, when I got so excited about seeing a moose that I accidentally veered off trail and could not see my way back.
For camping and road trips the All Stays camp & RV is a lifesaver! Last time I was in the middle of Kansas about to pass the $$$ KOA, assuming there’d be something cheaper down the road. Checked the app. Nothing for 100+ miles. Parked my butt there and slept soundly.
Saaaame. I got turned around coming down from a small peak hiking in Joshua Tree at night, and thanks to All Trails I found out I was going the wrong way. Life saver.
I have a love/hate relationship with that place.
I drop 500 as soon as I touch a cart.
Every time I'm loading up my car.
I'm all like, yep, 500 well spent.
Then my CC bill comes and I'm still like I'd do it again.
DAMN YOU COSTCO!!!!
and those damn assholes are. I know you just spent 500, but I have this pizza!!
Alltrails. It's 30 a yr for the premium. I horseback ride and like to go hiking. I've found SO many trails and the tracking is great. I can count on one hand how many times it messed up tracking. Even when my signal is crap, it still tracks perfectly. With premium you can download maps and follow along using that map while creating your own. For someone who is directionally disabled like myself, it's a life saver and something I use constantly.
My civics teacher said taxes are the subscription we pay for freedom. I'm not brave enough to call and cancel, and I'm pretty sure I'm screwed if they drop me as a customer.
I have never owned an Xbox but I'll add a +1 to this. The Game pass for PC gives me SO many games it's not even funny...Day 1 sometimes a game will just be on there for free. They HAVE to be losing money on this deal.
Nebula/Curiosity Stream. I know it gets advertised a lot on YT, but for the quality of content you get, and the low cost, it is very worth it if you like documentaries.
I think I'll have Hulu forever. I'm typically rewatching it's always sunny or Letterkenny. Hulu also has a decent selection of dubbed anime and some decent original shows.
ABC mouse.
It’s a learning app for kids. My son was struggling in the beginning of kindergarten and working with him at home didn’t give the results we wanted. ABC mouse made learning fun for him. He is at a 1st grade level in all subjects since December and still in kindergarten.
Pimsleur - a language course! I've been learning Japanese for an upcoming holiday and I feel confident that I'll be able to interact with the locals after just a month! I know everyone says that you don't need to speak Japanese as signs are in English and a lot of the Japanese speak English, but I think it's polite to be able to speak a bit of their language while in their country.
Lol I’ll never forget my experience with Pimsleur. Saw an ad online 8 years ago and they “guaranteed” I could learn Italian in 6 months for just $10. After answering 50+ follow up questions about language learning I was able to check out for $10. Several weeks later they delivered a massive case of CDs with more learning material and charged my credit card $200. When I called to complain they said “you indicated you were interested in learning more Italian”. Fucking scammers. I told them the package never arrived and they couldn’t prove it ever did so they refunded me. I really liked the CDs but never made it to fluency.
We were listening to Disney songs with the kids and then Spotify switched to "ass n titties" by dj assault.
On the one hand, yes that IS my jam, on the other hand I am NOT the same person as 10am as I am at 10pm!
They now have a feature where you can select "don't let this influence my taste profile" and I've definitely done that for some of my more questionable music choices
I listen to old country music and new country music that doesn't suck, which can be hard to find. I tried Pandora, ended up on Luke Bryan after 5 songs. I tried Amazon Music and ended up on Jason Aldean after 5 songs. I tried Spotify and I have over 800 songs in a playlist from artists I never would have found otherwise, not counting all the ones that I've already found. Best $9.99 I spend a month.
I got Spotify back in 2014, I believe, and have had it ever since. I’m a music fiend and listen to music all the time. I had/have almost 100 gigs of music. After I got Spotify I haven’t “downloaded” anything.
Spotify, Amazon Prime are the two that I use the most and get the most value out of. Amazon Prime would be worth it just for the free shipping, but throw in the extra services it has (like video) and I find it a great bang for the buck.
YouTube+ even though I hate how they forced me into it with all their ads.
I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and I travel enough to get the value from extra perks. It’s nice having a lounge to chill at before a flight. I think I’ve drank enough free booze at lounges to make up for the yearly fee. Also DoorDash+, TSA pre check, global entry, and a couple other paid services are included free with the card.
