Reviewing Subscriptions at the Start of 2024
Since the new year has just begun, it's the perfect time to summarize the changes in my subscriptions and, if possible, review them.
Ongoing Subscriptions
Nikkei Electronic Edition (¥4,277)
Although it's not cheap, I will continue my newspaper subscription this year as well. I think it would be ideal to gather information from various sources, but since vetting them is a hassle, I plan to keep this for the time being. However, since I stopped subscribing to the Mainichi Shimbun, I try to check articles I'm interested in online.
LINEMO Mini Plan (3GB) (¥993)
I have been using this since 2022. If I run out of data, I use Povo as a secondary line to purchase more. I believe mobile costs should be as low as possible, but since I can't go without a smartphone, I think it's quite difficult to cut costs any further.
Kindle Unlimited (¥980)
After calculating things, it turns out to be a good deal, so I have it on auto-renew. However, I'm thinking of turning off auto-renewal at some point and switching to a style where I only subscribe when a book I want to read is included in Kindle Unlimited.
Amazon Prime Membership (¥410)
The Prime membership fee will increase by about 80 yen per month this July, but considering the next-day delivery and access to Prime Video, it's still cheap. I shop on Amazon frequently, so it looks like I'll be paying for this for the time being.
Notion (¥600)
I have an annual contract for $48/year. I feel the impact of the weak yen, but honestly, there are no other options, so I think I'll be using it for a while. Notion itself is a wonderful service, but I have doubts about whether I'm using it to its full potential, so I'm seriously considering switching to a cheaper, lower-functionality memo app. However, I haven't found a replacement yet, so I'm continuing to use it.
Money Forward ME (¥500)
As I wrote before, if I tried to do this myself, I couldn't do it for 500 yen, so I'll keep using it with the mindset that it's a bargain.
1Password (¥325)
I use passkeys, and since I primarily use Windows, iCloud Keychain is difficult to use, so I'll likely continue using this for the time being. However, since I pay from my Apple Account balance, I benefit from discounts when purchasing gift cards, and considering the features I can use, I think it's a very cost-effective subscription.
iCloud Drive 50GB (¥130)
I want to keep backups on iCloud, so I subscribe to the 50GB Drive plan. I have iCloud Drive installed on my Windows device, so it's useful for editing screenshots taken on my PC on my iPad. Well, the free plan would be enough for just that, but with 5GB (the free plan), it fills up immediately once you take photos and videos, so I feel it's better for my peace of mind to subscribe to the minimum plan.
Services Switched or Discontinued in 2023
Mainichi Shimbun Electronic Edition Standard Plan (¥700)
Since I no longer have time to read two newspapers, I have cancelled this one. As a countermeasure against skipped articles and the like, I have decided to refer to online articles such as those from NHK.
Things I reviewed on this occasion
Amazon Music Unlimited (¥980)
↓
Apple Music (¥1,080)
I was using Amazon Music Unlimited because it was the only player on Windows that supported high-resolution audio, and it was overwhelmingly cheaper than the others with an annual contract (around 780 yen). However, since the price increase, it is no longer overwhelmingly cheaper, and there is the issue of not being able to listen to the songs I want to hear when I want to hear them, so I have ended the automatic renewal and decided to return to Apple Music at the next renewal. The price will go up, but I think that is better than not being able to listen to the songs I want to hear.
Sleep Cycle (¥75)
I haven't been using this since I started playing Pokémon Sleep, so I think I will cancel this subscription.
Summary
Since I stopped my subscription to the Mainichi Shimbun, my subscription costs at the start of the year are 9,295 yen per month, which is about 500 yen less than last year's 9,784 yen.
Subscriptions tend to keep growing if you don't review them periodically. Why not take this opportunity at the start of the new year to review the services you are subscribed to?