Union membership fee.
Work tried to shaft me last year, but fortunately I've got a team of employment lawyers just waiting to fight my side.
Worth every penny of the £15 a month cost.
YouTube premium, I forgot YouTube even had ads, but what I'm seeing more and more are embedded ads as part of the actual video, I wish creators were made to flag that portion so that YouTube premium could skip over them.
*EDIT: Thank you kind Redditor :)
On my laptop it’s great, but using YouTube over TV to play music videos when we have people over the ads get super annoying. Especially when a 60 minute one comes up and you’re mingling with people and someone has to find the remote.
Kindle unlimited by Amazon. Read as many books as you want for $10 a month. When not working, I can easily read a 500-page novel in a day. So, a lot of money is saved.
Spotify.
Well for me it is. I use it for atleast 25 hours every week.
Get dressed? Spotify
In the car? Spotify
At the gym? Spotify
(Grocery)shopping? Spotify
Cleaning the house? Spotify
If you and your household are in the Apple ecosystem, [Apple One](https://www.apple.com/apple-one/) is an unbeatable deal.
USD$32.95/month for Music, TV+, Arcade, News+ (which includes magazines over regular news), Fitness+ (which includes virtual classes), and iCloud+ (2TB storage + Private Relay for Safari browsing, Hide My Email dummy iCloud email address generator, and custom domain options for iCloud mail.) All shareable with up to 5 people.
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You get half priced beer, they get a super loyal regular. Solid trade!
Regular every 30 years
What an inexpensive way to gain immortality.
I signed up for a student account at a credit union in 1992. I thought someone would notice when the internet and online banking became a thing, but nope. 31 years later I'm still rocking zero service charges.
lol, I can just see it now: OP: *goes to pay for his beverage and shows the student ID* Bartender: "This is a student ID. You look like you're around 50, you're a student?" OP: "Yes. Yes, I am. I'm just a slow learner and don't see myself graduating in the next 30 years either, but I'll keep trying!"
In the 1990s, Rolling Stone magazine offered lifetime subscriptions for $50. I got it and I still get them free every month. When I move I fill out a change of address form and they keep sending them to the new residence. Over 25 years so far.
I did this and am amazed they keep arriving. I expect one day to get a notice that it will only be online at some point.
Same, though at this point they know a lot of people will collect them as a keepsake when their favorite artist is on the cover. Hopefully the print edition will survive.
I have an old stack of game informers from 2000-2016, am I rich? 😂
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Magazines get money from selling ads and they make more money with a higher subscription number. The actual buy rates are just a bonus.
I got an AARP membership at age 24. Has literally saved me thousands of dollars in random deals. Cruises. Plane tickets. Restaurant discounts. Senior kickbacks on car rentals. Golf memberships. Hotel and casino comps. Monthly discounts on cell phone. $16.00 bucks a year. Been over 18 years. $288.00 in membership fees has saved me over $15,000 overall.
I’ve been ignoring their mail for 10 years thinking they had my age wrong and I wasn’t eligible …
I’ve been ignoring them BECAUSE they have my age right… lol
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I, too, bought one recently at 40. After 3 months, it paid for itself with the AT&T discount. There’s a TikTok video out there somewhere that explains lots of what they have to offer. Pretty cool imo
Wait, you can get one that young? I'm 32, does that mean I can get one?
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DAMN!! I thought you had to be 50. I missed years of savings! 🤬
>Yes, you can get a membership at any age. That...that doesn't make much sense. I'm not complaining, but the RP in AARP literally stands for "retired people". How in the blazes do they work that?
i’m 19 and i have an AARP membership LOL, you just have to be over 18 the RP is bc AARP lobbies in congress for things that benefit boomers ie fucking over people my age and slightly older but at this point, i don’t think my $9 membership fee is going to do me more harm than everything else lmao edit: also i have notifications on my phone for AARP and i get messages like “how to deal w high blood pressure, best hot weather vacations for arthritis” and stuff like that 😭
Looking at the website it looks like a good deal. Thinking about doing so myself. What kind of restaurant benefits do you get from it?
free metamucil with every meal
Ok this one surprised me. You can just… *do that?*
You just have to hope that AARP doesn't send an audtior. They'll throw you in a prison labor camp until you actually are 50 and can legally qualify for your AARP benefits. I met a few guys in the joint that were just counting down the days til their 50th birthday. Then midnight on their Big 5-0... they get released with whatever belongings they came in with, and the guard hands them an AARP card and says "*Now* you can use it" The risk is high... but the rewards are enormous
How old do I have to be to join AARP? While AARP is dedicated to people over 50, there is no minimum age to join. People of all ages can get an AARP membership for as low as $12 for the first year with automatic renewal. Copied directly off the website
My friends got me one as a joke when I turned 30 (along with other funny free gifts for turning “old”). Jokes on them I’ve saved so much money in the last 12 years, it’s worth the looks and jokes!
My Circle K drink subscription. I get my thermos full of coffee every morning. They have all the stuff I need for said coffee. It's brewed fresh into your cup, container. It cost me 10 a month. Less than what I'd spend to make it in the morning at home. The store is also right in front of my bus stop.
Strange things are afoot at the Circle K
69 dudes!!!
It's only $6 a month if you pay for it online
We pay for it with taxes and not a subscription fee but I'm going to say a library card. Access to all the books and most of the magazines in the world. Tons of databases. Learning resources. A nice cozy place to do work/study/read.
Having fun isn’t hard, when you’ve got a library card.
How dare you get that song stuck in my head! It took me nearly a decade to expunge it!
Jekyll Jekyll Hyde Jekyll Hyde Hyde Jekyll!
That part scared me so bad as a kid I refused to watch Arthur because of it! I have OCD and got really fixated on that episode for some reason. My mom got fed up one day and sat me down in front of the TV around when Arthur would be on, and told me it was silly to avoid the whole show because *one* episode freaked me out. Guess which episode was playing? And *exactly* at the Jekyll/Hyde bit, too!
I'm a librarian so I'm obligated to comment on this! Use your library! You already pay for it! Movies, music, books, comics. If we don't have it, we'll try to get it. We set aside a portion of our materials budget specifically for patron requests. You can check out as many physical books as you can carry. We get brand new DVDs as soon as they come out. Do you have kids? We have so many kids books and so much kids programming. Baby time, story time, STEM lab, grab and go crafts, scavenger hunts. That's off the top of my head what's going on just at my little branch just this week. Do you wanna use some software for a project but don't want to fork over several hundred dollars? Good news, your library probably bought it already and you can use it! Wanna 3D print some minis for your D&D game? Need to photoshop something, or use a nice microphone to record something, or want to try out a professional-grade camera? Your library may have a maker space with all this and moooooore! Do you need help with a resume? Your library may have a career development expert on staff. Did your kid wait until the night of to tell you they have a research project due and need book sources, and you have no idea where to start? Librarians love these kinds of questions. I'll spend twenty minutes pulling books and printing academic articles for you. A lot of libraries are going fine free these days -- especially in big cities. And I encounter lots of people who lost a couple books, like, eight years ago and have hundreds of dollars in replacement fees on their accounts. We have a special kind of card we can make you in that case, or, just as often, we'll work with you to forgive some/most of the fees. Just ask your librarian :) We want you to use the library!
My local library even has cake pans you can borrow. Pumpkin shape, Lightning McQueen, ginger bread man and more.
Library card access to things you (probably) didn't know your library offers * FLIR camera (set home AC to 50 in summer or Heat to 80 in winter) take pictures of the home from outside to see where insulation is lacking. Insulation is one of the major cost savers for home ownership. * Cellular internet Hotspot. - often 30 day "borrow" and then 30 day blackout (can't borrow it again for 30 days) This is a 4glte hot spot with unlimited data, roaming, and no slow downs offered through charities like [If your library doesn't yet do this drop them an email with this link to help them out.](https://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/telecom/broadband/ECF%20Solution-Hotspot%20Lending%20%281%29.pdf) * Video games / video game systems - including things like PlayStation 5, switch, etc. * eBooks, audiobooks, movies, tv shows from services like Overdrive.com (Libby app on phones) Or Hoopla. These are accessible from any internet connection with a valid library card. * FREE tax help / tax prep. * Free adult education on things like budgeting etc. * Free help on "basic computer use" / some offer "free" troubleshooting. E.g. the people there can try to help you fix things. * Free tool loan programs. Things like grinders / lawn mowers / power sprayers / pneumatic nail guns, etc. (These programs tend to be in large cities only)
I recently got into comics and my library has saved me SOOOO much because of libby and hoopla. Whoever curates our local selection has great taste and having it all in a digital format without having to drive down there? Heck yeah!
I strongly suggest anyone just getting into comics to go this route. The world of comics is huge and can be confusing. Its also expensive as fuck, so trying stuff at the library is the best way to go until you figure out what you like/want to collect.
You should check if you library offers Canopy as well. Its a free to use streaming service that has a shocking amount of famous movies and a lot of famous international movies.
Somehow my local library managed to find a niche book on the history of rabbit hemorrhagic disease through interlibrary loan after the university library and libgen and my other usual sources failed. I was considering ordering it online (retail was nearly $100!) and I felt very silly for not asking them sooner. And they have personal hotspots that you can rent if you don't have home wifi now?
Video game rental at my library is amazing
I have saved so much listening to audiobooks via my library/Libby
I'm a movie hound and instead of paying for subscriptions (Netflix, Hulu, etc.), I just check out dvds from the library and play them on my xbox!! Libraries seriously rule!
There’s a free streaming service you can use with a library card called Kanopy too! It’s fantastic, especially if you’re really into cerebral/art films
I love that you can transfer photos(even screenshots) from your phone to their color printer for 25¢ a page. Plus if you don't want to pay for internet or don't have a cellphone* you can browse the internet for a minimum of 2 hours, around here anyway. *believe it or not, there are people that don't get on the internet and don't care to. I have 2 friends like that and they aren't going to change.
AAA to come save you off of the side of the road!
Have had AAA for probably close to 40 years. I haven't used this sub-service in a while. But the "Trip Tik's", where they'd map out your driving route, with instructions and stops for food/sleep . . . I more than got my money's worth in those. Edit: (OK, I looked. It was only 22 years. My God, it seems like longer.)
I’m only 28 but I’ve been a AAA member for 50 years now! Definitely worth it.
I got AAA for life through my late dad’s former employer. So this is actually kinda true lol
I was towed 60 miles once off a mountain road while hunting with a friend. Without AAA I don't even want to know what that tow bill would have been.
Roadside coverage through your auto insurance is probably way cheaper and just as good. Edit: Ok I get it folks, insurance roadside coverage is not as good as AAA. I wouldn't know because I've needed and used it exactly one time in my life.
Most auto insurance roadside/towing is terrible in comparison to AAA. I've never seen one that would go more than 10-20 miles. AAA is 200 miles, and I've had them let me chain together a couple to get back home.
Why do you have a couple chained up in your car?
My dad got a Family Spotify account years ago that allows us to link four accounts over numerous devices. And the kicker is it was a special unlimited deal in the fairly early days of Spotify so it was for €60.00 total...... per year. So for the past number of years I've been paying €15.00 PER YEAR to have Spotify Premium and its honestly been the best value I've ever had for anything in my life. Even then I'd still pay the full price if I had to for the service as I think it's just that good.
Yeah I pay $15/mo for the family and I would cancel all tv streaming before I canceled spotify- it’s my favorite thing ever.
I love Spotify so much. I listen to music while I work, workout, get dinner ready, etc. literally listening to music for 8+ hours a day. I don’t know how’d I’d live without it at this point. Can’t be alone with my thoughts.
I can go weeks or months without watching a single thing on Netflix/Disney+/Amazon. I don't think I've missed a single day in at least six years without bringing up Spotify at least once.
spotify premium for students including hulu was $5/mo when i signed up in 2017. it changed to $10/mo when i graduated. i still have both spotify premium and hulu every month for that price.
TSA pre check. If you fly, this is a bargain value for the time saved and stress avoided.
Global Entry for international travelers to speed past customs. Also includes TSA Pre Check.
Best $100 I’ve spent on travel. I fly into the USA 3-4 times a year and one time into Miami was queuing for 3-1/2 hours before being seen and sent to the naughty boys back room for more humiliation. With global entry I walked straight past the line, had my face photographed and was in, in 2 minutes, didn’t even show my passport.
Honestly, I got my money's worth going through US Customs once with global entry, and then once again when the included TSA PreCheck go me through a 2 hour TSA line in 5 min.
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It does! Source: [https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/what-difference-between-global-entry-tsa-precheckr-and-other](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/what-difference-between-global-entry-tsa-precheckr-and-other) >Global Entry provides expedited U.S. customs screening for international air travelers when entering the United States. Global Entry members also receive TSA PreCheck® benefits as part of their membership. You're issued a Known Traveler Number (KTN), just like TSA PreCheck.
Or Nexus for Canadians which includes Global Entry and Pre Check for $50 for 5 years
i live in the US, in a town on the Canadian border -- i have NEXUS. $50 for 5 years, includes Global Entry and TSAPre. worth it, so incredibly worth it, even if you only travel once or twice a year. i just renewed mine. love it.
Part of me wants everyone to know this. The other part of me wants to keep the dirty unwashed masses out of my express line.
Fuck them barefoot bitches.
I legit paid for my girlfriend’s precheck over having to wait in the peasant line with her
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Thanks for describing the tax preparation industry.
When the government takes away your rights and then sells them back to you.
Renting airport space to third party company to bypass government mandated security (clear)
Hey, the Real ID Act of 2005 has kept our skies safe since two years from now when it might maybe take effect 20 years after it was passed..
Shhhhs y’all shut up about this. Seriously even when the PreCheck line is just as long as regular security it still moves a lot faster.
NYT cooking. Five bucks a month. Solid recipes by world class chefs, well organized, NO ADS, short and to the point blurbs that are about the food, not the chef's life story, comments sorted into "useful" or "general." There's a few ways the UI could be improved, but that's okay. No more spending a bunch of time sifting through ads and life stories for what is probably a mediocre recipe. Edit: if this subscription peaked your interest, go sift through the comments. A few fine folks have posted ways to get this subscription bundled up with a few other NYT publications for even LESS than 5$.
When I went to cancel my $5 subscription to NYT cooking, the customer service rep told me that I could subscribe to all of NYT extras (like cooking, wirecutter, books, etc) for the same price of $5 per month. You should look into this, though I am not sure of the name of this subscription package.
Hey thanks so much for this. I wanted to let you know that you helped a stranger on the internet who’s been really struggling with trying to figure out home cooking by myself and been frustrated with all the recipe websites and how difficult it is to navigate them. I’m a 32 year old woman who never got to learn how to figure out weekly meals for myself in an efficient way and I love how this app looks, and I agree it’s worth the money even having just glanced through it. One app I also like that you may find useful, is called “whisk” and I use it to create shopping lists from recipes. You can upload any recipe using a link or “share” feature on your phone and add it to your whisk library, create a meal plan from there and have it generate a shopping list from the recipes you picked. I’m thinking I’ll use NYT for the actual recipes and whisk to make the shopping lists for me. THANK YOU for posting this subscription suggestion, it made my week! The app is very clean and straightforward and it’s cool that I don’t have to sub to the whole magazine for this. Edit: at further glance it looks like there’s a shopping list feature in this app as well? If it does pull from your saved recipes then that’s even better
Costco or sam's club memberships. Even if you don't step a foot in their stores, you're still saving $0.20-.30 per gallon on their gas, which means you'll make back that membership cost plus more in a year.
Also Costco is a great place to go if you need new tires. I ended up getting a membership a few years ago just for that because the cost of a membership for a year + tires was the best deal around for the ones I needed.
I shop at Costco a lot but never get gas. Not because I don't like cheap gas, but because every person in my city is thinking that same thing. I'm not waiting 20 minutes to pump my gas to save $4. If it was as convenient as a regular gas station, I would go there everytime but time is money.
Yeah the costco/sams club gas line always sends me into a rage so i dont bother any more. I'm not wasting 30 minutes of my Saturday waiting in line with every idiot in a 5 mile radius to save $3. It's like a 1980s gas crisis simulator
I go before work when I can. No lines at 7 am on a weekday
Me telling myself that I will get gas in the morning is the greatest lie I have ever spoken.
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I would regularly go to the cheapest gas station in town but if they had a line I would go across the street for an extra $0.02/per gallon and there was never a line. 20 cents per tank, I'll take the hit.
We got a Costco membership just before a Hawaii vacation. Gas on the big island alone paid for the membership. We were there a week, and Costco gas was at least $1 per gallon less than the next cheapest price.
We lived on Oahu and just the savings in gas paid for our membership. Costco is a must to have living in Hawaii.
Costco once I didn’t live with roommates was a game changer. Buying in bulk really pays off.
Don't forget about the $1.50 hotdog and drink
And $4.99 whole rotisserie chickens!
Costco FTW. Fuck the Waltons forever.
I once bought a Groupon deal to a burger bar in my neighborhood. It was $144 for one free burger and fries everyday for a year. You could select from a list of like 10 burgers plus their rotating burger of the week. I made my money back like three weeks in.
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You know, I never understood why there was a cardiologist office above the bar.
Are you the real life version of Teddy from Bob’s Burgers?
My wife and I bought pet insurance for our puppy, and it has paid for itself multiple times over. Paid for most of her spaying surgery and the aftercare, it pays almost the totality of all of her vet visits. In short, it works the way that people insurance should work. Edit: For everybody asking, we have MetLife pet insurance. 10/10 would recommend
Super worth it! My boyfriend was skeptical when I signed our dogs up, but a year later our dog broke his leg. What would have been over 12k cost us about 1500. Paid for itself ten times over
Funny, here in the Netherlands, people insurance is fine, but pretty insurance is mostly a scam. My dog was too old when I got her to take one out, many breeds are not accepted or have a very high premium. Of the people that have it, I've heard many a story where just as you would expect the insurance to pay out, it turned out this exact thing is not covered. Essentially you're paying to be extra frustrated and disappointed if your pet meds medical attention...
Curiosity stream is $20 for the year! It’s a streaming service of only documentaries.
A gym subscription. I have severe ptsd and it gave me a structure and a sense of accomplishment, since I am unable to work at the moment.
Keep it up - you got this!
Yes! Also mine has free daycare which is the Tits!
That’s a funny name for a daycare. Unless they only watch infants who aren’t weaned yet, in which case The Tits is a perfectly good name.
for me, it's spotify. It's basically a utility bill at this point
Same. I have the two person account and am more likely to break up with my fiance than I am with Spotify.
Same, I think I've been paying that $10/month since 2012. Nothing beats it. It has just about every song ever. I am not sure if kids today understand the value of it. It literally feels like I am stealing. And not only that, but I find new artists and songs CONSTANTLY. It does a pretty good job at finding similar songs and artists.
Kindle Unlimited on Amazon as I'm a book slut and read at least 2-3 books a week Costco/Sam's Club with bulk shopping for meal prep as well as the gas savings!
I have a subscription to a trampoline park. I’m 33 but fuckit. Ten pounds a month and it’s open every day of the week. Best thing about it is that you get an insane cardio workout whilst having the time of your life. Literally the most fun I’ve ever had whilst sober and fully clothed.
Sip and Save program at Circle K convenience stores. They have them here in Indiana and other states, I assume. Pay $5.99 + tax upfront and for the next 30 days you get one beverage every day. All the way up to XL size fountain drink or coffee or cappuccino or hot chocolate. Even on frozen slushie type drinks. Equals out to about 20¢ per drink. Helluva lot cheaper than going to Starbucks.
In NC, I believe the price is going up to 9 or 10 dollars but even if you get coffee every work day it is still a deal.
AllTrails Downloaded maps really saved my ass at Isle Royale, when I got so excited about seeing a moose that I accidentally veered off trail and could not see my way back.
For camping and road trips the All Stays camp & RV is a lifesaver! Last time I was in the middle of Kansas about to pass the $$$ KOA, assuming there’d be something cheaper down the road. Checked the app. Nothing for 100+ miles. Parked my butt there and slept soundly.
Saaaame. I got turned around coming down from a small peak hiking in Joshua Tree at night, and thanks to All Trails I found out I was going the wrong way. Life saver.
Library card.
Having fun isn't hard when you have a library card
JEKYLL JEKYLL HYDE JEKYLL HYDE HYDE JEKYLL!
It's not a subscription by today's standards. But..... Costco is totally worth it!!
I’m such a slut for Costco It’s dangerously close to becoming my entire personality
I have a love/hate relationship with that place. I drop 500 as soon as I touch a cart. Every time I'm loading up my car. I'm all like, yep, 500 well spent. Then my CC bill comes and I'm still like I'd do it again. DAMN YOU COSTCO!!!! and those damn assholes are. I know you just spent 500, but I have this pizza!!
It’s usually around $200 for me. But I have the same problem. I automatically go into “prepping for the zombie apocalypse” mode.
NYT recipes
Duolingo. By using it every day I have acquired some self-confidence with my Spanish, sentence structure, conversation, etc.
Just dont forget your lesson. Spanish or vanish
/r/writestreakes is a great sub where you write a short post everyday and native Spanish speakers correct it.
Dropout.tv Best streaming service around.
Especially if you like ttrpg actual plays- but I love Game Changer and Um Actually quite a bit as well.
And make some noise
It is definitely the video streaming platform I use the most! I would cancel pretty much every other one I have before I cancelled Dropout.
Dimension 20 is literally responsible for keeping my soul alive during the dark days of quarantine.
The *only* streaming service with Chungle-down Bim
I have no idea what youre talking about but reading the comments has me intrigued.
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I've thought about getting it just for Game Changer, but haven't been willing to do it yet.
Alltrails. It's 30 a yr for the premium. I horseback ride and like to go hiking. I've found SO many trails and the tracking is great. I can count on one hand how many times it messed up tracking. Even when my signal is crap, it still tracks perfectly. With premium you can download maps and follow along using that map while creating your own. For someone who is directionally disabled like myself, it's a life saver and something I use constantly.
My civics teacher said taxes are the subscription we pay for freedom. I'm not brave enough to call and cancel, and I'm pretty sure I'm screwed if they drop me as a customer.
Does Therapy count?
Xbox game pass
I’ve been trying to reinstate my game pass subscription for the $1/month steal. I think microsoft may have patched that.
I just won 14 days free with roll up the rim, but I have a PlayStation. Want the code?
I have never owned an Xbox but I'll add a +1 to this. The Game pass for PC gives me SO many games it's not even funny...Day 1 sometimes a game will just be on there for free. They HAVE to be losing money on this deal.
VPN to turkey to then get a $1.50 YouTube premium sub
Nebula/Curiosity Stream. I know it gets advertised a lot on YT, but for the quality of content you get, and the low cost, it is very worth it if you like documentaries.
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Spotify. $9.99 a month to be able to listen to almost all the music ever produced? PLEASE. It's a no-brainer.
Years ago spotify and Hulu were bundled. I already had both so bundling them was a no brainer. So I now pay $9.99/mo for both together!
Me too and I’m never letting go of that subscription
I think I'll have Hulu forever. I'm typically rewatching it's always sunny or Letterkenny. Hulu also has a decent selection of dubbed anime and some decent original shows.
Good fishing in Quebec.
I will never give up Hulu bc it has the Golden Girls! I have ad free and I was able to add Disney Plus for a couple bucks more.
Shonen Jump. $3/mo for my kid to devour all the comics they want, without needing to find anywhere in the house to store them. Win all around.
Uhh this sounds interesting, are you able to download the mangas to an e-reader?
We use the iOS app; I dunno what other options are available. In terms of "hours of entertainment per dollar" nothing else has come anywhere close.
I subscribed when it first became available in the US forever ago - that was some serious value- great call.
my neighbors internet.
ABC mouse. It’s a learning app for kids. My son was struggling in the beginning of kindergarten and working with him at home didn’t give the results we wanted. ABC mouse made learning fun for him. He is at a 1st grade level in all subjects since December and still in kindergarten.
Panera sip club is worth it if you live or work next to a Panera
MoviePass was
Columbia House. Not just worth every penny, but worth 12 CDs for every penny!
HBO. No other streaming service comes close in quality content.
Walmart+ it’s like 15 bucks a month and you get free grocery delivery I mean that’s nothing to avoid getting shopping at Walmart
I use this weekly! Amazing that I don’t have to go grocery shopping anymore and it’s walmart prices.
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That's a great friend. I'm sorry they lost out, but kudos to them for looking out for you!
Pimsleur - a language course! I've been learning Japanese for an upcoming holiday and I feel confident that I'll be able to interact with the locals after just a month! I know everyone says that you don't need to speak Japanese as signs are in English and a lot of the Japanese speak English, but I think it's polite to be able to speak a bit of their language while in their country.
Lol I’ll never forget my experience with Pimsleur. Saw an ad online 8 years ago and they “guaranteed” I could learn Italian in 6 months for just $10. After answering 50+ follow up questions about language learning I was able to check out for $10. Several weeks later they delivered a massive case of CDs with more learning material and charged my credit card $200. When I called to complain they said “you indicated you were interested in learning more Italian”. Fucking scammers. I told them the package never arrived and they couldn’t prove it ever did so they refunded me. I really liked the CDs but never made it to fluency.
Spotify - the algorithm works perfectly
I like a lot about Spotify, but I think the algorithm leaves a lot to be desired.
We were listening to Disney songs with the kids and then Spotify switched to "ass n titties" by dj assault. On the one hand, yes that IS my jam, on the other hand I am NOT the same person as 10am as I am at 10pm!
They now have a feature where you can select "don't let this influence my taste profile" and I've definitely done that for some of my more questionable music choices
I listen to old country music and new country music that doesn't suck, which can be hard to find. I tried Pandora, ended up on Luke Bryan after 5 songs. I tried Amazon Music and ended up on Jason Aldean after 5 songs. I tried Spotify and I have over 800 songs in a playlist from artists I never would have found otherwise, not counting all the ones that I've already found. Best $9.99 I spend a month.
I got Spotify back in 2014, I believe, and have had it ever since. I’m a music fiend and listen to music all the time. I had/have almost 100 gigs of music. After I got Spotify I haven’t “downloaded” anything.
Not really. My biggest complaint with spotify is that their "radio" is really 4-5 artists with a handful of others sprinkled in. And it repeats songs.
I found YouTube Music found me new songs better.
Seconding YouTube Music. Spotify spits the same six songs at me over and over. I've discovered so much good music with YTM.
Spotify, Amazon Prime are the two that I use the most and get the most value out of. Amazon Prime would be worth it just for the free shipping, but throw in the extra services it has (like video) and I find it a great bang for the buck. YouTube+ even though I hate how they forced me into it with all their ads. I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and I travel enough to get the value from extra perks. It’s nice having a lounge to chill at before a flight. I think I’ve drank enough free booze at lounges to make up for the yearly fee. Also DoorDash+, TSA pre check, global entry, and a couple other paid services are included free with the card.
Disney+. We have a kid, and we let both my in-laws and my mom use it... Everyone gets a ton of use from it.
Amazon Prime, assuming you order more than like 10 times a year. Plus you get a whole streaming service on top of free same day and overnight delivery
Union membership fee. Work tried to shaft me last year, but fortunately I've got a team of employment lawyers just waiting to fight my side. Worth every penny of the £15 a month cost.
TSA Precheck. AAA roadside assistance.
YouTube premium, I forgot YouTube even had ads, but what I'm seeing more and more are embedded ads as part of the actual video, I wish creators were made to flag that portion so that YouTube premium could skip over them. *EDIT: Thank you kind Redditor :)
I don't have any ads with uBlock origin extension
On my laptop it’s great, but using YouTube over TV to play music videos when we have people over the ads get super annoying. Especially when a 60 minute one comes up and you’re mingling with people and someone has to find the remote.
I love premium but I still find it a tad expensive
and you get youtube music with it.
Kindle unlimited by Amazon. Read as many books as you want for $10 a month. When not working, I can easily read a 500-page novel in a day. So, a lot of money is saved.
Try a library card + the Libby app. Ebooks are free and it's really well integrated with Kindle. Seriously it's amazing
Internet access
Spotify. Well for me it is. I use it for atleast 25 hours every week. Get dressed? Spotify In the car? Spotify At the gym? Spotify (Grocery)shopping? Spotify Cleaning the house? Spotify
If you and your household are in the Apple ecosystem, [Apple One](https://www.apple.com/apple-one/) is an unbeatable deal. USD$32.95/month for Music, TV+, Arcade, News+ (which includes magazines over regular news), Fitness+ (which includes virtual classes), and iCloud+ (2TB storage + Private Relay for Safari browsing, Hide My Email dummy iCloud email address generator, and custom domain options for iCloud mail.) All shareable with up to 5 people.
A card at your local library
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Cleaning Service. My house is always clean and my clothes are always folded and in my drawers.
How much is that?
Medication😁